Well, finally did a guided trip up the Pitt River on Friday for Bull Trout. My son and I went, as he and my wife coordinated it for my 60th Birthday present. He booked a charter through Curtis Meyer of BCFLYFISHING CHARTERS. It was a great trip. Travelled up Pitt Lake from Grant Narrows in Curtis's Thunder Jet. Very comfortable and enjoyable scenic run up the lake. The river had decent water level to travel up. We started fly chucking on a nice run that Curtis had taken bulls a couple days prior. But alas, nothing there. We were using our 8 wt rods with Type 6 sink tips 5 feet of 15 lb test leader and white rabbit fur flies with stinger hook. Went up a little farther to a nice run with a side channel flowing into it. Within 30 minutes I had hooked and lost 8 bulls. So frustrated!! Took a closer look at the hook which was sharp but a bit of a bulge up the point keeping the point from sinking in deep enough. Changed the stinger and within the next 45 minutes I had 3 bulls between 4-9 lbs up to the beach for pix. They are such beautiful fish. Fought real tough with long runs, deep head shaking and many charges away from the beach when I thought they were done.
My son, came up to where I was and he began to get into them. He hooked 5 and landed 2 bulls around 5-8 lbs. Again all beautifully coloured with the lime green back, silver sides and pink dots along the upper side. We went and tried a couple of other runs and each hooked one each around that 5-6 lbs range. Bumped a couple more but not holding on. The bulls either were taking the flies very gently or just hammering it. All together we hooked 17 and landed 7 bulls. They were fun to watch in shallow water chase the flies right into the shallows before hitting them. Curtis was watching them hit the fly from the side not even getting the hook, so we had to change our strategy to slow down the take on them when they took the fly for a better set.
Saw a bear swim across the river just below us and seemed to have exhausted himself out as he took a little while to recuperate. The water is sure cold...mountain glacier water at its finest. We also saw and got some pix of a doe with her very tiny fawn along the river bank. The weather was good, cloudy no rain and nice tempeture for fishing in. We went up to the canyon for a quick spin. Beautiful river and amazing scenery. If you haven't been on a trip up the Pitt contact Curtis and give yourself the treat of a lifetime. It is so close to us here on the Lower mainland yet so far away-wilderness territory within your grasp.