BC Sturgeon fishing with Moosebunk- wimps perspective

[scuro]

I grabbed the rod and with that it began.

 

Is that a smile or a grimace?

 

...line was peeling out and it peeled more and continued to peel. Depending on your perspective I was lucky or unlucky. Most people would think that I was very lucky. But this in not the line peeling that most of you know. These fish want to rip the rod out of your hands. My whole body had instinctively tensed when I encountered the power of this bruiser. You have to hold on for dear life. More line continued to peel off. I was gripping the rod far too tightly and in the background I heard someone say, breathe Chris. First contact with a large fish could literally see you lifted off of your feet and it happened to a few in our crew. If the Sturgeon is big enough...say 6 plus ft or more, that fish can easily spool you on it's first run. If you're in danger of getting spooled the guide simply releases the anchor and follows the fish downriver. Previous to coming to the Fraser river, I would have liked to have been spooled. I had thought that Sturgeon fishing would be something like Salmon fishing...I had envisioned hauling in a giant slab of fish. These fish were no slabs, the larger they were the more in control they were. We may have lost our biggest fish simply because they dominated the fight.

 

The peeling stopped. How long had that taken? No time to think about it, now everyone was yelling, reel. REEL. REEEEEL. Any slack in tension and the fish might get off the regulation single barbless hook.

 

This wasn't the sort of reeling that I was used to. I have seen large fish peel line but usually after that run you get a second to reel in slack line. This was no slack line reeling. This was still a total battle. Only now with leverage, strength, and power on the gears.... I could make some headway. Yet line taken in wouldn't matter because the Sturgeon would simply peel it out on it's next run. This was simply a battle of brute force and stamina and for the first time in my life a fish had put doubt in my ability in both departments. With time I brought the fish closer to the boat and now the fish darted with mini-peels. People scrambled out of my way as I lunged from side to side on the boat. More peeling and then my fish came boatside in a somewhat manageable manner. It wasn't a long battle. I'd guess it was over in ten minutes.... but never till the end did this Sturgeon give me an inch. I exercise three times weekly but was left huffing and puffing like an old man climbing the CN tower after this encounter.

 

Was that fun? Am I simply smiling because it's over?

 

They caught one at the lodge 3 times the size of this one this year?!???? I contemplated this. My turn was coming up later in the day but being the kind altruistic sort of guy that I am I gave up my spot in the order so that Hoss would have a chance to catch a fish on the first day. Earlier he had lost his fish. As luck would have it I never got a shot at that second Sturgeon on day one. Damn!! My wrists were sore. As I am typing this my forearm muscles are still sore. Everyone landed a fish that first day except Dean on the other boat. On average we caught a little more then one a fish a person per day. Usually we would miss several hooksets per boat per day on the Sturgeon take. Nor was it uncommon for a Sturgeon to get off the line at least once a day.

 

Drew would have the hot hand on day one. His fish would be about 2 ft longer then mine and we had to release the anchor to chase it downstream. As hard as my fish battled this lunker simply totally outclassed my fish in every department. Drew had this look on his face after 20 minutes of battle...with his eyes I saw him wondering if this beast was going to ever stop?

 

This fish had to be dragged to shore. It was too large to lift onboard.

 

Over on the other boat Scotty got into a nice fish also.

 

A pleased Scotty with his first fish.

 

And then the day was over at 3pm. We would come back and sit on Muskoka chairs. It was a total contrast, now we were in the lap of luxury laughing and recounting the day’s events while drinking German draft beer....

 

...this was the view from our chairs of the mountain across from the resort.

 

Day two started out well. Like yesterday we were up at 6 am to be on the river at 7 am. Hoss caught a 5 and a half footer and like me he was huffing and puffing and amazed how dogged the fight was.

 

Power vrs power.

 

Hoss with the best of his trip.

 

Hoss with a head shot.

 

Unlike me he was lovin the pain. Hoss and Simon are avid salmon fishermen and had strictly come out for the challenge. Seems like most where here for that challenge. They were here for these epic battles and lovin it. I had come for the "BC experience". Unfortunatly the salmon fishery was closed and we couldn't Salmon fish until our last day when they lifted the ban. I had no choice but to Sturgeon fish day two.

 

Day two would see me with my personal best for the trip at 4'8".

 

It was the second shortest PB for our crew of 7. Bunks best would fall to Simon on day 2. The real monsters would come on day 3 but you will have to wait for part 2 for that report. After day two we came back to the lodge to tackle more gourmet meals. I ate so much during the first two dinners that my stomach ached. You think I would have learned my lesson after the first meal.

 

Salmon cooked the traditional way by a local native.

 

Waiting for the feast.

 

Dinner

 

Our turn for the Pitt river excursion was day 3. We could only take 1/2 of our group, the other half would go day 4. This was one of the few times I insisted upon anything on this trip. I was going, my arms needed a break. We got up at 5 am and reached the Pitt Lake with sun up.

 

It was a forty-minute drive across the lake in a jet boat.

 

We were on the fish early in a pristine wilderness setting.

 

We all worked this first pool but initially only Scotty raised a fish.

 

We scattered, looking for our own sections of stream. Bunk and Scotty headed way downstream while Hoss stayed on this section. I went upstream.

 

After a fair bit of fishing I brought this bulltrout to shore.

 

The guide had given up on Scotty and Drew. They had bee-lined kilometers down river and up embankments. Harry tracked them but wasn't going to climb embankments. That meant that the guide split his time between Hoss and I. He explained that I was standing in ideal water and had most likely spooked a number of fish into deeper and fast running water...not a good strategy. We went to the top of the run and I fished from shore. Soon I caught my best bulltrout of about 2ft. (picture is of poor quality) Then I hooked into something that jumped. Harry our guide said, Bulltrout don't jump.... keep that line tight! Harry had given me more then one piece of key advice and it all came together.

 

It was a treat to catch this fresh Sockeye, apparently this is difficult to do but with much of the fishing here in BC I had little to gage our results with.

 

Most of the best fishing was done early. By the time this pic was taken the bites were hard to come by. I had the hot hand that day having caught more then a half dozen Bulls plus the Sockeye.

 

Drew working a section of the river.

 

 

Part two and the monsters to come....

http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...t=0#entry110376

Edited September 6, 2007 by scuro

[elusive]

That's come beautiful water.

[b2kptbo]

Beauty, WOOOO WEEEE...

[solopaddler]

Man what an incredible trip, and does that salmon on the campfire ever look good!

[bucktail]

Awesome photo's!!!!

[bbog]

Fantastic report and pictures. I'm going to have to try Salmon cooked over an open fire like your picture.

[addict]

big smiles and sore arms what a sweet report

[fatherof3]

great report and pics can't wait for more

[danbouck]

Hurry up with part 2 Great Report!

[Weeds]

That was an amazing report; making me wish I was there!!

[Crazyhook]

man that is just amazing!~

[muskymatt]

Ok...now your just show boating...

 

Good on ya MB.

 

Yer living all our dreams.

[huey graphite]

The scenery is incredible and you managed to capture that in each pic.

 

Awesome report!

[bassboy]

Excellent report! Cant wait to read more!!

[MJL]

That's one AMAZING report...Can't wait for part II

 

That's definitely something I want to do before I die.

[scuro]

Ok...now your just show boating...

 

The story is told from my perspective. The biggest fish were caught in the other boat while we were on the Pitt river which happened on day three. I decided to leave that for the second report. It is told in a chronological manner although not strictly so, that would break up the flow. In the first report I showcased the PB of 3 of the 7 people on the trip. Moosebunk would catch one that was one inch bigger then the Sturgeon displayed in this report. There are easily enough pictures and stories for two reports.

 

Personally, I wouldn't do another strictly Sturgeon trip again. I'm not exaggerating about the power of these fish. Some people get off on that in a Hemingway manner...others don't. Diane whom you may know as ladyfish refused to fish Sturgeon after day three. She was done like dinner.

Edited September 3, 2007 by scuro

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Excellant report, nice fish and great pictures. Sounds like a great experience! I have to agree.... I dont know if Sturgeon is considered sports fishing or work.lol I wonder if Tarpon are harder to bring in!

[Moosebunk]

Very nice start Chris.

 

I'm missing the fish and food already.

 

Bull Trout, not to be confused with Bullheads.

 

Your sockeye and Bulls were the best catches on the Pitt for sure. The hotstick man.

[mattyk]

very nice report, thanks for sharing it with us!

[lunkerbasshunter]

sure is a pretty area! Huge fish too!

 

Cheers!

[huntervasili]

WOW thats one great looking trip you had there and an awesome report as well

[mcallister.grant]

That is an amazing report!!! WOW; what beautiful pictures!!!

[Guest Trophymuskie]

Nice fish, wish I was there, oh ya I was supposed to be there.

[Golfisher]

Whoa, what a report!

[Toronto_Angler]

Sounds like the trip of a lifetime!