Fly Fishing

Glenflyfish · Location: Boston

Anyone fished Bull trout on the Pitt River (or else where)? I am going in mid June and sea run Bull trout are supposed to be there. What flies and techniques are successful? I just added a Spey rod to my inventory (Twin forks 8/9) and need to learn how to use this, but I assume minnow patterns and Intruders should work on Spey or my old #9?

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

yo ... there is a long time member of flies and fins "bigbear" from alberta canada .. not exactly sure where he fishes but i do know he catches alot of nice fish .. steelies, salmon, bulltrout etc... .... i usually see his username online at least a couple times per week ... he might be able to provide you with some solid info .. if not about that exact river, at least about some general bull trout tactics/flies that work up in that neck of the woods .. good luck ... here is a bulltrout article from big bear .. nice fish for sure ..

http://www.fliesandfins.com/article468.html

Glenflyfish · Location: Boston

Thanks. The Pitt River Lodge promotion talks about 5 to 15 pound fish, but I would be optimistic to hope for one like his. I did catch one on the Old Man River in Alberta once, but only as he grabbed my small cut throat (10") like a sandwich. Quite a tug of war, but of course he eventually let go. And the little cut throat survived too!

One other question -- when I ordered Intruder (black with long fur tail) flies from Cabelas they came without hooks. I presume so I could attach the right size? #2 or so? I wonder what the best way to tie them on is? Seems to be set up for aline to the head, but through a small plastic feeder at the end of the leather/fur tail?? Anyone had experience with these flies?

Joe_M · Location: Boston

I moved to MA from Seattle a year ago. My home waters were the Skagit, and the Sauk both are known for their Bull Trout. These fish tend to be really aggressive. They love to feed on whitefish, so my favorite flies to swing are big bunny leeches, I mean big like 4-6" in white or purple. I tie them with a little flash and some big eyes. If the salmon are spawning I will often drift egg patterns behind them and hold on! Here is a link to the gallery for a Dolly/Bull trout fly swap I was in a little while back it should give you some ideas of what guys use.

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=18317

About your intruder...it is a tube fly, snell a size 2-4 octopus hook on, slide your fly on the tippet, and connect to your leader.

I have wanted to go the Pitt for many years, I'm sure you'll have a great time. Best of luck!

Glenflyfish · Location: Boston

Thanks for the tips. I printed out you designs. I have some black leaches, but I will try to tie your white fly if it is ok to copy it. I will let you know how the trip ends up.

A admission of ignorance -- how do you tie a snell knot for this kind of fly?

Joe_M · Location: Boston

goolge it...there are some great animated resources that can explain it more clearly than I can describe it.

Glenflyfish · Location: Boston

Thanks, I found it and I just did not know it by that name. I just called a salmon knot. So thanks again for the help.

BigBear · Location: Alberta, Canada

Here in western Canada we have both the coastal strains which are dollies and the inland cousins bullies are mainly on the eastern slopes. I think they can co-habit but it is more the exception than the norm.

If you want the largest of bulls the Interior of British Columbia have the largest in the province, in the Columbia Drainage and the Flathead. The largest trout taken in BC is 29 pounds out of Kootaney Lake north of Creston.

There are a great many rivers around Fernie the harbour some hawgs.

The Bull Trout is Alberta's official fish and these aggressive char have recovered from over fishing in the early 90s. There are several rivers that will hold fish in the 20s (pounds that is). I plan on catching some of those brutes on mouse patterns this summer to be truthfully I think these fish can take down a small beaver.

chromersportfishing · Location: British Columbia, Canada

Glen,

I flyfish guide in Whistler, BC and fish a lot of Bulls and maybe I can help ya out.

The Pitt gets a lot of of good press for good reason. It's a pretty neat fishery, that has stayed healthy over the years and holds good numbers of fish. You can expect most fish to be between 12 and 18 inches with a few nice fish over 20 inches but there's not 15 pounders swimming all over the place! I wish! If you were there for a few days you'd probably have a chance or two at a bigger fish pushing ten pounds though.

If you are coming in June that's really not too good of a time. Rivers in our area tend to blow out mid May with a bit of heat and snow melt the spring runoff begins.

A spey rod is a great tool for out here and for rivers like the Pitt as it gives you the ability to cover lots of water and throw big flies. Bull trout love sculpin patterns (muddlers, zonkers, anything flashy with a rabbit strip) but try to fish lots of fry patterns too, sparse and small. I think they work better than all the big heavy stuff that often spooks fish. There is something to be said about finer tippets and smaller flies. Check out a candy fly, its a little epoxy pattern that I really like.

Remember you'll need to access the Pitt as its not a river you can drive to. You'll need a boat to run up Pitt Lake or you'll need to book a package with Pitt River Lodge and they include transportation.

Another option if you're out this way is the Squamish River system. It doesn't get as much press as the Pitt but its an interesting fishery that I guide on all fall and winter and has Bulls and Winter Steelhead and its about an hour drive north of Vancouver and has plenty of car access on.

Hope this helps ya out. If anyone out there is planning a fishing trip to BC or is interested in guide services or lodges for both saltwater and freshwater fishing please send me an email yos@chromersportfishing.com and I'd gladly help you out.

Tight Lines,
Yos

www.chromersportfishing.com
www.chromersportfishing.blogspot.com

Here's a few pics from British Columbia Bull Trout fishing.
All on flies, all released.

Glenflyfish · Location: Boston

Thanks for the useful response! I actually did go to the Pitt River last June and had some good fishing. Four 6 pounders and twice that in 3-4 pound range. Lost one that the guide says was 12 pounds -- well who knows it did not get to shore (broke off as ran down a rapids). I stayed at the Pitt River Lodge -- great food and guides. One thing I did not enjoy was the loud big motor boats, but we fished at the top of the river with a raft most of the time so that was not usually a problem. I may be back out in June for a conference at Whistler -- so give me more any information on your guiding (glurban@mit.edu).