OUTLOOK
June is flying by and we are looking forward to a great summer of different fishing opportunities. The winds have calmed down and the saltwater salmon fishing has picked up again over at Thrasher. We’ll be doing a little scouting locally as the fishing will soon be much closer to home.
If you’re planning on getting some lake fishing in this week, try lakes in the 4000ft range and above to combat the warm water temperatures.
Beach fishing is almost here! Andre has a few tips below in his report and his beach fishing classes are filling up so don’t miss out.
Finally, there is still time to get a little something special for Dad for Father’s Day. Drop by this weekend and pick up the perfect gift.
FATHER’S DAY IS THIS SUNDAY!
There is still time to get that perfect gift for Dad. We’ve got a full selection of gifts in shop that will be a welcome addition to Dad’s fishing arsenal. Not sure what to get a gift card is always a great option as are these amazing custom classic flies tied by Josh Wolfe presented in full presentation display cases.
PRODUCT FEATURE
Big Selection Of Iron Needle Lures Hit The floor!
New trolling lures are a dim a dozen but sometimes a product rises to the top and out shines all the others on the market. When this happens there is an interesting level of synergy that sweeps the fishing world. The iron needle lure is one of the lures that has risen to the top over the last couple seasons filling a unique niche in the trolling world. The lure mimics a needle fish, a very common chinook and coho diet staple but a food source that is not commonly imitated by salmon fisherman.
We have a full selection of Iron Needle Lures in stock.
This is what Matt Stabler (Retired biologist and designer of the Iron Needle) has to say about the lure:
“What I realized was we were lacking a truly effective and consistent Needlefish Spoon in our West Coast Fisheries. Although we tried pretty well everything available back then, nothing really cut the mustard when it came to producing the results we were looking for. Realizing that needlefish (aka Sand Lance; Sand Eel) play a very significant role in terms of prey to most things that swim out here, I decided to try and develop the lure I was seeking. CONSIDERABLE trial and error over the years, continuous effort and constant tweaking, and we’ve finally arrived where we are today. This past year, the results this lure has produced have been absolutely STELLAR! It has indeed proven to be consistent, reliable, and an amazing producer for us both on the troller and guide rigs!”
How Matt Stable recommends fishing them:
If fishing with a “dummy attractor” set-up, we recommend:
• Heavy leader, 40 – 80lb test. 8′ long, connected to your mainline using a high speed swivel. (Do not attach swivel to lure)
• Set you lure approximately 8 feet behind the dummy attractor.
• Trolling speed: 2.0 – 2.8 knots (2.4 – 3.4 mph)
If fishing with an inline attractor (flasher), we recommend:
• Heavy leader, 40-60 lb test. 8′ long.
• Set attractor 12-16′ from the release clip.
• Trolling Speed: 2.0 – 2.6 knots (2.4 – 3.1 mph)
Come down to the shop if you want to give these new lures a try. They are awesome for fishing any habitat that has needle fish!
COURSES
We’ve got some great courses coming up in the rest of June and into July. Don’t miss out on your chance to get dialed in on the saltwater, whether its from the boat or the beach. We’ve also got a few spaces left in our Introduction Fishing Trout Streams and our Intro to Fly Fishing.
Mastering Local Saltwater Salmon – ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT!
Over 50 million salmon migrate past Vancouver annually. Learn how to catch these fish with a Pacific Angler. This course offers an in-depth look at the local saltwater scene. We cover the local saltwater salmon fishing for the entire year, showing you the how, when, and where. This course includes a 3hr evening seminar and a fully guided day on the water in one of our Grady Whites.
Cost: $250.00
Seminar Date: June 22, 6:30PM to 9:30PM
On the water: June 26 or June 27 – one spot left each day!
We also had one spot become available in our July course.
Seminar Date: July 7, 6:30PM to 9:30PM
On the water: July 12
Introduction to Fly Fishing Trout Streams
Stalking trout on mountain streams defines fly fishing. In this course we will teach you the fundamental techniques for fly fishing trout streams; dry fly fishing, nymphing, and streamer fishing. This course will get you as close to being Brad Pitt (River Runs Through It) as you will ever be! This course is comprised of one 3hr evening seminar.
Cost: $45.00
Date: June 29
Time: 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Fly Fishing on Beaches
This single evening 3hr seminar will cover the basic principles needed to be an effective beach fly fishermen in BC from Howe Sound to the east coast of Vancouver Island. Topics covered will include rods, reels, fly lines, flies, tides, and techniques. Andre Stepanian, the instructor for this course, has been chasing salmon on our local beaches for over two decades. Remember, east coast Vancouver Island has a pink salmon run every year and last year the Capilano had 12,000 coho!
Book this course early as we sold out all 3 courses in 2014!!
Cost: $45.00
Dates: July 6 sold out, July 14 or July 22 Time: 6:30pm to 9:30pm
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. The dates below show the seminar date first and casting date second.
Cost: $125.00
Seminar: July 20, 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Casting Date: July 26, 10am to 1pm or 2pm to 5pm
FRESHWATER REPORTS
Capilano River
As with reports from previous weeks the Capilano remains very low and fishing has been quiet. We’ve heard the odd report of coho showing up. We got some much needed rain last night but again likely not enough to bring some fresh fish up the river. If you’re heading out to give this fishery a try be sure to check last week’s report for some tips on catching these early coho.
Please remember: ALL steelhead(adipose clipped and unclipped) must be released with the utmost care.
Chehalis
If you are counting down the days until the Chilliwack opens don’t forget about the Chehalis. The Chehalis sees a small run of both summer chinook and steelhead so definitely worth getting out and fishing it. We haven’t had a chance to get up to the Chehalis and fish, if you have drop by the shop and share your report.
Chilliwack
We’re only a few weeks away from the July 1 opening of the Chilliwack River for chinook fishing. Watch this section next week for an overview getting ready to fish this river and the most popular methods for this fishery.
STILLWATER REPORTS
Local Lakes
The smaller local lakes are all very warm now. Bigger lakes like Allouette, Chilliwack, and Kawkawa are your best bet. The Whistler lakes are all worth a look as well. Shore fishing is limited in the Whistler area, however, Alta Lake has several docks. Mornings and evenings are the best, and fish will often be willing to take a dry fly at this time. Buntzen, Sasamat, Browning, and Rice were all stocked at the beginning of the month. These fish will provide some trout fishing opportunities over the next few weeks. Fishing in the local lakes will start to slow down this time of year because of the warm weather. As the water warms up, the trout become lethargic, and stick to the deeper parts of the lake.
If you’re heading up to the the Whistler Squamish area the most effective patters are Olive Woolly Buggers, Buick 52s and Muddler Minnows, so stock up before you head out. Dry fly fishing can also be very exciting when the fish are willing.
These are your local go to lake flies. Drop by the shop and we’ll help you pick some out.
Maxwell
Interior Lakes
With an abnormally warm spring, things seem to be weeks ahead of usual. Lakes in the 4000ft range are already very warm. The big springtime chironomid hatches are done for the most part and now is the time to be focusing on bloodworms, damsels, caddis, and sedges.
Max with a rainbow caught on his lake fishing trip this week.
If you venture into the Cariboo, make sure to have a selection of dragonfly nymphs in your box. It is also important to have a good selection of both nympha and adult sedge and caddis flies. Trout can be extremely picky when it comes to adult sedge and caddis; having multiple patterns such as a Goddard caddis, Mikulak sedge, Tom Thumb, and elk hair caddis will help your cause. Those looking for chironomid hatches should try lakes in the 5000ft range, or Tunkwa Lake.
Having a selection of Caddis and Sedge Fly Patterns are a must for your lake fishing trip.
Max Stickel
Local Lakes
SALTWATER REPORTS
Beach Fishing
It is getting close to the arrival of salmon at our local beaches. Yes it is time to get ready for another season of beach fishing for coho and pinks. I have been checking regularly for the past two weeks to see if by any chance there are fish, but haven’t seen much to shout about. With the exceptionally low water year for the Capilano River we might have a really good accumulation of salmon in the estuary. It will be coho any day and by mid July the pink salmon should arrive, estimated at 20 million. Get your 7-8 weight rods
with a floating or intermediate line and be sure your gear rods and terminal tackle are ready for the closest and convenient fishery in our city. I will have the flies in by next week and if you really want to have a better understanding of this fishery there are 3 dates available for my beach fishing course. If you’d like to know what to tie or which spoons and spinners to use please come to the shop and we’ll fill you in.
Chris with a beauty coho on a guided trip after he took the beach fishing course last year.
See you on the beach.
Andre
Local Saltwater
Eddie’s guests with their catch from a Thrasher Rock trip this week.
Jason’s guests went 3 for 6 on Sunday at Thrasher Rock