Pat AV said:
Very interesting, when I was up there this summer all the locals were crediting the increased early steelhead runs to a lack of commercial sockeye fisheries and the resulting interception. I wonder were they got that info from, I will look into this.
I go out there every year from PG for 10-14 days in late july-early august and any weekend i can get away. I aways check the website or with the DFO office in Terrace to see what the commies are doin, when they are out the Skeena can be pretty slow, so I'll just hit the Kitimat until about 2-3 days after comms are done, then it's good fishing again.
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/commercl/default.htm
Thats the site for some of this years fishin, but i cant find past years, use to have 'em. ( Skeena is area 4)
When i was out this year, rumour had it that soxs were going to be raised to 4/day the next morning, but next morning none of the fish shops had an update, so I went to DFO office and got confirmation and asked about the netting and they said due to overabundance there was a selective net fishery......don't exactly know how its selective. As I said before all the Steelhead I tailed for people (cause they thought they were coho and wanted to drag 'em on shore) had net marks. There was alot of Steel early though, probably why last year was poor, the fish weren't ready for spawning until this year. Since they dont follow the same life line of salmon..2/3/4 year cycle, they just show when their ready. Could be attiributed to water temp or feed im guessin (since ocean was colder this year, which in turn produces more feed). They did end commies on Aug. 7th , i think they went until around end of august last year for pinks. Upper Steelhead peak is around august to mid -sept. (on lower Skeena), although there are fish all year. I wish they would just get rid of the Commies and let the Skeena be a Meca for fishermen around the world. Even though I had a great season, finally got the grand slam in 1 day (the chum was from the kitimat though)