Snowy river hunting area

[Okanagan]

Yesterday when a slushy snow started falling I headed for the woods by noon, looking for a soggy doggie to call here on the wet side and hoping snow would stick at higher elevations to show tracks.   Chilliwack River is pictured below.  It undoubtedly has steelhead in the main pool pictured, though the river is closed to fishing in this upper section.  Starting a mile downstream where the river opens there were lots of steelhead fishermen.  Also a group of whitewater kayakers with snow piling on their kayaks.  The Canadian Olympic kayak team trains on this river, on some hairy piled up whitewater sections.



Side creek.  Snow falling.




Looking for a calling stand along Foley Creek.  Tough country to find a good calling stand.



Frozen lake, up a side canyon.



My tire tracks were the only ones on several side roads I drove.  Nice snow to spot tracks but  I never saw a single fresh track of anything, not even a squirrel.  Nothing moving, not deer, coyotes, bobcats, lions, ... nothing but me and early on I decided I should have stayed by a fire with a hot drink.  I did two calling stands anyway and circled widely after the second one, but not a single track marked the snow.

[FinsnFur]

Looks like some real tough calling territory. Ya need a partner

Very nice pics. Whats the name of that river? The ChiliWillie? Yeah it looks like it'd make a real chilly willy.

[KySongDog]

That third picture looks like the LBL with snow.      

Sure is pretty country you got there.  Thanks for the pics.   

[Silencer]

beautiful.... any trout in that stream ???

[Okanagan]

beautiful.... any trout in that stream ???

Yes, it is pretty.  My wife and kids like to picnic on the river.  There are rainbow trout I'm sure though I've never fished for them.  It might have some sea run cutthroat.  Salmon and steelhead are its main attraction.  Right now it has a run of winter steelhead in it and I have caught four different species of salmon at different times from this river.  Salmon run from May through November, with some hogs of Chinooks for a week or two in October, some years with many of those in the 40's and 50 lb. range.   

Wish life was easy enough to swap some time hunting eastern hardwoods and fishing for crappie and bass for some time out here.

Happy New Year! 

[jdbp]

looks nice!!!!

[slagmaker]

Very nice. Love the river pic. Looks like you could reach down scoup up a handfull and get a drink. Then wonder how bad you frostbit your fingers