Q: Is the Kitimat River classified?

A: No. You do not need a classified licence to fish the Kitimat River.

Q: When is the best time to come to Kitimat?

A: All depends on what type and size of fish you are looking to catch. So far as fresh water is concerned, Steelhead start running in March and are strong right into May. I have a picture of myself with a June 16th steelhead. That is very late. The best time for them is second or third week of April up to mid May. The Chinook or Springs start about mid May and close July 31. The big and fresh ones are generally caught the last week of May to the middle of June. That's not to say you can't catch a very respectable Chinook on the July 1st long weekend. July and August are a great time for Pink and Chum which are open until August 31st. Starting in late August you stand a very good chance of hooking into a beautiful Coho. The run starts getting strong about the long weekend in September and go right to the end of October.

Q: How many of each species can I keep?

A: So that there is no confusion check out http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/Freshwater/region6_e.htm You will find all the answers there. It will also put you to other helpful links.

Q: What kind of gear will I need?

A: Again the answer is very dependent on what type of fish you are targeting. When fishing Chinook, your going to want to have a few 65 Blue or Green Scale Kohos with Fire strip on back. For some, the spoon might be as big as an 85. You might want to plunk out with a pyramid weight and a spin "n" glo. Depending on your reel you might want 30 or 40lb monofilament. If your drifting you might be pulling plugs with a hotshot or a big flatfish. When it comes to Pinks, Chums and Coho a simple jig will do the trick. If your water is running fast/deep your going to want to use a big weight of jig. The color of the water will dictate the color of jig. Rule of thumb, dark water, dark jig. It was hard for me to wrap my head around that too when I first heard of it, but it's true. Then there are some that stick to one color for each species. For example, a pink jig for a Pink salmon. For some it's a chartreuse colored jig for Chum and then for others its a purple and blue with flash for Coho. The bottom line is get out there and try what you've got and don't let anyone tell you your crazy for trying something, because that might be what is working on that particular day. We are finding more and more that the colors that are working with spoons and jigs are the same colors that are working with flies and visa versa.

Q: How much will my licence cost?

A: Nothing is easy.  Depending on whether or not your a BC resident, a Canadian citizen, whether or not you want to fish a classified water, and for how long you want your licence will depend on cost.  All of your answers are on page 6 of the 2006 Freshwater Fishing Regulations or at: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/licences/intro.html.  There are some other helpful links on that page as well.  All annual licences are valid from April 1, 2006 through to March 31, 2007.  Annual licences are not pro rated, so the price in April for an annual licence is the same as it would be in October.