Dean River Spey Week July 4th - 11th 2009

[Dana]

The economic downturn has provided Speypagers with a unique opportunity this July!

I've been working with the great folks at Deneki Outdoors (longtime Speypages sponsors at Alaska West) for the past few years to set up a Spey Week but dates were tough to get as their Dean River lodge (BC West) is often booked years in advance. Recently some prime dates have become available and I'm thrilled to be hosting our first Dean River Spey Week this July 4th - 11th, prime time for chasing chrome chinook salmon and steelhead on the fabled lower Dean!

There are only 5 spots available for this trip. The cost is $5700 US from Bella Coola. I'll post more details shortly!

Our Spey Weeks are popular annual events and usually sell out quickly, often a year in advance, so don't delay in contacting me at dana@speypages.com if you'd like to get in on this exciting trip to British Columbia's legendary Dean River!

[Dana]

Here's a rundown on the fishing program:

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The Fishing Day

Fishing days are long at BC West! We fish a two-shift day that maximizes fishing time during low-light
hours and provides a nice break in the middle of the day.

Days start early. Our schedule is designed to have our guests on the water right around sunrise, so
depending on the time of year our light breakfast starts between 5:00 am and 5:30 am. Guests enjoy
coffee, pastries, fruit and light breakfast fare, and head on out to the river for the start of the day!

Our morning fishing shift runs from sunrise until roughly 11:30 am. After the morning shift, guests return
to the lodge for our main meal, a delicious plated lunch in our main lodge building. The break between
the fishing shifts lasts until about 4pm. Guests use this opportunity to relax after their meal, work on their
gear and often, wisely, take a nap. At 4pm guests head back out onto the river for the evening fishing shift
that runs until just before dusk.

After the evening fishing shift, guests return to the lodge for our evening meal served at 9:30pm, made up
of heavy appetizers and served in our clubhouse. Guests relax in the late evening and head back to their
cabins for some much-needed sleep at the end of a very long fishing day!

During most weeks in our season, guests alternate days fishing below and above the Dean River canyon.

Fishing below the Canyon

Guests fishing below the Dean River canyon are transported from run to run by jet boat. Fishing time is a
mix of closely-guided (guide standing near the guest as they fish through a run) and relatively unguided
(guide within 1 ½ miles of guests on the river; communication via handheld radio).

The Dean below the Canyon presents a mile and a half of big, beautiful, broad runs that provide an onramp
for fish exiting the saltwater of the Dean Channel, headed for the spawning grounds of the upper
Dean. Most fish in the lower Dean are passing through—they’re within a tide or two of the salt, and are
not yet truly ‘holding’. This provides a very unique angling opportunity—large runs with the flow and
character of typical steelhead holding water, but with a constant supply of fish moving in and out of the
run.

Just made a pass through a 200-yard run? No problem—fish it again! It’s likely that you’ll be showing
your fly to a completely new set of critters that have just moved in out of the salt.

We access the lower Dean using a custom 24-foot Dean River-style aluminum jet boat built by Mike
Forsyth in New Hazelton, BC. This vessel gives plenty of room for four guests plus guides, and does a
great job accessing the sometimes shallow, rocky shoreline of the lower Dean. Depending on guest
preference and guide availability, one or two guides accompany four guests on the lower river.

Fishing above the Canyon

Guests fishing above the canyon do so self-guided. At the beginning of the week, guests are given an
orientation on the basic layout of the upper river. They are trained on the safe operation of our 4-
wheelers, and then turned loose to fish the upper river on their own. Each guest is issued a 4-wheeler,
which is used to access the upper river via a network of trails on one side of the river. Once the guests
reach the section of river that they have chosen to fish, the leave their 4-wheeler and fish the river on foot.
In a couple locations on the upper river, small 2-man boats are placed to allow access to the side of the
river opposite the trail system.

The water above the canyon consists of a variety of runs that are relatively easy to read and quite accessible
on foot. Guests enjoy their time on the upper river since all are experienced in fishing for anadromous
fish—this is an excellent combination with the guided fishing on the lower river.

To book your week email me at dana@speypages.com or contact Deneki
directly.

And here's a link to your Dean River trip planner!

[Dana]

still looking for some adventurous anglers for the Dean trip!