This Fall steelhead trip to Skeena River Lodge started off like many great trips do. Months and months of planning, prepping gear, arranging flights and tying flies. We've hosted many trips to Skeena River Lodge over the years, this was my second time going and I couldn't wait to get back.
Finally after waiting for September to roll around, it was time to head to the airport and start our journey north. We all met up here in town and drove north to the Canadian border crossing and then made our way to Vancouver International Airport. We had a nice breakfast at the airport and shortly after we were sitting on the plane anxiously waiting to arrive at Skeena River Lodge. It's a short flight with great views of the Canadian mountains and before we knew it we were touching down in Terrace. We were picked up at the airport by Mandy, the lodge manager, jumped in the truck and were at the lodge in about 20 minutes.
Once we got to the lodge we unloaded our gear and threw it into our cabins and then headed into the main lodge for some cocktails, followed by a wonderful dinner. Every night Brandon aka "The Deputy" puts together a game plan of where everyone will be fishing the next day. After dinner and another cocktail or two we all headed back to our cabins to get our gear sorted for the first day of fishing and we were all stoked!
The morning of our first day of fishing started off with a quick cup of coffee in the lodge and then we jumped in the trucks with our guides and fishing partner for a short drive to the boat launch. Colin and I were paired up together with Brandon on Skeena 2 (the lower Skeena). Brandon quickly launched his jet boat and we made a quick run to the first spot of the day. We anchored the boat above an island that had a beautiful riffle on both sides of the island. Colin took river right and I was on river left. I started a little bit above the riffle and started working my way down. There were a ton of pink salmon around this year and it was hard to keep them off your fly. After shaking a few pinks off I was stripping my fly in to make my next cast and I came tight. I thought for sure this was another pink because it ate the fly on about the 7th or 8th strip in. And then it exploded out of the water. Steelhead! The fish ripped and I was now fighting it on the reel. After a quick fight we landed the first steelhead of the trip. A nice little 5 pound hen. And then it went quiet... We had days of no steelhead being hooked. Conditions were just tough this year, it was hot, like really hot. The rivers were low and there wasn't many steelhead around.
Day two I was paired up with Chris and we were headed to the Copper. A vaunted tributary to the Skeena, and a beautiful river. We hiked into the first run of the day in the dark , then rigged up our rods with fresh flies and leaders. The first run of the day didn't produce any grabs to our surprise as this was a prime piece of steelhead water. We boogied back to the truck and drove up the road a little ways and got the raft unloaded. And let me tell you, these guides work hard and are not afraid to launch their rafts in some pretty unorthodox places. We fished some great water all day, enjoyed some great conversation in the raft ate great lunch and did a lot of casting. Unfortunately day 2 ended with just one small grab.
There wasn't much to talk about for day three... Day four it was Colin and I again on the Skeena with Jack in one of their new Jet Boats. We were on Skeena 4 and though we were exhausted from the three previous days of grinding with virtually no fish to speak of, we were excited and the anticipation was high.
We fished the first run of the day as the sun was coming up over the ridge in the distance. It was a long run and super fishy so we cycled through it a couple of times, but no luck. Our anticipation, our energy levels and our excitement had definitely shifted and started to diminish. But the day wasn't over yet! Jack left me in a long tailout and Colin and him got in the boat and anchored up on the other side of the tailout just above an island. From my view it looked like it was a pretty sketchy wade over there. If you can wade and cast these guides will put you into some situations, but I love it. I was paying attention to what those guys were doing more then I was focused on my own fishing. Colin looked like he was in a good spot and I really wanted him to catch a fish. And then sure enough, I looked up and Colin was hooked up! It was a pretty wild fight for Colin. He was wading deep and basically standing in the middle of the Skeena. The fish threatened to run underneath the boat that was anchored just up stream from these guys. Which made all of us nervous! Colin fought it like a pro and kept it away from the boat. The fish jumped once right in front them and even from where I was I could tell it was a big fish. That made me even more nervous! We needed to land this fish so bad to turn our moods around. After quite a few attempts to get this fish in and landed Jack finally had a chance to get it in the net. It was a tough spot to land a fish! They were in about 3 feet of water that was moving fast. Jack took one stab at it and got it in the net! What a relief! Man that changed our moods for the rest of the trip!
Day 5 we were back on the Skeena. This time with Justin aka JP as your guide and entertainer for the day. We fished a beautiful run where a creek pours into the Skeena and we pretty much stayed there all day. This was a really good piece of water and we wanted to fish it very smart. Our first pass we went through with light sink tips, made short casts, waded shallow and tried our best to be stealthy. Nothing on the first besides a few pink salmon that gave us the fake out. On our second pass through we were rigged up with type 6 sink tips and a different fly. I tied a lot of flies for this trip and decided to tie on my favorite. It's a dark black and blue (mostly black) marabou tube fly that I've been working on, but I haven't come up with a name for it. Towards the top of the run I hooked a fish on the hang down. I would've told you it was just a pink until it exploded on the surface and went on a big run. This fish meant a lot to me so I played it as well as I could. I felt like the entire crew needed me to land this fish. The pressure was on! The fish put on a show as it jumped in front of us a few times. I got her turned on her side and gently swung her into JP's net. A beautiful 7-8lb hen.
Day six, the day before we had to go home which is always bitter sweet, ended with a bang. Colin, Brandon and I headed out early in the morning for an epic day on the Copper.
We floated what they call the "Canyon" and it was absolutely stunning. It was incredible run after another all day long. This would turn out to be my favorite day of steelheading I've ever experienced and left memories that I'll never forget.
We pulled into a run and Brandon looked at me and said "you ready for a deep wade" and I knew I was in trouble haha! I pulled everything out of my pockets tightened my wading belt and said "Yep!" Brandon slowed down the raft and started feeling for the bottom with his net. He jumped out of the raft and it was deep, almost to the top of his waders. I crawled out of the front of the raft and leaned into the heavy current. Brandon hoped back in the raft and rowed over to the bank. I was on a shelf and it was much deeper in between me and the bank. Brandon told me to just aim for a particular boulder that was poking up in the tailout about 150 yards away. That was my wading line to stay on the shelf and not go for a swim. I made my first cast and and the river setup the swing perfectly with just a small up stream mend. Five casts into the run I turned to Brandon and asked him if I should cast any further. He looked at where my line was and said "maybe a little further" and right at that moment I got grabbed. I told Brandon "that's a fish" then the fish took off on a screaming run and didn't slow down until I was way in my backing! It was the sickest grab of my life! This is what steelhead dreams are made of!
Within a few minutes I actually had the fish right at my feet but I knew it wasn't done yet. Sure enough it was far from being done. The fish went on another big run. This time I was even further into my backing and then the fish was way down in the tailout. Brandon signaled me to start working my way down river. I couldn't see the bottom of the river and I was deep, and had a long ways to go to get down to the tailout where the fish was. I knew that I had potentially the biggest steelhead I've hooked on the line. Luckily the adrenaline took over the fear of losing my footing in fast current and going for a swim. I worked my way down to the tailout and to Brandon. The whole time the fish was kicking my ass and testing my skills with a 4" Hardy Perfect. Down in the tailout I battled this fish hard and got him to turn and I started gaining some line on him finally. But there was a spot in the river that every time we got the fish to it, it would turn and go on a big run again. This dance went on for quite some time, and I got the fish up to that spot probably 5 times but it still wouldn't come past that spot.
At this point neither Brandon or I knew what to do. We couldn't believe the fish still had this much fight in it. I changed rod angles trying to change the pressure and trick the fish. That didn't do anything! I went back to the angle I had. Pointed downstream towards the bank and kept my rod tip buried in the water. Now we're about 30 minutes into this fight... and then, the fish goes on a big run and wasn't stopping. I looked at Brandon and said "we're F****d"
The fish burned out through the tailout and down a big rapid. This was not good! I took off running and my reel just kept going faster and faster, I was losing line quickly! It took everything I had to run through the big boulders and try not to get spooled. The river took a hard left and I now had 150-200 yards of backing going straight over the gravel bar... Brandon was in front of me, also running and holding my backing as high as he could to try to keep it off the rocks. Brandon isn't very tall btw. My heart was pounding. I knew that I had potentially the biggest steelhead I've ever had on the line and I was terrified that it was going to come unpinned. As I neared the corner of the gravel bar I started working my way to the waters edge and finally got my line back over the water. At this point we were back in the game and fighting the fish again.
I kept working my way down river and I was gaining some line back. My running line was now back on my reel and we and we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Or so we thought. I had quite a bit of line back now and then the fish went for a run and I couldn't stop it. It got in the fast current and I was into backing again within seconds. The chase continued... I ran down river again, this time completely exhausted and I knew this was going to be our last chance. We got into a spot where I could fight the fish again. It wasn't ideal, but we had a chance. I fought the fish hard and got my Skagit head on the reel. The fish was close! The fish came up in the water column and both Brandon and I got a glimpse of it as it turned on its side. It was big and chrome. Brandon took a stab at it with the net and then fly popped out.. The fish swam off and it was over. Pure heartbreak for both of us. We both worked hard for that fish and wanted it bad.
Brandon and I now have a history of losing steelhead of a lifetime at the net. Last year on my first day of the trip I had 20 plus pounder break me off at the net. And now this one. But I wasn't mad, I don't think we could've done anything differently. We walked back to the boat, probably half a kilometer and I stripped some layers off and drank a beer on the bank. I told Brandon that was the coolest steelheading experience of my life even though we didn't land it. I'll never forget that fish.
Later on in the day Brandon realized that he left his net on the bank, so we were tailing fish if we hooked another one. The last run of the I hooked a scrappy little buck. These fish in the Copper are some of the strongest fish I've ever tangoed with.
We headed back to the lodge, feeling a little defeated but with our souls full from the epic day. We had dinner and all enjoyed each others company and told stories over a few cold ones. It was a great trip and I couldn't have asked for a better last day. Although I would've loved to have landed that fish and gotten a good look at it. But that's how she goes and what keeps you coming back!