Nick Basok and his 18.91lb catch on Wednesday January 28th (Photo: Nick Basok).

Combining years of experience and some luck, fish in this weight class will occasionally show itself.

That was what Nick Basok from Chilliwack Dart and Tackle encountered earlier this week, a 18.91lb hatchery steelhead in the Chilliwack River. Basok, a retiree from the Freshwater Fishery Society of BC, is an experienced river and lake angler in BC. These days, he spends his winter days targeting winter steelhead on the Chilliwack River, collecting wild fish for the Chilliwack Hatchery broodstock program.

Due to spending hours on the water, he frequently connects with good fish. This week was no exception. The fishing has been good due to unfavourable river condition in the last few weeks. He found a few prized steelhead but this fish topped them all.

Because it was a hatchery fish, which anglers are allowed to retain, he decided to keep it and bring it into Fred's Custom Tackle for the weigh-in. The scale does not lie and it is now the heaviest fish in the annual Wally Hall Junior Memorial Derby.

The Chilliwack River offers excellent winter steelhead fishing between January and May. If interested in participating, please remember that a steelhead conservation stamp needs to be purchased. Anglers are allowed to retain one hatchery steelhead per day and you must stop fishing once the fish is kept. Be sure to mark your catch on your license.

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