OUTLOOK
We’re wrapping up the final report of February with updates from our local lakes and the Sea to Sky corridor. There’s been some solid activity out there, and we’re looking forward to what the next stretch of weather brings.
In the shop and off the water we’ve got a full lineup of classes and some exciting events coming up this spring. From in-store sessions to industry happenings around town, there’s plenty to look forward to. Be sure to check out the Classes, Industry Events and Updates sections below for all the details.
If you missed our announcement earlier this week, we’ve launched our Spring Free Shipping event a little ahead of schedule. Whether you’re out of town and gearing up for the season, or local and just tight on time, it’s a great opportunity to grab what you need and have it delivered right to your door. Take a look at the details and take advantage of free shipping while it’s on!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Contemporary Chironomid Tactics
Chironomids can account for 2/3 of a trout’s diet in BC lakes and on many days, it is all they will eat. If you want to catch the biggest fish and the most fish, you need to know how to effectively fish chironomids. Your instructor, Jason Tonelli, has been fishing BC interior lakes since he was 5 years old, and in recent years he has been extremely devoted to chironomid fishing. We finally convinced him to share some of his very productive techniques and insights using today’s contemporary rods, fly lines, tippet materials, fly designs and electronics. Here is what he will cover during the course.
- Life cycle of chironomids and their importance to trout and anglers.
- Boat selection, setup, rod holders, anchors, oars, electric motors.
- Rod, reel, fly line, leader and tippet selection.
- Floating line indicator setups, floating line “naked” setup, sinking line “dangle” setup, and when to use them.
- Understanding and utilizing todays electronics (sonar and GPS) including High CHIRP and Forward-Facing Sonar (Live Scope Plus, Active Target 2, Mega Live 2) with recommendations.
- The steps to properly assess a lake and subsequent boat positioning and fishing techniques.
- Contemporary fly design and fly choice (dark flies, bright flies, dark beads, white beads, etc).
- Chironomid fishing seasons and elevation.
- 10% off all in store purchases on course night.
Cost: $100+GST
Date: April 7, 2026
Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Introduction to Fly Tying
There is no greater satisfaction than catching a fish with a fly you tied yourself. This Introduction to Fly Tying course was specifically designed to give you the fundamental skills needed to tie proven fly patterns used here in BC for trout, salmon, and steelhead.
This course consists of 3 sessions, spread over 3 consecutive weeks.
Students are required to supply their own vise, tools and materials. A 10% discount is available on fly tying materials and tools purchased for the course.
Cost: $130.00+GST
Dates: April 8, 15, & 22
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sign Up Online Today!
Introduction to Fly Fishing
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
Stillwater Jam Session
We such a great time in the shop last week at our Steelhead Jam Session we can’t wait to host another one – join us in March for our next jam. This session will be focused on all things Stillwater.
Check out the details here and get your free ticket before the night sells out!
International Fly Fishing Film Festival
The Pacific Angler team is fired up to host the Vancouver stop of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4)
Join us for an evening packed with incredible films, fishy stories, cold drinks, and a theatre full of people who’d rather be on the water but are pretty stoked for a night of fishing films!
📍 Event Details
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Doors Open: 5:00 PM
Films Start Rolling: 6:00 PM
Location: Rio Theatre – 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Check out all the details and get your tickets here!
Freshwater Fishing Licence Renewals – 2026/2027 Season
Freshwater fishing licence sales are moving to the Wildlife Information and Licensing Data (WILD) system as of the 2026-2027 year. You can log in to WILD using a Basic BCeID or BC Services Card Account. To learn more, including step-by-step instructions, visit the Province of BC’s Wild login site.
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Squamish Valley Fishing Report
The Sea to sky rivers are slowly moving out of winter hibernation and the fishing is picking up. This time of year, we start to look closer at the Squamish with the possibility of fry hatching and predators moving in to feed on them.
The spring fry hatch brings new life to the river. Eggs from the fall will hatch over winter into alevin. These little fish with yolks still attached will hide in the spawning gravels until they are strong enough to survive the open water and forage for food.
This provides some unique fishing opportunities for the spring angler
- Indicator fishing is still possible, but I am not going to rely on just eggs. Throw in a few large stone flies, and a few small jig streamers to entice those trout. You can also include a few alevin patterns under an indicator.
- Fry patterns will be increasingly productive as it gets warmer. It’s a nice change of pace from looking at an indicator. Try a light sink tip or long fluorocarbon leader to cast, strip and swing small fry patterns in slower water. Bull trout, rainbows, and cutthroat will move into the rivers to devour fry. Find the fry and you will find the trout.
The actual hatch changes every year depending on water and weather conditions, but there are a few natural indicators to help you find them. Alevin will require a certain amount of warmth and energy to develop to fry. The warmer the conditions the faster they will hatch. A great sign on the riverbank is the budding pussywillows. Once the bank willows develop their buds it’s a sure thing that spring is heating up and fry are on the move. Look for birds! Mergansers and dipper birds are looking for the same food as trout. If you find birds on the hunt you should follow behind.
For those of you with steelhead in their eyes I would start fishing the deepest spots until we get some rain. I have heard of a few unicorns found but conditions have been tough. Looking ahead we have some mild weather for the weekend, but I don’t expect it to melt much snow and affect the water levels. Looking to next week temps drop again. If fishing the low clear conditions, try to cover the deepest spots thoroughly and go smaller on your flies and presentations. Once we get a little rain or melt, to colour the water I expect the fishing to pick up.
Eric Peake
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
Local Lakes Fishing Report
Normally this a great time of year for an ice fishing report, but in the unseasonably warm weather what little ice there was this winter has mostly turned back into lake; bad news for ice anglers, but great news for local trout anglers! I can’t remember the last time the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC was out this early, hard at work to stock some of our favorite local ponds.
If you missed Casey’s report last week, Como and Lafarge Lake (Coquitlam), Rice Lake (North Vancouver), and Green Timbers Lake (Surrey) received their first 500 fish of the 2026 fishing season earlier in February. While these fish went in at a humble 176g, these fish are what are called Triploids, named after their 3 sets of chromosomes to a conventional rainbow trout’s 2 sets. This cool little bit of bioengineering produces a fish that is naturally sterile, and with no ability or need to reproduce they can devote the entirety of their energy to growing at up to twice the rate of normal trout!
Some great news for Fraser Valley anglers, there has been a rather exciting addition the stocking list out in Abbotsford on the 20th when Mill Lake received its first 500 fish at a much more edible 263g size. Mill Lake is one of my favourite beginner bass fishing spots in the Fraser Valley, and I would presume they’re releasing a larger size trout into that lake to prevent the resident largemouth from devouring them immediately. Lots of these freshly stocked fish will linger near the fishing dock and the boardwalk, but if you’ve got a small watercraft like a float tube it’s a terrific lake to spend a half day on. If you’re desperate to put a fish on the board in February, Mill would be my top choice for the upcoming weekend.
Small hooks for stocked trout and synthetic baits that require no refrigeration make a quick blast of weekend fishing easy!
Generally, for beginning anglers I would start with a float fishing setup with your favorite bait, this keeps you up and out of obstructions and in the field of view for hungry trout. While the best solutions aren’t always the easiest, this is one of the times I think it is! Pairing an A-Just-A-Bubble and a Wapsi Super Jig Head is a super effective system that requires no other equipment to instantly adjust for different depths and baits. If you’re tired of watching a bobber or interested in a more active fishing technique, small spinners and spoons are ideal either terminally on the end of the leader or in a dropshot configuration.
New to this fishery and not sure where to go? GoFishBC is an incredible resource for many things including overviews of local fisheries. Check out their listing of places to fish near Vancouver or browse their website for areas close to you!
Also, don’t forget to keep checking https://www.gofishbc.com/stocked-fish/ for up-to-date stocking reports, and stop by Pacific Angler for all your local lake fishing needs from bait to bobbers! We are fully stocked for the season ahead and are happy to help you get setup for this fishery or fine tune your gear for next day on the water.
Jay Awrey
