Steelhead

Anyone making plans to head to northwest BC to do some Steelhead fishing next month?

[FisherGrrrl]

Got 10 days booked for October to go.

Lucky, I'm thinking about heading there myself sometime in sept/oct. I might hold off til november though when the majority of tourists are gone. I used to live near the Morice River and have fished it quiet a bit.

Where do you plan on fishing? Fly or gear?

[FisherGrrrl]

Well actually its weather/water condition dependent on where I go.. either back to the north coast skeena river systems .. or south coast to fraser/vedder area. Either way I got my time booked off work so its up to the weatherman at this point :P

I havent been to the north coast in the fall yet so I'll have to do some research on where I will be fishing.. I suppose Im thinking about the kitimat/copper/kalum/buckley rivers?

And probably mostly gear depending on the runs.. maybe the fly rod if I'm hooking into them.

I've never done the Kitimat or Kalum for steelhead, mostly salmon fished them. The Bulkley is good specially for dry fly in september, same with the copper river headwaters behind hudson bay mountian. Kitimat is usually extremely busy. If you have a boat (pontoon/jet) the Morice river has a few launchers on it and some amazing steelhead fishing with less traffic.

for gear chucking that time of year, 1/4' red/flame orange corkie on a bottom bouncing setup in the bulkly/morice system, kalum I'd use white/pink wool on a float setup. Crocs, coho's, kitimat spoons work sometimes, Blue Fox spinners will also produce results, Chartruese being my favorite color.

Kispiox river is also very good, it's where the world record steelies head to, same with Lake Else river if you're going to be in Terrace. If you do head that way, take the trip up to the Lava beds it's so worth it and there's steelhead in the Nass system as well.

[FisherGrrrl]

Will have both a pontoon and jet if I go north. If I go south probably neither since I might likely will be fishing the vedder.
Great tips though!! Gunna hold on to those

I went up through the lava beds last April on a steelhead trip. I didnt even know there was lava beds up there.. just wanted to go to the Nass River and the land started to change. It blew my mind! lol

if you do head to the north, maybe I can meet up with you guys if my schedule works out. I miss the NW rivers.

[lukin09]

Planning on the Vedder/Chilliwack in later Feb. Won't October be a little early for Steelhead?

Originally Posted by lukin09

Planning on the Vedder/Chilliwack in later Feb. Won't October be a little early for Steelhead?

winter run good sir. as they stay over through the winter, the fish in feb are part of the summer run.

[Jayhad]

It's widely known there is no summer run steelhead in the chilliwack.

[lukin09]

It was my understanding that "winter" steelhead began entering the system in December (mostly hatchery) and winter over in the pools. Then come Feb-Mar there is another wave of native fish moving through.

The "summer" run fish (if there are any in the vedder?) are completely seperate runs.

I'm completely unfamiliar with steelhead runs in the lower mainland as I lived in NW BC for many years and did all of my steelhead fishing in the Skeena and Nass watersheds. Hence why I asked if anyone was going to the NW.

the difference between winter run and summer run is, like you mentioned, the time of year they spend in the river before spawning and returning to the Ocean. The Morice/Bulkley system which I have the most experience with only has a winter run, and they can be caught as early as the last week of august, and I have caught one on opening day (june 16) at confluence of the Bulkley and Morice rivers that was returning to the ocean.

[FisherGrrrl]

Originally Posted by lukin09

Planning on the Vedder/Chilliwack in later Feb. Won't October be a little early for Steelhead?

ya steelhead on the vedder don't come until later.

if I go to the vedder it wont be for steelhead but more for chinook chum and coho.

[one shot]

im in chillawack right now. i caought 2 sockey this morning had to relese, had 2 red springs on and lost them. going to powel river on teusday for a steelhead trip in the salt water.

[warriorboy10]

First two weeks of Aug spent 10 days at Rupert with my New Ocean King 260. All rigged and ready to go. What a boat to fish with!!
Fished Squaterry, Lucy, Avery Is. and others. As well went up to Work Channel and North end of Dundas Is. Lots of Grey Whales.
Caught some nice Northerns and smaller Springs. Lots of Pinks around too!
Did pretty well for Chickens and Rock Cod and can't forget the crabbing! It was excellent and ate even better.
First part of Sept. Off to Terrace and Kitimat. Plan to split some time on the salt chuck and then hit the Skeena for some beautiful catch and release Steelhead. I'm sure we will be into just about everything else that is coming through.
Typically at that time we can get into all five species of salmon, Steelhead and cutties. Not to mention the georgeous country we will surounded by!
Can't Wait!!

[K44]

Im at my cabin in Terrace right now and the Steelys are in we've been catching for about 2wks now sockeye fishing was great this year and the Coho are starting to come now

[braggadoe]

love the steelhead!!

[IMG][/IMG]

[BeeGuy]

That's a helluva fish!

[fishpro]

Originally Posted by WorldClass

I'm completely unfamiliar with steelhead runs in the lower mainland as I lived in NW BC for many years and did all of my steelhead fishing in the Skeena and Nass watersheds. Hence why I asked if anyone was going to the NW.

the difference between winter run and summer run is, like you mentioned, the time of year they spend in the river before spawning and returning to the Ocean. The Morice/Bulkley system which I have the most experience with only has a winter run, and they can be caught as early as the last week of august, and I have caught one on opening day (june 16) at confluence of the Bulkley and Morice rivers that was returning to the ocean.

The fish that enter the rivers in August and stay over the winter are the summer run fish, winter run fish would be the ones that enter during the winter months.

I was under the impression that the time of year they stay in the river is the name of the run not the time that they enter the river.

That's a nice thick buck Bragg

[fishpro]

Originally Posted by WorldClass

I was under the impression that the time of year they stay in the river is the name of the run not the time that they enter the river.

That's a nice thick buck Bragg

I'm not sure, I've always heard it based on the time they enter, since no matter when they enter they stay until the spring, then spawn and leave.

Maybe a biologist could pipe in and correct us on this.

checking online, you appear to be correct. The time of year they hit the fresh water is the designation of the run.

[ryanheartssteelhead]

Originally Posted by WorldClass

Anyone making plans to head to northwest BC to do some Steelhead fishing next month?

Headin out west for 4 weeks. Will try and fish most of the bigger water. Can't wait to stand in cold water for 12 hours a day

[Clgy_Dave2.0]

Originally Posted by FisherGrrrl

Will have both a pontoon and jet if I go north. If I go south probably neither since I might likely will be fishing the vedder.
Great tips though!! Gunna hold on to those

I went up through the lava beds last April on a steelhead trip. I didnt even know there was lava beds up there.. just wanted to go to the Nass River and the land started to change. It blew my mind! lol

If you head down to Fraser Valley, Chehalis River is great for Steelhead too.

http://www.steelheadermag.com/probertsteelheading.html