OUTLOOK
As we near the mid-way mark of July it looks like we have put the cool wet weather behind us for at least the next week or so.
In this week’s report we have updates on some of our favourite July fisheries. Eric has an update from the Skagit and he has a few tips if you are headed up that way.
Locally, our saltwater guide team and local anglers have been having some great days out on the water for coho and we are eagerly awaiting the July 15 chinook opening across the strait. Check out Jake’s report below for the latest reports from our guide team.
For those heading out to the valley, Taylor has an update on the Chilliwack/Vedder system. The river is still low despite the rain earlier this week. That said, we are heading into peak season for the summer chinook fishery so we are expecting to hear some good reports from that system soon!
Have a great week on the water and we’ll see you in the shop or on the water!
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
District of North Vancouver Firefighters Charity Fishing Derby
Mark your calendars! Tickets for this year's Charity Fishing Derby on Friday September 19, 2025, go live on July 14! This event sells out every year so don’t sleep on this. Also, new for this year, all ticket sales will be online. Don’t miss out on this fantastic event for a great cause.
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report
One might’ve expected the C/V system to have bumped up a fair bit following the rain we had this week, but nope... it only came up .1 of a meter. Obviously, a .1-meter increase is laughable, but I’d bet that a few fish still would’ve pushed into the system regardless; and we’re getting close to the middle of the month. I think I’ve said this in every single C/V report I’ve written this summer, but the middle of the month is when the bulk of the summer-run fish pile into the system. While the fishery has been pretty slow thus far, it’s going to pick up quite a bit within the next week.
If the opening sentence didn’t make it clear, the river is still running very low and clear and will be staying that way unless we get a significant amount of rain. As such, smaller, more “finesse” presentations will be your best bets- small pieces of bait, beads, blades, yarn ties and jigs will all produce fish. Remember that the summer-run chinook are hilariously strong fish, so there is a limit to how much you can downsize your gear... if you still want to have a reasonable chance of landing your fish in a somewhat timely fashion. I wouldn’t recommend going any lighter than a 12lb fluorocarbon leader or any smaller than a size 2 hook, for the sake of both you and the fish.
Taylor Nakatani
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Skagit River Fishing Report
Plenty of anglers have been out exploring the river with good to moderate success. The water is still a little on the high side. Most of the upper river from Sumallo will be accessible and you will be able to make crossings without much trouble. The lower river is fishable with good clarity, but some areas are uncrossable… you might have to walk up or down to pick your crossings. Take care with wading the lower if it’s your first trip out or you are new to river fishing. I don’t usually wade deeper than knee level when the waterflow is fast. This lets you keep your balance and recover from a slip or misstep. If it’s a slow spot you can confidently wade deeper but a spill in fast water at thigh or waist deep can easily carry you off your footing and downstream.
Fishing has been good with anglers finding fish on a variety of techniques and patterns. A quick list of some of our go to methods for the river from the last report:
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Dry fly as you expect is a surface fly. Expect to see grey duns and small mayfly hatches early season. Hatches usually materialize once things get warm. Don’t forget your fly flotant and dry shake powder to make the most of your dry fishing.
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Nymphing is the primary sub surface presentation. At its core you are presenting a small bug drifting freely down river. This can be achieved in several ways including, indicator fishing, high sticking, tight line, or other technical nymphing strategy. Small stone flies and hares ear flies will do great.
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Swinging flies is a great way to cover water early season and dredge up bull trout. Larger flies are cast across river (usually with a sink tip) and swung back to shore. This is usually done in a cast, swing step repeat pattern. It’s simple, effective and the takes are usually aggressive.
Nymphing has been the go-to method for most days. Small indicator setups or tight line setups have been producing fish. Golden stones have been the MVP pattern for the week. I haven’t had as many solid bull trout reports this year but that might be due to the lack of people fishing larger streamers. If you want bulls, I keep a few rabbit streamers in the kit with a sink tip ready to go. Lastly, many anglers will choose to spend the day driving and mending dry flies for the surface take. This is truly one of the most enjoyable fisheries on this river. The early season hatches have been small so lucky angers finding a hatch have done well. When fishing dries, I try to match the hatch as best I can but have a few larger terrestrial patterns in the box for when you are getting refusals. I might not throw dries all day, but we have heard some exceptional catches right at last light with larger grey dun hatches in the evening and twilight hours.
A nice rainbow from late last week.
If you chose to fish last light, make sure you know how to get back out safely. Wading the river or stumbling through devil's club in the dark is no fun. We have also had some reports of active cougars and bears in the area so it's best to make your way back to camp or the car with a little light left.
This is a beautiful little river. Make sure you pack out any garbage you find and treat the fish with best care.
Eric Peake
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Coho Salmon Fishing Report
The second week of July is shaping up much like the first – steady action across the board from both clients and guides. The South Bowen fishery has continued to produce plenty of hatchery coho, and the bite has been solid further east up the Strait toward the Sunshine Coast. Anytime I hear the fishing is good in that direction, I get excited knowing those fish are headed our way.
Some chunky coho for some lucky anglers!
On the gear front, the flashy stuff continues to lead the charge. Flashers with lots of reflective tape have been producing well in the upper part of the water column where they catch the light. Glow gear can still work, but when fishing shallower it doesn’t seem to make a huge difference since there’s still lots of visibility. The 30-to-60-foot range has been the go-to.
We’re also getting to that point in the season where the harbour is starting to come into play. There have been some early reports of coho showing up off Point Atkinson and along the West Van shoreline for those who’ve given it a go. This fishery will only get better as we move through July and into August, and it’s a great option for anyone looking to stay closer to home or sneak out for a quick morning or afternoon trip. The program is the same — troll fast and fish your gear shallow. Don’t be afraid to slide up into the shallows toward the Capilano mouth. When I’m up there, I like to run my gear a bit further from the boat. It seems to help when the fish are spooky in the skinny water.
One of the biggest surprises so far has been the size of the coho. The hatchery fish have been impressive, especially for this early in the season. The weight these fish are packing on in such a short time is wild, and it looks like we’ll be seeing some 10+ pounders before long.
More July tanks!
Not a ton of chatter yet about large schools of wild fish, but they’re definitely in the mix. Do your best to spot the adipose fin early so we can keep those wild fish in the water. I know it’s not always easy, but if you’ve already had a good morning and aren’t grinding to put a fish in the box, consider leaving the net on standby and getting a closer look before bagging one.
Lastly, there have been quite a few reports of mis-clipped coho showing up. Just a heads-up – even if there’s only a tiny bit of the adipose fin left, it still counts as a wild fish and needs to be released. If DFO checks your catch, they’ll treat it as wild, no matter how slight the clip. Do the right thing, toss it back, and keep fishing for the next one.
Tight lines,
Jake Comrie
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Beach Fishing Report
This past week has seen some good fishing with quite a few anglers finding success on both flies and gear.
With more and more coho arriving off our beaches and pinks on their way, many anglers are starting to gear up for that fishery.
We have some great tides this coming week, with many anglers excited to make their way to the sand bar.
From this vantage point, anglers will toss spinners, spoons, and other lures, while fly anglers will be tossing small krill/euphausiid patterns.
With the forecast calling for some high sun and bright days, the morning tides will play a role in fish activity regarding the lower light. Regardless of tides, I always like being on the water during the morning. With that said, low light is low light, making sunsets along the West Vancouver shoreline a great opportunity for anglers wandering into the night.
If you find yourself fishing in tough conditions, whether due to pressure or light, don't be afraid to scale back your leaders or tippets- both on the gear rods and fly rods.
Scaling back to even 10lb Fluorocarbon from the usual 12lb-15lb can help make a difference. Have a favourite spoon or fly? Try it in the next size down.
Some tasty temptations.
Keep in mind that most of these fish are shallower running, meaning floating lines are usually all that is necessary for those on fly rods. Clear intermediate heads, leaders, or tips are always a good idea to keep in your kit as well in case the wind comes up and you need to keep direct tension between yourself and the fly.
Some local beach essentials.
For gear anglers, lighter lures that don't drop or fall through the fish are often sought after, with various casting spoons, small jigs, and spinners being popular.
Generally speaking, pink is a common colour when targeting pink salmon, but keep in mind that they will go after other colours so having a few options can help break the cycle.
When targeting coho, anglers may opt for colours such as blue, green, chartreuse, or combinations there-of.
Remember that hooks must be barbless when targeting salmon, and only hatchery-marked coho of 30cm or more can be retained.
Waist Deep,
Jordan Simpson
