duanec Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 the last 2 steelhead vids almost killed me, so i started flipping back to pix from my first [and so far only] trip, i'm sharing this as a form of therapy...i wish i was prepping to go back this year. the 4 of us stayed at a lodge up in terrace the first week of october. we chose it based upon chances of landing some good fish on the fly with a guide [first trip for all so no one knew what the hell we were doing] as well as logistics and cost. day 1 was fishing a trib of the skeena. was a very very brisk run up the river in the jet, the guide mercifully stopped more than once just so we could warm up a bit. a beautiful river, fantastic scenery. we got into some solid action on coho [i think we landed 8-10], but found no steelhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duanec Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 more from day 1 - first fish of the trip this was a beaut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duanec Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 day 2 another skeena trib. i watched as my buddy again outfished me and landed 6 coho. i was of the big lower lip until that last 15 mins of the drift back down the guide put me on a coho. i was very happy to not have the skunk going back to the lodge. don't i look happy? but the end of that day again we saw no steelhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duanec Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 day 3 was spent on the skeena, where i sampled casting spey for the first time. it's way cool when it works, and i'd love to try it again. we fished all morning and i had one strike. by the afternoon the guide started expressing some concern that the fish were just not there in any numbers, although we did see a few. day 4, 2 of us did the copper, and the other 2 were on a very small trib in a raft. they hooked a couple nice steelies: but we had another fishless day on some very prime water. big lower lips from our team back at the lodge. many many rums... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duanec Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 our last day, the guides pulled out the stops. the other group in the lodge were americans, some of them were a little bit, shall we say, snobbish and had outfished the canuckleheads. the lodge saw this, and so we were being taken to the 'secret spots' that the guides fish themselves. sure, ok. so 90 minutes into our very rough ride up an abandoned logging road, our guide realizes we don't have our lunch, or any water. lol. our instructions - keep going, we're not going back. after almost 2 hours of driving we stop, the guide shares out his own lunch and what water we have, and we set out on foot. after pushing bush for over an hour we emerged on the most beautiful tank pool i have ever seen. we flip a coin for first cast - i lose. he has a chaser the very first flick, and on the follow up: my buddy's first on the fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duanec Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 my turn and the stand, and my first cast yielded this: which fortunately didn't count [was not a steelhead]. my second cast: and so we had an incredible day. we landed 8 steelhead and lost many, even had the opportunity to skate drys for them until late in the day. so late in fact the lodge sent out a search party as it was almost dark by the time we got back to the vehicle. who needed lunch? anyways, that was my first trip and i officailly got the fever. i thought it was a bunch of bs until that day, but now i iunderstand. i'm itching to get back for more, planning a trip next fall perhaps to the island but maybe up north again. thanks for bearing with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Who was your guide? Great pics - looks like a helluva trip. We're locked in for Oct 16th and I hope it's still decent. Been a very very good year up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duanec Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 Who was your guide? Great pics - looks like a helluva trip. We're locked in for Oct 16th and I hope it's still decent. Been a very very good year up there. we stayed at Nicholas Dean Lodge, Dustin Kovacvich is the head guide [he's the giant in the one pic]. http://www.nicholasdean.com/ yep our year was not as good steelhead-wise [from what i understand the commercial fishery in port alberni was mostly to blame?], but hearing good things this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveM Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Wow! That's some sweet steel, Dune; thanks for sharing. Hope you get a chance to chase 'em again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agbff Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 man.... can that kind of trip be beat? Awesome photos andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawgstoppah Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Niiiiiiiiice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverDoctor Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Wow thanks for posting, great trip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertrossi Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Wow thanks for posting, great trip wow man, im jealous!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayr Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Very nice pics indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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