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Anglers are surrounded by mountains at all times when on the Dean.

The Dean River: Hard to Believe

It’s no secret that steelhead returns across the Pacific Coast have been dwindling over the past century. While different river systems get annual fluctuations that provide cause for either trepidation or hope, steelhead runs in most systems just aren’t what they used to be. There is a river, however, that can give us a glimpse into history to at least help us fathom, and perhaps even experience, what wild steelhead fishing may have been like 50+ years ago.

The Dean River in British Columbia, a competitor for the title of “best steelhead fishery in the world”, is simply hard to believe. Breathtaking backdrops, remote wilderness, long walking-pace runs and abundant hot steelhead covered in sea lice all combine to define this haven for anadromous fish.

Bruce Chard makes a few more casts at the end of a run.

Kimsquit Bay Lodge and BC West, two lodges separated by only a half a mile of gravel road, host a handful of lucky anglers each year as they get to step into a steelhead fishing environment that has become increasingly rare in modern days. Tall Man, Cutbank, Motel, Ross, Cedar Hole and Jam are just a fraction of the runs that seem to hold pods of fresh steelhead day after day throughout late June, July and into August. These fish are willing to grab a fly, too. One week on the Dean can provide more steelhead to hand than years of swinging flies back in the lower 48. As anyone who has fished here can tell you, when these fish slam your fly, they instinctively spring back to the ocean as quickly as possible, peeling off fly line and backing quicker than you can process what’s actually happening.

-This is the top of the canyon and falls and is the last leg of whitewater before the traveling steelhead and salmon can rest.-

There’s wildlife all around… But you have to remember to look.
The amenities and food at Kimsquit Bay Lodge and BC West are stellar. It’s hard to believe that such high levels of comfort can be provided in this extremely remote setting.
Fly colors do matter, at least in July. Green, turquoise and/or black seem to elicit more strikes from Chinook, while orange and pink flies tend to find the steelhead.
Guide Steve Scherling thoroughly covers a run on the upper river. You truly never know when a push of steelhead are going to come cruising through a run.
While it’s not easy to raise a steelhead on dry flies, good things come to those who put in the time.
Steve Scherling sends a fly through a run that produced a fish the day before.
Guide Nick Verlaan takes a couple of casts during a brief snack break.
Bruce Chard sends another nice cast during a morning swing session.
A blue and pink fly has an equal chance of getting grabbed by a Chinook or Steelhead.
Working together as team allows the steelhead to be landed more quickly and efficiently. It is important to get a good read on the hooked fish’s behavior so the net man makes his move at the right time.
Guide Nick Verlaan keeps the fish wet for the photo before sending it back on its’ migration.
Guide Nick Verlaan takes a couple of casts during a brief snack break.
An underwater release from guide Nick Verlaan and Bruce Chard.

Perhaps even more impressive than the fishing and breathtaking scenery is that these fish migrate through Dean River Canyon, which is characterized by a neverending contiguous stretch of white water and waterfalls that appear impossible for fish to traverse. Despite this gauntlet, these steelhead, as well as Chinook salmon, make this annual pilgrimage and reach the upper sections of river to eventually spawn. Anyone who is fortunate enough to lay eyes on this canyon will find it hard to believe these fish have the strength and perseverance to get through.

Perhaps most impressive is the mile-long gauntlet these fish manage to pass through on their way to spawning grounds in the upper headwaters. This is what seems to be never-ending whitewater that appears to be impassable… but clearly it isn’t.

The Dean is a special river that you truly have to see to believe. I’ve been fortunate enough to step foot on these hallowed grounds, yet still I find it hard to comprehend that a place like this exists.

Even though the steelhead catch rates on the Dean are as high or higher than almost anywhere in the world, it’s still nice to appreciate each and every fish.
The soft evening light lingers longer up north.

Contributed By

Anthony Swentosky

A.J. has a lifelong passion for fly fishing and an innate curiosity for finding out what lives beneath the water’s surface. He’s an outdoor and fly fishing photographer, cinematographer and filmmaker based out of Bend, OR after recently moving from Jackson, WY.

Fly fishing photography and filmmaking started out as a hobby that allowed each day of fishing to be extended into the editing and sharing processes. He now creates photos and videos that attempt to convey emotion and the beauty of landscapes, rivers, lakes and the fish we chase in hopes of inspiring others to respect our fisheries and preserve them for the future.

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