Fishing overlooked areas

Slipped out last evening for fish at a small barely flowing creek that was backed up with high levels from the main river. Walleye were cornering bait fish in the shallows and Pike were hanging out along the edges waiting for a potential meal to come too close. If you tend to explore most tributaries, give the ones that are merely a trickle a try and you'll likely find a feeding area that's often over looked.
 I caught near 10 Walleye and 3 small Pike, two of which had very fresh wounds that were clearly from a much larger Pike that was lurking somewhere nearby.
This one's interest was peaked with a egg sucking leach Intruder!

Mud, Steelhead, Intruders

Pretty funny how I was expecting to start posting again and never did since January! Well.. Life has certainly been busy with a change in employers a few days after that post. Since then I've had only 6 days off for vacation, yes that's right.. 6 days since February!
The fishing in my area has been pretty much a bust locally for Walleye fishing in the rivers, (bloody rain)

though I was lucky enough to head to Terrace for those days off and catch my first wild Steelhead.
Not the powerhouse like the Kings but has been a dream of mine for some time.

Through the winter I was acquiring a Spey set-up for the summer Chinook run over there and have been bitten hard by the Intruder pattern which I will use for Walleye and Pike here too.

Skeena River, Terrace, British Columbia

Went to Terrace to visit my wifes relatives and hooked up with some locals and slayed a few Chinook Salmon and Dolly Varden.. Such an awesome place to be and excellent fisherman to hang with.
Bathtub shot is a 50lb Chinook caught by a fishing partner.

Surface fishing Walleye video

Wife came down and surprised me with a visit so I convinced her to make a video to show a little bit of what I've been up to. I'm not much into editing video so please just enjoy the simplicity!

When surface fishing Walleye they don't seem to be overly fussy, similar to Pike they will readily attack mice, Bass bugs, poppers and even smaller dry fly's commonly used for Trout such as Humpty's and Stimulator's. The most important aspect of this style is to key in on feeding time and create a wake.

I will typically head out between 8-10pm and begin fishing sub-surface with a Clouser and locate the school or pockets where they will hold up. If things slow down or I notice any rise on the water I will switch to a gurgler in a 1 or 2/0. Most of the action heats up when it becomes dark and usually continues longer than I can.

At some point I will put up more fly pics and show a bit more of the leader system I'm using and an explanation as to the reasons. Cheers!

Video taken with Iphone by my wife who filmed with no knowledge of how to use it. So sorry for not having the video in widescreen!

Few pics

40+ in hours

Last night I had the most phenomenal experience! I went out to my hole at about 8pm caught about 4 pike and a couple Walleye in an hour and then switched to popping at about 9:30 and the bite was on, the fish were voracious and schooling aggressively, nearly every cast was a fish landed. It was beyond anything I've ever experienced, I lost count at 10 and would say 40 Walleye landed conservatively. My Iphone lost power way before the stupidity began so I couldn't get enough pics or video.

Few pics

Had an hour to spare this evening and checked out a few local spots. Things were a bit slow at first and decided to move out of the faster water to a nice calm area under a bridge and started catching as soon as the hook hit water with a Pike around 5lbs, moments later a Goldeye and 3 Walleye on White/Black Clouser. It was one of those moments that was turning into an awesome outing that unfortunately had to be cut short. If only for another hour!

Late Walleye

First Walleye of the season caught on a white bunny. The Peace River has been high and muddy and hasn't been very productive for fly fishing at the times I've been able to get out. I finished my week on at work and had the opportunity to stay out a little longer and landed one, they were just starting to feed on my offerings at 11:30pm but was cut short by some company and decided to pack it in.

Nice Pike but skunked on Walleye

All of my fishing holes are officially open for business so I went out for an hour this evening and was hoping to land a Walleye and hooked into a nice Pike on about the tenth cast.

It was a little tense because I was using an 8lb mono tippet. The river was high and he headed straight for fast current providing some great runs, as I neared him to shore he fought hard and headed into some floating driftwood amongst flooded willows. I was certain he would get off but remained patient and landed him with a graceful face wash and a boot full of water.

Below is the fly, Orange marabou, silver silly legs, and I think finn raccoon head with silver cone on Gamakatsu sl-12s, size 1/0.

Unfortunately no Walleye!

Fish on

Well its certainly been awhile since I made a post. Nearly a year!

I must say its been a hectic one at that with three young boys and the eldest being 4. Now there is a vague picture planted in your head of consistent nagging, whining, crying, fighting, pooping, puking... etc. etc. Of course there are the great moments as well that goes without saying.

Its a new season and I hope to be around the fishing holes and maybe a few trips and get this site back in action, so until then I'll leave a pic of a nice Pike I hooked a couple of days ago.

I caught her on a chartreuse deer hair, fleye style 4/0 that she inhaled to her gills, I snipped the hook and left it in, snapped a crappy pic with the Iphone and sent her on.

Fiver caught tonight

Caught 5 pike today and a nice Walleye at 5lb 10oz. Sorry about the same old boring photo's everyone I'll try to get things a little better.

Nice Walleye

I sent a text to find out how JS has been making out and he sent me this pic via Blackberry so the quality is not that great but you can see he managed a very nice Pickeral. He never specified weight but I would guess by looking at it to be a 5-6 lb'er. Good job

Walleye first timer

As I was out the other day a fisherman from Quebec approached me and inquired about what specie I was targeting, he moved to Peace River in February and never new the possibilities outside his front door and instead was opting to fish the stocked ponds. I lent him a 7wt rod to use for a bit and told him it would be best in the evening after sunset so he joined me then with his own equipment. He was ecstatic that he could now fish for something wild after being more familiar with Sea trout and Salmon

Congratulations JS on your first Walleye on the fly and will see you out there soon!

Walleye

Many apologies to those who check in with my blog occasionally I have been fairly busy enjoying the great weather with the kids. I have been out fishing a few times but I've lately been having issues with my point and shoot camera and then I've been having a few problems with the old pc and programming errors.

Routinely I wander down to a little trib that flows but only a few hundred meters from my step at around 8 to 9 pm and fish until after 12 and usually catch between 10 to 15 Walleye and the odd foot long Pike. All of the them under 2 lbs, fun.. yet frustrating waiting for the big boys of last year and hoping its not going to be this way until fall.

The fish in the photos are caught on 1/o Gamakatsu sl12s Clousers and a few on small gurglers with a foam wing that make it look like an airplane (GurgleBombers?) I started putting a wing in my poppers last year thinking maybe they would be similar to a Stonefly.. not really sure it makes a huge difference but my kids get a kick out of them.

(My nephew Dustin featured in pics)

Goldeye

Went out to my local fishing hole last night expecting to catch myself a few Walleye but only managed a couple small Pike and a couple Goldeye. This one pictured was caught on a red and white zonker.

Finally first day out fishing

Finally had a chance to get out and do some fishing yesterday with my nephew who has become in the last 2 years, a fly fishing addict. The days forecast was to be 10C and gusts of 50km from the north, which wasn't going to stop us from at least getting our lines wet.

We started off fishing tight to the shore and in behind the reed beds. We had good luck avoiding the winds and with landing a few small Pike, 7 for me and 3 for my nephew ( his first Pike on the fly and all smiles) who also landed a small perch. All things being said we did have a great time and are looking forward to a great summer. Tight lines.