Outlook
It sure feels like winter here in Vancouver! Cold, clear days have the rivers dropping like a rock giving some awesome late season salmon fishing opportunities. The clear weather is forecasted to continued into next week with daytime temperatures warming slightly. The Squamish river is clearing up nicely, and fresh fish are still pouring in. The coho fishing in the Fraser Valley is tapering off, but chrome fish are still being caught in most rivers. Coho fishing should last until the end of November and then it is on to winter trout and steelhead fishing!
We are also looking forward to winter chinook fishing in our local waters which will pick up over the next month or so. Crabbing and prawning will also improve which is always a welcomed bonus after a nice day of salmon fishing.
Feature Product
Simms G3 Guide Wader
Waders are a necessity when fishing around Vancouver and Simms are simply the best waders on the market. In last week’s Vancouver fishing report we looked at the Simms Freestone wader, the best entry level wader in the industry, which retails for $299.
This week I wanted to take a look at the Simms G3 Guide wader. Simms has been making variations of the “guide” wader for many years. Their strategy is to build a wader durable enough for a guide therefore allowing the average angler to fish with the same pair of waders for many seasons.
The G3 has many features like reach through, lined hand warmer pocket, zippered chest pocket, removable tippet tender pocket with dual entry zippers, and retractor docking station. The G3 Guide wader is made in North America and uses state of the art GORE-TEX®. GORE-TEX® has been synonymous with the Simms brand but all GORE-TEX® is not the same. Here is some important information on the different types.
The 3 types of GORE-TEX® and the G3 guide wader:
Type 1 – Standard GORE-TEX® is a versatile fabric that can be used for anything from mountaineering to waders. Durable, windproof, waterproof and able to breathe, standard GORE-TEX® comes in a three-layer construction. This is used in a number of Simms jackets but not in their waders.
Type 2 – GORE-TEX® PacLite®, a 2-layer GORE-TEX® that is constructed to be lightweight, breathable and incredibly minimalistic. GORE-TEX® PacLite® is one of the lightest, most packable fabrics, ideal for activities that require saving space and weight. Simms uses this material for packable jackets that come in handy for unexpected weather on rivers, lakes, and flats.
Type 3 – GORE-TEX® Pro. This is the best of the best, extremely durable and ideal for extended use in extreme conditions. It is lighter per layer, more breathable and more water resistant than standard GORE-TEX. This is the material used in G3 waders. In the leg it is a 5-layer construction and in the body of the wader it is a 3-layer construction. The 3-layer breathes better in your torso area, but the 5-layer is more durable in the leg area.
When choosing a wader that will work for you and your fishing style in Vancouver ask yourself how often you plan to go fishing in a year. If you plan to fish hard and go fishing every week the G3 is the wader for you. Even if you fish less the features of the wader and the confidence in the heavy 5-layer legs is worth the investment. If you keep them clean and make sure to hang dry them after use you will have many season of great breathable, waterproof performance.
If you are interested in a pair of Simms G3 Guide waders, come down to the store at 78 East Broadway Vancouver or give us a call at 604-872-2204.
Upcoming Events
This past year went by in a flash, and it is once again time for the British Columbia Federation of Drift Fishers Annual Banquet. We look forward to this evening of fun, food, prizes, draws, and auctions all year long! Net proceeds all go towards preservation of salmon and steelhead and retention of angler opportunity. You can find out more about the event here.
Upcoming Courses
Only two spots left! Join us on November 24th and 25th for our Tying Intruder Fly Patterns class. Call us at the shop to sign up today – these spots will go fast!
TYING INTRUDER FLY PATTERNS
Class Size: 7
This course is designed for those that are interested in tying steelhead flies in the “Intruder style”. This style of fly is extremely productive for steelhead and salmon due to its profile and movement in the water. During this two night (5hr total instruction) tying series, you will learn the very specific techniques and unique materials used to tie this fly. This course is suitable for intermediate to advanced tiers. Students are required to supply their own vise, tools and materials. A 10% discount is available on materials and tools purchased for the course.
Cost: $45.00
Dates: Nov 24th & 25th
Time: 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Keep an eye on this section for our 2015 Course List – to be released soon!
Freshwater Reports
Local Rivers
Squamish River
The Squamish is coming into shape! We finally had some solid reports over the last 3 or 4 days. The cold clear weather has dropped the river into a fishable level and with more cold weather on the way, it should stay in shape.
Dimitri and his guest with a fantastic Squamish coho
Fresh coho are still coming through and though you can expect to hook some colored fish, we have seen quite a few bright coho in the system. Small flies in chartreuse, copper and olive in stripped through the side channels can be very effective. Hardware such as Koho spoons, and Blue Fox spinners are typically more effective in the runs.
Another beauty coho caught during a raft trip with Dimitri
Nymphing egg pattern flies for trout is also worth trying. It has been productive if you can find areas down river from where salmon have been spawning. Use standard egg flies or beads with a floating line and indicator for the most success. This fishery is a ton of fun on light fly rods and can be productive until the end of January depending on the weather. This is a technical fishery so if you haven’t done it before come into the shop and the guys will show you how to set up your leaders and indicators. We are on the water quite a bit the next two weeks so call into the shop for up to date reports.
Mark and his son with a healthy Squamish bull trout
The Squamish System is 100% catch and release for all wild species. Retention of one hatchery coho (adipose fin clipped) is permitted. Be careful when identifying your catch, hatchery coho are rare on this system.
Matt Sharp
Chilliwack River
The Fraser Valley saw its first cold snap of the fall, which means that the river will be dropping to a more regular height. Clarity is improving throughout the river, which should make things a bit easier. Anglers are still encountering fish, but it is slower than previous weeks. There are still fresh coho and chum in the system, however, most of the fish are now coloured up. It is time to start stocking up on pink worms and other float fishing goodies, winter steelhead season is just around the corner. Come check out some of the new drift fishing tackle we have been bringing for this coming steelhead season!
New arrivals as we get closer to steelhead season!
Float fishing is the primary technique used to catch fall salmon. The proper setup for float fishing is a 10-11ft medium power casting rod. Roe, wool combinations, and colorado blades are all great float fishing presentations. Spinners and spoons are also deadly effective, especially for coho. 8ft-11ft spinning or casting rods are ideal for retrieving lures. Gibbs Koho and Croc spoons are good choices, as well as Blue Fox spinners.
You can also use a fly rod to target coho salmon. An 8wt single hand fly rod lined with a versi-tip system is ideal for this fishery. The versi-tip line allows you to quickly change out different sink tips to cover different speeds of water more efficiently. Small flash flies, muddler minnows, and wooly buggers are all good choices in clear water. Coho will also take big flies if water clarity is not ideal.
Please familiarize yourselves with species identification as you may encounter Cultus Lake sockeye which must be carefully released.
Sam Graham, Max Stickel, & Dimitri Roussanidis
Chehalis River
The Chehalis is running very clear, and the fish have been spooky. There are still some nice coho and chum moving through, and fishing has been productive at times. Float fishing is the most effective method in this river. Roe is always a good choice for coho, and chum will also take roe. The fishing should last until the end of the month, but things have slowed down compared to previous weeks. Subtle presentations have been making a difference in success rate. 12lb fluorocarbon leaders tied with #2-4 hooks and quarter-nickel sized pieces of roe is a good place to start.
Chehalis hatchery coho for the dinner table
This is an excellent river to float fish in, but carrying a second setup for the frog water is a good idea. Fly fishing for coho with an intermediate sink tip line is effective in the slower water.
Capilano River
The salmon season is over on the Capilano. The fish that are still swimming will be dark and ready to spawn. Although the salmon fishing is over, this is a beautiful time of year to walk around the canyon and look at the fish in the hatchery!
Please note: ALL steelhead (adipose clipped and unclipped) must be released with the utmost care.
Local Lakes
As long as there is no ice, you may encounter trout in the local lakes, but fishing will be slow between now and next spring.
Max Stickel
Local Saltwater
With the sunny weather finally upon us, we headed out on the water this week to check out the local fishing and give the boats a good run. Both fishing and crabbing were slow but it was great to get out on the water and enjoy the sunshine! There are reports of good numbers of prawns being hauled in so that will have to be next week’s excursion if the weather holds.
Stay tuned for more reports!
The P.A. Saltwater Guide Team: Jason, Eddie, Dimitri
Give us a call on our charter phone at 778-788-8582 to book a charter or come by the shop for all the right gear and some friendly advice. The shop number is 604-872-2204.
On behalf of the Pacific Angler staff we wish you the best in your fishing endeavors and we hope to see you either at the shop or on the water. To check out the latest Pacific Angler news view the Pacific Angler Facebook page.
Jason, Matt, Max, Andre, Sam, Eddie, Dimitri, Kathryn