In the multiverse of fly fishing, is there any other venue where anglers so obsess over the way a fish responds to their fly than in the world of swinging flies for steelhead? It must be one of the only categories of fishing where the “take” or its nearly ubiquitous synonym, the “grab” is so […]
Category: Steelhead
Steelhead Paradise
The wilderness of northern BC is riddled with rushing rivers. Crystal clear waters teeming with unbelievable wild steelhead, some growing up to thirty pounds and beyond. That’s exactly what you’d expect from a place that’s home to the world’s most prolific wild steelhead run. And one of those rivers flows right through our backyard, the […]
Welcome to the Major Leagues
For the passionate steelhead angler, all roads eventually lead to the west coast of BC where the Steelhead angling of your dreams waits for you. For those of you lucky enough to have already fished here, your hope is that a return trip is in the cards sooner than later. The truth is the watershed […]
Navigating Waters with Generation Z
Photos by Chase White At age 45, and with 25 years in the fishing business under my belt, I am certainly plugged into the old school OG category. Even using the term OG (Original Gangsta) dates me. My grey hair, incessant chatter about the old days, and jittery finger that always aims to get the […]
Denied
I vividly remember that beautiful warm September day like it was yesterday. Those I had shared my day with, the run, the fly, and a steelhead that left such an indelible recollection some thirty years later. This fall after being denied access to British Columbia I have since longingly reflected on my time there. Of […]
Coast to Clouds 2020
Skeena Fishtrap – Piggybacking on the success of the Columbia Fishtrap pilot, a similar project on the Skeena will be built by Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries, the Native Fish Society and the Wild Fish Conservancy (banner picture). Using nonintrusive enclosures to corral fish for selective harvest, catch and release survival on non-target species is effectively […]
Epic 2020 Christmas Gift Guide
Well from COVID closed borders to cancelled flights and low returns, the 2020 fishing season has hardly been a win in northern BC. The steelheader in your life has likely sat on the sidelines waiting for the coach to put em back in. In the meantime here’s some do’s and don’ts to help get your […]
Culture is the most Promising Path to Preservation
Even thirty years ago catch and release was not widely accepted practice. For so many the tradition of angling they grew up with ended in harvest. Tradition is stale, transfixed. Even today, jurisdictions tasked with protecting threatened stocks run up against resistance. The only acceptable options are retention or nothing at all. I’d argue so […]
End of season Heli day
The weather has been extremely unpredictable of late with extreme cold, than back to back snow storms into a warm pineapple express. This hasn’t been ideal for the rivers, but it certainly has had its moments. We had to postpone this heli trip once, but in the end we hit things just right. The river
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Wild fish or pass thank you
Originally published in 2014. Since I was 10 years old there has not been one time in my life when wild fish stocks did not need our help wherever I was fishing. I grew up fishing in the Catskill mountain streams during probably the worst climate for native fish in the history of the region. […]