The Babine River of the Skeena Region is well known for providing a high quality steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) recreational fishery. In 1990, the province of B.C. implemented a classified waters system to protect such high quality angling experiences on rivers throughout B.C. The purpose of the classified waters system was to provide a diversity of angling opportunities, maintain a high quality angling experience and to improve regulation of the angling guide industry (ARA Consulting Group 1991). Rivers or sections of rivers were defined as classified waters during critical time periods which usually happened during preferred steelhead angling seasons.