Owen Blackwater — Skeena Steelhead Adventures

About

Owen Blackwater is a member of the Gitxsan First Nation and a professional fly fishing guide who has spent his life on the rivers of the Skeena watershed in northwestern British Columbia. The Skeena and its tributaries — the Bulkley, Morice, Kispiox, Babine, and Sustut — constitute the greatest wild steelhead river system remaining on Earth, and Owen's ancestral connection to these waters gives him a perspective on the fish and the landscape that no amount of sport fishing experience alone could provide. His guiding practice is informed by both traditional ecological knowledge passed down through his family and the modern fly fishing techniques demanded by the most discerning visiting anglers.

Owen specializes in swinging flies for wild steelhead using traditional Spey casting methods. His preferred approach is the classic wet-fly swing, presenting hand-tied patterns through the tailouts, slots, and bucket pools that wild steelhead favor during their upstream migration. He ties many of his own flies, drawing inspiration from both the classic British salmon fly tradition and the innovative patterns emerging from the Pacific Northwest steelhead community. His knowledge of run timing, water temperature, and the behavioral differences between summer and fall steelhead allows him to position his clients on the right water at the right time throughout the season.

Owen is a vocal advocate for wild steelhead conservation and catch-and-release practices, and he views his guiding as both a livelihood and a form of cultural stewardship for the rivers that have sustained his people for millennia.

Specialties