How's 9-23 thru 9-30 lookin?
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
Joined
·
778 Posts
juro,
I'm baaaack! After a long tough summer of salmon and steelhead fishing its back to work (and online). Just returned from a week on the Bulkley - awesome - more later. You are coming out for the end of September, how long will you stay? The reason I ask of course, is that I consider the 1st of October to be THOMPSON time! Dana and I plan on hauling the Martini Bar up for the first weekend of October. If you are still here maybe you (and some of the clave guys) could head north and check out some screamers.
tight lines - tyler
I'm baaaack! After a long tough summer of salmon and steelhead fishing its back to work (and online). Just returned from a week on the Bulkley - awesome - more later. You are coming out for the end of September, how long will you stay? The reason I ask of course, is that I consider the 1st of October to be THOMPSON time! Dana and I plan on hauling the Martini Bar up for the first weekend of October. If you are still here maybe you (and some of the clave guys) could head north and check out some screamers.
tight lines - tyler
Joined
·
19,140 Posts
Tyler! How tempting. I have seen some photos from Brian that tell a thousand words of the legend of the Thompson. Of course if I could cast half as far as you I'd feel a little more able on one of the mightiest rivers
![]()
I don't know how it would work out, leaving mid-week from work and returning mid-week, and I would be leaving on a different schedule than you guys so it might be a pain for anyone I'm riding with.
So tell me a fish tale, big BC chinook? Hooknoses? Wild summer steel?
I don't know how it would work out, leaving mid-week from work and returning mid-week, and I would be leaving on a different schedule than you guys so it might be a pain for anyone I'm riding with.
So tell me a fish tale, big BC chinook? Hooknoses? Wild summer steel?
Juro,
If you are not locked into the Sept dates yet I'm planning on hitting the Thompson late Oct/early Nov. I haven't nailed the schedule yet as I have to be in the Bay Area the Nov. 7-10th. Hope Dana's reports of low returns and potential closure are off as Thompson is as magnificent as the fish that swim it's waters. If not there is always a chance for a Thompson 'clave in addition.
If you do come in Sept. the Cow has been putting out fish.
andre
If you are not locked into the Sept dates yet I'm planning on hitting the Thompson late Oct/early Nov. I haven't nailed the schedule yet as I have to be in the Bay Area the Nov. 7-10th. Hope Dana's reports of low returns and potential closure are off as Thompson is as magnificent as the fish that swim it's waters. If not there is always a chance for a Thompson 'clave in addition.
If you do come in Sept. the Cow has been putting out fish.
andre
Joined
·
595 Posts
I've just covered the 23rd to 27th for fishing. The 28th and 29th are a no-go for me.
Dammit, Tyler - you can't start talkin Thompson till October <hah>
Juro - let me know what your plans are when you finalize.
Gotta go - flying out in a couple hours for a week of plug-slingin in Ontario with Dad.
See ya in a week,
Brian
Dammit, Tyler - you can't start talkin Thompson till October <hah>
Juro - let me know what your plans are when you finalize.
Gotta go - flying out in a couple hours for a week of plug-slingin in Ontario with Dad.
See ya in a week,
Brian
Joined
·
778 Posts
Juro and the boys,
I'd love to tell a fish tale. As well, this tale could prove to reduce some apprehension re this fall's run on the Thompson (as well as other rivers). To start, this year's salmon run in the Charlottes was way up with lots of fish and there were so many sockeye in the Fraser that they were forced to open a significant commercial and sport fishery. This all points to a vast improvement in ocean survival rates. This improvement is consistent with the normal ocean temperatures - finally! If the salmon survival was unexpectedly high it would follow that steelhead survival would exhibit a similar pattern. This is exactly what I found on my trip to the Morice/Bulkley River in the last week of August!
Now it is important to note that commercial fishing on the Skeena was once again severely reduced to protect the coho, but never-the-less the fishing was scary. Not since the early 80's - when I was still gear fishing AND the Squamish River still had a sgnificant return have I had steelheading like this. It was without question the best steelheading I've had on the fly! I stayed higher up in the Skeena as the lower river was rained out and the Morice is renowned for its early run. These fish are also known to be small in size averaging 5-6 lbs. In 4 1/2 days fishing I was into 20 fish. Two were small Morice fish, the rest were chromers between 10 and 18 lbs! All but 3 were dry line fish and a couple of those on the skated Steelhead Booby. My best day was 5 to the beach, the weather was great and with the jet raft I rarley saw anyone (yes Brian - KICK YOURSELF - you could have been there).
Obviously I'm pretty jazzed up over this trip. However, I do think that it bodes well for the rapidly approaching Thompson season. Being ever the optimist I think that ocean survival for the Thompson will be consistent with the rest of this year's returns. I have reliable reports of large steelhead (in small numbers) showing up in Fraser River commercial nets in mid-August - that is NOT usual - so who knows? What I do know is that Dana and I will be hauling the "Martini Bar" up to Spence's Bridge on September 30 and leaving it there until late November. If we can get a Thompson Clave happening it would make a great base! Talk to me.
Tight lines - tyler.
I'd love to tell a fish tale. As well, this tale could prove to reduce some apprehension re this fall's run on the Thompson (as well as other rivers). To start, this year's salmon run in the Charlottes was way up with lots of fish and there were so many sockeye in the Fraser that they were forced to open a significant commercial and sport fishery. This all points to a vast improvement in ocean survival rates. This improvement is consistent with the normal ocean temperatures - finally! If the salmon survival was unexpectedly high it would follow that steelhead survival would exhibit a similar pattern. This is exactly what I found on my trip to the Morice/Bulkley River in the last week of August!
Now it is important to note that commercial fishing on the Skeena was once again severely reduced to protect the coho, but never-the-less the fishing was scary. Not since the early 80's - when I was still gear fishing AND the Squamish River still had a sgnificant return have I had steelheading like this. It was without question the best steelheading I've had on the fly! I stayed higher up in the Skeena as the lower river was rained out and the Morice is renowned for its early run. These fish are also known to be small in size averaging 5-6 lbs. In 4 1/2 days fishing I was into 20 fish. Two were small Morice fish, the rest were chromers between 10 and 18 lbs! All but 3 were dry line fish and a couple of those on the skated Steelhead Booby. My best day was 5 to the beach, the weather was great and with the jet raft I rarley saw anyone (yes Brian - KICK YOURSELF - you could have been there).
Obviously I'm pretty jazzed up over this trip. However, I do think that it bodes well for the rapidly approaching Thompson season. Being ever the optimist I think that ocean survival for the Thompson will be consistent with the rest of this year's returns. I have reliable reports of large steelhead (in small numbers) showing up in Fraser River commercial nets in mid-August - that is NOT usual - so who knows? What I do know is that Dana and I will be hauling the "Martini Bar" up to Spence's Bridge on September 30 and leaving it there until late November. If we can get a Thompson Clave happening it would make a great base! Talk to me.
Tight lines - tyler.
Joined
·
19,140 Posts
Kush -
Now that you mention it, I guess late September has it's pitfalls
![]()
I might be better off using vacation days I've actually accrued instead of days I need to borrow. Now that my precious days in the PNW are so few, I have been thinking about changing the venue to such legendary waters when I fly out.
Meanwhile, I would only swap out dates if my good friend Gregg Estey would be able to hook up with some of the hardcores while he is there in September. We were planning to split costs and run amok on all the steely streams in the state. I don't want to leave him high and dry while he's out in Seattle since he's taken extra days to fit in the fishing I instigated.
I'll look into this further... what would be the right week for the Thompson?
Now that you mention it, I guess late September has it's pitfalls
I might be better off using vacation days I've actually accrued instead of days I need to borrow. Now that my precious days in the PNW are so few, I have been thinking about changing the venue to such legendary waters when I fly out.
Meanwhile, I would only swap out dates if my good friend Gregg Estey would be able to hook up with some of the hardcores while he is there in September. We were planning to split costs and run amok on all the steely streams in the state. I don't want to leave him high and dry while he's out in Seattle since he's taken extra days to fit in the fishing I instigated.
I'll look into this further... what would be the right week for the Thompson?
Joined
·
778 Posts
Juro,
Glad to hear you are considering the Thompson. I will be at the river every weekend until the 18th of November with a number of them being 3 or even 4 day trips. Which will be the best - who knows? Conventional wisdom says that the first 2 weeks of November are the best. However, I do not subscribe to this as it just gets too busy with visiting anglers. Instead, I think it would be more fun to get together in mid to late October. The weather is warmer, there are usually plenty of fish and there are fewer fishermen. I have already planned a 3-day weekend for Oct. 20,21 and 22, and if it suits you I could easily extend it to a 4 day trip. Like I said, I'll be there every weekend and I could extend most of them to at least 3 days if need be. So if you can work it out to come in Oct/Nov then I'll work it out!
tight lines - kush.
Glad to hear you are considering the Thompson. I will be at the river every weekend until the 18th of November with a number of them being 3 or even 4 day trips. Which will be the best - who knows? Conventional wisdom says that the first 2 weeks of November are the best. However, I do not subscribe to this as it just gets too busy with visiting anglers. Instead, I think it would be more fun to get together in mid to late October. The weather is warmer, there are usually plenty of fish and there are fewer fishermen. I have already planned a 3-day weekend for Oct. 20,21 and 22, and if it suits you I could easily extend it to a 4 day trip. Like I said, I'll be there every weekend and I could extend most of them to at least 3 days if need be. So if you can work it out to come in Oct/Nov then I'll work it out!
tight lines - kush.
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
