It's been a long while since I posted an update so I thought I would drop some pictures and updates. September was time off in the south east Kootenays for lots of attempts at and a few encounters with bull elk. With the hot weather at 34 Celcius at the start of September it made for challenging bow hunting. Gabe put out a lot of effort to chase down some elk and dragged me up and down more mountains than I ever thought I could climb. As it turned out, on a fine sunny morning I managed to spot and harvest a fine 4x4 mulie but the elk were tough.
Gabe and his buddy Mike were a great help. Most of all by packing in a 6 pack of cold Coors Beer to celebrate and quench thirst on a hot day. We clinked tins in celebration and then went to work loading up the backpack. Gabe shouldered the bulk of the load which I really appreciated. Of course I was packing out the "massive" antlers so I did my share and a second Coors at the truck made the day perfect!
The best thing about hunting in the east Kootenays is that it is never far from some great trout fishing. The Elk Valley is home to some excellent West Slope Cutthroat trout fishing in the Elk, Fording and Wigwam Rivers. While the elk would give me the slip in the mornings, the cutthroat were not so lucky in the afternoons when the sun had warmed up enough to get the hatches going.
In September the Caddis hatches would get the trout eager to rise to the surface and most pools held one or two or in some cases up to 7 fish. While not the same size and power as west coast salmon, they provide a spirited diversion. Since I was fishing about 20 km upstream of Elkford the possibility of rubbing noses with either an Elk or a Grizzly is always a possibility so some 30:06 insurance carried on the back is always a good idea.
On the other hand, getting back into the bush can pay off and Gabe filled his tag with a nice Muley so steaks, roasts and sausages are in the near future. At the end of every good hunt it's great to have a Starbucks to get the caffeine level back up to par.
On the other hand, getting back into the bush can pay off and Gabe filled his tag with a nice Muley so steaks, roasts and sausages are in the near future. At the end of every good hunt it's great to have a Starbucks to get the caffeine level back up to par.
As far as fishing goes, the sockeye was a wash out this summer but coho, springs and chum are now in most systems. This is turning out to be a banner year for chum and the Squamish, Vedder, Stave and Chehalis are all producing well this year. Flies for chum are in the dark purple, blue or chartreuse range. Coho will perhaps take a chum fly but silver, chrome and blue are good bets. If you have the right color presented in a drift just above the river bottom on a short (12 inch to 24 inch) leader then the possibility of 20 or more chum in a couple of hours is a real possibility.
RSS Feed
