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[mzmann]

Hi all, So I have ended up with a pretty decent deal at a small lodge up in the Terrace area and have decided to spring x 2 and take my father up there for a 5day fishing trip for an early fathers day/bday present for him.

This brings me to wondering if any Skeena familiar people might be able to offer some rivers and/or areas to explore for spring steel up there? Maybe some go to lures and such?.....We will mostly be spin casting and float fishing metal, jigs and the trusty pink worm...may resort to roe where allowed if it really comes to it but hoping to stick to the above mentioned.

I have done a fair bit of research so far and do know a few rivers that we will are hoping to try (Kalum, lake isle, copper, kitimat and maybe the exchamsiks and exstew possibly) and who knows we may even find our way up to new aiyansh and the nass there but thats a bit of a drive with the other options being much closer by. Anyone know which of these would be best for good floats? good areas to launch/take out and such would be of great help! I am sure the lodge owner will have decent info as well but I thought why not put it out here as well.....fishing before fishing if you will

We will also have use of a couple of pontoons for floating as the place we have booked with offered us a 4x4 truck and a pontoon each for our use while staying there....it was originally a little 40hp jet but apparently most rivers are too low for these right now (and probably even more so for ppl new to the area, lol) so we thought the pontoons best. We will be fishing April 9-13.

Anyways, any info is good info and feel free to email me privately as well as I know specifics can be taboo on a public forum ......email should be available if you click by my pic at the side......and for any interested in a great skeena deal @ $120pp per/night off season and $200pp peak season(june-oct), and it includes a 4x4, 40hp jet or pontoon, breakfast, lunch and airport transfers email me for info as well as I don't quite want to give them a plug yet before actually staying, lol....I will say though that all I have heard/read has been great!

Hoping for a trip of a lifetime but any time out fishin with pops is a goodtime either way and getting a chance to do it up there with him is just a bonus!

Thanks in advance for any help!

[banx]

If your going soon the lakelse river will probably be your best bet.  it is fly only right now, I fished it just over two weeks ago and the steel hadn't showed up yet.... the kalum should be shaping up by now as well.

The kitimat has a very small run of steelhead, and its a moody river. it fluctuates rapidly with rain, and this time of year it rains all the time. I had most of my success on the lower dyke for steel as well as the boundary by the kitimat river bridge.  the kitimat is an easy river to pontoon, and there is easy access, if the water level is ok.  the cutty fishing is under rated there too.  they aren't very big but they are prolific. resident rainbows are also small and not as plentiful.

I only fished the copper in august and september..... its a very active road up there with usually a safety officer at the bottom of the mountain.  if you have a cb radio bring it with you.... or rent there. those trucks aren't stopping for you, and with snow still up the mountain your not going to be able to pull over to the side much.

the nass and tseax were my favourite rivers. and they are worth the drive. its only 1.5hrs out side of terrace. with some of the most beautiful parts of BC..... you would have to check the regs on those. I only fished the tseax during september and it had different retention limits. like one spring a month.

if your going to at this time of year.... your not going to be running into many people. probably none on some days.

heres the lakelse river, which has easy access, but your gonna be walking through snow. and your going to be wading the the tree coverage limits casting from shore.

[mzmann]

Awesome, thanks for the info Banx...only response so far, lol...Much appreciated!

so far I think I have it narrowed down to the Kalum, Gitnadoix and probably up to new aiyansh area area for nass, tseax, kiteen, cranberry.

Lakelse River if we decide to bring fly gear but doubtful right now. However we may try upper/lower copper, kitimat, Exchamkis, Exstew as well should we hear they are doing well or should they be a better option due to low or blowout conditions.

Problem I think will be choosing which body to head to daily and which will be good for floats and arranging/figuring out put in/take out areas, lol. Thinking we will possibly start with exstew or gitnadoix the first day as they are closer to our lodge I think and as we will only have a short day our first day, I think this should be a good place to start....I dunno...maybe Kalum as I keep hearing all good about this system....these decisions are though dammit!!

[mzmann]

oh...nevermind on the gitnadoix...just found that its only access is boat

[wonder]

wow im super jealous i want to do this same trip, look forward to hearing your reports.. may even have to email you for some info if i can get some time off work

[mzmann]

wow im super jealous i want to do this same trip, look forward to hearing your reports.. may even have to email you for some info if i can get some time off work

the day can't come soon enough now, lol...and no worries, always willing to help a bit where/when I can.

[banx]

i would ask your guide to bring you to the kalum. its best fished by boat....preferrably one with a jet. 

the kitimat, you can dump your pontoons in on several locations. the kitimat river bridge, cable car and the 'saw mill'...... also about 3 or 4 spots right by the highway....impossible to miss as you drive along the river most of the time..... the most common and easiest drift would be getting in at cable car and picked up at the lower dyke about 10-12kms.... same side as riverlodge or other side of river at methanex. though methanex is probably closed due to the LNG constuction.

pink worms, roe, and colorado blades will all work well on that river. 

i think you should reconsider not bringing your fly gear... the lakelse is one of the best rivers to fish at this time of year. and its a small river... you can fish the two best pools/runs in a couple of hours..... and the trout that  come up following the steel are super aggressive. you will have your best number days in that flow.

i have never fished some of the smaller flows you mentioned. probably someone else can chime in.

i also have to recommend new aiyansh even if you don't go fishing. driving through the lava fields is like being on the moon.

[mzmann]

i would ask your guide to bring you to the kalum. its best fished by boat....preferrably one with a jet. 

the kitimat, you can dump your pontoons in on several locations. the kitimat river bridge, cable car and the 'saw mill'...... also about 3 or 4 spots right by the highway....impossible to miss as you drive along the river most of the time..... the most common and easiest drift would be getting in at cable car and picked up at the lower dyke about 10-12kms.... same side as riverlodge or other side of river at methanex. though methanex is probably closed due to the LNG constuction.

pink worms, roe, and colorado blades will all work well on that river. 

i think you should reconsider not bringing your fly gear... the lakelse is one of the best rivers to fish at this time of year. and its a small river... you can fish the two best pools/runs in a couple of hours..... and the trout that  come up following the steel are super aggressive. you will have your best number days in that flow.

i have never fished some of the smaller flows you mentioned. probably someone else can chime in.

i also have to recommend new aiyansh even if you don't go fishing. driving through the lava fields is like being on the moon.

OK, you got me convinced, lol....we are now inquiring as well about 8w fly gear to rent or loan from the lodge as its just not in the budget to purchase right now and our only own rods are 4w and that just wont cut it, lol.....also we will be doing this "self guided" other than the info we receive from the lodge and otherwise. Probably will only be doing the pontoon and walk/wade thing though unless we are able to get one of the lodges 40hp jets to use but the owner was mentioning that the rivers are pretty low right now for them and to even launch decently....I do question this a bit but it is quite understandable when he is running a business and has no real idea of our exp and such....so we will see on that, lol....maybe they will get a bump in water by then and there will be no worries. I have heard as well that the kitimat is very easily floated...........any thoughts on toon floats and/or walk and wade areas with the Kalum?.....how is access and such on lakelse....better for walk/wade or well floatable in a toon as well?

Also, odds are looking really good that we will indeed head up to New Aiyansh for at least one of the days for a shot at the Nass/Tseux...Definitely will be stopping and checking out the lava fields as well!

your info is great and much appreciated! Thanks!

[banx]

I have only fished the kalum out of a boat.... and I was not a designated driver at any time.  hahaha   I don't recall shore access... it was always in september too.

the lakelse you won't need your pontoon. its an easy river to walk and probably 3 feet deep at most.... there's obviously a few pools. but generally its very shallow.   you would be sight fishing for steel in that particular river..  this is a good parking spot.  it's a rec site and you should see the trail.... there will also be room for parking. 54.417746, -128.658647 most people fish that pool.  I like the folks at misty river tackle, they are nice people..... you should touch base with them when you get to terrace. they will disclose more about the lakelse than I will here.

the kitimat... well you can call one of my friends, he guides out of home hardware in kitimat.  his name is justin. I have fished with him for 20 some odd years.... he has a drift boat also,  but could/would pontoon down with you.  and has weekdays off so you might be able to get him on the cheap... you wouldn't be using a fly on the kitimat.

the tseax.... Ummm I would bring my dog and my buddy would bring his dog and shotty.  I have never fished this river alone or without a shotgun.  I have run into grizzlies 9 out of 10 trips.... never had any problems.  you can park around here... and look for a trail heading north. 55.210718, -129.117349  this is my favourite river I have ever fished. it's native land, so don't get bent out of shape if you get approached and asked for a license.

[mzmann]

Excellent info banx, thanks again!...

we will for sure be stopping at the local tackle shops here and there for the odd purchase so will indeed be fishin for info there as well, lol.....as for the Kitimat, all I have heard and read it is a very easy river to float and there is a fair bit of info avail as for most of the river in regards to holes and such and otherwise I think we would concentrate alot on the lower area as well as a few of the trib areas there...but who knows we may also end up getting ahold of your friend as well.

As for the Tseax........we are just flying up as I had some airmiles to use anyways so bringin the dogs is out of the question....and with the ole man not having any gun license and myself just waiting for my license to get her still as I just completed the courses for core and cfsc the shotty is out as well, lol......I did however take this into account when planning and after speaking with the lodge owner he thinks its a bit early for them yet for the most part and he will be supplying us with spray/bangers if we want....which we will and especially for the tseax area!!...I myself am quite familiar with bears also and have fished with them a few times now so will always be on alert and such!.....the big males that usually come out first can indeed be cranky/hungry, lol!