In the early hours of 6:30 a.m., Robert Wozniakiewicz would load up his fishing gear and bait, along with homemade Polish sausages and ham prepared by his wife for the guests, to start his 22-foot aluminum Thunder Jet boat. This boat would carry the guests into the surging river to search for dinosaur-sized fish.
Today, the water level in the Fraser River was lower than usual. Taking this into consideration, Wozniakiewicz speculated on where the famous giant sturgeons in the river might be swimming towards and accordingly planned the itinerary.
Aged 53, Wozniakiewicz is a renowned fishing guide on the Fraser River, having immigrated from Poland to British Columbia, Canada 14 years ago.
Explaining to the Epoch Times, Wozniakiewicz said, “Due to the melting snow, the water flow undergoes the most significant changes in May, June, and July. The water level this morning might be 3 to 4 feet lower than normal. With past experience, you just need to consider where the fish schools might move to, and then head there for the search.”
One of Wozniakiewicz’s British clients, Vickram Karavadra, has been returning every June for years to the company Kilby Lodge founded by Wozniakiewicz north of Chilliwack in British Columbia to embark on his fishing journey. Karavadra dreamed of catching a sturgeon even larger than the nine-foot one he caught last year.
The weather was clear that day. However, the early morning fishing activity was uneventful.
Wozniakiewicz once again fired up the boat’s engine. They headed downstream to a turbulent and unstable part of the river, where the trees on the riverbank provided escape routes for the sturgeons. Carelessness could lead to fishing lines being easily cut by the trees. However, after a few hours, a massive sturgeon leaped out of the water, and Karavadra caught this giant sturgeon.
“It was a quite breathtaking sight, with the sturgeon swimming towards the riverbank,” Wozniakiewicz said. He understood the sturgeon’s behavior well and utilized it accordingly. “When you pull to the right, they swim to the left; when you pull to the left, they swim to the right.” Subsequently, by adjusting the direction of the fishing rod, they successfully guided the sturgeon to turn towards the open waters, away from the floating tree trunks.
45 minutes later, Karavadra had maneuvered the fish into shallow waters. Exhausted from the struggle, the sturgeon was at its limit. Wozniakiewicz managed to grab the sturgeon’s lower jaw for measurement. With only a 10-foot measuring tape at hand, they exclaimed, “The tape is too short!” The sturgeon ultimately measured 11 feet 6 inches from snout to tail fork, falling short of the world record by two inches.
Wozniakiewicz expressed extreme excitement at capturing the sturgeon, often referred to as a “living fossil.” This experience left his British client so emotional that he was speechless. Celebrating after releasing the sturgeon, they opened a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey upon returning.
After working as a heavy machinery mechanic in Alberta’s oil fields for years, Wozniakiewicz realized his dream of becoming a fishing guide on the Fraser River. He initially learned fishing near his hometown of Wroclaw, Poland.
Wozniakiewicz referred to fishing as a lifelong passion, even though his hometown lacked giant sturgeons.
Kilby Lodge opened eight years ago. Years later, Wozniakiewicz quit his mechanic job. Subsequently, like many fishing tour companies on the Fraser River, this startup lodge also suffered greatly from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a tough time,” he recalled. “And the economy wasn’t doing so well. People weren’t spending as much on recreational activities as before.”
However, Wozniakiewicz mentioned that during the peak season, he was busy every day hosting fishing customers, with two other guides assisting him.
While Wozniakiewicz’s enthusiasm for sturgeons might not extend to tagging and recording their sizes for research like some other companies near Chilliwack, he willingly complies with fishing regulations aimed at protecting the species. On the Fraser River, these giant fish must be handled and released in a specific manner.
“Sturgeons are truly wondrous fish, magnificent in their size and appearance,” Wozniakiewicz said.
Some of Wozniakiewicz’s clients come from as far as Hong Kong and Switzerland. He understands that for many, catching giant sturgeons in the Fraser River is a lifelong dream. He is committed to meeting their high expectations and ensuring they have an unforgettable journey.
He said, “I always hope everyone enjoys themselves after the fishing is done. We light a fire at Kilby Lodge and then enjoy beer or whiskey in small groups. We talk about fishing, hunting, and have a good time together.”
For Karavadra, this was his fourth time on a fishing trip at Kilby Lodge. This experience left a profound impression on him, planning to return the following year with a friend who shares his passion for fishing.
Wozniakiewicz chuckled, saying, “I always say, sturgeon fishing is addictive. My clients often say, ‘I’ll be satisfied with just catching one.’ But after catching an eight-foot fish, they often come back saying, ‘Robert, book us for next year, we want to catch even bigger ones!’ This is a common sentiment I hear from clients.”