BC Outdoors Sport Fishing - Inside the Legendary Kitimat River

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September/October 2008 - Volume 64 No. 5

Inside the Legendary Kitimat River

While flying out of the Vancouver International Airport’s south terminal, Mike Mitchell, Editor of BC Outdoors Magazine, and I were busting with thoughts of hooking and landing large chinook salmon on a river neither of us had ever fished in the past. For me this trip would be a little outside my element, as there were no flies or fly gear packed in our luggage, and the fish we were targeting are a little larger than the average fly-caught trout.

When we arrived at the Terrace Airport, Rob Vodola, our guide for the next few days, was waiting to whisk us off to the fishing grounds on the Kitimat River. As it turned out the river had been low for the past couple weeks, not bringing in large numbers of fish. Fortunately for Mike and me, our timing might just have been perfect: it was raining heavily as we left the airport with Rob. On the drive to Kitimat we decided it may be wiser to pass on fishing the first evening and instead get properly prepared for the next morning’s outing.
Once at Rob’s, the three of us set up gear and talked about fishing until the wee hours of the morning, which seemed like a great idea at the time but was second-guessed when the 3:30 a.m. alarm sounded the next morning. While driving on the rough road in to the drop-off location it quickly became apparent that no one else had been in ahead of us that dreary morning. Our 16-foot Hyde drift boat quietly glided in mere inches of water as we started our journey down the scenic mist-covered river. The first location we were to fish was only 10 minutes from the launch site; Rob told us he usually hits at least one fish here before continuing downriver.

When we arrived at the head of the long narrow run a few large swirls became visible a couple hundred yards away in the tail-out. This was good news for us as it meant that the fish were on the move and would soon be within striking distance of our lures. Because this type of fishing was new to Mike and me, we sat quietly and followed Rob’s instructions closely as he explained how far to let the three lines out in front of the boat. Proper drift boats are ideal for back-trolling plugs as the boat sits backwards in the current with the raised bow pointing in the direction the anglers are fishing. This is not only a relaxing way to fish, it is also productive as we can watch the water below and see which side of the river the fish are coming up on.

After working the first run for about an hour without any strikes, Rob decided it was time to slide down to a large run below where he hit a few fish a couple days earlier. The run really looked fishy, with fast water it the middle and medium to slow water along the inside of a large corner. Our enthusiasm greatly increased as we again noticed a couple fish roll before the anchor was even set. Again the lines were let out from 25 to 35 feet in front of us. Tied on the ends were three different colour variations of K13X Kwikfish. Kwikfish, Foxee Fish and other similar lures are designed to anger and agitate salmon into striking, as feeding is not really on their minds once they leave the ocean.

Only 15 minutes had elapsed when Mike’s rod tip hit the water. He quickly grabbed the rod and buried the large barbless hook. Once the initial run was made, Mike told us it wasn’t a real large fish as it was already being pulled back towards the boat. Nevertheless, it was a chinook, and better yet, our first one of the trip. A short tussle ensued and the 10-pound chinook was netted, photographed and released. Now we were on the board and ready for something a little bigger.

Not long after our lines were in the water again, the centre rod bounced a couple times; I picked it up and set the hook. When my rod remained buckled over, Mike quickly reeled in the other two lines and put the rods away so the area would be free of obstructions. This too was a smaller chinook; it weighed approximately 12 pounds, but for me it was a good starting point for the trip. Throughout the day we hooked several more chinook before our drift was complete and we pulled into the boat ramp on the lower end of the river. From the lower ramp and down to the ocean, fishing can still be good, but this stretch of water is generally left for the shoreline anglers, as the salmon swim tight to the bank heading upriver.

Over all, Mike, Rob and I had a great day on the water, with a few nice fish landed and a lot of laughs to go around. If there was anything we could take with us before heading into Day 2 it would be the importance of tides. The salmon back up in the ocean during low tide, waiting for tidal water to fill the flats, and then they make a run for it. When timed properly, waves of fresh-run salmon can be seen breaking the surface as they start their journey upriver towards their spawning grounds. As we were off the river by 2 p.m., Rob suggested we stop by the Kitimat River Hatchery for a quick tour. We found it interesting to learn of the importance of hatcheries to keep such a vital resource successful year after year.

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