The Skeena River is considered one of the worlds finest sports fisheries. Located in Northwestern British Columbia the Skeena host all five species of pacific salmon as well as the worlds largest run of wild Steelhead. The Skeena holds several world records for both salmon and Steelhead. As well as the Skeena we fish the Nass and Kitimat watersheds.

The fishing season begins in April and finishes in early November. Nice to fly fish here. Spring runoff brings fresh runs of Steelhead into many of our northern rivers. Spring Steelhead average 10-14lbs. with the occasional fish over 20lbs. July brings the big Kings the largest of the salmon species. By mid July sockeye and pink salmon are starting to arrive in large numbers. Early August the Skeena has all 5 species of salmon as well as the Steelhead. The Steelhead are migrating up the Skeena in large numbers thru mid Sept. With fish on record over 30 lbs any angler has the chance at a fish of a lifetime. From early September the rivers are filling up with Coho (Silvers), providing excellent fishing as well as incredible wilderness scenery.

Kalum River Lodge is located in the heart of the fishing area with all our rivers easily accessible for day trips. Clients are picked up at the Terrace airport with daily flights from Vancouver B.C. Both Air Canada and Hawk Air provide service to the area. For a complete list of suggested tackle you may e-mail or give us a call.
One of the preferred methods for fly fishing the North West is Spey casting. Single handed rods will work as well, for those that prefer to use them. A 9 weight rod is well suited for most of the fishing you will do. We use both sinking and floating lines depending on the waters we are fishing. Floating lines can be fished with long leaders and weighted flies. Sinking lines such as teeny 200-400 will cover most water you will fish. Versa-tip lines are also popular as you only require one spool. Tapered leaders work best 12-30 lb depending on the species you are pursuing. You should have a large arbour reel with 200-300 m of 30 lb backing. Gel spun works well; it is thin, strong and abrasion resistant. For hook size use 2/0, 1/0-2. Single barb less hooks are mandatory in this area.

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Most everyone will have an outfit or two that will do the job. It doesn’t have to be a specialist outfit. Soft plastic fishing is finesse fishing, but his doesn’t mean light in all cases. You will need a powerful outfit for bigger fish but it should still be well balanced, as light as possible and still possess that all important feel.
I’m going to describe just two outfits that will cover 90% of your soft plastics fishing in both fresh and salt. Both are spinning outfits because of their ability to cast both unweighted and weighted plastics. Baitcasting outfits will work with weighted plastics fished with medium to heavy jig heads, but they are not as versatile as the spinning outfits. When you get going on soft plastics fishing, like most anglers you will add to your inventory. The first outfit is the light one.
This system will cover the finesse end of the spectrum and will fish the tiniest of weightless soft plastics and is great for the weightless techniques. It should be a light, sensitive, fast action, 6 ½ to 7ft spinning outfit rated somewhere around the 4lb to 10lb class. This should be teamed with a 1500 to 2500 sized spinning reel and will carry 4lb or 6lb fireline.
It will cast up to around ¼ oz or 8-10gms maximum. It can also have a small handle or one handed grip, and I like cork for the feel it transmits. It’s the sort of outfit you’d use on Peacock Bass or Sebarau in the fresh and on small GT’s or Tapon in the salt. You might even use it for Haruan in some fairly snaggy country.
I know I press mine into action in conditions that are possibly a little risky but it will knock over some good sized fish. It is also a superb outfit for casting hardbody minnows for the same types of fish and it will, in open water, tackle hefty Toman and some surprisingly large fish as long as there isn’t anything to snag you up in. The second outfit is a beefed up version of the first. A 7ft spinning rod rated for somewhere around 10-17lb line and casting up to 1 oz or 28gms. This will be matched with a 4000 sized spinning reel and loaded with 10 or 14lb Fireline.
This outfit will be used for casting to Toman and Haruan in the snags, barramundi and jacks in the estuaries and saltwater, but also makes a superb offshore casting outfit for small tuna and other smaller pelagic species. It will knock over some really big fish when used with skill. If you really could only have one outfit for soft plastics fishing, this one would be it. Again, I like my outfits to be light, powerful and fast action. The handle on this one can be a little longer than the lighter outfit since you’ll be fishing heavier drags, so you can rest the longer handle under your forearm while fighting a fish.
It pays to get a rod that “fits” you and remember you’ll be doing lots of casting so a heavy rod gets tiring pretty quickly. Leaders on this outfit can be as light as you need to go, but more commonly 20lb to 30lb leaders are used with this middleweight. If you do most of your fishing from the shore, a longer rod is advantageous. 7ft spinning outfits are ideal, but you can go longer if you prefer. If you fish from a boat (or a floaty ring), 6ft spinning outfits are easier to handle.
There is clearly a great deal of personal preference in choosing an outfit. The outfits I have suggested are adaptable and can be used in a variety of situations, not just fishing soft plastics. I’m sure most of you will have gear already in your inventory that will do the job. If you have not yet made a change to Fireline or GSP, this is about the only change you’ll probably need to make from your existing tackle systems. Fishing soft plastics and GSP lines really do go hand in hand, so if you’re going to give soft plastics a proper trial, make the change! Time to put some of this stuff into practise and go do some fishing!

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“In 2005, dengue is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease affecting humans; its global distribution is comparable to that of malaria, and an estimated 2.5 billion people live in areas at risk for epidemic transmission. Each year, tens of millions of cases of Dengue Fever occur and, depending on the year, up to hundreds of thousands of cases of Dengue Haemorhagic Fever. The case-fatality rate of DHF in most countries is about 5%, but this can be reduced to less than 1% with proper treatment. Most fatal cases are among children and young adults.” Source : CDC
Every year there is an outbreak of Dengue Fever here in Malaysia. This year it is a particularly bad strain, having caused about 7 deaths already. You can get Dengue twice, as there are different strains of the Dengue Flavivirus. I thought this might be relevant for Fishermen as we are exposed to mosquitoes especially in the evening. This article is on how to avoid dengue, not to go into the medical details of it.

TIPS for Avoiding Mosquito Bites

• Mosquitoes are attracted to things that remind them of nectar or mammal flesh. When outdoors, wear light clothing that covers most of the body, keeping as much skin and hair covered as practical. Avoid bright, floral colors. Khaki, beige, and olive have no particular attraction for mosquitoes. Wear light colors during the daytime, as dark clothing during daylight hours actually attracts the little buggers. They are also attracted by some body odors, and for this reason they choose some individuals over others in a crowd. Avoid fragrances in soaps, shampoos, and lotions. Many species of mosquito prefer biting from dusk until dawn. The problem is worse when the weather is hot or humid. Avoid playing outdoors during the peak biting times in your area. Try to stay away from still water. (hahaha for fishermen!) Use Insect Repellent on exposed skin when you go outdoors. Use an EPA-registered insect repellent such as those with DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Even a short time being outdoors can be long enough to get a mosquito bite.
• Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito BitesWhen weather permits, wear long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors. Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, so spraying clothes with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent will give extra protection. Don’t apply repellents containing permethrin directly to skin. Do not spray repellent on the skin under your clothing.
• Pediatric insect repellents with only 6-10% DEET are available. Some studies suggest that taking thiamine (vitamin B1) 25mg to 50 mg three times per day is effective in reducing mosquito bites. This safe vitamin apparently produces a skin odor that is not detectable by humans, but is disagreeable to pregnant mosquitoes (Pediatric Clinics of North America, 16:191, 1969). It seems to be especially effective for those people with large allergic reactions. Thiamine takes about 2 weeks before the odor fully saturates the skin.
• Garlic may work in the same way (except, of course, the odor is detectable by humans), but I have seen no scientific studies supporting this. Avoid perfumes when outside. Using hand creams and lotions with a sweet scent can also increase your risk of attracting mosquitoes, so go for the unscented varieties during mosquito season. Try using unscented soaps when showering, too. Even though they’re rinsed off, the scent remains on your skin and attracts bugs.
• Mosquitoes are attracted to perspiration, heat, carbon dioxide, and lactic acid. All of these are produced after exercising, so avoid outdoor exercise during peak mosquito hours (at dawn and dusk). Our bodies also release lactic acid after eating certain foods, so avoiding outdoor dining during those hours is helpful, as well. Commonly believed mosquito-attracting foods include bananas (or other potassium-rich food items), and salty foods. What does not work?
• Vitamin B, garlic, thiamine, and “ultrasonic” devices are NOT effective in preventing mosquito bites. (Means you can try la, but don’t put too much trust in them)

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Sometimes don’t you all just wish that you weren’t bitten by the fishing bug? Because it sorta ruins your life. I mean there I was quite happily doing the rat race thing. Then a long holiday beckons. A fishing lesson from float fishing masters kindly arranged. And of course I can’t go cause the missus hates me fishing. But hey, it’s the new year, can’t let that get me down. And besides, the rod and tackle is hidden in the boot.

A couple of days later, managed to sneak out, drive off to a sweet spot. Only to see it has been commandeered by a group of visiting scientists conducting of all things, a sediment study…. ok, the bottoms all stirred up and I spend half a day and only get me a small jelawat. But that’s ok, cos I fish not to catch a fish. Just being out there is enough. So I tell myself and even believe it sometimes…

Next day I sneak out again. Gave up on the sweet spot cos of the doctors in the mud. Search for a new sweet spot. Who cares if I spend half a day lost in the estates and acquire a few new dents in my car? It’s the adventure of it all. Of course when the haruans don’t wanna bite even when you can see them right it front of you it gets a little frustrating. But that’s ok, fishing is about the challenge after all. Eventually I lose my spinnerbaits and use up something like 15 frogs. But I get my fish. Only to be told when I bring it home, “How come so small one ah?” Well cos I let the bloody big ones go….like the good catch and release fisherman that I am. And besides the car wasn’t big enough to fit the big one in….

Two days later and the itch strikes again. Getting good at the sneaking out for “just a short while dear”. So I go. Find me a nice patch of pond. And fish away. And catch a grand total of one lampam. Plus suffer sunstroke cos it is bloody hot this time of the year and people who sit in offices all day shouldn’t sit in the sun all of a sudden….least that’s what I was told. Me? I like to think I was getting a healthy tan.

All of a sudden the long break is nearly over. It’s the second last day of the break. The next day is gonna consist of farewells and traffic jams. And so I put my foot down. “I am gonna go fishing and I am gonna go for the WHOLE day!” said I, the strong silent super angler. “PLEASE????” begged the cracking fishless figure (who incidentally isn’t me, cos I am a man, not a mouse….)

Well, it so happens that the gods of fishing were smiling on me (or so I though) and so off I went. Happily to seek my fish. Hither and thither I drove. Searching for that elusive magic spot. After some effort where I drove my 2wd into 4wd territory, i found a fairly decent swamp. Things were looking up. Nice big swamp with good vegetation and an inlet stream. Activity on the surface. Finally it looked like the new year was gonna bring glad tidings. I had an entire arsenal and nearly a whole day to use it. So i did. I used lures cos lures are the first resort of the sporting angler. I used bait cos sometimes baits are the best bet. I groundbaited the place cos sometimes the fish needs a little encouragement.

And in the end, I gave up cos it was too hot and too frustrating. But hang on, I am a thinking angler (don’t we all think we are?). I realised that perhaps the time wasn’t ideal. I beat a strategic retreat into the shade of a big angsana tree which incidentally bordered a cool little pool. From which I managed to extract a couple of haruan while I plotted my next move. I gave the day some time to cool. And i returned in time for dusk. Well a couple of hours before dusk anyway. And I flogged that swamp mercilessly. I cast and I cast and then I cast some more. The way I figured it, there was definitely something big at the edge of the vegetation. But of course I had no way to be sure…. Eventually it was dusk. And my whole day, no week, of fishing was soon to be over.

I packed up my things. Let all my bait go. And as the sun was setting, to salute the place, I cast one final time. And as I was retrieving, i had an almightly strike. It tore off line on a screaming drag, surging under vegetation and back out again. From one side of the swamp to the other edge. The water boiled together with my adrenaline. I was on the edge. And then it spat the hook. And that was it.

I’d like to tell you now that I did the sporting thing and saluted the fish that beat me fairly, packed up and left the place with just fond memories. Yeah right! I flogged that water till the stars came out and the search party was nearly dispatched. Nothing. Not a single bite, follow or nibble. Finally I packed up. And now I am back in town. Rejoining the rat race.

And wondering why I bother going fishing…..why don’t you guys tell me? Tell me about the wonderful catches that you got on YOUR break. The beautiful wild fishes that you managed to lure and beat. Yeah, tell me all about it…And I’ll tell you about the one that got away….hang on, I already did.. and you know what? I swear it was bigger than my car.

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