I am considering making a trip to the Skeena and it’s tributaries this year. Right now I am considering two options.

1) Drive up to Terrace the last week of April and fish the Kalum for Steelhead and early Kings.
2) Wait until the mid week of July and fish the Skeena for Kings.

If anyone has done either of these trips, please let me know about your experiences and any recommendations you might have. I am planning on taking my 18’ Super Vee with me and possibly hiring a guide for the first day.

Thanks in advance!
SA

One of the higher profile guides who knows the Kalum and Skeena very well is a fellow named Noel Gyger who ran an outfit called Northwest Fishing Guides. Don't know if he is still around.

can I come along?
I have heard some stories,,,,,

Noel sold his business to Nicholas Dean Lodge. I talked to Noel a few years ago, and this is partly why I am considering going in April.

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SA

I have fished many of the trophy BC rivers, including the Kalum. The better fishing often occurs there on the earlier King run in late April and May. But it's also the more risky time to invest in a trip up there because snow melt has the river out a lot of the time. This year's snowpack could be a whopper too. All depends when the temps get warm enough to cause large melts. A rainless spring cold spell could put you into "Shang-gra-la" up there. Or it could darken the whole thing. Not just the Skeena River either. It's a spring syndrome for it's famous tribs and for the Kitimat R and Nass river tribs.

Noel used to run a section up high on the lower Kalum (the part of the river below the huge Kalum Lake) with his drift boat. You will catch more fish stacked up there but they will be more bronzed. Launching near Terrace where the Kalum runs into the huge Skeena and going up with a sled will get you into brighter fish, if not as many. Don't overlook backtrolling or anchor fishing the mainstem Skeena itself, in that area and many others. Backbounce or diver present the big '0' spin-n-glows with big well milking eggs clusters. If it has just enough water visibility you can fish downstream of the mouth of the Kalum and fish on both that run and also upriver trib's runs. Good luck.

The summer trip is a safer bet and there will be no shortage of great King fishing then on the Skeena and tribs. You might also look into a day or two saltwater fishing out of the coast port town of Prince Rupert. Should make a great combo of fresh and salt water fishing!

Be aware that your first trip would be a total c'n'r deal and the second trip you can bring some home.
the first trip can be hit and miss, early chinook may not show up in any numbers until may some years, like last year. But you could travel around to the kitimat river to look for both wild and hatchery steelhead (not brat sized). There will be other spring run steelhead rivers to fish , some with boat only access.
On the second trip you will have a chance to fish for chinook of the very large size (Pictures in one of the tackle shops of a 107lb brood stock fish), but the water color can be in one day and out the next. Also many more fishermen this time of year.
PIcking a trip will really depend on what you are looking for, first trip less people,fewer fish c'n'r. Second trip larger fish,more people,and the chance to take a couple home.
I would do both trips if possible. One of my salesmen lives in terrace and has all the boats and equipment to fish salt and fresh and I have gone a number of times in the past.
Best trip was late july with 46 chinook in 3 days, one mid 70's (released),one 64lbs, 10 over 50lbs and only one was smaller than 30lbs.

SteelAddict, I have made the Skeena pilgramige for many seasons now, and as get_my_drift said, weather is your biggest obsticle to success. Once the spring melt begins in earest the rivers will be out for several weeks. It is also common for Fall rains to punch the tributaries for weeks at a time. In fact there has been years here recently when they were only fishable for a week during the entire month of September.

As a result, hitting it right when booking with a guide months in advance is a risky proposition. Your best bet is to leave a "weather window" of several weeks open as an option for your trip and do it yourself. Watch the forcast closely, moniter the water levels and run-timing on the internet and go when the time is right. Explore and learn the river systems. Any local tackle shop will have maps and can tell you where the put-ins and take-outs are. This will serve you bestl over the years because I guarentee, if you go once you will make it an annual trip.

If you are to go on the second trip and need to book your week soon, You should most likely do it for any time after july 20th. THe river is most likely to be in decent shape then.
The tackle shops to call and try to get decent info from are the following, Misty river, Nortcoast Anglers and Fishtales. All three are in terrace and some one should be able to supply you with decent info. I would contact them in the order I have listed them. If you fish any plugs there are a few things to know about. Only one single barbless hook allowed and you can not fish sardine wrapped kwikfish. We are not allowed to use any bait fish when fishing salmon or steelhead , only sturgeon. You can you pro cure or smelly jelly products on your plugs instead.

RLN - Having only fished the Skeena once prior and that was with a guide who made all of the arrangements. What do you feel the chances are of getting lodging in town for a last minute trip during late July early August? The plan would be to bring our boat up and hire a local for a few hours to run the river and highlight the spots that we should be fishing.
Sound feasable?

Would be a good trip. I most likely would not hire a guide. They mostly go "niggin'" (local term). Most guides will not take you drift fishing or back bouncing. The skeena is easy to run, the farther you get from the mouth of the Kalum, the poorer fishing will get. It would take you a couple of hours to figure it out. There are a lot of hotels in Terrace so it should not be hard to find a room and the weather is nice enough that time of year to tent it if need be. Launch at the mouth of the Kalum and run up the Kalum from there or out into the skeena.

SA,

I've done the late trip and would certainly go again. There will be good #'s of kings around, and you should be able to pick up on what to do fairly quickly. Running the Skeena is rather simple since from around Terrace down it is a rather large river and easy to read. The Kalum, now that is a different animal as it can get low and tight at times. It would be one you would want to use caution on running if you haven't been up it before. There are plenty of stumps and sweepers and lots of very tight corners. I would liken it in size to the stilly when it is low, only make it curvy as heck in parts.

Good luck if you go,

PD

Ran across the January 2004 issue of "WESTERN OUTDOORS" this morning. Hadn't seen the magazine before but has a feaature article with a lot of general info on the area you are looking at. Might check a newsstand for an issue.