Noel Gyger - WEEKLY FISHING REPORT dated January 10 – January 17, 2010
Dear Fishing Friends:
SUMMARY: Temperatures have been above average all week, plenty warm enough to get out fishing both river and ocean. The upper end of the Zymoetz (Copper) River is closed to angling (as of December 31, 2009) to protect the “wintering over” wild Steelhead. To be clear just the upper reaches of the river are closed but one still may angle on the very low end, just make sure you fish below the boundary at the first canyon. The Kalum River is open to angling all winter although access to some pools is difficult because of the very low water and snow. The Kitimat River is open all winter and if we get some warmer weather fishing for Trout should be OK. Winter Chinook fishing in the Kitimat Harbour and Douglas Channel is good right now but is weather dependent. Winter Chinook fishing in Prince Rupert is very good. Lake ice fishing is also good. Please be very careful on the ice, with the warmer weather there may be some weak spots.
Check out the video clip from Saturday, Jan. 16th below:
I fished with Ron Wakita and Wes Owens for Winter Chinook and Dungeness Crab in the Douglas Channel on Saturday, January 16, 2010. The weather was perfect and seas were almost flat calm. We had a great day landing five Chinook and a few Crab. The biggest Chinook weighed 20-pounds. Rods and reels were Shimano. Electric downrigger and rod holders were made by Scotty http://www.scotty.com Crab Traps distributed by Redl Sports http://www.redlsports.com Ace Line Hauler http://www.acelinehauler.com to effortlessly pull the traps, Danielson Bait cage (basket) and a Gibbs-Delta Tool Gauge http://www.gibbsfishing.com to measure the Crabs. The lead core rope used to pull the traps is made by Danielson. We placed five traps and caught a few Crabs in only one set. For a direct link to the video click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zr0yHthttQ
Let's have some fun with the 2009 Photos of the Week! Send me an e-mail to vote for your favorite one. I will let you know by the end of January 2010 which photo receives the most votes. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you to the folks who have sent their votes already. KEEP THOSE VOTES COMING.
Have “YOU” entered the following draw yet?
Cast on link to view full size http://www.noelgyger.ca/articles/win-a- ... g-trip.doc?
With the participation of some of the Best Dealers (Tackle Shops) in the Northwest I have distributed DVD players and Video clips featuring the Best Fishing in the Northwest highlighting several of the Best Guides and Charters in the Northwest using a variety of the Best Fishing Products on the Market today. The dealers that have the DVD players are: Home Hardware in Kitimat, J&E Tackle and Hunting Shop in Prince Rupert, Oscars Source for Sports in Smithers and Fish Tales Tackle Shop in Terrace. Please visit these shops to watch the shows.
LIST OF “New” ITEMS POSTED ON THE WEBSITE THIS WEEK:
- One New item posted on "Conservation" Jan 15/10
NOW BOOKING for 2010: Let me know if I can be of service to book you with the "best" fishing guide and/or fishing lodges for both river and ocean. 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. It is like hiring two guides for the price of one. I will promptly answer your questions and concerns. Cast here http://noelgyger.ca/special-guided.htm to read more of what I have to offer.
Don’t miss the opportunity to be guided for Steelhead on the Kalum River the last two weeks in March 2010. Season opener begins March 15th. Please contact me for details. Limited spots available!
Many people book three trips per year to our area; one trip in the spring (March-April-May), one trip in the summer (June-July-August) and one trip in the fall (September-October-November). They love having the same guide but fishing for different fish in different areas.
Be sure to check out my website at http://www.noelgyger.ca for news bulletins, mid week fishing updates, conservation, my history, quality waters strategy, special guided fishing trips, video clips, podcasts, scenic river photos, wildlife photos and others, comments from past guests, informational articles, archived fishing reports from 1996 through 2002 and a sportfishing market place. I hope it meets with your entire satisfaction. I am at your service.
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Skeena and Tributaries:
TYPE OF FISH CAUGHT: Steelhead, Trout and Dolly Varden Char for river. Salmon, Halibut, Bottom Fish and Dungeness Crab for ocean.
LARGEST FISH OF THE WEEK: River: none reported this week. Ocean: 20-pounder by Noel Gyger. Lake: lots of Trout being caught in lakes while ice fishing.
WEATHER: Flurries changing to rain showers this afternoon. Snowfall amount 2 to 4 cm. Becoming windy this afternoon. High plus 2. Sunrise 8:46 AM Sunset 4:44 PM. Today’s yearly average temperatures: Maximum -1 degrees. Minimum - 6 degrees.
WEATHER REPORTS VIA TELEPHONE: Terrace 250-635-4192 Kitimat 250-632-7864 Prince Rupert 250-627-1155 Smithers 250-847-1958.
SKEENA RIVER: The Skeena River is frozen over in places. The places that are not frozen are filled with flowing ice. The graph below demonstrates these ice flows have jammed and caused the river to rise. Fishing is nearly impossible under these conditions. Please be careful walking on the ice.
Skeena River height: http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/fullgraph.asp
KALUM RIVER: Since the weather has warmed up more anglers are heading out to try their luck fishing for Steelhead. Anglers are reminded of a bait ban January 1 to March 15.
ZYMOETZ (COPPER) RIVER: Sorry, I haven’t checked the water conditions today but I think they would be OK now with the warmer weather. The upper section is closed as of December 31 but the lower section below the first canyon will stay open for the winter Steelheaders to enjoy.
Fishing Report from: Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters, Kitimat BC
Cast on link below to view New! flyer: http://www.noelgyger.ca/images/Instore_ ... t_2009.pdf
KITIMAT RIVER: We received milder temperatures and some heavy rain during the early part of this week. The rain caused the Kitimat River levels to rise and by mid week the river was dirty and unfishable. The higher river levels and milder temperatures also melted and /or flushed a lot of the snow and ice on the Kitimat River and opened up the most main channels of the Kitimat River. By Thursday and Friday the rain stopped and river levels dropped. The water cleaned and is now fishable. A few Trout fishermen were able to get out and catch some Trout.
Jan 15 Mike Campbell was out fishing the upper Kitimat River and landed 2 Cutthroat Trout and lost something big that he thought might have been a Steelhead. As Mike experienced there is a small winter population of Steelhead in the Kitimat River albeit very small. It is always a welcome surprise for any Trout angler to hook a Steelhead on Trout gear.
Summary: The Kitimat River will be productive for Trout but as always, depending on the weather.
DOUGLAS CHANNEL: The weather this weekend was perfect to do some Winter Chinook fishing in the harbour, crabbing or just boating on the Douglas Channel. Many boaters who keep their boats in the water over the winter like to enjoy time on the Douglas Channel. It is also a good idea to run the boats to charge up the batteries and circulate the fluids to ensure everything is in Tip Top shape.
Jan 14 Wes Owens was out doing some Crabbing and dropped a line for a couple of hours and lost a feeder Chinook. He did manage to get 6 Crab for his friend John.
Jan 16 I had the pleasure of fishing with my good friends, Noel Gyger and Wes Owens. We had an awesome day fishing for "Winter Chinook" in the Kitimat Harbour. Wes and I started off our fishing trip by being pleasantly surprised to receive a wonderful assortment of baking from Noel's wife, Gail. Thank you Gail, they were delicious and they may have provided the inspiration for some good fishing. We landed five Winter Chinook in total but we released one.
The first two Chinook were landed using Gibbs UV Green Strip Highliner Flasher and a purple True Roll. This has been the bright star of our Winter Chinook fishing so far.
The next 3 Chinook were landed on Wes' favorite rig. It includes a Luhr Jensen Abe and Al #1 Flasher with an Anchovy in a Rhys Davis metallic blue/green Anchovy Teaser head. Noel landed a beautiful 20lb Winter Chinook on one of these rigs. Congratulations Noel. The Crabbing was slow although we did catch a few for Noel to take home to Gail who enjoys Dungeness Crab.
It was a great day fishing with Wes and Noel, we caught a few Winter Chinook, told a few fishing stories, ate some of Gail’s delicious baked goods and caught some Dungeness Crab. Thanks for the wonderful memories Noel and Wes.
Jan 12 Ariel Kuppers went fishing up to Ross Lake with his girlfriend Nicolette, his sister Emma and his buddy Travis. They hooked a few Brook Trout but only managed to land two. "One was 3lbs" said Ariel. "The other was smaller but we had quite the adventure to get two Trout".
Thanks to everyone for providing pictures and info for this report.
Good Health and Good Fishing!
Sincerely
Ron
PS: Reliable Guide and Charters is also booking for the 2010 season. Any interested Anglers please contact Noel Gyger noel@noelgyger.ca
Fishing Report from: Chad Black of Nicholas Dean Lodge, Terrace BC
Starting in January and building through March, fresh Steelhead like this mint bright hen enter the Skeena River and its tributaries. These fish are amongst the largest of the year and with warming water temperatures can be incredible fighters...
Hello Anglers, First off, I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope that you had an enjoyable holiday season this year with your family and friends!
You know, I've been told by a few people that I might have chosen the worst couple of years to pick up and move to northwest BC, at least by Winter Steelhead fishing standards. Both this Winter 2010 and the Winter of 2009 have certainly been challenging in the sense that fishing conditions have been less than ideal. Starting in mid-November this past year, the weather was, for lack of a better phrase, just plain bad. Very cold (down to -20C was common) temperatures, and winds consistently in the gale force range are two very tough opponents when trying to spend quality time on the river, and a few fishing buddies have said that this lasted all through the holidays.
So, upon my arrival back in Skeena Steelhead country late last week, instead of finding the Kalum, Copper and Skeena Rivers in fishable shape, I unfortunately found the opposite: rivers mostly frozen over and little in the way of fishing opportunity. Or, so I thought. I'd based my observations on driving over the local bridges, and hadn't gone that extra step at checking in at my favourite pools. Jeff Langley and Sky Richard had, and said that the rivers were very much fishable if you did some hiking, though there were still sections frozen over. Apparently Sky has done quite well trout fishing on a few rivers in the area and had managed to land a few Steelhead as well. I suppose the moral of the story is always do your "due diligence..."
For the past few days, I'm happy to report that temperatures have risen and steady rains have helped to melt shelf ice and open up our best Winter Steelhead fisheries. With rivers on the rise and the fact that there is generally a strong push of Winter Steelhead into the Lower Skeena and its tributaries at this time of year, I'm optimistic for my chances on the weekend...
With the start of the new year underway, and to help give our readers information and direction on the best techniques, tackle and presentations when targeting Salmon and Steelhead on the Skeena and its tributaries, I've also decided to add a new section to our fishing reports, titled: "Skeena River Fishing Tips." Whether you're a spey caster who loves swinging large Intruder flies for Steelhead or a trophy Chinook angler after the leviathans of the deep, there will be something for you to enjoy which just might help you land that next big fish you've been dreaming about. This week's tip is on the Hawaiian Punch fly, a popular and venerable pattern that has helped our guides and guests get into many, many Steelhead and Salmon here on the Skeena.
All the best for a successful and enjoyable year ahead and, as always,
Tight lines and screaming reels. Chad Black, Operations Manager
Fishing Report from: J & E Tackle Shop, Prince Rupert BC
Ray Hascarl and his son Dylan holding a 74lb. Chinook Salmon caught 30th of June out off the north end of Dundas Island.
The high winds and pounding rain continuing to be a problem for the majority of the winter anglers. For the few hard core fishermen that do take to the water, they are on the most part still being rewarded for their efforts. There has been a number of Winter Chinook reported being caught off the waters of Port Simpson ranging in size from 5 to 25lbs.
Ray and his son Dylan are long time friends of mine which have been coming to Prince Rupert from their hometown of Nakusp BC. for the past 6 to 7 years. They always stop in to J & E’s Tackle to gear up and get the latest up to date fishing report before heading out on the water. Here is their story of the BIG ONE that didn’t get away.
We caught it around 7:15pm and were one of the last boats on the water that evening so we had lots of room to fight it. We fought it for about 40 minutes with me on the rod, my son Dylan running the boat and brother Dean doing the netting. Once it was in the net I reached down and grabbed the gill plates and steered the head of the fish into the side of the boat as it was trying to swim through the net. It thrashed around for about a minute straight before I could pull it over the side. One note is we fished from 4:30 that morning all day while only catching one other fish around 5 lbs. It would have been my worst days ever fishing the ocean and then I caught the big one and made it one of the best days ever. We were supposed to be in at Dundas 101 at 6pm to eat dinner but my watch quit working that day so I was using my cell phone and the time on it was 1 hour behind because of Alaska time. Had my watch not quit, we would have been at supper and not even fishing when I caught it. Funny how things work out.
Just a reminder to all those Halibut sport fishermen that the month of January is closed to Halibut fishing.
J & E’s Tackle January 1st – 31st 2010 Sale
MUCK BOOTS
http://www.muckbootcompany.com
RIVERS WEST CLOTHING
http://www.riverswest.com
PENN FISHING TACKLE
http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-gt ... ombos.html
To book your charter for Winter Chinook please contact Jeff Carlson of BC STYLE Fishing Charters http://www.bcstylefishingcharters.com
Prince Rupert Weather: http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/cabc0236
Prince Rupert Tide Charts:
http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/cgi-bin/ti ... tnnum=9354
Thanks. Jeff Carlson – owner
Fishing Report from: Fish Tales Tackle Shop, Terrace BC
Good Day Noel! Well, Jack Frost has loosened his grip on us. The warmer weather has put the anglers in the mood. There are a few Steelhead being caught but as reported to me “You have to put the work in”. There also has been some reports of good trout fishing on the Kitimat. Sorry Noel, no monsters to report this week! Been pretty quiet. Have a super day!
Cheers, Jason Munday
Everyone is invited to check out our New! instore flyer http://www.noelgyger.ca/ads/fish-tales- ... -flyer.pdf Out of town orders are always welcome. Come in for a coffee
Fishing Report from: Cory Koenig of Webflyz, Smithers BC
Cory is taking custom fly orders now http://www.webflyz.com
Highest Quality, Durable, and Competitively Priced Flies for any Species!
Hi Noel, here is what you asked for, not much fishing 'round here, but there is still die-hards!
This warm weather reminds a person in the Bulkley Valley of SPRING in January! All roads leading to any lake are very icy, and caution is to be taken for all your fishing trips in January.
Ice fishing is still your best bet, emphasis is on the lakes close to Smithers and Houston. Chapman, Babine, Fulton Lakes are great for Char up to 12 lbs. Ross, Call, Barrett, Klinger Lakes all support Rainbows, Brookies, or both up to 8lbs, with an average of 1-2lbs. The staff at Oscars Source for Sports reported that this week many anglers had really good success at Klinger Lake for brook trout. Irrigation, Johnson, Helen and Lake Kathlyn support CUTTHROAT TROUT and some CUTTBOWS up to 3 lbs.
There are some larger, older Char in the lakes in the rear of Houston B.C. at the top of the Fraser River watershed, close to Francios Lake, but a full day is needed. Gummy Minnows are a hit, used for any species, any time of year. Use sizes #6 to #1 for trout, and #4/0 for large lakers.
Meat and tater flies are still the conehead black and olive leeches, pheasant tail nymphs, and flash helps for these flies, as the lakes are most often dark!
Lyman lures http://www.lymanlures.com are a hit for any fishing, and Pink Deadly Dicks have brought many large trout to the ice over the years.
The use of the moon phases may help you, fish the 26th to the 29th of January for some of the better times to catch fish this month.
Any of these flies can be custom made for your specific fishing situation. Contact Cory at WEBFLYZ B.C. http://www.webflyz.com for more ice-fishing flies that work.
Check newly added fly photos weekly…or if you are planning a trip to hotter destinations this winter, check out WEBFLYZ B.C. website for flies that catch any species in the saltwater, even Marlin!
Check your 2009-2011 Freshwater fishing Regulations synopsis for all details concerning Lakes in Region 6.
Good luck everyone. Yours sincerely, Cory Koenig
PRODUCT PROFILE Normark – Rapala http://www.rapala.ca
Go to Rapala for ALL your ice fishing needs
http://www.rapala.ca/products/icefishing
Swede-Bore Brace Rapala IRC35 Cortland Specialty
& Bit Ice Drill Series Ice Lines
Rapala is distributed by Redl Sports Distributors http://www.redlsports.com and these fine products are available at these Best Dealers in the North West, City Centre Hardware and Sporting Goods in Kitimat, J and E's Tackle in Prince Rupert, Oscars Source for Sports in Smithers and Fish Tales in Terrace.
For ALL your ice fishing needs please click on the Rapala link http://www.rapala.ca for more selection and information.
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.
GUEST FISHING PHOTOS:
*** If any of you have special fishing photos, testimonials, scenic river photos, wildlife photos or articles I would love to see them.
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
Fiberglass fish reproductions:
This 42 x 23.5 inch Steelhead was estimated to weigh 30-pounds. There are many sizes and positions available, and pretty much any species. Call Carey Braun anytime at 250-639-3769 and he will be happy to build one for you. Yes, that’s Carey in the photo. Place your order NOW
WIN a FREE one day DRIFT BOAT FISHING TRIP down the Kitimat River for three people by signing-up your friends, family and fishing partners for my WEEKLY FISHING REPORT. This trip is supplied by Reliable Guide and Charters and is for the 2010 season. The LUCKY WINNER will be drawn on April 30, 2010. Cast to this link to open a form showing how to enter names. Send the completed form via e-mail or postal mail. When I receive it I will reply confirming your name is entered into the draw - GOOD LUCK
To receive my WEEKLY FISHING REPORT and PHOTO via e-mail please send your name and e-mail address to: Noel Gyger noel@noelgyger.ca
GOOD LUCK and GOOD FISHING!
Yours sincerely,
Noel F. Gyger
Home page: http://www.noelgyger.ca