OUTLOOK
We have had a very wet October but the weatherman has over estimated a number of the storms. Rivers have been blown out but the amount of rain has not been off the charts and though conditions have not been perfect they have been fishable. Matt, Alex and Luis hit the Squamish on Tuesday and expected it to be unfishable because of high water. They were pleasantly surprised and managed to get into some decent spots that were sheltered from the high water. Check out Matt’s Squamish River Fishing Report for more details. The graph numbers and weather forecast on Tuesday will be a good bar to base future trips.
Sturgeon fishing is picking up with lots of chum hitting the Fraser. Sam has a little report on the sturgeon fishing and now is the time to get out there to pull on a dinosaur.
Andre has been hitting the Harrison but the constant rain has kept the river at a level that is hard to navigate on foot. There are lots of fish around for the anglers with boats but walk and wading is tough because of access. Andre’s Harrison report below has more details.
The Vedder is also high but there have been good reports from those who braved the wet weather. Alex’s Vedder report below has an overview of reports from the river this week.
Bar fishing on the Fraser for coho is also still quite good and we have heard of a number of guys catching coho in the lower Fraser using bar rigs and roe, so that will continue to be a good option if you’re looking to head out.
Overall it has been wet, but fishing has been solid. It looks like we are having a very good chum return in both the Squamish and Fraser watershed. These fish are tons of fun to pull on and even if chum are not your preferred species to target, good numbers is a good thing for the general health of our rivers and all other fisheries. Egg fishing is just around the corner and healthy chum numbers should mean lots of eggs for bull trout cutthroat white fish and rainbows over the next 3 months. Our nymphing course is coming up next month so if you are interested in learning how to target these species with light fly rods it is a course you will not want to miss.
Last but not least, Jason has an update on early winter chinook fishing as well as some great tips for storing your boat properly to ensure it will be ready for you to use when you head out later this winter or early next spring
Good luck!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Fly Fishing For Salmon In Rivers
Fly fishing for salmon is one of the most exciting fisheries in the Lower Mainland. Let us teach you the techniques and the hot spots to catch salmon on the fly in our local rivers. In the 3hr evening seminar you will learn about rod, reel and line, sink tip, and fly selection. Then put the skills into practice during a fully guided day on the water where you will learn how to read water and swing the fly!
Seminar: Nov 7 Guided: Nov 12 or 13 (custom trip dates available)
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Seminar Only Cost: $45.00
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $250.000 per angler, minimum of 2 anglers per guided day on the water.
Fly Fishing For Coho Salmon
Catching a coho on the fly in BC’s many coastal rivers is a bucket list item for any fly fisherman. Our course is designed to educate you on the very specific techniques used to catch coho salmon on the fly in the Lower Mainland.
After your 3 hour evening seminar you will then put the skills into practice during a fully guided day on the water.
Dates: Seminar: Nov 1 Guided: Nov 5 or 6 – SOLD OUT – custom trip dates available.
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Seminar Only Cost: $45.00
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $250.000 per angler, minimum of 2 anglers per guided day on the water.
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vedder River Fishing Report
The water was high this week but that did not stop anglers from experiencing success! A very large number of chum salmon have now moved into the river and while these big fish can push coho into less desirable water, they can be extremely fun to catch when they are fresh. They are eager biters and a great way to catch them on gear is to short float a purple jig with any combination of chartreuse or pink.
They will also respond to larger Colorado blades. For those that want to specifically target coho salmon, look for frog water and hit it at first light with roe, jensen eggs, black and blue jigs, spinners, and spoons. Fly fishing for these fish can also be a great way to catch them as egg sucking leeches, muddler minnows, flash flies, and popsicles will all produce well.
Looking ahead to next week’s forecast there does appear to be some rain mixed in but not in crazy amounts. This should keep the river at a great height with optimal clarity so fishing should continue to be good as we come into November.
Tight lines!
Alex Au-Yeung
Harrison River Fishing Report
Well those of us who don’t have a boat to run up the river are impatiently waiting for the river level to drop lower than 9.0 meters. It was on its way down yesterday but not enough yet to walk and wade. Hopefully the rain will hold off and we will get to fish this river before the coho start spawning. I heard some good reports from a couple of customers who were fishing off a boat in the upper portions of the river so that bodes well for those waiting to walk and wade the river.
With any luck by mid week the river level will allow me to go and scout and find some fish and give you a much more positive and realistic report, until then I will be monitoring the river levels like the rest of you who love to fish this system.
Andre Stepanian
Squamish River Fishing Report
We hit the water last Saturday and this Tuesday. Saturday the river was high but had a good fishable clarity. We were fishing gear and hooked a good number of coho and a few bull trout. Copper and chartreuse spoons where the top producers. We also hooked a number of chum but we were fishing the upper river and they were getting old. Not moldy, but also not fresh.
Guide Ryan with a nice coho prior to this weeks rain.
On Tuesday I expected the river to be blown out. It was very, very high. The clarity was about 1.5 feet in the morning and got worse in the afternoon. We caught a couple fresh coho in the upper river. As the water got dirtier we found some clean side channels with spawning chum and broke out the trout beads. We didn’t fish long but the bull trout were hungry. If you can’t find good coho water look for the spawning chum and fish beads. With the number of chum I saw in the system, I expect we will have a good beading season ahead.
Alex with a bull trout caught on an egg pattern.
In the afternoon we went down to the lower river and though the water was very high there was still enough bank space and clarity in the lower river to fish. A bunch of chum were pushing through at Judd road. We all hooked a good number on spoons and pink jigs. Friends were out fly fishing and they were consistently pulling on fish using sink tips and pink/purple popsicles. There were a few colored fish in the mix but a number of them were still silver.
Tuesday will be a good day to look at when planning future trips. The water was spiking from 3.0 to 3.6. I would say that though the river was very high and dirty is was fishable at 3.4. Over that height there might be options to fish but it will be a challenge. Under that number Judd road and side channels are worth looking at.
We will be on the water this weekend and will have more info for next week’s report.
Good luck,
Matt Sharp
Fraser River Sturgeon Fishing Report
Now is a great time to get out and do some sturgeon fishing on the Fraser River, fishing has been good throughout the whole river. With the presence of chum salmon in the river sturgeon have been keying in on chum roe, hearts, and gills. Fresh bait makes a difference, a morning of chum fishing for bait and an afternoon of sturgeon fishing is about as fresh as it gets. When fishing chum roe all you need to do is cut it into golf ball sized chunks and wrap it in bait mesh, this will protect your bait from coarse fish.
Check your bait regularly as you want to make sure you still have a good scent trail going at all times. Make sure you have a selection of wedge weights as each spot varies in depth and current and tides can make a difference if you are fishing in the lower river so you want to have anywhere from 12oz to 20oz of weight at times. Fishing will remain good until the first or second week of November, then the fish start to sit onto of your baits and prepare for the winter.
If you are new to the fishery and want to give it a shot please come by the shop and we’ll give you a hand and get you dialed.
Sam Graham
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report
Despite the windy and rainy weather this past week we were out on the water on some 8-hour trips and we ventured out to our early season winter chinook spots. The action was encouraging for this time of year with lots of encounters of small chinook that will be of legal size in early 2017 and there were some legal chinook taken as well. It also looks like the anchovies that were around in the spring months are still here as some of the fish had anchovies in their bellies! There were some chum and a few coho taken at Sandheads this past week, but for the most part the season is a wrap for Fraser fish, and if you really want to go out in the fall wind and rains we would recommend looking for winter chinook.
For these feeding chinook, aka winter chinook, we are fishing just off the bottom with glow flashers and glow spoons. Some of our favourite flashers are the Salty Dawg and Green Onion Glow. You really can’t go wrong with these two flashers for winter chinook. Try a 5 to 6 foot leader and then a spoon that has some glow in it. Some of the best choices are a Kingfisher 3.5 in Irish Cream, Cookies and Cream, Homeland Security, and Kitchen Sink. The Pesca spoons in 3.5 also work extremely well for winter chinook and a few of our favourites this time of year are Gut Bomb, Leprechaun, and Sucker Punch.
The winter chinook season is a long one, typically starting around mid to late December and going till around April. So pick your days wisely and don’t burn out too early as the best and biggest fish will be caught later on in 2017.
For this week’s tackle tip, it’s all about the heat. Get some heat in your boat this winter. A lot of damage can occur over the wet and cold winter months inside your boat. Life jackets, cushions, upholstery, all can get a lot of mildew on them and this can permanently stain the items and reduce the resale value of your boat. The first thing you should do is give the interior of your boat a good clean. Use some cleaners that will kill any bacteria and wipe up any and all moisture. Get rid of anything that doesn’t need to be in the boat, paying special attention to things like cardboard boxes or other porous materials that hold moisture. If you can keep your life jackets, and cushions at home for the winter, do so. Next plug in a heater and leave it running during the wet and cold months of late fall and early winter. There are a variety of portable boat cabin heaters on the market. The better ones will have a low power or energy saver setting, will shut off if they overheat or fall over, and some even have a thermostat so it will shut on or off depending on the temperature of your boat that day. After all, there is no point wasting energy if it is warm and dry out. You can also plug your hearted into a digital timer. These are very inexpensive and you can set it so you heater only runs half a day, usually I set it for the evening. So as you can see, there are options to keeping your boat warm and dry in the winter to prevent mildew damage, but you can still be as environmentally friendly as possible with the use of timers. This simple tip will keep your boat in pristine condition so when you do head out for winter chinook or return to the boat in the spring, you are surprised by a damp and smelly cabin with mildew everywhere.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli