Skeena BC August 2009 day 2
Day 2 of my BC trip – this time on the larger parent river, with Kim & Brad – jet boating down to the lower river, in what was blazing sunshine all day, the wind gradually building up from mid-morning.
Water conditions were perfect, the glacial silt green being the order of the day.
Selecting a small gravel bar at the upstream tip of one of the many islands, we found ourselves in amongst the migrating masses of the Pink salmon (humpies). The relatively small run of water was interrupted at the hot-spot by a stranded tree stump, and many takes were forthcoming for each of us rotating through the run.
My first pink of the day, after around 5 minutes of fishing….
Around 4lbs
Within a few minutes of the return of the fish, another was on….
This time a male humpy on the ES Danno….
beached….
….for a closer look (no nets for these fish, and all returned off the barbless hooks).
After we had all gone through the run a couple of times (the fishable section was interrupted by the stranded large tree stump), I persuaded Brad to take us to the other side of the river…. I was following Kim & Brad down the run, and many more pinks were encountered, almost on each cast, and around half of them remaining hooked to get to the in-water hand release….
The upstream view to the parked jetboat…
The downstream view gives an idea of the sheer scale of the river….
After more than a dozen pinks to hand, and when Brad had returned from his downstream forays (only more pinks +++ encountered!), we had a small coffee with Canadian caloric boosters, and then decided that new pastures were calling again.
The wind had started to become more of a nuisance, especially to the enjoyment of casting, so we moved to a different & more sheltered section….but the fish weren’t playing ball here, although Kim lost a coho (silver salmon) at the top of the run.
After we had moved again, the wind seemed to have lessened somewhat, and we were clearly into another nice bit of water, with pinks (universally available!), …..
…..and feisty…..up to around 7lbs
It was when I was following Kim down the run, Brad having ventured further downstream to seek out steelhead & cohos, when I encountered a couple of cohos in amongst the multiple pinks, one of these silvers I got almost to hand before its 8-10 lb mass was too much for the slender barbless hook hold, and it kicked away back into the current. I lost another coho with a more ‘distant release’.
Having satisfied ourselves that there were plenty of fish about, the rest of the later afternoon was spent exploring new spots on the river…..
with the rods always at the ready….
and searching for that magical & appealing bar, but also noting that the wind had picked up considerably anyway…..
….and onward again…..
…..passing some of the local wildlife……
Another promising looking bar, but to little further avail of fish….
& finally, with the clock ticking down towards suppertime, it was time to head back upriver to the 4x4 & trailer at the put-in, just passing some of the encamped local fishermen on the journey.
Overall, still a good day, with around 25+ pinks to my rod, and as many ‘lost’, and an ‘almost’ silver coho, and another coho lost. Even looking back at the many areas we visited during the day, I realized that we had not even scratched the surface of this river’s potential…….
TBC……
Mike