It is around that time of year when pumpkins are carved, the daylight hours have shortened, and the temperatures take a steady dive. I am excited for an annual fishing trip to Smithers, B.C., to chase for the famous steelhead in the Bulkley River. My good friends, Gregg and Anette Lauder from Springbank, have been living there for over a year and I look forward to fishing with them again.
Preparation is paramount for this excursion and there are some things I work on before heading northwest. My smaller 8-foot-6 three weight single-hand fly rod goes back into the closet for the spey rod. This rod is one that I have borrowed from my brother Jeff and it is nice to have for steelhead. It is just over 14 feet in length and it is like wielding a giant piece of lumber. The notion is to make long casts with large flies to cover a lot of water.
I like to go above the River Avenue Bridge and practice spey casting in the smooth waters on either side of the Bow River. I wish I was a pro like Bob Clay, but I manage to get some line out there without hooking myself. I work on two basic casts, the double spey and the circle spey, because it is a good idea to be able to cast from both sides of the river.
There is an aura about fishing for steelhead in the cold waters of B.C. It’s a combination of things like the flies that are used to catch these huge sea-run rainbows. Old school patterns like the Green Butt Skunk and the General Practitioner have given way to Funky Intruder and Popsicle patterns. I like to stick to a Halloween theme and enjoy casting marabou flies in a black/purple or black/orange alternative.
You can imagine that when you are fishing in October and November weather is an issue. It can snow, or start raining like crazy, and be downright miserable. What can get to you is the water that you are wading in. It’s cold, really cold. You can be bundled up with the best jacket, toque and gloves but if your feet are frozen you won’t last.
I remember being so frigid last year I would do jumping jacks right on the bank.
You might wonder what exactly is the attraction. I wondered that a couple times when Gregg and I were the only ones floating down the river in his frost covered raft. Maybe we are insane or just addicted to a fish we love to catch so much.
I believe it is the anticipation of what can happen and the beauty of the Bulkley Valley. It could be the smell of wood burning from a house chimney nearby or the loud train chugging down the line parallel with the river. There are times when I look up at Hudson Bay Mountain Resort in the distance and daydream of what it is like to ski there.
That is when it happens, when you are not expecting it, and your fly gets hit so hard your reel is peeling line. Long moments of peacefulness interrupted by total aggressiveness of a fish, and I know why I am here.
