Steve had fished the Gold in the late 70s and he still gets a far-away look in his eye when he recounts those days. Countless times he has told me and anyone else who would listen how he and his two partners had beached over 150 steelhead in three days of fishing on the Gold. This had been done without benefit of a boat. For our upcoming trip Steve gleefully reported that his friend would be squiring us around in his new nineteen-foot jet sled. Steve promised that this trip would be a steelheader's dream come true.
Gold River is remote.
The previous is an understatement. The captivating drive along the eastern shore of the island took us past scenic fishing villages, oyster farms, and rivers crying to be fished. From Campbell River we headed west over the Insular Mountains that form the spine of Vancouver island. Dropping down the west side of the mountains into the Gold River drainage we noted that the terrain became more rugged and remote. The highway followed the lovely Burman River before finally crossing the Gold near the town that bears its name.