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[mko72]

Has anyone ever fished the northern most parts of Indian Arm, what locals refer to as "the arm pit"....get it? I always thought that was funny.

Anyway, right at the end, past Orlohma, past Buntzen Bay, near Wigwam, it turns into a river and that salmon run has to go somewhere.

I used to dirtbike in the area but I sold my bike and my 4x4 friends say the road has been deactivated. I'm just wondering if anyone has made the trek to get there (it's a bit far) or if they're staying in their boats in southern parts of the arm.  I also hear there's good camping at Granite Falls.

[mko72]

Why is it full of poachers?

[mko72]

I guess aside from the obvious answer that fish are there.  That was a dumb question on my part.   

So I guess no fishing from shore, gotta be in a boat.  The reason I ask is because I have access to a boat in Deep Cove and travel time compared to the mamquam is roughly the same.  Plus the adventure! 

[mojo7]

 Back in the 90's  DFO had a pen up by the Indian river and were releasing Springs to see if they would come back to spawn. I know for sure they did come back because I took a 9' zodiac up there on a calm sunny September morning to take a look and when I was cruising by the Buntzen powerhouse you could see them jumping.  I stopped and literally parked my boat right over where they were rolling. Huge fish jumping all around me and I was the only person there. I pulled out my med/light 10' mooching rod with 15lb main, put on a 3oz buzz bomb and started stripping line, headed for the bottom.

 I got about 12 pulls off,approx 20ft and the line went slack. I was pretty close to the powerhouse so I figured I hit bottom and started to reel up. The rod tip started to bend and I thought "Damn! snagged on the bottom" so I gave it a good yank to see if I could unsnag it. It wouldn't come loose so I gave another yank and all of a sudden the bottom started to strip line off my reel. HOLY S*** FISH ON!!!

I played that fish for 45 min. and it actually towed me across the inlet to the other side by the Brownie camp before I managed to boat it. I'll never forget the feeling of that fish slowly towing me and my boat  across the inlet. It was surreal. It was a 46lb red Spring half the size of my boat and my biggest fish ever. I don't know if the spring took hold in the Indian river and have never heard of any more tyees being taken up that way although I don't fish the chuck anymore and have since sold the boat. It just might be a local secret. Does anyone know if there are  springs in the Indian river? It might be worth a try around September to see if the springs did take hold.

[4TheKids]

Google can find anything:

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/70023.pdf

[mko72]

Small world.  I found the same document.  It's kinda depressing.

[cutthroat22]

Re: the road
Not sure about the condition this year but I mountain biked the entire road last year and there was some major deactivation.  One major trench with lock blocks and a significant river crossing to ford (bridge out). 

Every time I have been at the mouth there are a bunch of seals so there's gotta be something for them to eat. 

Super-duper beautiful area.

[mko72]

I used to 4x4 that road in.....2004?  Long time ago.  Back then it was dicey.  A friend of mine who wheels somewhat regularly says there's tons of wrecked parts so the government eventually put in concrete blocks to keep people out.  Anyway, some camping may be in order......

[Driller]

Not worth fishing up there.  That fishery article looks old.  I saw 1984 and stopped reading.  I saw a boat get a double header up near the power house channel over 10 years ago.  Two springs over 20 pounds.  I go up to the end of the arm regularly and have not seen any fish jumping, but during pink years there are fish that go up the river.  Make sure!!!! To check the fishing boundaries because there is an island before the end of the arm and it is the start of the rock fish conservation area and there is no fishing allowed period.  Even for salmon!

[Sandy]

I used to 4x4 that road in.....2004?  Long time ago.  Back then it was dicey.  A friend of mine who wheels somewhat regularly says there's tons of wrecked parts so the government eventually put in concrete blocks to keep people out.  Anyway, some camping may be in order......

used to gab with an old time cat skinner who claimed that there was a couple of old 1920's high end cars off in the tulles, they had been robbed of their motors to power rum runners.

[mko72]

I saw 1984 and stopped reading. 

hahahaha! I know there were strong runs there in the 80's/90's but those days are probably long gone. 

The rockfish conservation area ends well below the river, estuary etc.

As for the cars, there's all kinds of crazy crap in there.  It's almost worth the trip just to see what's been abandoned. When I was a kid and used to dirtbike in there with my dad we stopped for lunch near this cliff that was apparently THE place to throw your car away.  There were over 20 cars at the base of the cliff. We used to find 100 year old screw drivers, can, pots and saw blades from those huge two-man saws. Good times.