Outlook
The long weekend is here!! Time to go fishing! It looks like we are lining up for a good weekend of weather in Vancouver and though there is some rain in the forecast for lake country, things still should be good for fishing. The big question we always get asked leading into a long weekend is were should I go fishing?
If you are a saltwater guy, it’s time to go to Thrasher! We have had good reports from across the straight as well as a few spots locally. We still have prime time spots for Thrasher available so call today to book! Check out the saltwater report for more details!
Lake fishing has been great this season and though the weather may make things a little damp, we expect good reports for everyone heading out this weekend. Dress warm and make sure you have a full fly selection. Things can be very good when we get a weather change but you never know what you are going to get in the way of hatches. Check out Andre’s lake report for more details.
If you are staying closer to the city the local lakes are always a good bet this time of year and taking a scout of the Capilano may be worth the effort.
If you missed it this last week, we are hiring for the sales floor! If you or anyone you know has a love of fishing and has wanted to work in the industry, check out the details below or for more info Click Here
Pacific Angler Retail Sales Associate
Job Title: Retail Sales Associate
Location: Vancouver, BC
Job Type: Full-time and part-time positions available
To Apply: Email your resume with cover letter in PDF format to Pacific Angler Operations Manager, Kathryn Sharp. Kathryn@pacificangler.ca.
Please indicate the specific position you are applying for (full or part-time) in the subject line and in your cover letter.
Interior Lake Fishing Report
Roche, Peter Hope, Glimpse, Harmon, Kump, Tunkwa, Marquart, Stump, Courtney and Corbett lakes are all fishing well. chironomid fishing is still the most productive way to fish but this is the time of year when the temperatures are in the high 20s and you will notice damsels hatches.
The way to fish damsel nymphs is by using a floating line with a long leader. You want to station yourself close to shore and retrieve the fly towards you. The damsel nymphs tend to swim to shore and crawl on weeds before they hatch to its adult stage. If the water is too choppy sometimes it’s best to use clear intermediate line to keep the nymph under the surface. You will also notice May fly hatches in the afternoon if the sun gets covered or it is a cloudy day. This could be something you see this weekend. May flies do not like excessive sunlight. To fish more efficiently throughout the day and catch all the hatches you want to have two rods set up with a floating line and one with a clear intermediate line ready to go. This way there is no lost time when changing reels or spools back and forth. Another tip I will give you is to organize you fly boxes so you are not struggling to find a specific pattern. Put chironomides, leeches and scuds, dragons and damsels and caddis in different boxes and label them.The more organized you are in your vessel the less frustrating it will be when racing to change presentations.
Happy fishing,
Andre
Local Lake Fishing Report
Rice, Lafarge, Como, Buntzen, and all the other local lakes are fishing well.
It is a good idea to play around with different techniques to find the most effective method on any given day. When experiencing slow fishing with stationary bait rigs like float fishing or bottom fishing, a spinner or a spoon can really change your luck.
We encourage people to take the introductory angler in their life to one of these stocked lakes. It is a great way to get people into the sport based on how willing the fish are and proximity to the city.
Stump Lake in Squamish is fishing well for smaller cutthroat trout. Because this lake is tannin stained, dark coloured bugger and leech patterns are most effective. Don’t be afraid to fish some flashy flies to target some of the bigger cutthroat that may be feeding on the invasive pumpkin seed.
The Whistler Lakes are still fishing well. We have heard good reports from Alta lake recently. The species of target in Alta lake are cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. Cutthroat are best targeted with woolly bugger and minnow type flies like muddlers and belly dancers or small spoons like a Dick Nite. The rainbows can be taken on a variety of flies. Chironomids fished under an indicator can actually work quite well on Alta for rainbows.
We have also heard decent reports from the Pemberton Lakes recently.
River Fishing Reports
Squamish Fishing Report
There won’t be much to say about this river system until September. Resident trout can be targeted in the late summer months with nymphs, streamers, and dry flies. We have a feeling that the river is past the point of return for the spring season, however, it is possible that it could come into shape for a small window.
Squamish Cheakamus system is a100% catch and release, single barbless fishery so play by the rules and have fun!
Chilliwack River Fishing Report
May 1st the Chilliwack River becomes fly only and the fishing boundary moves down stream to the Vedder crossing bridge.
The term ‘fly only’ means no indicators or split shot. Weighted flies and sinktips are allowed. Grab your single or two handed fly rod, an assortment of flies and a couple sinktips and head out there before it’s too late!
The Chilliwack will close at the end of the month till July 1st. once it opens Mid July is usually when the summer Chinook fishery gets under way. We are still quite away off from that.
Note: The Chilliwack river is closed to fishing for the month of June.
**The Chilliwack River is closed to fishing above the Vedder crossing bridge May 1st-May 31st**
**The Chilliwack River is open to FLY FISHING ONLY below the Vedder crossing bridge May 1st-May 31st.**
Chehalis River
The Chehalis River is now closed to fishing. It will reopen June 1st.
**The Chehalis River is closed to fishing for the month of May**
Harrison River
The Harrison is now in freshet.
Capilano River
We are starting to hear reports of coho in the Capilano. Andre’s Cap bugger has hit the floor at the shop and if you are looking for something close to home this weekend check out the Cap. Though it is a challenge it can be a fun fishery before work. 7-8wt single hand fly rods equipped with full sinking type-6 lines allow you to strip your fly reasonably fast while maintaining a deep presentation. The most effective flies are olive woolly buggers (Andre’s Cap Coho Bugger), muddler minnows, and small polar bear winged flies in sizes 8-12. Steelhead need to be treated with care because most will be just spawned.
If you are gear fishing the most popular method for this fishery is short-floating with light/medium power casting and center-pin rods. Productive baits include cured roe, roe bags, krill, dew worms, and Colorado blades.
Please note: ALL steelhead (adipose clipped and unclipped) must be released with the utmost care.
VANCOUVER SALTWATER FISHING REPORT
Well the big news this week is Thrasher Rock!
If you have been waiting to book a Thrasher Rock trip do not hold off any longer! The fish are in and we expect things to be awesome for the next 4-6 weeks. Call now to book because dates fill up very fast whenever we start getting good reports!
Here is the Report! We had to do some searching to find fish but when the bite came on we put up some epic numbers. Dimitri, Edie, Mike and Jason had some awesome days this week. Fish were found at a number of different depths. Look to the clarity of the water to help make the call. If it is a little dirty fish 90-120. If it is clear drop your gear into the 150- 220 range.
When fishing at the extreme depths, 18lb cannon balls help and you might consider running only one rod on each side of the boat. It is very common to see guys asking each other what depths they are at but not taking into consideration how many rods they are fishing or what weight cannon balls they are running. An angler with 18lb cannon balls and only one rod will be fishing way deeper than an angler with 2 rods and 15 lb cannon balls even if the riggers numbers are the same. Take this into consideration when you hear on water reports.
We have been fishing double glow flashers with Pesca spoons and Oki Titan spoons down deep as they have the best glow paint. Homeland security and irish cream spoons have been fishing well in the shallower depths with “Club Dub” flashers and green onion flashers. We have also had some good bites on hoochies in green and blue colors.
At times we have had to do some searching up and down the west side of the straight and you will want to look at spots from Galiano all the way past Thrasher to North of Nanaimo. Listen to your radio, keep an eyes on the horizon for guys working landing nets and once you start getting bites keep looping in on the spot. It is surprising how tightly concentrated fish can be.
We have boats out all weekend and we should have more info early next week so as always don’t hesitate to call in and ask for and update or even better call in your report if something interesting happens out there. 604-872-2204. If you want to book a trip call NOW to get a spot! 778- 788-8582
GOOD LUCK!!