OUTLOOK
It looks like we are going to see some rain in the forecast and it couldn’t come at a better time for river fishing. Areas like the Vedder and Capilano should see a rise in water levels and the second things settle we could be in for the first good coho fishing of the river season. It may not be ideal to head out today or tomorrow but Sunday and into next week should be good. This makes it perfect timing for you to come down to the shop for our FALL SALMON SALE! All shameless sales pitches aside it will be a great time to load up and re-stock. Everything is on sale and we have some very good deals on all the big brands.
All the deals will be listed here don’t miss taking a look but this is the Friday fishing report so on to the fishing info!
Like we said the Vedder and Capilano could be very good options in the close future. Check out Sam and Alex’s reports below for more details.
Matt was on the Skagit last weekend and had a solid trip. He has a full report for you this week and though rain is not a great thing for this fishery, clouds and less sun can really turn on the mid-day hatches. We should have a few more weeks of great fishing so if you are planning a trip; it’s the perfect time.
Things on the salt have also picked up. Weather made getting to the south arm of the Fraser a little challenging early week but for those who braved the wind there was some solid chinook fishing. We have boats out today and over the weekend and expect more good fishing. Cap mouth was also a good bet though this rain may change things.
Lastly lake fishing has been picking up, Andre has a report below and we are getting reports in daily so if you’re heading to the interior don’t hesitate to give us a call at the shop.
GOOD LUCK AND WE WILL SEE YOU AT THE SALE – FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY!
Our Fall Salmon sale is running all weekend! Don’t miss out on some amazing deals on all your fall fishing needs plus a whole lot more.
Friday September 16 – 10AM to 7PM
Saturday September 17 – 10AM to 6PM
Sunday September 18 – 10AM to 5PM
Check out the full sale list here!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Introduction to Fly Tying
There is no greater satisfaction than catching a fish with a fly you tied yourself. This course was specifically designed to give you the fundamental skills needed to tie prone fly patters used here in BC for trout, salmon and steelhead. This course consists of 3 sessions; each season is 3 hours. Students are required to supply their own vice, looks and materials. A 10% discount is available on materials and tools purchased for the course.
Dates: September 20, 27 and October 4
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Cost: $75.00
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.
Dates: Seminar September 21, Casting September 24
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Casting Time: 10am to 1pm or 2pm to 5pm
Cost: $125.00
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vedder River Report
There have been a handful of coho and chinook around this past week but the fishing is tough with the low water levels. Alex hooked one yesterday and saw a fair number moving through. There is rain in the forecast so hopefully this helps with the water levels. The fishing only gets better from here so make sure you’re ready to hit the river as fall salmon season is creeping up on us quickly. Fly fishing with a clear sink tip can be quite productive this time of year as the fish need a subtle presentation to be enticed and the water is slow moving so heavier sink tips tend to snag up. Fishing muddlers, flash flies, and Christmas trees tied with dull colours are a few go to options. When the water rises gear fishing with spinners and spoons as well as bait will really take off. We have a big sale on Pro Cure products for curing roe so it s a good time to stock up.
The Vedder was low and clear this past week but it was great to get out scouting some spots for the upcoming fall season.
See you on the water!
Sam
Capilano River Fishing Report
Another bright and sunny week has left the Capilano low and dry. There are coho still in the river from the last bump of rain but they will be pretty tight-lipped. Tight-lipped, however, does not mean impossible to catch! To give yourself the best shot at one of these beautiful fish, get out on the river at first or last light. We have heard of a few anglers getting lucky with orange Blue Fox Vibrax spinners, and don’t be afraid to try other lures that have a bit of orange to them. As with many low water conditions, fly fishing can also be quite effective with small streamers like a woolly bugger.
There is rain in the forecast for this coming weekend, so keep your eye on the water levels! We are right around the corner from the Fall Coho and Chinook runs on this river and we should experience fantastic fishing once the river rises.
Skagit River Fishing Report
We hit the water last weekend and though the fishing was not hot we hooked a good number of rainbows and a few nice bulltrout. The weather was shifting from overcast to sun and I heard reports of very good Green Drake and Grey Drake hatches leading up to the weekend. On Saturday there was a small hatch around 10 and then another around 3 but they were not very intense. We rose a little over half dozen fish and landed 5 or 6 on larger grey Mayflies and fooled a few on smaller grey mayfly patterns. Nymphing, when the hatch was not on, produced another 4 or 5 fish. Once again the Prince Nymph in a size 10-12 was the top producer but a black stonefly and a hare’s ear variant took fish.
A Skagit Mayfly.
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- Skagit
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- Rainbows
The bulltrout that we found were very picky and very focused on spawning. We landed a couple that were very dark in color and quite beaten up from spawning. I try to avoid putting too much pressure on fish like this so we kept our bull trout fishing to a minimum.
If you are heading out this weekend, rain can put a damper on things but overcast warm days can be some of the best for hatches. We have a few more good weeks of this fishery so if you are planning to get out it’s not too late.
Come down to the shop and we can dial you in on the right flies, leaders and tippet.
Remember to de-barb your hooks and practice catch and release.
GOOD LUCK!
Matt
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
Interior Lake Fishing Report
I had some good reports from Roche, Tunkwa, Harmon and Corbett Lakes this week. The water temps are hovering around 55 to 58 degrees and the fish are on the shoals picking up anything juicy in their path including, leeches, scuds and dragon nymphs. Although a full sink line is your go to arsenal don’t put away your floating line as you will need to fish shallower and shallower as the water temps get close to 45 degrees and the fish move to the shoals. Water boatman are starting to hatch as the air temps drop down to zero degrees so dress warm and be prepared if you are camping on the lakes. Cariboo Lakes are also fishing really well as they already had frost at night and warm temps during the day.
Andre
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report
Things have picked up nicely this week with some consistent catches of chinook and hatchery coho off the Capilano River mouth area. This fishery really gets going about now and for the next 30 days as waves of chinook show up on the flood tide and stack up off the mouth of the Capilano River. As mentioned there are some nice coho around as well. We are forecasted to get some rain on Saturday and this should bring in even more fish, as they often will focus on the river mouth with a low-pressure system coming in and a dose of freshwater coming out of the now very low Capilano River. If we get too much rain then the river will come up and some fish will go up the river, but it is still early for this fall fishery and there will be more fish coming later in September and even into October. Fish bait close to the bottom and you should do well. I often fish a herring on one side and anchovies on the other, as some days they will prefer one or the other. We have lots of herring and anchovies in stock, including some 6 inch anchovies, which are pretty hard to find and work well at the Cap. In fact we have 5.25, 5.50, 6.0 inch anchovies and few different sizes of herring in stock as well, so whatever you prefer, we have it.
The big white springs also showed up this week down at the South Arm. The winds kept us from heading down there earlier in the week but some of the anglers that come out of the South Arm of the Fraser were able to get out for a few brief periods between the wind storms and they were into some big fish. I know of 2 chinook over 30 pounds this week from this area, so if you are looking to catch some of the biggest chinook of the year, now is the time to head to the South Arm. Just like the Cap, bait is key for these fish, but unlike the Cap, these fish are not on the bottom. The best depths are usually in the 30-80 zone on your riggers with 50-75 usually being the hottest zone, but sometimes you get a few deeper and a few shallower. Keep an eye on your sounder, especially in the shallower water close to the river mouth and you will often mark them and can fine tune your depths from there.
For an in depth look at what flashers and teaser heads to use for this fishery go to the August 26th Guide Journal
A lot of the flashers and teaser heads discussed in that report are going to be 20% OFF this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at our Fall Salmon Sale.
So enjoy the sunny September days as it is some of the best chinook fishing of the year for some of the biggest chinook of the year!
See you in the shop or on the water!
Jason Tonelli