The day after my first BC steelie I just took it easy. My friend was gone and I needed to buy some supplements, renew the license and organize my stuff. There is a good fly shop in town, the Fish Tales Fly Shop. The city has all the structure that any Canadian city has (Walmart, Tim Hurtons, car wash, fast food, LCBO and so on). The main Skeena was kinda of muddy and I didn't feel like I wanted to explore it, but locals say that during the high season the fishing is pretty good, all five species of Salmon must pass right there under the bridge on Terrace to access the spawning waters upstream. The Kitimat is not part of the Skeena system, it has direct access to the Pacific Ocean and its own system of small tributaries. There are many streams and lakes in the region, but this time I chose not to explore them, because to do so it would require me a 4x4 and I was by myself now, not really feeling encouraged to go far. The fear of bear accompanied me in moments when I was alone. I had to choose between staying where I knew the fish was running and the access points, or to search for new spots, venturing myself into the unknown. I chose the first option. I knew the fish were there and I like this solid feeling. I spent another afternoon exploring the Kalum, more exploring than fishing and the result was no fish landed this day, but I was calm; my primary goal - ONE Steelhead - had already been achieved.
The day dawned with rain. However, I was predetermined to go back to the spot where my friend took that first steelhead of the trip (see part 1). Besides being a more sheltered location, this spot has just inspired a hope in me like no other place have ever had. My first steelhead was good, but something in me said that there was more surprises to come. "They are here" I knew and repeated aloud to myself. Alone in the cold woods near Alaska, who cares if you are going mad…
I started early with a weightless Intruder fly which produced no results. "Let's try that popsicle", I thought, "which is even lighter." This pool runs slow and I like using very light flies in pools like that; there is just something in the Marabou's movement in still water that can't be compared with any other fly tying material. I was making my presentation really slow, almost stopping, just holding the line as my fly crosses the end of the pool . I know the speed that this creature like; its primitive world is slow, but when hooked, the scenario changes really fast. More two hours of cast, mend, swing, retrieve, cast again, and finally I feel a little "tum, tum", my line stops in the middle of the swing and I set the hook…
Something heavy was hooked!
I see a big red bulge turn and goes towards the end of the pool with a speed and force that I had never felt in steelhead fishing! The tension increases, the leg trembles. The thing is brutal and it took all my running line in seconds!
After a few minutes, the fish begins to reveal itself. All I see is a huge pink silhouette taking greater dimensions! I had to keep my post, if I went further down it would be more difficult to land it. I was pretty confident with 15lbs Maxima tippet! My only fear was the barbless hook, this fish shake his head so much that you feel like it is going to hook off every second, but on this trip I was overcoming my fears, most of them without a reason to exist...
It is a big double striped buck! I have always dreamed about this fish, and now I was looking to him, a majestic fish from the sacred waters of Northern BC.
YEAAHHH
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I stopped fishing that day. The river had already given me the best that it could. We must respect places like this and everything on the nature. This giant ran miles in the ocean, completing several cycles of reproduction and for a miraculous conjunction of the universe came to meet me in this wonderful spot. At that moment I felt like the richest of men, experiencing a feeling of satisfaction that we rarely feel while fishing. I thought about going back home; the best fish of my life had been caught.
End of Part 2
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