Pacific Angler Outlook
The staff at Pacific Angler almost forgot what rain looks like but Mother Nature seems determined to remind us. For the fall salmon angler rain can be both good news and bad news. The good news is the high water has brought in a ton of fresh salmon. The bad news has been that we received so much rain that it blew out the majority of the rivers in the Lower Mainland and Sea to Sky Corridor.
The majority of rivers have been blown out all week. The Vancouver weather forecast is calling for more rain over the weekend. If enough of the precipitation is snow in the high country we might be surprised. The forecast for the weekend is perfect and it should be relatively cold with light precipitation into next week. This will drop the rivers and we are expecting some of the best salmon fishing to be had in the next 14 days.
Sturgeon fishing on the Fraser has been awesome. I think because Fraser River sockeye numbers have been low this year the sturgeon do not have as abundant a food source as previous years and are hungry and eager. This is a great time of year to get out with a professional sturgeon guide. If you want to book a trip give a call at 604-872-2204. Hopefully our guide’s arms are not too tired. They have had a few days with multiple triple-headers and not enough guests to fight the fish!
Well, sadly the saltwater fishing is wrapping up for the year. The Pacific Angler staff has heard of very few reports at the mouth of the Capilano River. The action was hot and heavy this past Friday. However, after we received that major dose of precipitation on the weekend the fishing has been very tough. But don’t put away your rods yet! If a fresh wave of chinook salmon shows up you can still experience some amazing saltwater fishing!
Overall, this is the time of year for the river angler to get his days on the water in search of chrome salmon, trout, and even steelhead. The Pacific Angler staff expects river fishing to good to excellent over the next 3 to 4 weeks. So make sure to get out there!
For a detailed look at Vancouver’s river, saltwater, and lake fishing scene please read the reports below. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact our friendly staff at 604-872-2204 or better yet, drop by our store at 78 East Broadway.
River Fishing Report:
For a detailed look into the local river scene read the river fishing report below:
Chilliwack River: The Chilliwack River dropped back into great shape on Wednesday. However, with heavy rainfall expected Thursday night it could blow out the river. Once the river level stabilizes you can expect some great fishing for salmon.
Chehalis/Harrison River: The Harrison has been fishing well for chum and coho salmon and we are starting to hear reports of great slough fishing in the area. This fishery is least affected by heavy rainfall so is always a good option for those damp weekends.
Fraser River: Middle of October is prime-time for sturgeon fishing on the Fraser River. If you are a sturgeon fishermen then now is the time for you to get out there and pull on some Dinos, as they say.
Squamish River: River levels are always a major factor for this fishery. This weekend it will be on the brink of good to great. If we receive the heavy rainfall that is expected then it will be blown out and unfishable. Fly fishing for coho salmon can be amazing on the Squamish River. With cooler weather expected this weekend and next week expect this system to really turn on. Water clarity will determine the productive flies. Make sure to drop by the store to pick up Andre’s custom hand tied flies.
Capilano River: A huge wave of fish came into the Capilano River this past weekend due to heavy rainfall. The Capilano River is a great option at this time of year because of its close proximity in Vancouver and big chinook and coho salmon. Conventional fishing with a float is the best technique for this river but fly fishermen can also do well with the right line and flies.
Stave River: Stave has been very productive and should only get better towards the end of October.
Skagit River: This is the last two weekends of fishing before the Skagit River closes for the season. With the rainfall you can expect good fishing for bulltrout and rainbow trout. Streamer patterns work well for the bulltrout while emergers and dry flies work well for the rainbow trout. The best part about this time of year on the Skagit is the lack of bugs!
Skeena Region – Nicholas Dean Lodge Report
It appears that all of the rain we missed in September seems to be falling in October this year! Like early October, this week has been a difficult one for water conditions again, with rivers being high and dirty, particularly at the start of the week. Short, steep drainages like the Kitimat river and the Skeena’s smaller tributaries are now back into fishable shape again and the mainstem and larger tribs should follow suit shortly. With temperatures dropping to lows of -4C and minimal precipitation, conditions through the weekend should steadily improve. After a period of high water like this, the fishing for both Steelhead and Coho Salmon should prove to be quite good.
With this first blast of cool weather, water temperatures will be dropping by several degrees, and usually Steelhead will respond accordingly. While it’s certainly possible to get Steelhead on dry flies towards the end of October and I’ve heard of anglers getting them on the surface well into November, the reality is that fishing wet flies on sink tips does start to become much more productive at this time of year. Look for fish to start holding in slightly slower, deeper currents as opposed to the faster, riffly water that they often prefer early in the season.
Tight lines,
Chad Black
Operations Manager
Saltwater Report:
The 2012 Vancouver saltwater salmon fishing season is coming to an end, sadly. Just before the heavy rainfall this past weekend the fishing off the mouth of the Capilano River was excellent. However, as the Capilano River level shot up with last weekends rain so did the salmon. This week has been very slow for the Vancouver guiding fleet and local anglers.
However, if another wave of fish moves into the Vancouver harbour the saltwater fishing can get very hot, very fast. It is simply being there at the right place, at the right time.
The mouth of the Capilano River is still the place to be. The flood tide tends to be the most productive period of the day but the bottom of the ebb tide and into the low slack can also be productive. The top setup is a flasher with a six foot leader, anchovy or herring teaser head, and anchovy or herring. Green and glow flashers and teaser heads are a favourite at Pacific Angler.
Our guides run their gear in 100 to 80 feet of water with their cannonballs just off the bottom. Remember it is important to stay in the zone as much as possible. This will drastically increase your catch rate.
Beach Report
With the poor weather the Pacific Angler staff haven’t received any beach fishing reports for this past week. The staff suspects beach fishing for salmon is coming to a close. Time to start hitting the rivers.
On behalf of the Pacific Angler staff we wish you the best in your fishing endeavours 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.
Happy fishing,
Matt & the Pacific Angler Staff