British Columbia, Canada - Skeena River & Nass River
Capt. Noel Gyger
August 20, 2007
Terrace - Freshwater Fishing Report
Guided fly fishing for Steelhead on the Skeena River Terrace BC Canada
The photo of the week shows pro angling guide Dustin Kovacvich of Nicholas Dean Lodge assisting his guest Gary Baldackin of Toronto, Ontario pose his beautiful Steelhead he landed on the Skeena River on August 16, 2007. I managed to shoot a video clip of the action. It is posted on the website as New 2007 Steelhead clip number 0043.
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Noel Gyger – Guided Fishing Adventures and Weekly Fishing Report
4012 Best Street, Terrace BC V8G 5R8, Canada
Tel/Fax: (250) 635-2568
Cell: (250) 631-2678
E-mail: [email protected]
Home Page: www.noelgyger.ca
Fishing Reports: www.noelgyger.ca
RECORD SALMON & STEELHEAD Spin or fly-fishing
RIVER, LAKE, STREAM or OCEAN!!!
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Home Page: www.noelgyger.ca
Noel Gyger - WEEKLY FISHING REPORT dated August 12 – August 19, 2007
Dear Fishing Friends:
On August 16, I was invited to fly fish with Dustin Kovacvich, owner of Nicholas Dean Lodge and his three guests (father-son-daughter). They were flyfishing on the Skeena River for Steelhead, Sockeye, Coho and Pink Salmon. Both Spey fly rods and single hand fly rods were used. I lost count of all the fish they hooked but I managed to take video of 3 Steelhead, 3 Sockeye, 3 Pinks and 1 Coho and I didn't even stay with them the full day. In addition, I was also able to shoot numerous high rez photos. I'd guess they caught about 60 fish. It was an absolute fantastic day!
The Skeena River had been dropping steady and was in great shape...but…everything changed on the afternoon of August 16 when lightening, thunder and heavy rain struck. The next day the water had coloured up.
Cast to http://www.noelgyger.ca and watch two New video clips posted this week. They are titled and numbered:
1. Gary fly fishing Skeena River Steelhead. Video clip number 0043
2. Dustin Spey fly fishing Skeena River Steelhead. Video clip number 0044
The Kitimat River spin and fly fishermen are catching Coho, Chum and Pink on the low end. Ocean fishing in the Douglas Channel “out front” and “down the channel” is great. Check out the Ron Wakita report and photos below.
Let me know if I can be of service to book you with the "best" fishing guide and/or fishing lodges. There are NO extra charges to book through me, just a lot of free information and advice from a person with years and years of fishing and fish guiding experience. Your questions and concerns will be promptly answered by me. Cast here http://noelgyger.ca to read more of what I have to offer and review the latest updates regarding last minute openings. Contact me for all the details and to book. These dates are updated on the website whenever there is a change.
Be sure to check out my website at www.noelgyger.ca for more info on my history, Quality Waters Strategy, special guided fishing trips, video clips, scenic river photos, wildlife photos and others, comments from past guests, informational articles and archived fishing reports from 1996 through 2002. I hope it meets with your entire satisfaction.
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Skeena and Tributaries:
Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Salmon forecast for 2007: Chinook look very good for the Skeena and Kitimat systems; Coho are good to excellent; Pink expect a reasonably good run; Sockeye returns to the Skeena are expected to be good this year; Chum average return.
TYPE OF FISH CAUGHT: Coho, Chum, Sockeye, Pink and Steelhead in the river. Halibut, Bottom Fishing and Coho in the ocean Kitimat Douglas Channel and Prince Rupert.
Thank you for using barbless hooks.
FISHING THIS WEEK: Excellent
LARGEST FISH OF THE WEEK: Specie: 18-pound Steelhead Where: Skeena River Angler: Dusty Kovacvich. In addition: a 85-pound Halibut from the Douglas Channel was caught by Tom Snider.
WEATHER: Cloudy with sunny periods. Highs to 18 degrees C. Region normal: Max. Temp. 22 degrees C. Min. Temp. 11 degrees C. Sunrise 6:17 am Sunset 8:59 pm
WEATHER REPORTS VIA TELEPHONE: Environment Canada taped messages constantly updated, giving current conditions and three day forecasts. Terrace 250-635-4192 Kitimat 250-632-7864 Prince Rupert 250-627-1155 Smithers 250-847-1958.
For current Terrace weather information please cast on:
http://www.theweathernetwork.com
WATER CONDITIONS: The Skeena River water levels have been dropping but all that changed on the afternoon of August 16 when the heavy rain came. The water came up for a couple of days but has stabilized and is dropping again. It looks fishable today. The Kitimat River is up and down but has been fishable all week. The Kalum River is clean. Other Skeena tribs towards Prince Rupert are clean.
CURRENT WATER HEIGHTS FOR:
SKEENA RIVER: RIVER AT USK (08EF001 RIVER AT USK (08EF0
http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca
KITIMAT RIVER:
http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca
SKEENA RIVER: Fishing is good for Sockeye throughout the whole system. Pinks are showing in abundant numbers. Coho fishing seems strong. We are keeping and eye on it. Fly fishing for Steelhead has been pretty good. We are keeping an eye on it. The main stem is the “highway” for Salmon and Steelhead heading to their many different tributary rivers.
KALUM RIVER: Waiting for the main run of Coho now. The early run that swims quickly through the whole river and into Kalum Lake has started. The distance is about 20 kilometers. They seem to mill around in the lake at the mouth of the Beaver (upper Kalum River) and Cedar Rivers until the water is the correct height, then they shoot up. If your timing is good you can catch them in the lake. Sockeye are in the river now but are closed to angling.
This is a Classified River year round and can be guided from March 15 through October 15 only. The Steelhead record is 32-pounds. To see a photo of this fish cast to: http://noelgyger.ca The angler is Dennis Therrien.
KASIKS RIVER: Waiting for Coho now. A few will be swimming in on the low end.
EXCHAMSIKS RIVER: Waiting for Coho now. A few will be swimming in on the low end.
EXSTEW RIVER: Waiting for Coho now.
NOTICE: the above three rivers fishing for Coho is a “change your life” experience. Check it out sometime.
GITNADOIX RIVER: Waiting for Coho now. They seem to school up in calm pools on the lower end. Access to this river is difficult. Jet boat only.
ZYMOETZ (COPPER) RIVER: When the water is clean a few Steelhead have been caught in the lower end. The rainstorm we had on August 16th blew out the river. By Sunday it was starting to come back into shape. Dirty water from the Copper flows into the Skeena.
KINCOLITH RIVER: Coho should be coming in on high tides.
TSEAX RIVER: Coho should be coming in now.
KWINIMASS RIVER: Coho are coming in now
ECSTALL RIVER: Coho should be coming in now.
OCEAN FISHING PRINCE RUPERT:
The above two photos are my good friends Guy and Astrid Gangl of Luxembourg. They were enjoying their first Halibut charter out of Prince Rupert with their guide Randy Marshall of Randy’s River Guiding in Terrace. This was their 10th return trip to Terrace.
A summary of what is available year round can be read in the Archived Fishing Report dated April 13, 1997. For a direct link cast here: http://noelgyger.ca
Cast to this link for Prince Rupert tide tables http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca
AREA RIVER RECORDS: Chinook Salmon: Skeena River, 92.5-pounds; Kalum River, 85-pounds; Kitimat River, 74-pounds; Steelhead: Skeena River, 45-pounds; Coho Salmon: Skeena River, 27-pounds.
FISHING REPORT FROM: Nicholas Dean Lodge Fishing Report for the Week of August 12 to 18, 2007
The fishing on the Skeena has been incredible over the past week, as many of our guests experienced. Although Pinks and Sockeye are the main species hitting flies, there have also been some acrobatic Coho and freight train Steelhead landed. These fish are chrome bright, just a day or two from the Ocean and are at their peak condition. Needless to say, their fighting qualities are excellent!
And each day that goes by, more Steelhead and Coho enter the Skeena, making you wonder what the next pull on your fly or lure will be…
Contact Noel to book your trip NOW! There are a few spots left this year.
Until next week, tight lines and screaming reels…
Chad Black
Operations Manager
Nicholas Dean Lodge…where every cast is an adventure!
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Northern Coastal Rivers:
Fishing Report from: Reliable Guide and Charters
KITIMAT RIVER:
The river is in great fishing condition. There continues to be an excessive number of Pink salmon. The state of the Pink salmon range from bright with sea lice to some that are humped up and well into their spawning colours.
The Chum salmon return has yet to reach the typical numbers that the Kitimat
River is famous for. Some of the Chum are also transforming into their
spawning colour and developing their canine teeth that the Chum are known
for. And so goes the natural course of the salmon spawning cycle.
The Coho are starting to show in increasing numbers. Pat Oliver, Mark
Girard and Alex Nemaeth (the three amigos) drifted Friday August 17th and
hooked six Coho and landed four. They are all associate guides for Reliable
Guide and Charters Ltd who are doing "home work" drifts in preparation for Coho
bookings we have for later in the month.
Our mobile tackle van is also reporting higher than average numbers of Coho
being caught in the lower Kitimat. Most of the Coho are being caught on
Pink Jigs and Koho 45 spoons.
DOUGLAS CHANNEL:
The Kitimat Harbour fishery is starting to show more Coho. Wes Owens of
Golden Adventures boated four Coho and one Chinook on August 17th. Other
boaters are experiencing similar catch rates. The Harbour fishery should start to really pick up with each high tide.
The Douglas Channel continues to produce halibut. Tom Snider and his fishing partner Brendon Hodge boated 5 halibut. We scaled one which weighed in at 85lbs. There was another one in the boat which was also close to the same weight. They also caught a 25lb Ling Cod and many other assorted bottom fish. This is typically a really good time for halibut fishing in the northern end of Douglas Channel (closer to Kitimat) because of the number of spawned out carcasses of Pinks and Chum drifting out of the numerous creeks and rivers. All the bottom fish migrate into the inner waters of the Douglas Channel to feed and accordingly most boaters also take advantage of this natural migration of bottom fish.
A REMINDER: for any anglers interested in participating in the Kitimat
Chamber of Commerce Fishing Derby on the Labour Day weekend in September.
Stay tuned to this fishing report for more details.
Thank You to everyone who contributed to this report.
Report and photos from Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters
Cast to this link for Kitimat tide tables http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Central Coast/North Van Island Wilderness Rivers:
DFO Salmon forecast for 2007: Coho return is expected to be normal; Chinook were at or above average, so good fishing is anticipated; Chum are always strong; Pink returns are expected to be normal, which means very plentiful; Sockeye is not expected to be high.
August is a fantastic month for all our rivers and for all species of Pacific salmon. Fresh bright Coho10 -18 pounds, Pink salmon are a blast on light fly gear. Along with great fishing the weather is superb. Making available a host of other activities.
Join us for the most incredible fishing experience of a lifetime. Depart the resort each morning in A-Star helicopters and travel from sea level to 7,000 feet and down again into the Great Bear Rainforest where some of the most private and desirable fresh water fishing in the world await. Fly fish or spin fish all day for Rainbow & Cutthroat trout, Steelhead, Char and all 5 species of Pacific Salmon: Chinook, Coho, Chum, Sockeye and Pink. Be guided on the following classified rivers: Wakeman River, Nekite River, Kingcome River, Kakweiken River, Ahnuahti River, Seymour River as well as over 40 unclassified rivers and lakes throughout northern Vancouver Island and the central coast from Knight Inlet to Bella Coola.
This year in 2007, out of 10 Heli fishing and tour resorts and lodges from around the world, Nimmo Bay Resort was voted number one by the prestigious, New York based Forbes Traveler magazine.
To Fly is Human ...To Hover, Divine
Craig Murray, Owner
Nimmo Bay Resort (Est. 1980)
FISHING REGULATION WEBSITES:
2005/2007 BC tidal waters and freshwater Salmon fishing information:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Effective April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007
2006/2007 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca
Effective April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007
NOTE: For In-season Regulation Changes posted on the web check the above URL’s
2007 TV SHOW SCHEDULE FOR SPORTFISHING BC with host Mark Pendlington
CHANNEL Friday Saturday Sunday
Sportsnet Pacific 6:30 AM PST
(9:30 AM EST)
Knowledge Network 1:30 PM PST
(4:30 PM EST) 1:30 PM PST
(4:30 PM EST) 11:30 PM PST
(2:30 PM EST)
A Channel 7:00 AM PST
(10:00 AM EST)
World Fishing Network Check local listings
CATCH & RELEASE FORMULA: Chinook: girth squared x length x 1.54 divided by 1000 (inches) Steelhead: girth squared x length x 1.33 divided by 1000 (inches)
MARKETPLACE (Sportfishing related items only please) Contact me anytime to list your items.
For Sale: 12 foot Port-a-bote folding boat. $1000. Terrace BC Phone 250-631-3161
For Sale: 16 foot Aluminum boat with a 40hp Evinrude. Boat, trailer and motor $1500. Complete with Hummingbird sounder, VHF marine radio, downriggers $2000. Kitimat BC E-mail [email protected]
For Sale: Three 20 foot Custom Flat Bottom Jet Sleds (build by Dennis Farnsworth) with Mercury 90hp/65 Jet and trailers. $8000 each OBO Houston BC E-mail James Britton [email protected]
Cast to http://www.noelgyger.ca to view the items.
To receive my WEEKLY FISHING REPORT and PHOTO via e-mail please send your name and e-mail address to: Noel Gyger [email protected]
GOOD LUCK and GOOD FISHING!
Yours sincerely,
Noel F. Gyger
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Home page: www.noelgyger.ca
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