Great Lakes Dude #19 | Dean River Steelhead with Jeff Hickman, Adrienne Comeau, Pat Beahen, and Jeff Liskay

Great Lakes Dude Podcast

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There are steelhead rivers, and then there is the Dean. From Kimsquit Bay Lodge in British Columbia, mountains drop straight into the salt, with fresh steelhead only minutes from the ocean.

Jeff Hickman, Adrienne Comeau, and Pat Beahen join Jeff Liskay to break down what makes Dean River steelhead fishing so different. They get into the famous canyon, how tides shape the fishing, dry-line and Chinook tactics, and the gear and techniques that make this river unique.

They also talk about something bigger than catching fish: why these wild steelhead deserve respect and what anglers can do to give something back.

Show Notes with Jeff Hickman, Adrienne Comeau, Pat Beahen and Jeff Liskay

Jeff Hickman takes us through the history of Kimsquit Bay Lodge and BC West, while Adrienne Comeau and Pat Beahen share what brought them to the Dean. We break down the river from the saltwater to the canyon, how Dean River steelhead move through the system, and what makes fishing and landing these wild fish such a unique experience.

From Steelhead Obsession to Kimsquit Bay Lodge

(01:08) Jeff Hickman was hooked on steelhead by the time he was 11. That obsession eventually took him from guiding in Alaska and working at Alaska West to Andros South and, eventually, the Dean River with BC West.

After hosting the same week on the Dean for six years, Jeff and his wife Catherine got the chance to buy Blackwell’s Lodge with help from a client. They took the leap in 2014, even though Catherine had never seen the lodge, and it became Kimsquit Bay Lodge.

Adrienne met Jeff nearly 20 years ago at the Sandy River Spey Clave and joined the lodge full-time after two shorter guiding stints. Pat met Jeff at Andros South in 2007 and later heard through Karen Knight that Jeff needed guides, eventually coming aboard as lead guide.

Dean River Steelhead — Photo via https://www.kimsquitbay.com/

Building the Kimsquit Bay Program

(06:37) Kimsquit Ba y runs from mid-June through mid-September. Jeff reduced the number of rods while stretching the season from the original nine weeks to 13 weeks, allowing the lodge to run later in the year.

Jeff sold his Deschutes permit to former employee Barrett Ames, giving him more time on the Dean and at Kimsquit Bay. He now spends about six months a year at the lodge on construction and improvements while bringing the programs together into one lodge experience.

I’d make only a small trim so the winter location, two remodels, first Dean trip, his feeling about it, Ocean Run, and orcas all stay:

During winter, Jeff lives on the northern Oregon coast and works on two major house remodels. His first Dean trip felt like everything had led him there, fishing Ocean Run knee-deep in the river as orcas passed by.

The geography makes the experience even more unique. About 500 feet away from the lodge, the water is roughly 500 feet deep, yet steelhead can move from that deep saltwater into just 18 inches of river water.

The Canyon, Tides, and a River Built Backwards

(16:46) The Dean River canyon separates the lower and upper river. Jeff describes it as a half-mile box canyon that is almost a waterfall. Blackwell’s fished about two miles below it, where tides influence the river and fresh fish can arrive chrome with sea lice.

Jeff acquired Blackwell’s in 2014 and BC West in 2019. He reduced BC West from eight guests to six and extended the season. With its lease ending June 1, 2028, the programs are being consolidated at Kimsquit Bay, with plans for up to 12 guests.

In August, a jet-boat ban applies above the canyon, where Jeff says they hold the only guiding licenses. Fish average two weeks through the canyon, depending on flow and temperature. High flows this season kept some fish below longer or moving downstream.

The Dean flows west from an interior plateau through the Coast Range before reaching the Dean Channel, surrounded by granite mountains, waterfalls, and glaciers.

Sink Tips, Chinook, and Getting “Deaned”

(26:16) Fishing depth depends on river height and speed, but Adrienne says even heavy sink tips may not fish as deep as anglers expect. At Bone Zone, the guides can sometimes watch the fly swing and see T-11 or T-14 fishing only about a foot deep.

For early-season Chinook, heavier setups help get the fly into the zone quickly and keep it there:

T-11 or T-14 – can fish only about a foot deep at Bone Zone, depending on conditions
15 feet of T-17 – used for early-season Chinook in higher flows
T-20 – another option when conditions call for it and the angler can handle the heavier setup

Adrienne says Chinook can be almost scary to hook because they can break leaders, lines, reels, rods, and hooks.

Then there is getting “Deaned.” A fish can grab, turn, and head back toward the ocean before the angler has time to react. Sometimes the guides can chase it by boat, but other times there is nothing to do but hang on and enjoy the ride.

Dry-Line Steelhead and Catching the Same Fish Twice

(32:20) Jeff Hickman says the challenge has become more important than catching numbers. For him, steelheading is about connecting with the wild, and making it harder can make each encounter more meaningful.

With a dry line, Jeff enjoys a fish slashing, boiling, or rising as much as a hookup. He encourages harder wades, longer casts, and bringing fish to the surface.

Pat shares a story that brings this idea to life. Jeff Liskay landed a steelhead at Cutbank on a sink tip and large pink fly. The fish had a distinctive X-shaped seal wound on its flank.

Two days later, Jeff committed to the dry fly. After losing one fish on a midstream jump, he hooked another a few casts later. It was the same X-marked steelhead from Cutbank, now several runs upstream and caught on a dry fly.

Reels, 20-Pound Leaders, and Landing Dean River Steelhead Fast

(37:51) After hooking a fish, the goal is to land it quickly, limit handling, and send it on its way. Adrienne and Pat help anglers apply pressure, making gear choice important for powerful Dean River steelhead.

They avoid click-and-pawl reels on the lower Dean unless the angler is experienced. They’ve seen clickers burn out, regulators fail, and even a reel handle spin off into the river.

They use 20-pound leaders, with 25-pound also mentioned. Jeff uses 20-pound with dry flies to avoid leaving flies in fish. Lighter-wire hooks become the weak point, while thicker leaders keep flies near the surface.

Cloudy weather limited glacial color and brought excellent dry-fly conditions. Temperatures topped 60 degrees only two or three times, recently hit 51 degrees, with 55 to 58 degrees the sweet spot.

Why We Keep Coming Back to Fishing

(45:04) Adrienne says steelheading is one of the few things that quiets her mind. The rhythm becomes almost meditative, giving her both solitude in wild places and the chance as a guide to help others experience those same moments.

Jeff Hickman discovered fly fishing after moving with his mom from the East Bay to Mount Hood, Oregon, around age 11. A fly shop in Welches helped introduce him to the sport, while the surrounding rivers, steelhead, and wilderness became a source of healing and shaped his connection to fishing.

Pat’s former geography teacher recalled that by grade nine, he was committed to becoming a professional fisherman. Pat also remembers fishing for rock bass on the St. Lawrence River around age 10, an early start to his lifelong path in fishing.

Conservation, Fish Handling, and the Guardians of the Dean

(56:04) Jeff believes giving back is part of being a steelheader, whether through donations, volunteer work, labor, or other skills.

Adrienne describes the challenges facing wild fish as “death by a million cuts” and says fly anglers, gear anglers, and other sport fishermen need to work together on the bigger issues.

Pat focuses on what anglers can control: use appropriate gear, fight fish quickly, get help landing them, and keep fish wet. For photos, he says air exposure should be only a second or two rather than approaching 10 seconds.

Pat also recognizes the Dean’s guiding history, naming Al Ezeli as the first guide in the mid-1950s and acknowledging those who passed along their knowledge and respect for the river.

Listen to Scott Baker McGarva on the Dean River: WFS 017 – Dean River Steelhead with Scott Baker McGarva

The message is simple: put the fish first, help each other, and handle every fish with respect.

Ollie’s Dean and One Last Fish-Off

(01:05:25) Kimsquit Bay can be difficult to book because the season is short. Jeff points listeners to Fish the Swing for lodge information and says @fishthedean is their social media handle, while his personal handle is @fishtheswing.

Jeff also recommends Oly’s Dean, a film supported by Patagonia and Native Fish Society. The film follows his son Oly growing up in the wilderness on the Dean River. Oly was nine years old in the film, and by this trip, at age 10, Jeff Liskay says he was already an impressive fly tier.

Pat closes with a 15-minute fish-off he and Adrienne squeezed in while their clients ate lunch. Neither caught a fish, although both had bites and Pat says he missed his chance. Pat finishes by thanking Adrienne and saying how much he enjoys fishing and working with her on the Dean.

About the Guests

Jeff Hickman has been chasing steelhead since he was about 11 years old. His career has included Alaska West, Andros South, the Deschutes, BC West, and Kimsquit Bay Lodge, where he is now bringing the Dean River programs together.

Adrienne Comeau guides at Kimsquit Bay and also works in the Terrace and Skeena country. Steelhead were part of her fly-fishing story from the beginning, and the Dean was a legendary name to her before she had even cast a fly rod.

Pat Peahen knew by grade nine that he wanted to become a professional fisherman. His path eventually brought him to the Bulkley and Kimsquit Bay, where he serves as a lead guide and works closely with Adrienne and the rest of the Dean River team.

Connect with the Guests