BC River Fishing Reports - Mid July, 2010
Fraser River - The Fraser is still pretty high but sturgeon fishing has been consistent from Chilliwack to Ft. Langley. Our guides have been doing well on a variety of baits; dew worms, lamprey, and eulachon, to name a few. There are lots of chinook in the river so the bar fishing should be good once the river drops and clears later this month.
Capilano River - The Cap has some fish in the river but things have been a little tougher with the low water. The fish are out in the ocean off W. Van, that I can tell you first hand. Once we get some rain the Cap will have some great fishing. Until then, expect it to be tough. These fish can be taken on a variety of methods. The most common being float fishing roe or deli shrimp. Casting and retrieving small Blue Fox or Mepps spinners as well as Gibbs Croc spoons in hammered brass and nickel fire stripe and fire wing. Fly fisherman can target these fish with small olive woolly buggers, micro leeches and small olive, chartreuse, pink or blue streamer patterns. A heavy sink tip or full sinking line and a weighted fly will do the trick. If you want to fish the mouth, look for the lowest tide possible and cast off the gravel bar to fish staging up at the mouth of the river. If you want to fish the middle sections around Marine Drive and the Upper Highways Bridge, watch the river levels for a rise in water which brings fresh fish in. (www.vankayak.org/capcam) Look to fish just after high tides. For the upper reaches, again watch the river levels. Fishing when the level is between 2 and 3 is recommended.
Upper Pitt River - It has been an interesting year on the Upper Pitt. We were plagued by low and clear water in the early season due to the extended cool temperatures we had. Eventually the river came up around the middle of June and there was a good wave of large Dollies followed by a bump of smaller fish. These fish provided some excellent fly fishing for a few weeks but they have since migrated to the upper reaches. The river then dropped with the cold spell around Canada Day and got very clear again and fishing was tough. Now with the heat of mid July the river is way up and dirty again so this should trigger the next wave of Dollies and the first chinook and sockeye of the year.
This river is not for the inexperienced jet boat captain and is best fished with a guide. To book a guided trip on the Upper Pitt call Jason Tonelli at Pacific Angler 604-872-2204.
Skagit River - The Skagit is now open. The anglers that went up for opening day on July 1st had some decent success. The fishing will pick up later this month as the river drops. When the river is high it is difficult to wade and travel down the river bank, making access fairly limited. The go to flies this time of year are small stoneflies for wets and Adams for dry. Overall your best success is going to nymphing using a strike indicator and weighted stonefly nymphs or may nymphs such as bead headed pheasant tail nymph. It is a good idea to have some streamer patterns on hand if you encounter any bull trout or want to switch it up and go after this species. A sink tip line is useful in getting your streamer down to these fish. Try swinging the fly through some of the deeper pools and tailouts where these predators lie in waiting hoping to pounce on an unsuspecting rainbow.
Stave River - Fishing on the Stave hasn't changed much from last report the Stave is still quite high due to freshet cutthroat and white fish are still in the system you just have to do a little searching. Fry patterns are still the weapon of choice for most but it can be a good idea to bring along some small stone fly nymphs and adults as well as a few may and caddis fly patterns. Small spinners and spoons will also work well as will a bobber and worm or single egg.
Chilliwack/Vedder River - As usual, there have been a few fish caught, but the majority of the fish have yet to show up. Last we checked there were only a few fish in the hatchery. The fishing will get better by the end of July. Float fishing roe or wool is the way to go for these fish. The best bite is first light and it can be pretty tough during the day and then it picks up again just before dark.
Harrison / Chehalis Rivers - There have been a few summer run steelhead caught in the Chehalis but it is already pretty low. The best fishing will now be in the canyon for these fish. One of the most productive methods is float fishing jigs. Spinners and spoons can also work well. There are a few summer chinook in the system as well. The lower river is a bit of a mess, all sorts of channels going everywhere into multiple log jams. It is likely that some summer steelhead and chinook will stack up somewhere down there with the low water, it's just a matter of finding some fishable water.
The Harrison River is high due to freshet but still fishing decent for cutthroat. Try Harrison bay or the flats off of Pretty creek Most fish are being taken on minnow imitations (like epoxy minnows or tied down minnows) or spinners and spoons like Blue Foxes, Hildebrandt's and Dick Nites.
Fishing with a bobber and worm or a single egg can also be deadly. Harrison Lake has also been quite good for cutthroat. Fish the gravel beaches on the west and east side of the lake especially around creek mouths. Small spinners and spoons or fry imitations would be my first choice for this time of the year.
Squamish/Cheakamus River - The Squamish is running high and coloured and is not currently fishable.
A few anglers have fished the Cheakamus and Mamquam and have been getting dollies on streamer patterns. The first runs of coho won't show up on the Cheakamus until early September, so we have a ways to go.
Stamp River - The reports from the Stamp have been great. Lots of summer run steelhead and lots of sockeye and some springs are starting to show up. The sockeye run has been very strong this year, which is nice to see. If you are looking for a good float fishing fix, the Stamp is a great choice this time of year and into August for summer steelhead and springs. There are also some good spots to fly fish in the upper river.
Cowichan River - Water levels have maintained a fairly constant 1.2 meter level near the lake on the Cowichan and there are some nice rainbow and brown trout being taken on the upper river hatches, the fishing is getting better with consistent mayfly and caddis hatches.
We have access to some private boat launches and our guides can put you on private water for the first part of your drift with some nice fly runs. We can arrange accommodations and guides. Please call the shop at 604-872-2204.
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