Summer Fishing the Kitimat River

Summer Fishing the Kitimat River

Our guests from Austria, Otto Schreier and the boys as well as Steve Hardy had me very busy as Steve was with us for three weeks of one-on-one exclusive fly-fishing, yes three weeks! After a few days scouting out the lodge, returning in September for Steelhead, Otto and the boys were back on a plane for the long flight home.

We concentrated our efforts on the Kitimat River for the most part because the runs of fish were in large numbers and it was especially excellent for the fly angler. While floating the river this made for quiet times on the water and being able to watch below as thousands of fish passed by as we drifted over them on each run was simply amazing. The pools we fished were continuously boiling with Salmon. When we went to shore to pull in the boat and fish, hundreds of salmon scooted away from the shallows in teams, leaving a trail of black as if the Exxon Valdez was near. Steve landed Sockeye, Pinks, Chums, Chinooks, Dollys, and Cuttys, making for some hot action. We landed a forty pound Chinook on the fly as well as other Salmonoid that made the oohs! and aahs! a everyday occurrence. Steve commented on how he enjoyed the size of the Kitimat River and its ease to fish with the fly. With the fish came the bald eagles and tens upon tens of these magnificent birds were either on shore or perched in large old trees as we rounded each corner. Having a flock of eight to ten eagles fly over the bow of your boat is just another reason why I enjoy my outdoor office.

Steve was adamant about catching Chinooks, Kings he calls them. I guess when you have traveled to Alaska fishing you get the lingo of the American anglers and the name for the largest specie of Salmon. Either way we were on the same wavelength. When you are gearing up for Chinook fly-fishing you have to decide if you are really using the proper equipment. We broke a few rods on some very big fish, one was a G-Loomis 9WT and the other a Sage 7WT 3-piece that snapped at the butt section. When it comes to returning broken rods Sage is by far the number one choice. The customer has a new rod in his hands in days, no questions asked. Send the broken rod back while the new one is on route. G-Loomis Canada on the other hand could be more helpful as sending new rods is taboo and its policy to return the broken section for repairs, very time consuming. We also had a large Chum, 30 plus lbs break the flyline at the backing knot in turn caused us to lose all the fly line. So lets talk about preparation. After three weeks of hardcore flyangling here is what we found.

We used #9 flyline, either Air Flo or Steve's brand Vision. Then a 300gr. 10-15ft sink tip, followed by a 3ft length of leadcore. Then a 1ft length of 30lb Maxima Ultra green monofilament, tapered to a 2-3ft length of 20lb monofilament tippet, then our fly of choice. We used the loop to loop method for all our knots as we found it was smooth when reeling into the rod guides. Also loops are very simple to use and easy to change out when adding a new length of line, not to mention very neat and strong. As days past the sink tips were battered and beaten and we had to cut off lengths of tip because of the outer coating was either nicked or stretched beyond repair.

As for flies we tried and tied many kinds during the weeks and our top producers were the Articulated Leech and the Hardy Red Fly. As color, hook size, and design was very important we found many faults in the leeches sold at the local shops. Some the hooks were under-rated and at times broke, or bent straight, others just fell apart after a few fish. I lost the fish of a lifetime on a hook that broke as I was beaching the largest fish I have ever caught on the fly. I went to lift the fish for some great photo ops with the fly still in its mouth. As the base of the tail was so thick I had trouble handling it. The fish made one twist and escaped thru a minefield of big rocks to the fast water and she was gone. After further investigation, I found the tip of the hook was gone, broken? Gladly, Steve managed a shot while it was laying on its side, but we did not get the measurements we wanted. It was at that point I decided to get up close and personal with the Articulated Leech, and tie our own. About the Articulated Leech, lets go back to the original tie. A member of a tying club in Tasmania, John Bailey describes the fly that came from Grayden Haynes, a local tying guru. Some 10 years ago we developed a fly called the Articulated Tiddly. (I say "we" because it was a joint effort between myself and 3 other members.) It is tied by creating a tail on the shank of a straight eyed hook and cutting off the bend. This is then attached to another hook by using a small piece of steel guitar string doubled over through the eye and bound to the shank of the second hook. A drop of super glue was added for strength. The main body of the fly was made from the marabou part of a hen saddle hackle. (Usually grizzly dyed olive.) Small lead eyes were used. This created a lot of movement. I think you get the picture. This fly imitated a feeder fish found in the local waters and is now recognized globally. Local and original guide from Terrace , Stan Doll swears this is his goto fly.

Thanx to these fellas we now have a base to tie this fly in many ways. I found that when tying the leech the rabbit strips work the best over marabou. The first step is to tie the trailing hook first. Start by securing your strip at or near the hook bend, half hitch a few times and take your thread to the eyelet. Start your wraps of rabbit from the back and work your way to the eyelet, making sure your wraps are tight and not overlapping, stroking the fur as you progress forward. Quick note: The thicker your strips of rabbit, the bigger your fly. (The leeches we purchased fell apart after a few fish and usually started to unravel, caused by the thread letting go at the eye or at the hook bend). Once you reach the eye with the rabbit strip, whip finish the head. This ensures the fly is secure and will not unravel. As the original tie was guitar string, I used Dacron line. I folded the line in half and ran it through the turned-up eyelet and then ran the folded ends back through the formed loop to secure the line to the trailing hook eye. The third step is a little tricky as trial and error found that if you cut the hook bend first on the leading hook, it can slip out of the vise and you start again, so cut that forward hook bend off last. Tie in your Dacron line flat onto the hook shank of the leading hook with your tying thread. Make numerous wraps forward and then back to the hook bend. This surprisingly holds very well, and we had no failures from fish pulling the Dacron out of the leading hook shank. Some say you should super glue the Dacron down to the shank, not a bad idea, but now your delaying the time to complete your fly as the glue has to dry, so I leave the glue out. The fourth step is the same as step one, but as you wrap towards the eyelet leave enough space for the barbell eyes to be attached. Once you have wrapped the rabbit forward to a desirable distance make numerous whip finishes before attaching the barbells. I found if the eyes are installed to close to the eyelet the hole gets covered up for attaching the fly to your tippet. As for barbells they come in many sizes and weights. Depending on how deep you want your fly to sink depends on barbell weight. As cost is something to think about, you can purchase these chains that are attached to bathtub or sink plugs and are alot cheaper for the many pair you will need to tie loads of flies. Attaching the barbells use figure eight rotation numerous times as the barbells will turn on you if they are not tightly secured. Whip finish the head. You can now use a side cutters to trim your hook bend on the leading hook and your Articulated Leech is complete. Some tyers add crystal flash to the top of the fly before the bar bells are secured, I find it makes no difference. It is the action in the water that makes this fly so effective.

As for the Hardy Red Fly, we created this little gem on our own. This one your kids will show you how to tie. Start by tying in the tail with a half dozen strands of red calf tail. Once secure tie in a piece of red lazer strip doubling over the tied in tail, (this also helps to secure the tail), wrapping it forward towards the eyelet. Once the laser strip is tied in, tie in another piece of red calf tail, a dozen strands this time, making sure the strands equal the length of the tail. Whip finish and your done. I landed a 20lb Chinook on this fly tied on a #6 hook. Not to mention Pinks and Chum, in the hundreds! I will have these flies pictured in detail on the website.

Our guests from Tennessee, Tim and Angela fished three days with my flys and were amazed at the number of fish they landed. Tim could not believe it with his own eyes at the action he was having. After coming from a trip in the middle of the province drylining for big rainbows it would be hard to top, but we succeeded. Every cast a fish was on. Tim would stand in one spot for a hour or so, start his swing and Boom! "got another", I would hear him say, as Angela looked up smiling, landing her fifth in a row. Angela also landed a nice Sockeye on the Kitimat, which is like winning a lottery as the run is very minute.

Angela tells me she sees and catches some of the oddest things. On our way back to Kitimat she mentioned something about not seeing any bears, well ten seconds later she sees one and insists we turn around to have a closer look. We watched as a yearling black bear sauntered into the bush right in front of us with little or no cause of concern, eating and smelling the lush undergrowth. Little did Angela know what was going to happen the following day. After a fresh feed of Dungeness Crab and Cedar Plank Sockeye, our guests were ready to hit the hay.

The next day started like the others with numerous fished beached before the heat of the day was upon em. Being from Tennessee 90F was a cool day, nonetheless a welcome. All of a sudden the silence was broken as Angela was startled by something in the bush, then it all happened as the group watched in amazement and disbelief, as a limping, large Canadian bull Moose crashes into the river right beside her, with a large, male grizzly bear a millisecond behind. The race to the other side was where the battle would end. Experience and alot of luck was on the side of the moose as he gained distance on the blood thristy grizzly in the deep water. Once on the other side the wounded moose, desperate for survival, running on adrenaline only, staggers into the dense brush, disappearing. The grizzly quickly made it out of the water in hot pursuit but to no avail. He came back out of the bush, seconds later, his golden coat glistening from the cool water, recounting his steps and failures to finish off what he had started. The grizzly looked disgusted and paced and paced on the sandy beach. All he had was a small taste of moose hair and blood under his razor sharp nails. He would pursue again. This was a little to close for comfort for the jaw droppin anglers who decided that they had seen enough. This was a Canadian, real live adventure that the Outdoor Channel would have been proud to document, a memory that will forever be embedded in our American friends minds.

Our last guest for the month of July was Jerry Veller from Kelowna BC. Jerry is a spey caster with a pole that is so long he should have a permit to use it. Jerry uses a 16' 4", 11WT spey rod that was hand crafted by a well known Scottish rod builder. The builder of this rod is an artist as the craftsmanship and care is flawless. When you get this big rod working it is smooth and very nice to cast, as well you can handle big fish with this unit. When a simple roll cast goes out 60ft there is no part of the river you cannot touch at any one time. Jerry hooked many big Chums and Chinooks with this rod and really got to see how it handles BC coastal Salmon.

Tracey John Hittel
Kitimat BC Canada
250 632-9880 or 250 639-4277 Our Website: Steelheadheaven Guide Services