Pacific Angler Friday Fishing Report: October 20, 2017

OUTLOOK

We just got back from our trip to Montana and wow it looks as though we didn’t miss much. Actually that’s not true. We missed some crazy weather. Just in case you were worried about us… the blue skies in Montana were a little bright and the 17-degree weather was just a little hot for my liking. But we toughed it out.

All kidding aside I feel for everyone who has been braving the rain and though it has definitely affected the fishing and access there are some positive notes. If you can follow the weather closely and watch the water and temperature graphs, usually the best fishing is in that sweet spot after the storms. Check out all the river reports for some water numbers, some predictions and our best forecast for what’s to come.

Everyone has been asking about what we were doing in Montana. Jason and I attended the American Fly Fishing Tackle Association Dealer Summit. While our travel schedule didn’t allow us to get out fishing we saw some epic country, met some very cool people who like us are passionate about fishing and we got to hit up some true Mecca fishing destinations. Probably the coolest was the famous Simms factory. While they don’t offer tours to the public we were lucky enough to get a tour as part of the AFFTA Dealer summit. It is easy to see why for over 15 years they have been the top-performing wader in the world. Their attention to detail, the technology they use and the attitude of all their staff is something to behold.

We are going to have some super cool content walking you through their unique manufacturing process as well as some early release info on the new and quite honestly revolutionary G3 waders. Jason tried to steal a pair. He wore them out under his jeans but they busted him on the bus ride home.

Again all jokes aside we have a preliminary review coming soon and we will be the first to have them in Vancouver. Keep following the report for the details.

Matt Sharp

 

CLASSES AND COURSES

INDUSTRY EVENTS

It’s that time of year again – the B.C. Federation of Drift Fishers Annual Banquet is almost here.   There is still time to get tickets to this great event but it sold out last year so don’t delay.   You can’t go wrong with an evening of great food, raffles, door prizes along with live and silent auctions – all in the name of supporting a good cause.

Date: Saturday October 28, 2017 – doors at 6PM, dinner at 7PM.
Location: Executive Plaza Hotel – 405 North Road Coquitlam BC

For tickets & information please contact your local director or contact:

rclapton@shaw.ca


Sturge-on@shaw.ca

 

FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS

Capilano River Fishing Report
With the heavy rain that we have been getting they released the dam on both Tuesday and Wednesday. With the water release the thick amount fish that were holding at the mouth were able to push their way up.

In fluctuating high water conditions gear fishing is a great option. Use a heavier set-up as we will see springs and the odd chum in the system. Try drifting jigs, Colorado blades, gooey bobs, and small unweighted spoons (Mini Gs, Hilderbrandt or Dick Nite’s) under a float when the water is murky.

If the water comes down quickly and things start to clear up, try to use clear floats as they will eliminate the shadow that spooks the fish. Use fluorocarbon to make your leader less visible.

If you’re looking to do some fly fishing on the river check out our selection of Andre’s coho flies, especially the Christmas Tree for the murky water! Although the water level right now isn’t perfect for swinging some streamers and other flies. So take some bigger and flashy flies. If you find some nice frog or pocket water Mickey fin, Woolly Buggers, and big streamers in blue, olive, copper or black will maximize your chances.

Try to be at the river first light as the most action happens for about an hour after first light.

Please keep in mind that there is bait ban until the 1st of November.

Be safe out there – the water can fluctuate quickly so always be aware of your surroundings.

Dustin Oh

Chilliwack River Fishing Report
We got the rain we wanted and we got it in spades! There were multiple reports of brilliant fishing for the brief moments the river came into shape over the last couple days but with lots more rain forecast over the weekend it will possibly be a write-off.

This river does typically take a day to shape up after hard rain so hopefully it will be absolutely mint by early next week. Lots of coho and chum were pushing in right before the storm so they should be spread throughout the river once it drops. This will open up a lot more water for drifting, casting, and fly fishing alike. If you do plan to fish while the water is still up think bigger presentations and heavier gear; bigger globs of roe, vibrant twitching jigs, loud spinners, and big intruders.

This high water will push out most of the old and spawned out fish so we expect to see lots of fresh fish being caught this coming week!

Alex Au-Yeung

Squamish River Fishing Report
With all this rain this past week, along with whatever rain might come, the Squamish and it’s tributaries will most likely be quite high and coloured. Those who were able to get out before the rain found good success for coho, trout, and some chums as well. Anglers found success on pretty much all methods, with those willing to explore finding some water all to themselves. When the water does get coloured, brighter spoons and flies can help, especially chartreuse and hot orange. Bigger spoons and spinners can also help find fish as they push more water and put out more vibrations. Koho spoons in #45 or #55, and Blue Fox spinners in #3, #4, and even #5 can sometimes pay off when the water is high and dirty.

As previously mentioned in a few of our last posts, twitching jigs has proven to be quite effective. There’s something about undulating marabou, flowing rabbit, sparkly flash, and fluttering rubber legs that they just can’t resist in slow tanky water.

Float fishing with Colorado blades, as well as jigs can also be effective for coho and trout. When targeting chum, short-floating purple jigs is a great method, but it is not the only one. Orange, green, and black are also great colours. Wool ties are also a great option, along with big popsicle style streamers for those tossing flies.

Bobbers down,

Jordan Simpson

Stave River Fishing Report
Unlike most other rivers, the Stave River is still in good shape even with the heavy rain that we’ve been getting. If you don’t mind the rain and want to have something on the end of your line, we definitely recommend you go to the Stave River.

There is a good number of chum salmon in the river and we expect more to come.

Be sure to get a proper setup for chum salmon so you won’t have to go through rod breakage or frustration of not catching fish. For fly gear, we recommend at least an 8wt rod with nice lifting power and at the very minimum a di-cast reel that can handle a good amount of pressure such as the Redington i.D or the Behemoth. If you plan to fish this river on the regular a barstock reel like the Rise or Spectrum are the way to go. They are durable reels that will stand up to chum who have a tendency to destroy reels. When you’re out there try swinging a nice marabou fly in purple, pink, or green.

If you’re going to twitch jigs try to use purple and black jigs with little bit of blue, green or pink. Come take a look at our twitching jig wall and grab your lucky jig! Remember to use a rod and reel that’s solid.

When drifting jigs any of the medium power drift rod around 9’6″ – 10’6″ will get the job done. Try the same colour pattern to the twitching jig but in lighter weights like 1/8 Oz to 1/4 Oz. Keep adjusting your float so that it is just off the bottom. If you find where the fish are you’ll get them left and right.

It is a fishery that sees high pressure, so respect others and give them enough space. If you see anyone throwing the salmon back after killing it and taking its’ roe please contact the 24-hour R.A.P.P hotline(1-877-952-7277) and report them.

Best,

Dustin Oh

Harrison/Chehalis River Fishing Report
Unfortunately the river levels are rising dramatically. Before the rain I was starting to hear more and more positive reports that coho and chum were swimming up and settling in the back channels. Last Friday I had one customer that had a blast on the river and caught a few wild and hatchery coho when the river was super low but now the river is above 9.0 meters. This is going to make hiking the river a challenge. If there is any hope of fishing on foot it will be around the golf course side by the bridge. For those who have access to a boat this is still an awesome fishery even when it is high. If you are gear fishing now would be the best time to do it because of higher river levels. Casting big spinners and twitching jigs can be very productive for both coho and chum. You can even float fish with float fishing jigs or colorado blades. If you are fly fishing then use a little bit larger flies than the usual sparse flies that you would normally fish when the water is low. A good example is the fly called the ‘CHRISTMAS TREE” a very flashy fly (the whole thing is made of flashabou) in various colors specially if the water is a little bit colored up. Hopefully the rain will ease of and the river comes in to shape again.

Andre Stepanian

Fraser River Sturgeon Fishing Report
It’s that time of year.   The days are shorter, the leaves are turning, the rain is here, the chums are coming in, and the hot sturgeon bite is in full effect.   These fish feed hard this time of year on salmon and salmon eggs in an effort to bulk up before the winter doldrums set in. This makes for the most consistent sturgeon fishing of the year and prime time is right now until the first cold snap in late November. I always try and squeeze in a few sturgeon days this time of year and yesterday I was able to get out with some staff and friends. The fishing was absolutely fantastic with lots of hook ups, big runs, and huge jumps. Check out the pictures below.

 

 

SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS

The rains have showed up in full force and as a result the Capilano River has come up and the last of the chinook and coho that were staging off the mouth of the river have gone up the river, officially marking the end of the Cap Mouth season.

If you are looking for opportunities to head out saltwater fishing, although the Cap is done, there are good numbers of chum showing up off the Fraser. The test sets these past few days have been good, the best of the month actually, so it looks like the peak of that run is here right now. That being said, there have been some intense winds and rains, so not many or any people have been out off the South Arm of the Fraser.

It is a little early for good numbers of winter chinook to be around so at the moment we are either doing boat maintenance or looking for a window in the weather to go down to the South Arm and catch some chum and coho.

If you are in town and looking to head out fishing, I would recommend a sturgeon trip. I always take a day or two this time of year to head out sturgeon fishing and did just that yesterday and had a great time. It is peak season for this fishery and these fish pull hard and often jump, coming clear out of the water. If you would like to give it a try, give us a call at 778-788-8582 and we will set you up with one of our guides.

Jason Tonelli