JUNE 2019 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
How nice it was to have summer temperatures and great days fishing both on Kootenay's main lake and on the West Arm. With water temperatures increasing to the mid 50's F. , the surface activity was excellent resulting in more fish . We caught a number of rainbows exceeding 50cent. or 20 ". Your typical rainbows were 2 to 3 lbs. , with some 3.5 to 4.5 lbs. Your typical bull trout were 3 to 4 lbs. , with a few up to 8 lbs. As you can see from my Facebook postings on the right we caught some nice fish in the Arm and on the main lake .
MAY 2019 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
KOOTENAY LAKE FISHING REPORT
Water temperatures broke 50 degrees F , and activity levels increased accordingly . With the lake level rising along with an increasing food supply on the surface surface fishing activity picked up . As a result we are catching rainbows in the 2 to 3.5 lb. range with some up to 5 lbs. , and bull trout in the 3 to 5 lb range , with some up to 7 lbs. We expect the fishing in June to be even better . You can see our results on the Facebook postings on the right column.
APRIL 2019 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
KOOTENAY LAKE FISHING REPORT
Water temperatures are slowly increasing up to 44 degrees F, and activity levels are getting better . We seem to be catching an even distribution of rainbows , kokanee and bull trout . It is encouraging to see the kokanee , which we release , rainbows in the 2.5 lb. to 3.5 lb. range and bull trout in the 3.5 lb. to 10 lb range . The bull trout in our April 27th report was 30 inches long .
DUNCAN LAKE FISHING REPORT
As you can see on our April 30th Facebook report , Bull trout were the main event , ranging between 5 lbs to 10 lbs. Duncan Lake has great camping facilities . Give Kootenay Wild a call and we can add fishing to enhance your vacation .
TROUT LAKE
Kootenay wild is planning to be at Trout lake in the last week of June. Why don't you plan on joining us for a day or two ? I am posting last years trip to show you how we did .
MARCH 2019 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
Water temperatures climbed up to 39 degrees F. and the fish activity is picking up . We caught a number of rainbows requiring the conservation surcharge stamp and a number of bull trout in the 22 to 24 inch range . We also caught and released a number of kokanee in the main lake which we hope to be a sign of the population increasing and a higher spawning count in the upcoming year.
From our Facebook postings on the right you can see the overall trout size seems to be improving . We have been taking bookings for Easter Family outings .
FEBRUARY 2019 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
Water temperatures were as low as 36 degrees F. and we found the fishing activity to have slowed down considerably . As a consequence we had to slow down our trolling speeds . At this time of year their is no food on the surface so there is no evidence of fish feeding . Once again we were catching rainbows in the 2 to 3.5 lb. range and bull trout in the 3 to 5 lb. range . The kokanee numbers appear to be down in the west arm based on fewer siteings on our fish finder .
JANUARY 2019 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
KOOTENAY LAKE FISHING REPORT
Water temperatures reached their lowest point for the year with some ice forming in restricted bays . With the cooler water temperatures the fish activity overall dropped off resulting in fewer fish being caught and landed . The rainbows caught were in the 2 to 3 lb. range and bull trout in the 3 to 5 lb. range .
DECEMBER 2018 -WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
KOOTENAY LAKE FISHING REPORT
Water Temperatures dropped to 45degrees F and we continued to catch rainbows on the surface and bull trout off of our downriggers . Our rainbows ran in the 2 to 4 pound range and our bull trout in the 3 to 5 lb. range . We have been enjoying a mild winter this year making our days on the water quite enjoyable . We want to thank all our clients for choosing Kootenay Wild Charters on Trout Lake , Duncan Lake and Kootenay Lake and we wish all the best in 2019 . We are looking forward to your return visits in the upcoming year .
NOVEMBER 2018 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
KOOTENAY LAKE FISHING REPORT
As one would expect water temperatures continued to drop down to 50 F. and activity levels remained quite active on our charters . Once again we have been catching more rainbows over 20 " or 50cm requiring the conservation surcharge stamp . Overall we have been catching rainbows in the 2.5 to 5lb. range but our bull trout fishing has fallen off, likely due to their spawn, and it should improve . We continue to catch and release kokanee . You can see the results of our Nov.19th charter on our Facebook posting . We are looking forward to our winter clients staying at our Airbnb on their skiing / fishing / hot springs vacations .
OCTOBER 2018 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
KOOTENAY LAKE FISHING REPORT
October water temperatures continued to drop , with the main lake temperature dropping to the mid 50F range . We experienced the best fishing in October , particularly with us catching rainbows requiring the conservation surcharge stamp (50cm + or 20"+). As you can see from our October Facebook postings on the right , our rainbows not only increased in size but they also displayed very pronounced colouration . For details you can view our Facebook postings by hitting our Facebook logo above . Our charter boats have heated interiors . November results are looking good as well .
SEPTEMBER 2018 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
KOOTENAY LAKE FISHING REPORT
September temperatures continued to drop , with the main lake temperatures going from 65F to 58F . We had some great days on the lake with some happy clients . Overall activity on the surface increased resulting in us catching more rainbows , while at the same time we were catching our bull trout on our down riggers . You can see some of our photos on the right , on our Facebook postings , and more details on our Facebook page .
AUGUST 2018 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
Kootenay Lake Fishing Report
August temperatures continued to increase , with the main lake temperatures getting as high as 75F or 24C and as a result surface action slowed right down and down riggers gave the best results . We also had to deal with smokey conditions which resulted in some cancellations . We did however have some great days on the lake with lots of sunshine , and caught nice rainbows and bull trout off our down riggers . By the end of the month our water temperatures dropped to 65F or 18C and fishing results improved , as can be seen on our Facebook posting on your right or for more details go to our Facebook page above .
JULY 2018 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
Kootenay Lake Fishing Report
July started off with the water temperatures still reasonably cool and with the rainbows feeding off the surface and bull trout off of our down riggers .
We ended up fishing longer days , up to 12 hrs. , and ending up with 7 to 9 trout in our cooler , generally in the 2.5 to 4.0 lb. range , with one or two being larger . Towards the end of July after weather temperatures in the 32C range , the water temperatures in the main lake have risen into the 20 C or 70F range , so fish have been feeding on the surface in the early mornings and just before sunset and as a result down riggers are catching trout at 60 ft. or deeper . Our clients have enjoyed being on the water in these temperatures ,and enjoyed the beauty of Kootenay Lake and our surrounding mountains . You can review some of our photos on the right or scan them in detail on our Facebook page .
JUNE 2018 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
Kootenay Lake Fishing Report
As anticipated, the waters cleared of debris , and everyone had fun fishing . Fishing for Kokanee in the West arm was crowded both in Sunshine Bay and at the mouth of Balfour harbour at the start of June . Kokanee fisherman watched out for each other very well , although the ferry required more room than some wanted to give up . The Kokanee sizes increased and a number were caught in the 1.5 to 2.0 lb. range . Fishing on the West Arm yielded some very nice rainbows , with some approaching 3.5 lbs. , as shown in our June 27th Facebook posting . Fishing on Kootenay Lake typically yielded 5 or 6 rainbow trout and 2 bull trout each day . The rainbows were in the 2.5 to 4lb. range and the bulls were in the 2.5 to 5.0 lb. range , as shown in our Facebook postings, on the right . For full detail hit our Facebook logo at the top of our website .
MAY 2018 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
Kootenay Lake Fishing Report
Due to a heavy anticipated run off our lake level was lowered to the extent that we could not use our slip and consequently could not launch our Bayliner until the third week in May . Since then our lake has come up at the rate of 4 to 5 ft a week , and is still climbing. The main lake is full of debris and as a result you have to fish the shore lines that have the cleanest water . This year I anticipate June and July to be much better months to fish than in previous years . The water level should crest in the near future and start dropping and clean up considerably . We will be on the water in the next few days , testing the fishing at different locations in the lake .
Trout Lake Fishing Report
We took our first 2 day charter out on Trout Lake and found the water level with spring run off to be very high and a lot of associated debris and pollen floating in the water . It did not interfere with our fishing that much however . Trout Lake is higher up in the mountains than the other Kootenay Lakes we charter and truly is a wilderness mountain experience . On the first day of our charter we were the only boat on the lake . Kootenay Wilds accommodation partners are called " Trout Lake Retreat " , the only accommodation available on the lake shore , and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay . You can check them out @ www.Troutlake-Retreat.com or facebook@troutlake.retreat . Our client from Calgary had Steven and myself looking after him full time and we were on the water 12 hrs. both days . We located the larger fish on our fish finder and went after them with our down riggers set at the desired depth . We were successful in catching bull trout off our down riggers and rainbows on the surface , behind our planner boards . You can review our Facebook posting to see some of the fish our client caught . Two day bookings are the minimum we will accept . We use our 18.5 ft. Thunder jet on this lake .
APRIL 2018 - WEST KOOTENAY FISHING REPORT
Kootenay Lake Fishing Report
We did not book any charters in this month due to the unpredictable weather patterns. Rainbows between 2 and 3 lbs. were being caught and bulls 3 to 6 lbs . We use our 18.5 ft. Thunder jet for fishing , this time of year .
Duncan Lake Fishing Report
We made a trip out to Duncan Lake on April 10th , and found the lake level to be way down as we expected and also found the bull trout to be more concentrated as a result . Duncan Lake is certainly a beautiful mountain lake with glaciers in plain view and the run off just in the initial stages . Bull Trout is the main event , and we targeted large bull trout on our fish finder and caught them off our down riggers . We caught and released a number of bull trout and kept three to take home . For charters we will use our 18.5 ft thunder jet , and prefer two day bookings as a minimum . You will have both Steven and myself as fishing guides . You can see pictures of our trip on our Facebook page .
FEB/MARCH 2018 MONTHLY
Arizona Snow Bird
Fishing on Lake Havasu does not measure up to the West Kootenay's.
JAN/2018/MONTHLY
2018 Washington Sportsman Show
This show was attended by 40,000 people , and proved to be a success for Kootenay Wild. We anticipate a very busy year in 2018 and are excited about fishing in our new areas . We will be providing detailed fishing reports for each of these areas in the spring . Kootenay Wild will be expanding its staff to cover the new areas .
DEC/2017/MONTHLY
Kootenay Wild Fishing Reports
Our acivity has been focused on updating our website to reflect our major changes to our 2018 operations , which includes adding our new areas ; Duncan Lake , Slocan Lake , Trout Lake and the Columbia River .
NOV/2017MONTHLY
Kootenay Wild Fishing Charter Services
Water temperatures continued dropping and fishing off the surface produced rainbows in
the 1.5 to 3.5 lb. range and bull trout off our down riggers in the 2 to 5 lb. range . Kootenay
Wild pulled our Bayliner out for the winter months and placed it in storage .
Kootenay Wild Taxidermy Services
This time of year we work in doors on our various taxidermy projects .
OCT/2017/MONTHLY
Kootenay Wild Fishing Charter Services
As one would expect , with the cooling water temperatures , more fish were feeding
off the surface , and activity levels increased . Most of the rainbows caught were between 1.5 and 3.5 lbs. , and bull trout between 3 and 5 lbs. Rainbows were caught primarily on
the surface and bull trout were caught on down riggers .
Kootenay Wild Taxidermy Services
A new fleshing machine was purchased and installed in our shop enabling us to
prepare capes for tanning in a quick and efficient manner . Most of our time was spent
in base preparation for full body projects .
SEP/2017/MONTHLY
Kootenay Wild Taxidermy Services
Our first archery project of the year is shown on our Facebook posting on the left .
Hunting success is down in the West Kootenay's this fall . It is believed that due to
excessive snow fall last winter , our elk winter kill was substantial .
Kootenay Wild Fishing Services
With the water temperatures starting to cool , fishing improved overall , with significant
variation from one day to the next . Some days the fish feeding patterns were almost
nonexistent and resulted in low catch rates and other days the feeding patterns were
intense . See Facebook posting on left - Rainbows by the handful .
AUG/2017/MONTHLY
Kootenay Wild Taxidermy Services
With Archery season opening tomorrow , I thought I should highlight the option of having your trophy horns displayed on a shield , as you can see on my Facebook posting to the left , in the event you are not wanting a shoulder mount . The charges for mounts of this type are the same as having a European skull mount done , i.e.; elk $350.00 , moose $400.00 and deer $250.00 . This can be done with old sets of horns , or European mounts can be converted as well .
Kootenay Wild Fishing Charters
As with July , due to warm weather temperatures , fish feeding periods and productivity ,
varied greatly from one day to the next . Client bookings , again were one day bookings , with hot summer days on the water , and were full family excursions . My August 24th charter ran from 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM , with my clients catching a 6 - 7 lb. bull trout and
four 2.5 - 4.0 lb. rainbow trout , and enjoying dinner barbecued on the boat .
Review Facebook report on the left .
JULY/2017/MONTHLY
Kootenay Wild Fishing Charters
All our charters booked were one day charters , due to the fact that fishing this
time of year tends to be less productive , as a consequence of the warm water temperatures .
However we did have a number of reasonable days and clients that enjoyed their day on the water , some of which plan to come back in the fall or next spring .
Kootenay Lake has to be one of the most scenic lakes to be on and our 30 ft Bayliner
adds to the enjoyment .
Family excursions are a great success .
Review our Facebook reports on the left .
JUNE/2017/MONTHLY
Kootenay Wild Fishing Charters
No charters were booked for the first three weeks in June due to non business commitments . See details on the last weeks results on Facebook report on left .
MAY/2017/MONTHLY
Kootenay Wild Fishing Charters
Kootenay Wild took charters out for the full month of May and a great time was had by all.
Our clients were from Washington , Oregon , B.C. and Alberta , some were return clients and some were new . Kootenay Wild supplies all the equipment and clients soon become
comfortable and actively engaged in the whole operation . My last group , a father and two
sons from the US , by day three were running the down riggers , planner boards , and catching and releasing fish on there own . They went back to the US with their possession
limit - 6 bull trout and 18 rainbows , frozen in a cooler , and advised me that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves , on our charters and at our B&B . Fortunately our
weather during the month of May was great .
Kootenay Wild has openings available in the month of June for both our charters and B&B.
APRIL / 2017 / MONTHLY;
Taxidermy
Once again taxidermy was the main focus for the month . No charters were booked for
fishing in this month due to the unpredictable nature of our weather . My clients are
predominantly from the US.
Kamloops Award Ceremony
Dave Ringheims' Mountain goat and 381 Elk shoulder mounts were completed so that Dave could show his elk at the awards ceremony , for the top scoring elk shot in the province over the last 3 years . And guess where the top scoring elk elk predominantly came from - the West Kootenay's - Gods country . - See my Facebook report on the left .
Jarret Moons' Alberta Elk
Jarret's elk has to be one of the nicest open mouth shoulder mount elks I have done . The mount shows all the features of a bugling elk ( Facebook report ). With larger racks , the neck can have a more aggressive turn with the head held up a little higher and the rack dropped down . This type of mount works well in rooms with lower ceilings .
2017 BCWF AGM & Convention
Our local Nelson Rod & Gun Cub hosted this event and did us proud - they did a first class job of representing us . Kootenay Wild supplied the requested
taxidermy mounts for this show and set them up along with our booth .
(Facebook report) .
march / 2017 / monthly;
Taxidermy ;
The month of March is totally spent in in our shop working on taxidermy projects . Due to
uncertainty in regards to weather , no charters are booked during this month .
Some of my taxidermy projects can be reviewed on my Face book postings on the left .
Rainbow Trout Replica ;
As you can see from my Facebook posting , from a picture and info such as weight , length , etc. , a replica can be made . Any special requests , such as highlighting the rainbow stripe , and the buck tail fly used to catch the Gerard ( grey ghost ) can be added . Fish replicas tend to be more durable and repairable than a skinned fish mount , and are good for display purposes on either side .
Taxidermy Projects ;
Dave Ringheims' shoulder mounts - Mtn. Goat and Elk are featured . Dave reviewed my
catalogues , on the many choices of mannikins available for shoulder mounts , and selected the two you see . The Mountain Goat is as white as snow because the tannery tans their white hides in a separate batch . The Elk Mount is a large Semi- Sneak left turn Shoulder / leg mount . Due to the very large , massive rack ( 381 score ) , the mount is much larger that it appears in the photo . The details in the face and colour variations in the cape make it an attractive , impressive mount .
February / 2017 / Monthly
Portland Sportsman Show
Kootenay Wild had their booth set up at the Portland Expo Centre ( Feb. 8-12 ) . Photos of our booth and taxidermy displays can be viewed on our Face book page on the left .
The show proved to be successful in that we booked fishing charters out of our booth , and have booked fishing and B&B packages after arriving home . The month of May is being booked first and has 17 days out of 31 taken .
ice fishing Duck Lake
To fish on Duck Lake , a Creston Valley Wildlife Permit is required , which can be obtained on line . Large mouth bass is the main event , with a daily limit of three , of which only one can be over 40cm . You are allowed a limit of 20 yellow perch a day as well . Hand augers are required and the ice thickness is around 4" . You do have to be aware of open water areas due to CO2 emissions . Photos of my neighbour Steven holding two large mouth bass can be seen on my face book page on the left .
Hunting
I entered my name for the grizzly draws this spring and bought a raffle ticket for the Desert mountain big horn sheep being offered by our Wild Sheep Foundation , which I require to complete my slam . I am looking forward to hunting black bear this spring .
Taxidermy
I completed the cougar mount display and placed it in our trophy room .
Once again photos and details are on my face book page on the left . I picked up my tanned hides from Advanced Fur Dressers , my taxidermy supplies from Research Mannikins , so I am ready to start some new projects .
January / 2017 / Monthly
Ice fishing
My previous ice fishing was up north , so I found things to be very different in our region . I was used to driving my truck on the ice . My power auger had extensions added to it so that I could drill through over 4 feet of Ice . You can not use a power auger on Duck Lake .
So I proceeded to Erie Lake , and enjoyed my day , catching and releasing perch and brook trout . There is quite a difference when you are looking down on your auger and only have to drill through 6 inches of ice and the temperature is above freezing .
Hunting
I made a trip up the mountain above me and ran into Tim Faiers , owner of Shadow Mountain Outfitters . He was heading out on his tracked side by side and I could hear the hounds baying further up - the hunt was on . We are very fortunate to have such a healthy population of cougars and bobcats and a first class outfitter at Riondel . I new we had a cougar in our area , the elk have moved down and big tom tracks were reported in the snow . The sound of the hounds brought back memories of my hunt with Tim . The cougars I am currently working on will be a permanent reminder of the thrill of the hunt .
Taxidermy
Pictures of my projects and details are in my weekly Facebook reports on Ithe left .
I am pleased with my Gerard Rainbow Trout reproduction and have had enquires from individuals who have caught trophy sized fish years ago and wish they had mounted them . The price for either a skinned taxidermied fish or a reproduction is the same @$25.00/inch , but the replica is more durable . My replica is available for showing potential clients , along with everything else in my trophy room . My full body wolf was particularly difficult to do because the hide was in very poor condition but the end result was fine . The two cougars are drying . As they dry the leather shrinks and pulls hard on the areas around the mouth and eyes , so pins are used to hold everything in place . I can already see the eye lids will have to be rehydrated, set and pinned again . Once everything has dried and is in place , I will do the finishing details ,likely mid February .