WEEKLY FISHING REPORT October 25 to November 1, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: ARIEL KUPPERS holding a Kitimat River Trout

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

KITIMAT RIVER: Earlier this week the Kitimat River was in pretty good shape and anglers were able to get out and fish for Trout.

Oct 27 Ariel Kuppers was out fishing on Tuesday and managed to hook five Trout but was not able to land any.  Ariel intended to keep one Trout which he had planned to be the main course for his lunch.  Ariel said, “I very seldom keep any Trout and I never take a bag, the one time I take a bag and want to keep one, I can’t land one!”  I guess Ariel must have settled for hamburger or chicken because fresh Trout didn’t happen…The photo is a sympathy photo of a Trout that Ariel caught and released last week.  The rest of the Trout that are reported in this report are the ones that got away…..Such is life in the North West.

Oct 27 Kitimat Pump House Pool

Oct 29 We received our first snow fall but the Kitimat River was still in good shape.

Oct 30 Almost overnight the Kitimat River rose 7 or 8′ according to the River height station.  Wow!  Radley Park was flooded and the river was in the trees. (Photo Credits to Jennifer Gunyon)

Oct 31 The Kitimat River dropped 6′ in 24 hours.  We can get drastic fluctuations in river height during this time of year but the change in heights this week was unbelievable!  Only a few times in my lifetime of living in Kitimat have I seen the river come up this high.  The amazing feature of this week’s occurrence was how fast the Kitimat rose and how fast she dropped.  The high tides would also have an influence but all I can say is Wow!  The Saving Grace is that no life or property that I am aware of was lost due to this freak episode.  Thank Goodness!

Summary: With the Kitimat River higher than high, she was also naturally very dirty and fishing was not an option in the latter part of this week.  We could only marvel at the power and force of the high water as we watched 60′ Spruce trees raging down the Kitimat River.  After marveling at Mother Nature, the reality of life in the North West this time of year took precedent.  Checking Antifreeze levels, putting the lawn mower away and bringing out the snow blower and the list goes on.  After taking care of the change of season issues I spent some time preparing for when the rivers in the North West drop and become fishable.  One of the items on the “Things to do List” was to cure up some roe for this Fall/Winter Steelhead season on the Skeena and for the Spring Steelhead season on the Kitimat River.

Pautze BorX O Fire           Procure Bait Cure Redd Hot Double Stuff

I usually use Redd Hot Bait Cure made by Procure Inc. but I thought I would try this new product called BorX O’ Fire made by Pautzke Bait Company.  I intend to use a little of both and let the Steelhead decide which they prefer.  Stay tuned!

Tilia Food Saver Professional 11 Turbo

After I cure the roe, I usually vacuum seal the roe with Tilia Food Saver.  I love this machine!  Especially for the roe that I am curing for next spring’s Steelhead fishery on the Kitimat River.  The Right product and the Right tools for the job make an Anglers life a lot easier and a lot more productive.  The proof is in the pictures which I hope to have available for these Fishing Reports.

DOUGLAS CHANNEL: With the enormous Rainfall we received, we also received some high winds that prevented even the most hard core boaters from venturing out in the Douglas Channel.  Most boaters made an extra trip down to the Marinas to check their boats, fire up the engines to charge their batteries and maybe tie on an extra dock line.

Anglers who leave their boats in the water for the Winter Chinook fishery are accustomed to checking their boats on a regular basis.  Such is Life in the North West!  We are all waiting for the Winter Chinook fishery to start.  Stay Tuned!

Thank You to everyone for providing photos and info for this Fishing Report.

We are booking for next year.  Any interested anglers please contact Noel Gyger noel@noelgyger.ca

Hope everyone enjoyed the Fishing Report.
Good Luck! and Good Health!
Sincerely

Ron Wakita
Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

PRODUCT PROFILE:  By Mr Noel Gyger

www.repala.ca

Octopus Siwash Open eye (for plugs, lures and jigs) are the two most popular hooks in this area for conventional/spinning gear.  Gamakatsu is the hook of choice by most angling guides. A barbless version of the Octopus is also available and very popular with the Conservation Officers.

Gamakatsu is the leading fish hook manufacturer in the world, dedicated to constantly researching its markets and developing unique products that meet the needs of fishermen.

The methods used in creating Gamakatsu hooks is what makes it so superior to all other brands. First, only the most premium grade of high carbon steel is used. This insures against any blemishes in the metal which can weaken the hook.

Secondly, Gamakatsu has the most advanced tempering system in the world. Every hook is heated to the exact temperature that is perfect for that particular style and size then cooled in oil. This process produces hooks which are super strong, but not brittle. It is extremely difficult to achieve a balance between strength and flexibility, and it took many years for Gamakatsu to perfect this process.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our sharpening process is the most modern in the world, and results in a perfectly conical point that is unequaled in sharpness.

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT October 18 to October 25, 2009

Photo of the Week: Ron Wakita with a very bright Kalum River doe Steelhead caught Saturday, October 24, 2009.  The fish was released after this quick photo.  This fish is a “star” in my latest video clip…see below.

I realize that this a Kitimat River Fishing report but this was such a nice Steelhead caught on the Kalum River fishing trip Noel Gyger that I thought I would share it in this report as photo of the week.

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

KITIMAT RIVER: With a little rain that we received this week the Kitimat Creek (as we have called it lately) has started to flow at a level to be once again called the Kitimat River. The upside to very low water conditions is that anglers are able to find a bunch of fish grouped up in deeper pools and cut banks.  The challenge is to find them.  Many anglers fishing for Cutthroat Trout found them in good numbers and they also found lots of Coho stacked up in the same pools.

Oct 20 Dave Bergeron reports catching 9 Cutthroat.  Three of these were in the 2 to 3lb range. “Wow!”  He also reports catching Coho while he was float fishing for Trout.  Be careful Dave, some of these big Coho can put a big hurt on your Ultra light Trout Rod.  Dave was going to share some photos for this report but unfortunately they didn’t turn out.  Thank You for your efforts Dave and congratulations on your catch.

Oct 21 Ariel and Brandon landed 6 Trout and 5 Coho.  Ariel was Fly Fishing with his Spey Rod and Brandon was using a Spinning Rod.  Ariel was using a #2 Silver Dick Nite with Type 8 Rio Sink Tip.  Brandon was using a Gibbs Koho 45 Blue Illusion Lure.  Well Done Ariel and good job Son.

Oct 21 Dave Olsen and his fishing partner report catching lots of Trout in the Nalabila Stretch.  They also reported catching Coho while targeting Trout.

Oct 22 Greg Gardiner and James Wright report hooking a dozen Trout every time they went out this week.  The biggest was 18 inches.  They were using 3″ Berkley Power Worms and said that they fished “better than bait”.   Greg said that they had better success with pink bubble gum impregnated worms than with real worms.  The proof is in the results.  Well done Guys!

Summary: The majority of Coho on the Kitimat River have turned to their spawning colours with fewer and fewer bright Coho.  The Trout fishing on the Kitimat River has been excellent.  Many anglers have reported good results using a wide range of lures.  Float Fishing natural dew worms is still popular and now artificial worms such as Berkley’s Power Bait Worms are also catching some Trout.  The Dick Nite were also fishing very well for Trout and Coho also love them.  The Dick Nite Spoon is productive both on a Fly Rod and on a spinning rod.  The Kitimat 32 Silver Red was also a hot lure this week.  Fly fishing with minnow patterns continue to be excellent.  Most Fly fishers usually tie their own version of a minnow pattern to catch Trout on the Kitimat River.  Some anglers reported that the flies out fished tackle although they caught Trout using both types of gear.  I subscribe to the theory of doing “whatever the fish tell you to do”.

There are a mixture of a lot of Cutthroat, Dolly Varden and Rainbow Trout in the Kitimat River right now available for anglers to catch using whatever preference of Gear type.  The weather and river conditions will soon be a major factor so my advice is to get out and catch them while the conditions are good.  Weather and river conditions in the North West can change almost by the hour.

DOUGLAS CHANNEL: There is not a lot to report from the Douglas Channel but a few boaters were talking about doing some fishing this weekend.  The target was for Halibut or Crabbing with another boater testing the Winter Chinook fishing in the Kitimat Harbour. With the expectation of the up coming Winter Chinook Fishery in the Kitimat Harbour I am excited about two Lures that I saw while at the Redl Sports Distributor Dealer Show.

These are the True Troll Lures and Rhys Davis Strip Teasers Holders with Baitrix’s new imitation Herring Strip.

The True Troll Lures have a bunch of new colours that I am looking forward to trying out for Winter Chinook.  True Troll lures really got my attention in Coho Season and has become one of my favorite lures that has moved to the top drawer of the tackle box.  They were dynamite for Coho!  They should also be good for Winter Springs.  Stay Tuned for Noel Gyger’s new “Product Profile” section.

Rhys Davis is one of the most popular bait holder lures fished in the Douglas Channel and has been around for decades.  Rhys Davis has teamed up with Baitrix, a manufacturer of imitation Herring bait.  Baitrix has developed a Herring Strip imitation that will fit Rhys Davis’s Super Herring Teaser and a Rhys Davis Large Strip Teaser.  Trolling Herring Strip has always been one of the most popular lures of choice for Coho and Winter Springs in the Douglas Channel for years.  Berry’s Bait stopped distributing frozen Herring Strip a few years ago and Herring Strip was no longer available.  Accordingly Herring Strip was not fished as much because anglers were now forced to make their own strip by cutting up whole Herring.  A few anglers continued to make their own strip but most switched to fishing anchovies or Herring minnows.  Fishing Strip is back!  Baitrix is very life like and can be impregnated with scent to complete the disguise.  They are more durable than actual Herring strip and more important, they will be readily available on the market soon.  Stay tuned to this report and Noel’s Product profiles section for the fishing results of the samples that Gord McKay from Baitrix and Tom Davis from Rhys Davis kindly gave to me to test.

I am looking forward to fishing both True Roll and Baitrix with Rhys Davis Strip Teaser holders in the Kitimat Harbour Winter Chinook Fishery.  Stay Tuned!

Special Report:

I had the pleasure of fishing with my good friend and associate, Noel Gyger on the Kalum River Saturday morning.  As usual we had an excellent outing looking for our first Steelhead fishing together on the Kalum.  Mission accomplished as we landed a beautiful Steelhead, a small Coho and a bunch of Trout.  I consider Noel as the foremost authority on Fishing in the North West, especially the Kalum and he predicts that Steelhead will get better in the coming weeks. Thanks for a great trip Noel.  Hope we can get out again!

Anyone interested in seeing the video that Noel Gyger produced please click on the link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C98RpIASXjM

Special Thanks to all the anglers who have contributed info and photos to this report.

Good Luck! and Good Fishing!

Sincerely

Ron Wakita
Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.reliableguideandcharters.com

PRODUCT PROFILE:  By Noel Gyger

I really enjoyed spin fishing with this “new” super braided line. It was engineered for spinning reels.  The smooth coating on the line slips through the guides quietly and effortlessly. No more wind knots and tip wraps.  My casting distance improved and I had instant hook-sets.  It is small in diameter but extremely strong.  I snagged up and had to pull so hard to break it that I pulled my anchored jet boat half way across the river.  It finally broke. Actual break strength is 53 lbs. You will recover more jigs and lures as the hook usually straightens out.  I fished all day and lost only one jig. So outstanding is Dura Cast’s performance that the line won the Best New Braided Line award at the prestigious European Fishing Tackle Trade Association show in June of 2009. Dura Cast will revolutionize your experience.

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT October 11 to October 18, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Brandon Wakita holding an 18′ Kitimat River Cutthroat

Brandon was fishing with Ariel Kuppers on Oct 14th 2009

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

KITIMAT RIVER: Fall in the North West is visually noticeable by the typical changing of the colour of the leaves and the typical changing of the colour of the Kitimat River Coho. Most of the Coho are noticeably changed to their spawning colours with the exception of some fresh Coho still making their way to the Kitimat River.

Some anglers have changed their focus to fishing for Cutthroat Trout while other anglers are fishing for both.

The Kitimat River was so low this week that Ariel and a few other anglers were calling it “Kitimat Creek”.

Oct 14 Ariel Kuppers, Travis James and my son Brandon landed 7 Cutthroat.  Two of these Cutthroat were 15″ and 18″.

Oct 15 Brian Seaby a local angler reports landing 9 Coho, 2 coloured and 7 fairly bright.

Oct 17 Five anglers were speaking to Ariel in our Tackle store who had really good success Coho fishing in the Nalabila Stretch.  They reported catching many bright Coho as well as a bunch that were coloured.

Many anglers still out fishing for Coho and Trout on the Kitimat River as evident by the number of vehicles parked along the highway this weekend.  Some anglers will fish the upper Kitimat by walking in from the highway and then fish their way down the Kitimat River.  They will then walk back out to the highway and walk up the side of the road back up to their truck. It is not common to see anglers with Coho sized rods as well as Trout or Fly rods. Such is the life when fishing the Kitimat this time of year.

The most productive lures this week were still the Gibbs Silver Hex 3/16 Crocs and the Koho 35 Copper, float fishing worms and flyfishing with minnow patterns.

The high number of reports of some bright Coho surprised me a little.  Usually there are few bright Coho still migrating in but apparently this year there appears to be more than normal.  This is a good thing and with some mild weather Coho fishing on the Kitimat River appears to have been extended.

Special Bulletin:

I had another awesome opportunity to fish with my good friend, Noel Gyger and my son, Brandon on the Kalum on Saturday.  We were hoping to catch some Steelhead and Coho on our trip.  We rigged up both float rods for Steelhead and Jigging rods for the Coho.  I lined up with a sample of Tuff Line’s new DuraCast Line that was given to me by Rex Nelson from Western Filament.  (Tuff Line’s parent company).   Tuff Line DuraCast proved to be an excellent line for Jigging for Coho. It made long casts effortlessly and quietly.  The perfectly round tri axial construction eliminated line twist and rod tip wrap which is sometimes an issue with some super braided lines.

The feature of Tuf-Line DuraCast that I liked the best was “Instant hook set” and amazing knot strength.  30lb knot strength with 8lb diameter.  Wow!  Thank You for the sample Rex, it helped create some wonderful memories of fishing with my good friend Noel and my son Brandon.

We didn’t hook any Steelhead but we were able to land and release a bunch of Coho with the help of Tuff Line Dura Cast.

Any readers interested in watching a video that Noel produced of our trip please click on the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kyPvojL6rM

Another Special Bulletin

Glen Kilcup reports on one the coastal streams in the North West, “My Vancouver buddy Randy Wereshuck was here for a week and we were real fortunate for the weather to co-operate. With Colorado blades we smacked Coho and Steelhead at a few familiar spots. The Coho were in all the places they were supposed to be and the Steelhead were packed up in deeper pools because of lower waters. Got the jetboat out on some skinny waters and found that a long walk was much easier than the boat…” Congratulations Glen and Randy! Nice Fish!

DOUGLAS CHANNEL: With the high winds this week very few boats ventured out on the waters of the Douglas Channel.  Accordingly there is very little to report with regards to fishing the Douglas Channel.  Some boaters expressed an interest in trying a little trolling for late Coho or Winter Chinook in the Kitimat Harbour when the wind conditions improve.  Other boaters were focused on getting the last fresh crab feed of the year.

Winter Chinook fishing usually starts any time now and will carry on throughout the winter.  It is a very difficult fishery to predict as it just happens when ever it happens.  The feeder Chinook follow the bait fish and whenever bait fish decide to wonder into the Kitimat Harbour as will the feeder Chinook.  When these feeder Chinook are in the Kitimat Harbour in good numbers it is an awesome fishery.  Stay Tuned.

Thank You to all the anglers who contributed info and photos to this report.

P.S. We have plenty of booking opportunities for the last part of this season for late Coho and Cutthroat Trout.  We are already starting to book for next year.  Any interested anglers please contact us at wakita@telus.net

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Sincerely

Ron Wakita
Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT – October 4 to October 11, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Sean O’Driscoll (left) and Innes McKenzie holding a 60lb Halibut caught on the Douglas Channel

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters

www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

KITIMAT RIVER: The Kitimat River continued to drop to unbelievably low river levels this week because of the lower temperatures in the mountains.  There is also some new snow in the higher elevations and with nice clear days created low water conditions.  It is interesting however that the Kitimat River level bumped up 8 inches on Wednesday due to the warmer temperatures melting some of the recent snow we received.  To have the river level influenced by snow melt in October is not common.

I would like to once again recognize Mike Herzberg for posting his video showing the hazards in the Nalabila Stretch.   Mike Herzberg’s video may have prevented other boaters from an incident and I think that this unselfish and creative act deserves some additional recognition.  Well done Mike!

Oct 4 Ariel fishing with Doug Bullock landed 4 Coho and 13 Trout on a drift of the Kitimat River.  Doug said that he had an awesome experience drifting the Kitimat River with Ariel.  Well done Guys.

Oct 7 Ariel out fishing for pan size Trout with his Ultra Lite Spin rod and 4 lb test.  Ariel was in his Belly boat in the Goose Creek ponds paddling around catching a bunch of these little guys.  Variety is also the spice of life in the fishing world.  A change of pace from hooking Northern Coho in the high teens or 20lbs plus.  Well done Ariel and very creative.

Oct 9 Dennis Hoverland from Stony Plain Alberta caught two Coho in the upper Kitimat.  One was a jack Coho below 50cms.  Dennis also reports catching some fresh Coho earlier in the week that were bigger and brighter. Thank You to Dennis for sharing the photo and info.

Oct 10 Kelly Marsh, a local Kitimat resident was in our Tackle Store and reports catching a bright, fresh Coho in the upper Kitimat.   Kelly did not say exactly where but Ariel said that it sounded like he was going back to the same spot to look for more.

The majority of Coho on the Kitimat River are transforming into their spawning colours.  There will still be a few bright, fresh Coho migrating into the Kitimat River but the majority of the Coho on the Kitimat River have some colour. Anglers are reporting seeing lots of Coho in the Kitimat River because the river is so low and clear there is literally no where the fish can hide.  The problem some anglers expressed was that it was difficult to catch any because they were spooked by any movement.  Anglers float fishing roe have had good success with the Coho.  Fishing in the morning and evening also has been more productive.

The nice, sunny weather has provided excellent fishing conditions and many anglers have changed their focus to fishing for Trout, especially our Cutthroat Trout on the Kitimat.  It is common to see anglers carrying a Trout rod and reel and a Coho rod and reel while fishing the Kitimat this time of year.

Gibbs Koho 35 Copper Croc Silver Hex 3/16              Egg and Eye Fly

Flies, worm and lures have been productive for Trout.  Minnow and egg patterns are the more popular flies for Trout.  The Koho Copper 35 and the Sil Hex 3/16 Croc is the more productive lures.  Float fishing a worm is always the standard method fishing for Trout on the Kitimat River.

The other issue fishing the Kitimat this time of year is that anglers are competing with the bears for the fishing holes.

There have many sightings of Black and Grizzly bears on the banks of the Kitimat which is common this time of year.  Anglers should beware!

DOUGLAS CHANNEL:

Oct 1

Shawn O’ Driscoll and Innes McKenzie landed 60lb and a 30lb Halibut down the Douglas Channel.   Fall Halibut fishing on the Douglas Channel!  Wow!

Congratulations Guys!

Oct 4

Chris McKenzie and Gary Phelps boated a 44lb and a 46lb Halibut down the Douglas Channel.  Nicely done Guys.  Congratulations

Summary

With the nice weather other boaters are heading down the Douglas Channel to do some bottom fishing for Halibut and Crabbing.  The scenery down the Douglas Channel can be breathtaking this time of year especially with the sunny autumn weather.  Fishing the Douglas Channel is always dependant on the weather and this year we are having some outstanding weather.

Oct 10 Special Report “The Kalum Twitch” I had the privilege of fishing with Mr. Noel Gyger on the Kalum River for Coho yesterday.  I consider Noel “The Authority” regarding fishing in the North West and also an awesome angler.  I really enjoyed being schooled by the “Best of the Best”.  Noel shared a technique for jigging Coho that was amazing. I call it the Kalum Twitch.  We had many first cast hook ups in a lot of the pools. I believe Noel pioneered Jigs in the North West and it was obvious why.  Noel also shared his history and knowledge of fishing the Kalum that I do not believe anyone else possesses.  We shared an amazing day of fishing that I will never forget.  Thank You for a Great Day Noel!  Anyone interested in viewing a video of our trip that Noel produced please click on this link!

Hope everyone enjoys this Fishing Report!

Thank You to everyone for providing info and photos for this report.

PS We have River drift boat dates available as well as Saltwater Charter dates.  Please contact us at wakita@telus.net to book.

Tight Lines! Big Fish! Big Smiles!
Sincerely,

Ron Wakita
Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

Fishing Report September 27 to October 4, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Doug Bullock holding a 17″ Sea Run Cutthroat trout caught on the Kitimat River guided by Ariel Kuppers of Reliable Guide and Charters.  One of 13 Trout caught on their drift Oct 4th.  They also landed 4 Coho.

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

or Click HERE for more fall specials in our 12 page Fall Flyer!

KITIMAT RIVER: The Kitimat River was low and clean this week and combined with the nice weather, Coho fishing was really good.  It has been exceptionally good for the anglers who were able to find the Coho after last week’s high water had some really good catch numbers.  Most of the Coho are in the middle and upper Kitimat.  Coho in the lower Kitimat (below Haisla bridge) has been sparse.  I suspect that most Coho have moved up and any fresh Coho are moving straight through the lower Kitimat.

Trout fishing especially Sea run Cutthroat fishing on the Kitimat River is one of our fisheries that does not receive the notoriety that it deserves.  Sea run Cutthroat trout populations are enhanced by the Kitimat River Hatchery and accordingly have really good returns.  Kitimat River Cutthroat have been known to get up 28 to 29 inches.

This is the reason that I chose a a photo of Doug holding a Kitimat River Sea Run Cutthroat trout as Photo of the Week.

Sept 27 Justin Lowes with fishing partner Scott Coleman landed 3 Coho above the Saw Mill run.  Well done Scott and Justin.

Sept 28 Notice to drift-boaters: Mike Herzberg was speaking to a Driftboater who sunk his driftboat in the Nalabila Stretch just below the Saw Mill launch.  The location was described as, “close to where the Nalabila enters into the Kitimat”.  Mike drifted through this section in his pontoon boat equipped with a head cam and shot a video of this section. Mike posted this video Clip onto YouTube.  Search for koho55 and the clip called “Kitimat R – Sawmill to Lower Crown Z”. The video shows all the bad sections in that stretch of river.  Here is a direct link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsXTZ0dyt0Y Driftboaters who have not drifted this section should view the video that Mike kindly posted onto YouTube before drifting this section.  Big Thanks and acknowledgement to Mike for taking the time to shoot this video and post it to You Tube for the benefit of fellow Driftboaters and pontoon boats. Well done Mike!

Sept 28 Ariel Kuppers hiked into a couple of holes in the upper Kitimat and landed two Coho, 5 Cutthroat and a Dolly Varden on Monday.  Well done Ariel!

Sept 28 Steve Gartside with his fishing partner David Hawley from England drifted the Kitimat in their pontoon boats and landed 7 Coho.  Steve is a very good angler, who has the ability to find fish and knowledge of how to catch them.  Well done Guys!

Sept 29 Steve Gartside and David Hawley drifted the Kitimat River again in their pontoon boats.  With the knowledge of where the Coho were “stacked up” that they learned from the day before they were able to land 20 plus Coho on Tuesday.  They hooked most of the Coho with jigs but also landed some on the Fly. Steve has been coming to the Kitimat River to fish for Coho for quite a few years and I am sure passed on some fishing tips to Dave.  Dave obviously caught on quickly and the proof is in the pictures.  Well done guys!  Thank You for sharing the info and pictures and Good Luck during your trip to the Bulkley.

Sept 30 Ted was in the store after fishing the Crown Z stretch and he landed 2 bright, silver Coho in the morning.  Ted was using Pink 1/2 oz. jigs made by Jim’s Jigs.  Well done Ted and Thank You for the info.

Oct 3 Justin Lowes drifted the lower section of the Kitimat and reported the fishing was not as good as the upper drifts.  Justin and Doug Bullock were able to hook a few Coho but did not land any.  They did however hook and land a bunch of trout during their drift.  Justin also spoke to other driftboaters who also commented that the Coho fishing was poor in the lower drift.

Oct 4 Ariel Kuppers drifted with Doug Bullock in the middle Kitimat River drift and hooked 8 Coho and landed 4.  They also landed 13 Cutthroat   Trout during their drift.  They were using Koho 35 Copper and Koho 45 Copper.  Doug called me in Vancouver to tell me what a great fishing experience that he had with Justin and Ariel.

Kitimat River Summary: The lower Kitimat River is not holding many Coho but the middle and upper sections have lots of Coho “stacked up” in really good numbers.  Anglers who have found these holes up river are reporting excellent numbers.  Trout fishing, especially Cutthroat Trout has also been really good.

Gibbs Koho 45 Copper and Blue Scale       Gibbs Koho 35 Copper and Croc 3/16 Silver Hex

Jim’s Jigs 1/2 and 3/4oz.                           Rainbow Jigs 1/2 and 3/4oz.

The most productive lures for Coho right now are Jigs, spoons and float fishing roe.  The most productive jigs are Jim’s Jigs distributed by Redl Sports and Rainbow Jigs made by Ron Ramsay.  The Gibbs Koho 45 Copper and Blue Scale are the more productive casting spoons.  Float fishing Roe has also been productive productive for Coho. Cutthroat Trout fishing has also been productive with both tackle and on Fly.  Minnow patterns have been the more productive flies for Trout.  The Gibbs 3/16oz Silver Hex Croc and the Gibbs Koho 35 Copper has been the most productive lures for Trout.

Location, location, location!  As always in the fishing world location is important but even more so for fishing Coho in the Kitimat River during this time of year. Coho are always “stacked” up this time of year. Coho fishing on the Kitimat River will continue to be good throughout October.  Cutthroat Trout fishing will continue to get better depending on this year’s run strength.  I predict that the Cutthroat run this year will be really good.  It has been my observation that when our Coho run is strong, our Sea run Cutthroat run is also strong.  Stay Tuned!

DOUGLAS CHANNEL: I spoke to a local boater who was doing some crabbing down the Douglas Channel and he was amazed at the size of the Crab that he was catching.  He also caught a 14lb Halibut while he was waiting for his crab traps to fill.  He said that he intended to prepare Fish and Chips with Crab Caesar Salad with his catch. Bon Appetite!

Trolling in the Douglas Channel for Coho will be sporadic at best this time of year but the potential of hooking Feeder Chinook is also a possibility.  There are a few local boaters who will be out trolling for Salmon but most boaters fishing the Douglas Channel will be focused on Bottom fish and Crabbing.  Weather conditions are usually a consideration during this time of year but there will be plenty of opportunities to productively fish the Douglas Channel.

Thank You to everyone for providing info and photos to this report.

Tight Lines!

PS We have River drift boat dates available as well as Saltwater Charter dates.  Please contact us at wakita@telus.net to book.

Sincerely

Ron Wakita
Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT – September 20 to September 27, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: HARVEY PENNER is holding a big, bright 19lb. Coho caught on the Kitimat River September 20th.

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

or Click HERE for more fall specials in our 12 page Fall Flyer!

KITIMAT RIVER: The Operative word for fishing the Kitimat River this week is “Raingear”.  Preferably Gortex. Gortex is the elite of the waterproof, breathable fabric used by manufacturers of quality Raingear and waders.  From Redl’s Sport’s moderately priced Trophy XL brand of Raingear and waders to Simms’ high end line of products, the key to enjoyable Fall fishing is staying dry and warm.

The Kitimat River rose 4 feet during last weekend’s rain only to drop 4 feet on Monday and Tuesday.  This is typical for this time of year. The Kitimat River can rise up to 3 feet in 24hours but can also drop just as fast as it came up.  The challenge is to find the fish and stay warm and dry in the process.

Sept 20 I drifted the Kitimat River with our clients Harvey Penner, Greg Jakubec and Bill McInk.  I believe we landed 19 or 20 Coho during the drift plus the whole day was full of funny comments and a lot of kidding around.  Harvey had just completed his Boat operator’s course which apparently also qualified him to catch the biggest Coho in the group. Harvey was not bashfull about reminding his fishing partners of his accomplishments.  It was a great day of fishing and we all had a lot of fun.

Sept 22 Morris Evans caught a fresh 12lb Coho at the Eurocan Pump House in the morning.

Sept 23 Mike Pederson caught a Coho up at Powerlines.  A customer in our Tackle Store reported catching a Coho on the First Dike and also said that there were four more caught Wednesday afternoon on the rising tide.

Sept 24 Two Coho caught at the Pump house Thursday morning.

Sept 24 Justin Lowes fishing with his fishing partners Elten and Shawn drifted the Lower Kitimat River and they landed 12 Coho.  Justin reports that they probably hooked 20 plus Coho on Thursday.  Well Done Guys!

Sept 25 Ron Jones from Hawaii fishing with Richard Piche drifted the lower Kitimat and Richard landed one Coho Friday morning.

Sept 26 I had the pleasure of fishing with my very good old friends Ron Jones from Hawaii and Brad Kuny from Leduc, Alberta.  I also had the pleasure of fishing with my very good new friends Charlie Kesslar, Bob Bloweski and Doug Bandle.   This was a very talented group of anglers who enjoy the passion of fishing as much as I do.  This group fishes all over the world and I was honored to share our local Kitimat fishery with them.  We landed 15 Coho on our drift down the Kitimat and most importantly had a lot of fun during the trip.  This group, like most hardcore anglers have evolved their fishing skills but also have honed their ability to harass their fishing partners.  ”Beware of your friends!”  Thank Guys it was a lot of fun fishing with you all!

Sept 27 Two groups of anglers were in our tackle store at noon with results.  One group had landed 4 Coho and the other had landed 2.

Kitimat River Summary: As this weeks results indicate, there are some fresh Coho moving into the Kitimat River on rising tides but it is also very noticeable that there are many Coho starting to change to their spawning colours in the upper river.

The changes in the Kitimat River water levels will usually cause Coho to move and relocate in different holding water as the river rises and falls.  The challenge is to find them in these drastically changing conditions.  When the river is on the rise and the main current becomes too fast the Coho will go into the back eddies and side channels.  If the river continues to rise and start to murk up smart money says to look for softer, cleaner water created by some of the tributaries of the Kitimat.  When the river level drops the Coho will have moved to other holding water.  The anglers that are able to find the Coho in these changing conditions will be rewarded with some awesome Coho fishing.

The Kitimat River level and conditions are excellent right now and the 14 day weather report is not forecasting anymore heavy rain so Coho fishing conditions should remain good for the coming week.  Stay Tuned

Important Notice to drift boaters: Just below the old Crown Z bridge foundation is a very tricky spot with a tree 3/4’s of the way across the river.  It is only passable on the river left (looking downstream) when the river is low but just above the obstruction has an over hanging tree that keeps you to the right.  During the water height on Saturday we were able to drift over a submerged portion of the tree with 12″ clearance but if the river drops the only route will be to river left.  It is passable but please be on the watch for it.

DOUGLAS CHANNEL: During the week there was reduced angling activity on the Douglas Channel.  Boaters that have ventured out have reporting some results.

The Douglas Channel is producing some Coho in the Kitimat Harbour. One boater trolling on his way out for Halibut landed one Coho and hooked another. They returned with 3 Halibut, the largest was 35lbs.

Bill Patton boated two Coho in the Kitimat Harbour Thursday afternoon.  Bill also netted 12 Crab during their outing.  Bill commented that each trap had 20 to 25 Crab but only 12 were keepers.  Bill also noted that the size of the Crab were noticeably large including the females.  Bon Appetite!

There are a few boats heading out for the weekend.  Stay Tuned to this report for their results.

Thank You to everyone for submitting photos and info to this report.

Tight Lines and Big Fish!

PS We have River drift boat dates available as well as Saltwater Charter dates.  Please contact us at wakita@telus.net to book.

Sincerely

Ron Wakita
Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT September 13 to September 20, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Brandon Wakita holding a Coho pushing 20lbs caught at the mouth of Hirsch Creek

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

or Click HERE for more fall specials in our 12 page Fall Flyer!

KITIMAT RIVER: The Kitimat River is producing lots of Coho this week. The pictures in this report highlight many of the Coho that are caught in the lower Kitimat but we received many reports of Coho caught throughout the entire system.  In fact more and more Coho have been migrating straight up into middle and upper holes of the Kitimat River.

Sept 12 Our Mobile Tackle Van took this photo of Ken Hitch.   Donald Hitch reports “This Coho was caught by my uncle, Ken Hitch, visiting from Red Deer, Alberta.  In the four years Uncle Ken has been coming to Kitimat, this is his first Coho.”  Congratulations Ken!

Sept 13 Our Mobile Tackle Van Associate, Dianne Reid is holding a 12.5lb Coho that was caught at the Eurocan Pump House.

Dianne is on the lower Kitimat River everyday and would be more than happy to take a photo of your catch.  Dianne also has tide charts, regulations, Fresh and Saltwater Licenses and a Van full of Fishing Tackle.  In short, everything for your fishing needs.  She also logs all the fish that are caught in the Lower Kitimat.  Dianne logs where the fish are caught, and the lures the fish are caught with.  Dianne then calls in this current info to our Tackle store updating our Tackle store staff with up to the minute information to be shared with our customers.

Sept 13 I had the pleasure of fishing with Doug Rumley while doing some pre-client trips for some upcoming client trips.  We hooked 11 Coho and landed 4. We had a fair amount of action during a short trip although the hooked to landed ratio could have been higher.  Such is Coho fishing!

Sept 14 I had the pleasure of fishing with Gilles Levesque from Quebec on a morning drift.  Despite a bit of a language barrier we managed to hook 8 Coho and land 3. Gilles was a pleasure to fish with even though we could barely understand each other.  We had a great time laughing about the communication problem and an even better time Coho fishing.  “High Fiving” after landing fish is universal!  Well Done Gilles!

Sept 14 Mike Herzberg fishing with his fishing partners Gord Bernard and Tony Cordeiro.  They hooked 10 Coho and landed 7.  Well done Guys.

Sept 15 Mike fishing with Anter reports, ”It was pretty slow on the lower river.  We only hooked three, landed these two.  Had four other good whacks.  All on plugs.  Big fish, though…that was the silver lining.  Didn’t see many roll at all in the lower river, even near the time of high tide.  Oh well, was bound to slow down a little.”  Well done Mike and Anter.  Some say “Big is better”.

Sept 16 I had the pleasure of fishing with our clients Penny and Stewart Gillies from St. John, New Brunswick.  It was my first time fishing with folks from New Brunswick and it was their first time catching Kitimat River Coho.  We all had an awesome experience fishing the Kitimat River together.  We hooked 7 Coho on a morning drift and landed 3.  “High Fiving” is universal all across Canada after landing a fish!  Well Done Penny and Stewart!  Thank You for using our guiding services.  It was a lot of fun fishing with you both.

Sept 16 Alex Miller and Hiroshi Yamanaka were fishing on the Hirsch Creek run when they hooked a double header.  Alex landed his but Hiroshi lost his.  Such is Coho fishing.  Alex and Hiroshi did land 7 Coho during their drift.  Well Done guys!

Sept 18 I had the pleasure of fishing with Doug and Bob Ruel and their friend Aaron Giesinaer during a morning drift on the Kitimat River.  We kept 8 Coho, released a bunch of others and had even more release themselves.  Bob and Doug are very good friends and we have fished together for over twenty years.  Aaron is new to river fishing but I suspect Aaron is “hooked”.

Sept 19 I was on the Kitimat with Doug, Bob and Aaron again with even better results than the day before. We kept 8 Coho and released a bunch more drifting from Sawmill down.  We hooked most of the Coho in one or two holes which is typical Coho fishing this time of year as most of the Coho are “stacked up”.  The trick is to find them.  We found a bunch of them ”stacked up” and had a lot of fun catching them.  Aaron turned into a Coho catching machine.  Bob had respectable results and Doug struggled for most of the day but finished strong by landing a Coho that probably weighed 18lbs and a gigantic Pink.  Thanks for an awesome day of fishing guys.  It was a lot of fun.

Sept 19 evening I drifted with my son Brandon and his girlfriend Justine.  We landed a bunch of Coho including a big one that Brandon landed that was pushing 20lbs.  It is always fun to fish with Brandon but it was a proud Father moment when your son lands one this big.  Brandon also over takes Julie for the largest Coho in the Wakita family.  I can hardly wait until Julie receives the news…. as there is a little competition amongst the kids.  This Coho season has had a few `Proud father moments!  Congratulations Brandon!  Well done son!

Sept 20 I drifted the Kitimat River with our clients Harvey Penner, Greg Jakubec and Bill McInk.  I believe we landed 19 or 20 Coho during the drift plus the whole day was full of funny comments and a lot of kidding around.  It was a great day of fishing and we all had a lot of fun.

We were also fortunate that Harvey was a “Boat Safety Instructor” so all Boat safety issues were strictly observed and a Great time was had by all.

Kitimat River Summary: The expectations for the Kitimat River in the coming weeks will be “Big Water” as we can expect our typical fall rain and ”Big Coho” as we expect to see more and more of what we locals call the “Northerns”.  We can also expect to see some Coho starting to change to their spawning colours but we can also expect to see some silver that the Coho Salmon are known for.  Anglers can anticipate that there will really good river conditions in between some days when the Kitimat may be unfishable.  This is typical for this time of year in the North West.  If anglers are able to take advantage of the days when the Kitimat River conditions are good and there will lots of Coho in the Kitimat for weeks to come.

DOUGLAS CHANNEL: The key to fishing the Kitimat Harbour Fishery this week was perseverance and finding the Coho as they migrated through the Kitimat Harbour on route to the Kitimat River.

Sept 13 Mel the Signman fishing Tom and Barb Horn boated 9 Coho in the Kitimat Harbour plus lost another 6 Coho.  Well done guys!

Sept 14 Mel the Signman fishing with his friends Tom and Barb Horn boated 5 Coho in the Kitimat Harbour.  Congratulations!

Sept 15 Mel the Signman fishing with his friends Tom and Barb Horn in the Kitimat Harbour boated 6 Coho.  Nicely done!

Douglas Channel Summary: The Douglas Channel is still producing some Coho but it is a situation of being in the right place at the right time.  Most of the Coho will be migrating to their spawning rivers but can still be caught by the Saltwater anglers as demonstrated by Mel and his friends. We also received reports of Halibut and Bottomfish still being caught further down the Douglas Channel.  Weather conditions will start to be more of a factor but fishing for Coho and Halibut in the Douglas Channel can still be very productive.

Hope everyone enjoys the report!

Thank You to all who contributed photos and info

Tight Lines and Big Fish!

Sincerely,
Ron Wakita

PS We have River drift boat dates available as well as Saltwater Charter dates.  Please contact us at wakita@telus.net to book.

Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT – September 6 to September 13, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: JUSTIN LITTLE holding an 18lb 12 oz. Kitimat River Coho caught on Gibbs Koho 45 Green Scale

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters

www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

or Click HERE for more fall specials in our 12 page Fall Flyer!

KITIMAT RIVER:  The Kitimat River is full of Coho right now.  The Coho fishing was good early in the week but got even better later in the week especially after we received some rain and brought the Kitimat River level up.  I have heard comments like “the best Coho fishing in a long time”.

Sept 5 Marc Girard fishing with our clients Wolfgang and Brigetta Scharz from Austria hooked 7 Coho and landed 3.  Wolfgang caught his first Salmon which was celebrated by giving Marc a big hug.  Congratulations Wolfgang and Brigetta.

Sept 5 Ariel Kuppers fishing with his Uncle Bernie Kuppers hooked 19 Coho and landed 11 during a drift on the Kitimat River.  Well done guys. Great catch numbers.

Sept 6 Daniel Bussieres reports “Here is the first Coho taken by Lucille Bussières in Terrace (at about 2PM this Sunday). She is with her husband Jean-Noël in the photo. I guess you met them with my wife Helene this week. Please, put on your Web site” Congratulations! Thank You for the photo.

Sept 7 Mike Herzberg fishing with his fishing partners Anter and Pete.  They limited out on Coho and they sounded like they had a whole bunch of fun in the process. Well done guys! I’m thinking that the “three amigos” might be a good nickname for this crew

Photo of the week

Sept 7 Justin Little weighed in an 18lb 12oz Coho into our Instore Derby.  Wow!  This is a nice Coho! Justin caught this beauty on a Gibbs Koho 45 Green Scale spoon.  Congratulations Justin.

Sept 7 Eric Neidert fishing with his fishing partners Gord and Donovan landed 6 Coho and kept 5.  Well done Guys!

Sept 7 Our Mobile Tackle Van took these photos of Natasha Silva and her son Chad after they caught these nice Kitimat River Coho. Congratulations to Mother and son.

Sept 8 Marc Girard fishing with our clients Pat and Merv Kowalski landed 12 Coho. Pat and Merv kept their limit and released the others.  Congratulations!  Good Job Marc!

Sept 8 “Ron this Coho was caught on Sept 8/09 on the lower dyke out of a drift boat. Fish weighed in at 19.5 lbs.  The person in the picture is Gary Koehler and he is the one who landed it using a hot shot plug.  Gary has been fishing the lower dyke for many years and this was the biggest Coho he has ever caught.”  Congratulations to Gary!  Thank You for the photo!

Sept 10 Mike Herzberg fishing with his fishing partner Anter landed these beauties on their drift.  Well done Guys

Sept 11 Mike Herzberg fishing with Alvaro landed a bunch of Coho including these ones.  Congratulations.

Sept 11 Our Mobile Tackle Van took this photo of Dave Demedeiros (left) after he landed this nice big Coho under the Haisla Bridge on the Radley Park side. Tony Marrello (right) under the Haisla Bridge on the Radley Park side.

Sept 12 Mike Herzberg fishing with his fishing partner Pete landed these Coho and a whole bunch more on a Drift of the Lower Kitimat.

Sept 12 I did an afternoon drift with my fishing partner Doug Rumley.  We hooked 8 Coho but only managed to land 2.

Summary: The Kitimat River water level rose quickly with the rain we received mid week and the high water enticed a bunch more Coho into the Kitimat.  The river level dropped as fast as it came up which is typical for the Kitimat River.  At the time of writing this report the Kitimat River is in excellent shape with lots of Coho in the entire system.  The size of the Coho that are being caught are also starting to climb into the higher teens.  We have also received reports of a couple of Coho weighing in the 20lb range.  Wow!  We are having an outstanding Coho season on the Kitimat River this year!

DOUGLAS CHANNEL: The Kitimat Harbour Fishery during the Chamber of Commerce Derby produced excellent numbers of Coho last weekend.  There were not a lot of boaters fishing in the Kitimat Harbour during the week but the boats that were out reported lower catch rates.  The Coho numbers in the Harbour dropped off dramatically as the Kitimat River water level rose.  A lot of the Coho that were holding in the Harbour shot into the Kitimat River

Sept 6 On Sunday and final day of the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby I had the pleasure of fishing with my daughter Julie and my nephew Blaine and my good friend Doug Rumley.  We boated 9 Coho including a big one that turned out to be the Derby winner.  Julie has fished with me since she could walk and is a very accomplished angler in her own right.  It was a great day of fishing but to have your daughter win the Derby created a very special moment for Dad and daughter.   Thank You to Julie,Doug and Blaine for an awesome day of fishing that I will always remember!  Congratulations Julie!

Sept 11 Mel the Signman fishing with his friends Tom and Barb Horn boated 5 Coho in the Kitimat Harbour Fishery.  Congratulations on your catch.

Sept 12 Mel the Signman fishing again with his friends Tom and Barb boated 3 Coho in the Kitimat Harbour. Congratulations on your catch but what a difference a week makes in catch rates.

Sept 12 John Eckstein of Blue Heron Charters fishing with his clients Aundria and Vince Hanson reports, “Coho were scarce in the harbour on Saturday so we went a little further down the Douglas and picked up this 20 lb spring. Two more salmon in the boat capped off our day”

Douglas Channel Summary: The Channel should continue to produce Coho in reduced catch rates as the Coho will continue migrating up their native rivers. There are still plenty of Coho further down the Douglas but fishing closer to the river mouths being in the right place at the right time is critical.   Halibut and Bottomfishing will continue to be good although weather conditions may start to become an issue.   By monitoring the weather conditions will ensure enjoyable and productive outings down the Douglas Channel.

Boaters are still reporting catching Coho further down the Douglas Channel. Money Point is still producing good numbers of Coho.  Al Smith reports his cousin Pat bringing home a 50lb and 30lb Halibut.  Coho, Crab and Halibut can still be caught on the same day in the Douglas Channel.  Gotta love it!

Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby Update for Sunday, Sept 6th:

Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby Winner

Largest Coho: Julie Wakita caught a 13lb 11 5/8oz Coho and won the $1000.00 cash prize and Keeper Trophy

Largest Coho: Women’s category Julie Wakita won a Rod and Reel and Keeper Plaque

Largest Coho: Junior Category Lara Lychak caught a 13lbs 25/8ozs Coho and won a Rod and Reel and a Keeper Trophy

Largest Halibut: Marina Smith caught a 64lb Halibut and won $1000.00 cash and a Keeper Trophy

Draw Winners:

Steve Venman – Hawkair Trip for Two & Century Plaza two night stay
Ronald Jones – Hudson Bay Mountain Estates Ski Package
Judy Carver – Tookus Inn Lodge Package
Theo Maag – Channel’s Edge Inn Package
Mary Bouzane – Nautical West Sport Fishing
Randy Dean – Minette Bay Lodge Package, 1 Night Accommodation & English Breakfast

This year’s Derby was an excellent event with plenty of other activities to entertain participants in addition to the Coho fishing.  The Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby Committee did an awesome job this year and deserves special recognition for their efforts.  The Fish Stock Music Fest and Beer and Root Beer Gardens were a hit.  The Kids enjoyed the Casting Pond, the Kids Zone and Fishermen’s Knot Testing.  There were some instances during the proceeding’s when it was difficult to tell which ones were the “kids”. A Great time was had by all!  Look forward to seeing everyone again next year!  Congratulations to all the winners!

Good Luck and continued good Coho fishing!

Thank You to everyone who contibuting info and photos to this report.

Big Bright fish and Big Smiles

Sincerely

Ron Wakita
Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

PS We have River drift boat dates available as well as Saltwater Charter dates.  Please contact us at wakita@telus.net to book.

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT – August 30 to September 6, 2009

PHOTO OF THE WEEK:  Julie Wakita holding the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby winner.  (13lb 11.66ozs dressed)
Congratulations Julie!

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

or Click HERE for more fall specials in our 12 page Fall Flyer!

KITIMAT RIVER: is producing excellent numbers of Coho this year.  Some old-timers think that this may be the result of the cut backs in Coho quotas in response to the Coho crisis back in 1997.  After the disastrous return of Coho in 1997 there were major cutbacks to all sectors to rebuild the Coho stocks.  In subsequent years the major cutbacks continued to the Sport sector and selective fisheries and Coho avoidance measures were imposed on the Commercial sector.  This may or may not be the reason for strong return but either way this is an outstanding Coho run on the Kitimat River and Douglas Channel this year.

The timing could not be better.  With the downturn in the economy I don’t think there could be a better remedy than an outstanding Coho Derby to perk up spirits in the North West.  This week’s report culminates with the 22nd annual Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby.  It has truly evolved into a regional event where anglers in our neighboring communities also look forward to participating in this event.  The really Good News is that there are lots of Coho in the Kitimat River this week and the the stock abundance of Coho for this portion of the run is better than I have seen in a long time.  The Coho numbers increased through the week in the Kitimat River.

Aug 30 Marc Girard fishing with our clients Mike McIntre and his son Keengan.  I am always delighted to have father and son enlist our guide services.  Marc said that Mike and Keengan were a pleasure to fish with and they landed 5 Coho but only kept 3.  We hope we help create some memorable family moments that Mike and Keengan will always remember.  Congratulations on your catch and Thank You for enlisting our guiding services.

Sept 1 Marc Girard fishing with his friends Gisele Piche and her son, Owen and daughter Carman.  They landed 2 Coho and a whole bunch of Pinks.  Marc said that, “the kids were more than happy to catch Pinks…. they hooked lots and they were able to land most of them”.  Well done kids!

Sept 1 Mike Herzberg fishing with his fishing partners Anter and Pete hooked these beauties on a drift down the Kitimat River.  Mike, Pete and Anter have been fishing partners for many years and have got a tonne of fish together.  The tradition continues.  Well done Guys!

Sept 2 Marc Girard fishing with our clients Derek Chase and Alan Hooper.  They hooked a pile of Pinks and a few Coho but Derek managed to land this beauty.  Marc said ”it was a pleasure to fish with both.”  Thank You for using our guiding services and we hope we can be of service to you in the future.

Sept 2 Ariel Kuppers fishing Jesse Houston drifted the Kitimat River. They reported landing 11 Coho and losing another 10 Coho.  Ariel and Jesse are two very keen and enthusiastic anglers and would fish dark to dark in peak season if they could.  Well done Guys!

Sept 2 Mike Herzberg fishing with his young fishing partner Lucas Arruda landed these very nice Coho drifting the Kitimat River.  Mike enjoys fishing with Lucas because Lucas has evolved into a very fine young angler as demonstrated by the pictures of the Coho he caught.  Well done Lucas.

Sept 4 Athan Ivanakus and Corbin Rego, two of our Tackle store staff fished the Kitimat River and they hooked 11 Coho landing 6..  Athan and Corbin said there were lots of Coho and they were going back for more tomorrow.  Athan weighed in this beauty.  Congratulations guys!

Sept 5 Mike Herzberg drifted with his fishing partner Pete Mah and landed these nice Kitimat River Coho.  Well done Peter!

Sept 5 Marc Girard fishing with our clients Wolfgang and Brigetta Scharz from Austria hooked 7 Coho and landed 3.  Wolfgang caught his first salmon which was celebrated by giving Marc a big hug.  Congatulations Wolfgang.

Sept 5 Ariel Kuppers fishing with his Uncle Bernie Kuppers hooked 19 Coho and landed 11 during a drfit on the Kitimat River.  Well done guys. Great catch numbers.

Kitimat River Summary: The Kitimat River has plenty of Coho stocks for all the anglers participating in this year’s Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby and the reports of the catch rates on the Kitimat River this week have been excellent.  This is going to be an outstanding run of Coho this year and many local anglers look forward to fishing Coho into October.

DOUGLAS CHANNEL:

Aug 29 and 30th Dave Payjack fishing with our clients Barry and son Kail Ross and Lee Dowd and Blake Walker. Dave said ”The 2 day fishing trip with our clients Barry, Kail, Lee and Blake was awesome, I sure do enjoy taking out such great people to share in the amazing fishing that we have to offer at this time of the year.  We were successful in catching every species that we targeted: 1 Hali 87 lb, 1 Hali 37 lb, 2 Hali in the 20 lb range.  The group also caught and kinda released a Halibut that was over 120lbs.  We also caught a nice ling cod along with a couple other cod. Later we moved on to the coho and landed 14 releasing a few of them.” Wow! Congratulations guys.  Thank You for enlisting our Guide and Charter services.  We hope we can be of service to you in the future.

Aug 30 morning My daughter Julie and I had the opportunity to fish for Coho in the Kitimat Harbour Fishery on Sunday morning.  I truly treasure fishing with all my kids and their friends but I especially enjoy spending some one on one time with them.  Julie is a very keen angler and a little on the competitive side.  She probably got this character trait from her Mom.  Julie and I had a wonderful morning of Coho fishing and Julie landed 4 very nice Coho.

Aug 30 afternoon After having fueling up and having a very nice lunch at the “Fisherman’s Pier” at MK Bay Marina, Julie and I went back out in the afternoon with Tamara Sweeny and her son Dylan.  We landed 3 Coho and two Sockeye.  We had a great time fishing with Tamara and we had fun harassing Dylan about some fish that were lost.  It was all in good fun and we had a great time.  Congratulations on your catch Dylan and Tamara. Tamara promised to share her Dill fish recipe and with her permission I hope to share it in a future report.  The Sockeye Salmon cooked with this recipe was awesome!  I have never skippered a boat that caught any Sockeye in the Kitimat Harbour and we caught two in the same day.  Wow! The one we ate tasted great!

Aug 30 and 31 Sam Avila and his wife Maria fishing with their friend Murray limited out on their Halibut. They had six Halibut with two weighing 50lbs and the others all weighing around 20lbs plus an assortment of bottom fish.  They caught 8 Coho but Sam said “we stopped fishing for Coho because we don’t need to keep anymore Coho because we already have enough”…. Well done!  Congratulations on the Halibut catch and I admire your Angling ethics to stop fishing for Coho because you had enough.

Aug 31 Wes Owens fishing with his clients Tim Scott and Carl Scott caught their limit of Coho (8)  fishing the outer limits of the Kitimat Harbour Fishery.  They trolled around the Kitimat Harbour and also got the scenic view of Jesse Falls in the process. Well Done guys and Good Job Skipper!

Sept 2 Phillip Thom weighed in 13lb 14oz.Coho from the Kitimat Harbour Fishery.  Phillip said ”I got out late but boated 4 Coho in half an hour”.  Well done Phillip!  Good Luck in the derby.

Sept 4 I had the pleasure of fishing with my daughter, Julie and Art Hackler.  We boated 7 Coho on the Friday morning bite. We also saw lots of other Coho caught in the harbour.   Many boats had their nets out scooping Coho.  It is enjoyable to watch other boaters having successful outings.  It is exciting when the “Bite is on”!

Sept 5 Out again with daughter Julie, my niece Zoey, nephew, Blaine, Art Hackler and his daughter Debbie.  We boated 10 Coho and one Chinook.  It was a great day of fishing in the Kitimat Harbour on the first day of the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby.  My young niece Zoey and nephew Blaine were excited to be entered in the Derby and to be honest I think they had me a little fired up.  The enthusiasm of youth is contagious!  Blaine caught an 8lb Chinook and Zoey caught her first Coho on the Salt and I am the “Proud Uncle”.  Congratulations Zoey and Blaine and the rest of the Derby team.

Sept 5 Dave Payjack fishing with his clients Eleanor and Barry Nolt and their son-in-law Steve Baker.  This group boated seven Halibut on their charter.  Wow!  Their largest was 29 lbs 15.25 oz. which leads the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby as of 9:00 PM Saturday.  The others were 15 to 25lbs.  Nicely done!  Nothing huge but certainly the better eating sizes.  Good Job Skipper!

Sept 6 On Sunday and final day of the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby I had the pleasure of fishing with my daughter Julie and my nephew Blaine and my good friend Doug Rumley.  We boated 9 coho including a big one that turned out to be the Derby winner.  Julie has fished with me since she could walk and is a very accomplished angler in her own right.  It was a great day of fishing but to have your daughter win the Derby created a very special moment for Dad and daughter.   Thank You to Julie, Doug and Blaine for an awesome day of fishing that I will always remember!

Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby Update:

The 22nd Annual Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby is an awesome event for all anglers.  Grandparents, Moms, Dads, kids, nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors, charters, clients and every other configuration of relatives, friends and fishing partners enjoy this event.

It is a wonderful event for anglers throughout the North West and as far away as Hawaii.  There are 379 adult entries and 99 kids entered into this year’s Derby.  This is an increase of 223 entries from last year.  Well done Derby Committee!

Our Tackle store, City Centre Hardware and Sporting Goods was honoured to be Weigh IN Central for the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby this year.  We have been involved in this Derby for 22 years and this year’s derby is just as exciting as the first one.  I think that the Coho stocks in both the Douglas Channel and the Kitimat River are as good as they have ever been for this year’s Derby.  The Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby is always held on the Saturday and Sunday of the Labour Day weekend.  Unfortunately this report’s information will update the results up to Saturday.  Noel and I will try to post and update with the final results in the middle of next week.

There is currently a tie for the largest Coho as of Saturday which was 12lbs 11ozs. (gutted and gilled) caught by Suzi Reynolds and Brenda Loggia.  These ladies are also tied for the largest Coho caught in the Ladies category.  The largest Halibut weighing 29lbs 15.25ozs caught by Barry Nolt, a client of Dave Payjack of Sea West Fishing Charters. The largest Coho caught in the Kids Category was weighed in by Bernie Kosarynski weighing 11lbs 5.5ozs.  These results may or may not stand as the winners at the weigh-in deadline on Sunday but Congratulations for leading after the first day!  Stay Tuned!

Sept 6 Sunday

Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby Winners

• Largest Coho:  Julie Wakita 13lbs 11 5/8ozs.
• Largest Halibut: Marina Smith 64lbs.
• Largest Coho, Women’s catagory Julie Wakita
• Largest Coho, Junior Catagory Lara Lychak 13lbs 25/8ozs

Congratualtions to all the winners!

Thank You to everyone who contributed photos and info to this report.

Bright Fish and Big Smiles.  Especially you kids.

Good Luck to everyone in the Derby

Sincerely
Ron Wakita

Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com

PS We have River drift boat dates available as well as Saltwater Charter dates.  Please contact us at wakita@telus.net

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT – August 23 to August 30

PHOTO of the Week: Our Wonderful Website designer Denise Pedro, her husband Bento and their three boys, Benny, Myles and Cruz. The Pedro family are holding 4 Coho caught in the Kitimat Harbour of the Douglas Channel fishing with yours truly. Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters

Cast on link below to view latest flyer:

or Click HERE for more fall specials in the City Centre Hardware 12 page Fall Flyer!

KITIMAT RIVER: The early portion of Coho run on the Kitimat River is as good as it has been in many years. Coho fishing has been outstanding this week.  Early in the week we had some big tides and high river levels that brought in a bunch of Coho into the Kitimat River.  Anglers have been catching some impressive numbers of Coho throughout the lower and middle sections of the Kitimat River.  With the high water Coho have been migrating through most of the holes below Haisla Bridge although both sides of the Bridge have been good sporadically during the week.

Aug 23 Ariel’s friend, Clint Travis, hooked 25 Coho in the lower Kitimat.  Clint Travis landed 7 Coho. Sorry no pictures but pretty good fish numbers.

Aug 23 Kevin Dave said, “Kevin Howe and I spent this last beautiful Sunday evening drifting down the Kitimat River. Thanks to Jessie’s great advice from the store and combined with the new reel and plugs, we were able to hook into well over a dozen fish each, a combination of Pinks and Coho, I lost count at some point. Kevin caught his limit within minutes, I had lots biting, the only problem was that I couldn’t get them in the boat, the reel worked wonderfully but the operator was too excited and pulling way to hard, finally just above Coho flats around 6:00pm, after a great fight I was able to coax this beauty into the boat (I think he felt sorry for me)…Thank Jesse for the help.”  Congratulations to Dave and Kevin on your catch.  Good Job Jesse!  Well done.

Aug 24 Al Smith and Richard Piche drifted the lower Kitimat in their pontoon boats.  They kept 3 nice Kitimat River Coho and released another 3.  Marc Girard took this photo in Coho Flats in front of his drift boat.  Well done Al and Richard.

Aug 24 Justin Lowes, our newest member of Reliable River Driftboat Guiding Team fishing with our clients. Gord Nichol and Stirling Fudge hooked 5 Coho including this beauty. Gord and Stirling had a great time fishing the Kitimat River with us and their trips down the Douglas Channel with Armando Santos.  Congratulations Guys and Good Job Justin!

Aug 25 Marc Girard fishing with his fishing partner Dick Woodcox during a drift landed 12 Kitimat River Coho, kept 4 Coho and released the others.  They also had a bunch of Coho release themselves.   Well done guys!

Aug 27 Ariel Kuppers fishing with his friends Darla and Scott.  They landed 3 Coho and lost another 3.  Well done!   Congratulations

Aug 27 Mike Herzberg, an  Associate of Reliable Guide reports “Drifted Cablecar  with Anter this morning.  We hooked 13 Coho on hotshots, landing 11 of them.  Range was 5-10 lbs.  Had action in every pool/run on the way down.  Size 25 hotshots worked best…silver/blue scale and green hot-tail.  A buddy and his wife landed 16 using spoons and spinners.  Saw a bunch more hooked below Hirsch by guys throwing jigs.”  Congratulations Mike and Anther!  Thank you for the update and the photos.

Aug 28 Mike Herzberg fishing with his good friends Jim and Edie Arruda.  They landed 9 Coho and lost another 3.  Jim grew up in Kitimat and moved away but returns every year to fish with Mike.  It is nice to observe old friends (and wife, Edie) sharing the passion of fishing.   Congratulations!

Aug 28 Ariel Kuppers and Marc Girard, Associate guides for Reliable Guide and Charters guided Barry and son Kail Ross and Blake Walker and Lee Dowd. The group hooked 18 Coho and landed 7.  I understand that there was a bit of a competition and a wager between the older fellows in the group, Barry and Blake and the younger guys, Lee and Kail.  Congratulations to everyone on their catch but especially to Barry and Blake who won the bet!  Thank You all for enlisting our guiding services.

Aug 30 Marc Girard fishing with our clients Mike McIntre and his son Keengan.  I am always delighted to have father and son enlist our guide services.  Marc said that Mike and Keengan were a pleasure to fish with and they landed 5 Coho but only kept 3.  We hope we help create some memorable family moments that Mike and Keengan will always remember.  Congratulations on your catch and Thank You for enlisting our guiding services.

Kitimat River Summary: Anglers have been hooking some impressive numbers of Coho but it seems that the “hooked to landed ratio” heavily favors the Coho. Coho have a softer mouth and they tend to go a little crazy when you manage to get them close to the boat or close to shore.  The barbless hooks also make it challenging to land these silver bullets.  Thus is part of the attraction to Coho fishing. The good news is that there are a lot of Coho in the Kitimat River right now and the opportunity too.  It appears to be a very good Coho return to the Kitimat this year. Stay tuned.

DOUGLAS CHANNEL:

Aug 14 Photos submitted by Sam Avila of Ocean Breeze Charters fishing with his clients Casey Dizoba and wife Susan, daughter Sara and son in-law Andro.  They limited out in Coho and caught a bunch of bottomfish.  Congratulations guys and Good job Skipper!

Aug 23 Sam Avila of Ocean Breeze Charters fishing with Clients Robin Ballard and son in-law Ed limited out on Coho and Halibut.  Well Done!

Aug 24 I was fishing Monday morning with my good friend, Doug Rumley and my favorite ex-father-in-law, Art Hackler.  We finally managed to land four Coho and lost a whole bunch more. At one point during our trip we hooked eight Coho and did not land one.  Losing Coho is a reality of Coho fishing but losing that many Coho also provides excellent material to harass your fishing partners.

Aug 28 I was fishing with my daughter Julie, my son Corey and Art Hackler Friday morning in the Kitimat Harbour Fishery.  We hooked 8 and landed 3 Coho.   Julie got the biggest (weighing in the high teens) and pretty happy about it.  My kids are a bit competitive.  They must have gotten that characteristic from their mother.   Congratulations Julie!

Aug 28 Art Goodwin and his brother and nephew boated 12 Coho on Friday morning.  This was the first day of their fishing trip to Kitimat.  Wow nicely done guys!  Sorry no photos

Aug 29 Sabin Simard reports, “Here’s a picture of myself, Sabin Simard, Richard Carlesso and Paul Pomerleau after an afternoon of fishing near Jesses Lake on august 29th.  The Coho are still very present as you can see as we landed 7 in only a few hours, the biggest being 13 pounds. Plus we caught about 30 some big prawns. Great day, great weather and an awesome place.” Congratulation Guys!

Aug 29 I had the pleasure of fishing our Web designer Denise Pedro, her husband Bento and their three boys, Benny, Myles and Cruz.  We landed 6 Coho.  I believe four of these were products of two double headers. We had a great time Coho fishing in the Kitimat Harbour.  Denise said, ”Bento was so thrilled with the day; it was great for me to see how much fun the whole family had and honestly, these are memories we’re going to treasure always! Thanks for the time and ALL the effort Ron!”  You are more than welcome Denise.  This trip was my way of saying “Thank You” for the wonderful job that you did on our website. It was a pleasure to fish with you and your family. You should have also noticed that I had just as much fun as you, Bento and the boys.  Congratulations to the Pedro family on your catch.  It was a wonderful day on the Douglas Channel.

Aug 29 and 30th

Dave Payjack fishing with our clients Barry and son Kail Ross and Lee Dowd and Blake Walker.

Dave said  “The 2 day fishing trip with your clients Barry, Kail, Lee and Blake was awesome, I sure do enjoy taking out such great people to share in the amazing fishing that we have to offer at this time of the year.

We were successful in catching every species that we targeted: 1 Hali 87 lb, 1 Hali 37 lb, 2 Hali in the 20 lb range.  The group also caught and kinda released a halibut that was over 120lbs.  We also caught a nice ling cod along with a couple other cod.

Later we moved on to the coho and landed 14 releasing a few of them.”

Wow! Congratulations guys.  Thank You for enlisting our Guide and Charter services.  We hope we can be of service to you in the future.

Aug 30 morning My daughter Julie and I had the opportunity to fish for Coho in the Kitimat Harbour Fishery on Sunday morning.  I truly treasure fishing with all my kids and their friends but I especially enjoy spending some one on one time fishing with my kids.  Julie is a very keen angler and a little on the competitive side.  She probably got this character trait from her Mom.  Julie and I had a wonderful morning of Coho fishing and Julie landed 4 very nice Coho.

Aug 30 afternoon After having fueling up and having a very nice lunch at the “Fisherman’s Pier” at MK Bay Marina we went back out in the afternoon with Tamara Sweeny and her son Dylan.  We landed 3 Coho and two sockeye.  We had a great time fishing with Tamara and we had fun harassing Dylan a little.  It was all in good fun,  Congratulations on your catch Dylan and Tamara. Tamara promised to share for Dill fish recipe and with her permission I hope to share it a future report.

Summary for Douglas Channel: The Channel is still producing outstanding numbers of Coho throughout the waters of the Douglas Channel except for the Kitimat Harbour fishery which dropped slightly.  Money Point, Sue Channel and Jesse are still producing good numbers of Coho.  Halibut and Bottom fish is also pretty good throughout the Douglas Channel.  This is a great time to be fishing the Douglas Channel as boaters can productively catch both Coho and Halibut on the same trip.

The Kitimat Harbour Coho catch rates dropped off a bit compared to last week.  With the big tides and the high Kitimat River water levels the Coho migrating into the river caused this noticeable drop in numbers of Coho caught in the Kitimat Harbour.  There were still Coho being caught but not as many as when the Kitimat River water levels were lower.  With the Kitimat River water level dropping, the Saltwater boaters are hoping that the Coho “stack up” in the Kitimat Harbour again in time for this weekend’s Chamber of Commerce Derby.  Stay Tuned.

The Kitimat Chamber of Commerce Derby is coming up on September 5th and 6th.  It is an outstanding event and prizes have been increased to be enjoyed by all the participants.  For interested anglers from out of town, Derby tickets can be purchased by calling the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce with a Credit Card. Cast here to see the poster Please contact the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce at 250 632 6294 Toll Free 1-800-664-6554 or email address kitimatchamber@telus.net

We have River drift boat dates available as well as Saltwater Charter dates.  Please contact Ron at wakita@telus.net

Thank you to all who provided info and photos to this report.

Tight lines, Silver Fish and Big Smiles especially the Kids

Sincerely

Ron Wakita
Reliable Guide and Charters
380 City Centre
Kitimat B.C
V8C 1T6
bus.250 632-3522  cell.250 632-1275
fax. 250 632-3528
wakita@telus.net
www.kitimatfishingguideandcharters.com