Fly Fishing Fabisch, the Weekly Picture Archive 4 - 2017

Our traveling group in 2017 consists of three persons, and they all know what steelhead fishing is all about. Still, the fishing seems kind of slow this year. The locals are also saying that this year´s steelhead run is rather small. Well, all of us have caught steelhead in six days of fishing, the largest specimens measuring around 85 cm. Now it´s time to say goodbye to Smithers and to look forward to Vancouver Island.

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So, in the end we are happy that we did catch steelhead even though the fishing up north was difficult. With all anglers on the Bulkley and the Copper being unhappy with their results, we were not too bad off, we found out. The three of us had caught 19 steelhead, which is not so bad in view of the given conditions. Last year the North was a complete failure due to high water and the South had to make up for that. Let´s see what next year brings. There may be some negative effects due to the use of new giant trawlers at sea. They don´t really target steelhead, but these are caught in their dragnets anyway and consequently die miserably.

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Licenses for classified water, 8 times up North, and twice on the Thompson, make up for another $220 per person. Airfare and a place on the RV were $2,000 per person this year. It seems to make sense to compare these costs to three weeks+ in a van and motel accommodation. This version offers a little less freedom then the RV-version, because you can´t just stop overnight whenever/wherever you please. At this time of year you would frequently drive an RV until late at night before stopping at a parking lot, which can imply big surprises when getting out of the vehicle on the next morning.

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Well, to bring a touch of joy into our cool and foggy season: here´s a photo taken in Vancouver the night before takeoff back to Germany. The weather and the temperature were but a dream. It seemed to mock our stay, when it had rained cats and dogs most of the time. Enjoy the warm hues, looking back at the ferry leaving for Nanaimo. A trip from Tsawassen south of Vancouver which takes about an hour and fifty minutes. Should you ever take this trip I advise you spend your time on deck with your camera, and enjoy the view!

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I would put bear spray in first place. Except for 6 years I´ve always had it with me, without ever using it, though. Furthermore you should always make some noise as you move through the bush, thus avoiding to surprise the bear. You may use little bells, whistle, or sing along as you march. Grizzlies may be huge - you´ll never have a chance fighting a grizzly. Some think it is advisable to play dead, as grizzlies supposedly prefer their meat with a bit of haut goût and might turn back just to wait for you to mature some more. Black bears are more prone to start their meal right away. As flyfishers we don´t usually handle salmon roe so we don´t smell nearly as interesting as bait anglers - a little advantage, maybe.

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The water is nice to look at, but that´s about it. Even if you could get down to the water - where the photo was taken there´s no way to get there for another 15 km - you would only be able to move for a few meters. Due to the depth and the current, there´s no way of crossing to the other shore. Nature thus manages to create large zones that are absolutely protected, at least from anglers. On this trip I traveled alone and resisted the urge to try and get down there with a rope. The car on the photo used to be my home for almost four weeks.

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No one takes a critical look at their cast, and if someone does, advice is more often rejected than taken. Listen, Dude, who do you think you are, and what are you trying to tell me anyway? Of course, you might book a second, third or umpteenth casting clinic, but that will possibly dig deep into your savings, provided you have any. There are, however, arrangements of mutual benefit. A combination of casting instruction and actually fishing. Especially when it is about refreshing abilities that you have already had. This picture was taken when I was fishing the Ammer with three participants, a perfect win-win situation. All of us had lots of fun.

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      ✆ DE   011 49 9126 288640,   Fax 011 49 9126 288643,     Ⓒ Wolfgang Fabisch