Lordy! Lordy! Another forty is all I can say. You fish the same pools each day and every one could hold a monster at any time. Attached are some of the King Salmon we have produced for the smiley clients. First off is a pic of Ted and Blake with a 40lber after a tag team effort and close to 60 minutes to get this one to the bank. I have been fortunate to have guided Blake since he was 9yrs old and this year at 13 he showed the Chinook who was boss. Sitting in the rear seat of the driftboat, Blake fought this buck Salmon until it took him down into the turbulent logjams. Having beached the boat twice thinking the fish was ready to come in, it was no good as the Salmon kept on running thru the slow pools not willing to give up the battle. Handing the rod over to grandpa Ted was time as this fish was just starting to fight. I was amazed as the rancher from Alberta put on a display that the crowd at the Calgary Stampede would have cheered over. As Ted fought the fish large trees were running down the fast flowing river and at times he had to dip his rod tip deep into the water so the line would not snap up and snap off the fish. It was back and forth up the bank, then to the rivers edge trying to gain line. Ten yards would come on the reel, twenty would leave. Anyways way to go guys it was the best battle of the year so far and perhaps in many. Second group up for the challenge was repeat client Nick and soon to return Kelly from Victoria BC. These guys found out what powerful fish can do having 30lb test (newly spooled) snap like a Bald Eagle sitting on a small, dry twig. It was all good though as these boys had the rods dive in front of their eyes many times. Attached is smiling Kelly with a respectable Chinook and Nick holding a piece of fresh chrome second pool of the AM.
Round three is Dana from Cowtown with his bud from Houston Texas. These guys were catch and release machines as the attached Chinook took Dana in behind a logjam after it was hooked some 1000m upstream. As you can see by the smile this guy was pumped. Repeat clients John and Candace proved they as well could smack a big fish. Candace tussled with this bad boy until her arm fell off; happily the net was surrounding this mid 30lb Chinook when it happened. After the hot weather we had to leave the river and head out into Saltwater for our joy, as fishing was a no and Mother Nature taking a week off. No worries as John heaved up this fresh Halibut and I had no choice but to run the harpoon thru him. It was something to see as the float that was attached to the rope and harpoon disappear in to the dark blue water of the Douglas Channel. Then it appeared seconds later like an unexpected seal near your boat. John brought the flatfish to the boat with rod and reel and into the cooler it went. Having landed others as well many great bites it was time to get some Salmon. Trolling can be fun in calm water and today we got it, as yesterday was a perfect storm. Having a thunder and lighting storm cross your bow of the boat was the reality that set in, we are so small. We prevailed though bouncing around and hooking fish, in fact when the bite was on the lumpy ride was secondary. We found the fish for sure as Coho, Chinook and Pink Salmon were on the bite, in fact a 25lb Halibut caught while Salmon trolling!
This weeks clients from the UK are Whiteman group so some great action on the fly!
Tracey John Hittel
Kitimat BC Canada
(250)-632-9880
(250)-639-4277