OUTLOOK
Well it was nice to wake up to some much needed rain this morning! Hopefully this rain and some cooler temperatures will make some of our river and lake fishing a little more productive.
If you’re heading out to the river this week be sure check out all of the regulations as there have been a number of closures. These are outlined in the regulations section below. We’ve had some positive reports from the Chilliwack and Squamish so those are some good options if you’re heading out this weekend. With some of the rivers closing this year, don’t forget about mid season lake fishing, you might be pleasantly surprised at the lack of pressure and the size of the fish! Check out Jason and Andre’s lake reports below for details.
In Andre’s words, beach fishing has been nothing short of amazing. We’ve had some great days on the water fishing from the boat this past week but there are some good tides coming up which are perfect for targeting fish from the beach. Beach fishing was not the only amazing saltwater fishing to be had this week. Fishing off of W. Van has been hot with all of our guide boats into a lot of coho, pinks, and chinook. The full report including pictures can be found below.
Finally, if you missed it a few weeks ago we have ONE spot left for our September Skeena trip to the Nicholas Dean Lodge. These spots do not come up often so don’t wait on this one. If you’re looking for something a little more fun close to home this summer, enter our Vancouver Chinook Classic Derby. All of the details on this amazing catch and release tournament are below.
NICHOLAS DEAN LODGE – PRIME TIME SKEENA STEELHEAD DATES
ONE SPOT LEFT!
Join us in the best week of the fall steelhead season to swing flies for steelhead on the fabled waters of the Skeena and its tributaries. If you are a prime time only kind of guy, look no further as this is the best week for fly fishing for steelhead and especially for skating dry flies. We will be staying and fishing with Nicholas Dean Lodge in Terrace. Simply put, the accommodations and food are excellent and you won’t find a better group of guides. What makes the operation at Nicholas Dean Lodge unique is their 30 plus years of guiding experience and the rivers they have rod days on. They have the rights to fish the main stem Skeena, and tributaries like the Kalum and the Copper as well as numerous others secret rivers where I have been sworn to secrecy as well as some special places out towards the Nass. I have fished with this lodge before and these guys know where to go in low water, medium water, and high-water. That means regardless of the conditions they know where to go and have the rafts, jet boats, helicopters, and rod days to make your steelhead fly fishing dreams a reality.
These prime time September spots do not come up very often, in fact almost never, so grab them while you can and hold on to them for life! Spots will be filled by email enquiry so they can be dated, and then Jason will phone and book the trip. So email Jason at jtonelli@pacificangler.ca and book your steelhead dream!
Visit the Nicholas Dean Website
Watch this Nicholas Dean Steelhead Video
Trip Date: September 13-19, 5 days, 6 nights.
Trip Price: $4,550 CAD plus GST.
Included: Accommodation, 5 guided days, food and beverage with meals, Pacific Angler Host.
Not Included: Transportation to Terrace, Licenses, and Gratuities.
Gus with a nice steelhead on a trip with Nicholas Dean Lodge.
VANCOUVER CHINOOK CLASSIC
New name, new date, new location – same great derby!
Last week we announced the new name, date and location of our 4th annual Vancouver Chinook Classic Catch and Release Derby.
Check out the Vancouver Chinook Classic website for all of the details on the new location at the amazing Pacific Gateway Hotel and other details of this premier 2-day tournament with the largest cash prize of any fishing derby in Vancouver.
Not only do you have the chance at over $50,000 in cash and prizes, the tournament is also an opportunity to support local charities and salmon stewards. The Vancouver Chinook Classic raises awareness and funds for Capilano Little Ones School and the Pacific Salmon Foundation. Last year’s tournament raised $10,000 for the Pacific Salmon Foundation!
Tournament Dates: Saturday August 29th and Sunday August 30th
Entry Fee: $1,500 per boat (includes up to 4 anglers)
Your tournament entry includes moorage, registration gift bag, hot fisherman’s breakfast both days, gourmet dinner including 2 drink tickets on night one, entertainment, awards ceremony and barbeque with 2 drink tickets on day two, and special daily prizes from our sponsors.
For more details and to register visit the Vancouver Chinook Classic Website!
COURSES
Introduction to Fly Fishing
This course was specifically designed to give the new fly fisher the basic knowledge, casting skills and fly fishing strategies to effectively fish our local BC waters. This course is comprised of two sessions; 3hr evening seminar and a 3hr casting session.
Cost: $125.00
Seminar: August 11, 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Casting Date: August 16, 10AM – 1PM or 2pm to 5pm
REGULATIONS UPDATES
Subject: FN0715-RECREATIONAL – Salmon – Region 2: Fishing Closures in Region 2 – July 22, 2015 at 00:01 hours
Water levels in many systems throughout the Lower Mainland and other regions within the Province are now extremely low and river temperatures in many cases are reaching lethal limits for fish.
Effective July 22, 2015 at 00:01 hours until further notice, all non-tidal rivers, streams and sloughs in management units 2-2 to 2-12 and 2-16 to 2-19 are closed to angling, excluding the following:
– Fraser River,
– Chilliwack/Vedder River,
– Harrison River,
– Lillooet River,
– non-tidal Pitt River,
– non-tidal Squamish River,
– Elaho River,
– Cheakamus River,
– Mamquam River downstream of the CN Bridge, and
– Capilano River downstream of the Highway No. 1 Bridge.
Note: These management units encompass most of Region 2 south of Toba Inlet.
This order is made in conjunction with a Provincial order. The result of these two orders is a complete angling closure in the listed waters. Variation Order No. 2015-350
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact the nearest Fisheries and Oceans Canada office or visit their website at:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at 1-(866)431-FISH (3474).
If you’re heading out of town be sure to check your regulations as there are a number of closures throughout the province.
All Fishery Notices can be viewed on Fisheries and Oceans Canada Website.
FRESHWATER REPORTS
Capilano
Even with the rain that is coming down as we write this report, the river will likely remain low and fishing will likely remain slow as coho salmon will continue to have difficulty making their way into the system. Also as noted in the regulation section above the Capilano is closed to fishing above the Highway No. 1 Bridge. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the closure.
Chilliwack
The Chilliwack red spring fishery is in full swing, fish are throughout the whole river and a couple have even made their way into the hatchery. We’ve have had an increased number of successful reports from this last week, so it is worth your while to search for some red springs. Even with this low water fish are still willing to bite in these conditions, changing your baits up regularly when the fish are off the bite will increase your odds of hooking up. 20 gram to 30 gram floats and fluorocarbon leaders are key for your terminal rigging.
Squamish
We are hearing solid reports from the Squamish Mamquam confluence. This is where the Mamqaum River meets the Squamish River. The Mamqaum River is closed above the rail bridge but it is still fishable at the mouth. So be sure to familiarize yourself with the regulations.
When you head out swing flies on light to medium sink tips with short 4ft 10lb leaders. I tend to use pink patterns in the 1.5 to 2 inch size and tie them bushier than the beach style patterns so they stand out in the water. There are lots of great options in stock here at the shop.
For the gear fisherman you want to focus on pink and white spoons as well as pink and chartreuse spoons and hoochie spinners. Another great option is to float fish with pink and purple jigs. The hoochie spinner also a great addition under a float. If the water is coloured go with bigger lures and if it is clear go as small as you can. In short we recommend having a variety of options with you when you head out. If you need to pick up a few items before you head out we have a very cool little deadly darter lure that we expect will fish really well when the pinks get picky.
We are excited to hear reports from the eagle run and fisherman’s park areas on the river. Historically the water in this area has been too dirty to fish this time of year. With the odd conditions we might be able to fish there this season. If anyone has been into fish there let us know.
The limit for Pink salmon is 2 per day on the Squamish but all other species are catch and release and it is strictly a single barbless fishery.
Good Luck,
Matt Sharp
Chehalis
The Chehalis is closed to fishing.
Skagit
The Skagit is closed to fishing.
STILLWATER REPORTS
Local Lakes
With cooler temperatures, fishing our local urban lakes or Whistler lakes may pick up a bit this week. Again focus your efforts in the morning or the evening when the temperatures are cooler.
Interior Lakes
The temperature drop has cooled down some of the interior lakes, especially the higher elevation ones. There has been good reports of chironomids hatching in the afternoon in various sizes and colours. Tunkwa continues to be good sand Salmon Lake has produced some big fish on leeches and dragons in the morning and evening. Try your luck with a “Booby” fly near the bottom on a fast sinking line, as this is a great pattern during the summer doldrums. With a full moon coming up at the end of the month, we could see some caddis hatches so be prepared if you are on a lake around those days.
Andre
Saied’s catch from Douglas Lake Ranch this week.
A good customer, Saied, sent us this picture this week and it was such a nice looking fish we though we should share it. This is a great example of the huge trout that can be caught mid summer if you adjust your techniques. This fish was caught up at Douglas Lake Ranch on a leech pattern, earlier in the day when the water was cooler and the fish are actively feeding. Bryce, who worked here at the shop for a few years, worked at Douglas Lake last year and he said the best fishing of the year was actually July and August and there was very few people on the water. With some of the rivers closing this year, don’t forget about mid season lake fishing, you might be pleasantly surprised at the lack of pressure and the size of the fish!
Jason
SALTWATER REPORTS
Beach Report
The tides are not super low for the weekend but from Monday onwards the low tides start, which is great for those looking to fish from the beach. You want to be on the beach as much as you can as the full moon approaches by the end of the week. More and more coho are accumulating everyday and bigger fish are getting caught. Last week was amazing especially if you were fly fishing of a boat. I hooked a lot of coho fishing at different tides and light conditions. I will say this again, change flies until one works for that time period and when it stops working put on a different colour of fly. We are almost into August so be prepared to have a tougher time to catch coho as everyday they get more stubborn and are not willing to bite your fly but be persistent and at some point of the day, tide, light condition there will be one or more fish that will reward you for your hard work. As for pinks there are plenty of them around both at West Van and Furry creek.
Andre with his biggest coho of the beach fishing season.
See you on the beach,
Andre
Local Saltwater
Fishing was awesome this week with lots of fish being caught off W. Van. Our guides Eddie and Dimitri and Warren were all into a lot of coho, pinks, and even a sockeye bit the gear this week. There were a lot of chinook hooked as well, both by trolling the coho and pink gear and getting chinook incidentally as well as using anchovies and targeting these larger fish.
Alex with a nice chinook landed on a triple header this week!
The white UV or white hootchy is still the number one producer for the coho on a fast troll, and by fast we mean at least a 45 degree cable angle. For detailed pictures of the flashers and hootchies we are using, look at last weeks report as we went into detail on what flashers and hootchies to use for coho and pinks off W. Van. Just a reminder that sockeye must be released with care as you will often catch sockeye on pink hootchies when fishing for pinks. Sockeye have a large eye, small scales, and no spots, and this time of year they are very chrome with a bright bluish green back. You can retain 2 hatchery coho per day and 4 pinks per day but your total daily limit is 4 salmon, regardless of species. So a lot of anglers are keeping 2 hatchery coho and then 2 pinks.
Eddie’s guests with their catch!
It was good to see more chinook being caught off W. Van and the Bell Buoy this week and this fishery will only get better as we get into August. A good way to approach the day is to fish for coho and pinks off W. Van in the morning and then focus on chinook later on in the day over at the Bell Buoy off Point Grey.
Brian with a nice chinook landed on a late afternoon charter.
Now back to the pinks, we are really going to see a lot more show up in the coming weeks, so expect some good to red hot action by trolling pink hoothcies on a 28-32 inch leader behind your favourite flasher. We have a large selection of pink gear in stock right now like hootchies, spinners and spoons, jigs, and custom flies. We like to carry some fly rods and light spinning setups on our boats as in the coming weeks you will see large schools of pinks that you can cast flies or spoons to and the action can awesome. This is already happening up in Howe Sound as we have had some awesome days fly fishing for pinks from the beach as well as from the boat. Don’t be afraid to go exploring up in this area and look for schools of pinks showing themselves on the surface, especially from first light to around 10:00 am or so. After that they tend to go deep and jigging with pink lures works well or use a fast sinking line if you are fly fishing.
Dimitri’s guests with their limits of pink and coho. A very productive day!
We will keep you advised of the situation on the Fraser Mouth as this area is currently closed and we are thinking it will open around August 1st. This will allow us to fish for chinook off the S. Arm and for pinks as well. It is not a guarantee that it will open August 1st, so check the regs before you head out. We will be talking to DFO before our next report on Friday, July 31st and will let you know what they say. The main concern is the Fraser is about 35% lower than normal for this time of year and about 3.5 degrees C warmer than normal. This means there could be an increased in river mortality for migrating salmon due to the low and warm conditions.
See you on the water or in the shop,
The PA Saltwater Guide Team: Jason, Eddie, Dimitri, Warren