TRUCKS BOATS AND HELICOPTERS: PART IV

[Sharphooks]

So here comes the helicopter part.

While in Masset I got internet service and while fiddling around trying to confirm what the river heights were on the Skeena and Bulkley for my trip back towards Hazelton, I happened to see that a lodge on one of the upper Nass tributaries was offering a "DIY"

I traded a few texts with Hannah Belford, the owner, and I asked her how many other guests would be there.

Just you, she responded.

I almost sprained my wrist reaching for my wallet....me, alone on a 12 mile river in the Damdochax Wilderness Area.....I almost fainted from a case of the vapors I was so excited.

I booked for 22 October. I knew it was late in the season and that it would be cold but I didn't care. I grabbed the next boat out of Skidegate and got back to Rupert and hit the highway for Smithers where I'd meet the helicopter.

On the way, I stopped back on the Skeena. I had three days to kill. High and muddy water but two more fish, both on the flies I'd gotten from the liquored up bad juju fly box

I'm embarrassed to relate I put a 14 pound doe on the beach with this fly:

Not sure I'd ever tie something like that (all the blue tentacles are stretchy rubber!) and not sure I'd buy it from a tackle store but it did get the job done in water with approximately 3" of visibility

Then back to the Bulkley for one last day before flying to the Nass. And I'll be blowed--- Another three fish morning, the first fish another 14 lb doe I got (really) on my first cast. These were absolutely wild fish--8 - 10 jumps, 100 yards of backing peeled off my reel. They reminded me of Thompson fish the way they fought. So all this filthy lucre on a silver platter on what was supposed to be the 6th worst return of Skeena fish since 1955 when the Tyee Test Fishery began. I couldb't believe my good fortune

And having had such good fishing on the Skeena and Bulkley turned out to be a blessing because the day I flew out of Smithers to the Upper Nass, the temperature dropped to -2C and basically never got into positive territory for 8 straight days. A seasoned steelhead fisherman knows what that does to the steelhead bite

Eventhough I was prepared, that was some of the colder weather I have ever fished. It was almost useless getting on the river before 11:00 because the guides of my fly rod froze solid after three casts. If you waited until the sun came out, you could get maybe 4 or 5 casts before they froze solid. I broke all my fingernails chipping ice. And of course the fishing success went off a cliff. The lodge owner kept apologizing but I told her I'd just had some amazing days on the Skeena and Bulkley so catching fish was secondary to just being in such a gorgeous wilderness area

The fish I did get were lovely specimens but you can imagine how lethargic they were in temperatures like that

This was my first fish. It never took any line off the reel, just swam to my feet. The guy releasing it, Warren, was a really cool guy who cooked for the lodge and took care of my dog while I fished

This was a critical part of the trip for me because the Damdochax Wildnerss area is crawling with wolves and bears and I did not want my dog with me while I fished

I'd already heard the unpleasant stories of several pets having been eaten by members of the wolf pack that wandered up and down the river




Here are a couple of does. Just looking at them up close was a privelege---they're such beautiful creatures and I'd never laid eyes on a Nass fish before

They weren't responding to my normal steelhead flies so I pretended I was trout fishing with a nymph. I think I hooked 6 fish on that same fly. It got to the point where I wouldn't trust any other fly

 

[Hyde-N-Seek]

Awesome write up as usual. Is that stone fly am seeing? Thats just awesome. I think you and Redneck Dale are single handily keeping the fresh water section and steelhead awareness alive. Well done. Always looking forward to read your adventures.

 

[Sharphooks]

Yes, a stone fly nymph. Casting it into dead water and crawling it along the bottom...it was either a rainbow or a peamouth or a steelhead...something always grabbed it. Time to get a handful of those into my flybox--the gal at the lodge gave me that fly---it saved the trip because all my tried-and-true flies were bringing zero joy once the temps got to -2

I remember back in the good old days cold weather didn't do that on the THompson ....they were still bitey no matter how cold it got

 

[Hyde-N-Seek]

Sharphooks, interesting lol
Whatever works lol

The stoneflys worked well in the cowichan for steelies too.

Oh, man, the famous T, those fish are definitely different breeds, which we already all know too familiar, they would still go after the hardwares no matter how cold the water was. Amazing fish and amazing memories. Those crazy cold wind storms late in the season where no amount of clothes will keep you warm except when the steelhead sings. Yes, great times indeed. We can only dream of those days now. Too bad indeed.