OUTLOOK
It’s hard to believe we’re already into the second half of July, but the fishing opportunities right now are about as good as they get. From local coho on the saltwater, to peak summer salmon action on the rivers, to excellent trout fishing in our mountain streams, there are plenty of ways to get out and enjoy the summer season.
The Chilliwack/Vedder River is entering peak summer salmon season, with increasing numbers of summer chinook being encountered throughout the system. Conditions remain favourable, but with this fishery often moving quickly, now is a great time to get out and put in some effort.
The Skagit River continues to offer excellent trout fishing, with success coming on nymphs, streamers, dry flies, and even small spinners and spoons. Lower water means anglers should focus on careful presentations and safe wading — and don’t forget the mosquito spray!
Saltwater fishing has been outstanding. Local coho fishing around Bowen Island and West Vancouver remains very consistent, while the opening of Area 17 chinook retention has added another exciting option for anglers heading across the Strait. Early season reports have been excellent, with strong numbers of chinook, hatchery coho, lingcod, and rockfish being encountered.
The Capilano shoreline fishery is also starting to produce, with anglers finding success around the mouth and lagoon areas during the right tides. These fisheries reward time on the water, so keep exploring and learning the tides.
A quick reminder for anyone planning river adventures this summer — please take the time to plan ahead, especially if you’re floating remote sections of river. Changing conditions, obstacles, and hazards can create challenging situations even for experienced anglers. A little preparation goes a long way.
We also have a few updates from the shop this week, including important regulation information, new team opportunities at Pacific Angler, and plenty of fishing updates from around the region.
Good luck out there, stay safe, and enjoy the incredible summer fishing we have right now!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Our courses for the Summer are sold out but it's never too early to start thinking about the Fall
Introduction to Fly Fishing
Fall Salmon River Fishing Floats, Spinners & Spoons
This 3hr evening seminar covers float fishing, spinner fishing and spoon fishing; the three most productive techniques to catch BC salmon in a river.
Cost: $85.00 +GST
Date: September 22, 2026
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
Join Our Team
We’re Hiring! We have two great opportunities to join our growing team. Check out all the details below!
Retail Sales Associate – Full and Part Time Opportunities Available
As a Retail Sales Associate, you'll be the face of Pacific Angler. You'll build relationships with customers, provide knowledgeable product recommendations, and help maintain a clean, organized, and welcoming retail environment.
Our customers choose Pacific Angler because they trust our staff to provide honest, experience-based advice. While no one is expected to know everything, every member of our team is committed to continually learning, sharing knowledge, and helping customers become more successful anglers.
Full job description is here
Product Data and Ecommerce Coordinator
Working closely with our ordering, marketing and retail team, you'll manage the flow of product information from supplier to customer. You'll be responsible for entering new products, maintaining accurate inventory records, publishing products to our Shopify website, and ensuring product information is complete, accurate and consistent.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving problems, improving processes, and takes pride in producing high-quality, detail-oriented work.
Review the full job description here
Regulation Updates
After much back and forth last week, with notices related to treble hooks and hook gap size, DFO issued a coast wide Fisheries Notice effective September 1, 2026, which will ban the use of treble hooks and single hooks with a hook gap greater than 22 mm in tidal waters.
As always be sure to familiarize yourself with the regulations – more details in Fishery Notice FN0723
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder Fishing Report
We’re rolling into peak season for the C/V summer salmon run, and things have picked up a fair bit over the past few days. I’m hearing good reports of summer chinook being encountered in the lower and mid sections of the river, and a few coming from the upper as well. Decent numbers of sockeye have pushed into the system as well, though they may not be targeted nor retained, so please leave them alone.
Water levels are a bit low but fishable; viz is just about perfect. There’s not much for rain in the forecast, so the river will probably continue dropping as the month progresses. Float fishing with bait, beads, blades and jigs has been producing the lion’s share of fish, as is to be expected.
Fishing should stay decent for the next week or so, though this run typically tapers off quite quickly near the end of July. It can be worth putting more effort into the upper river as the season progresses, as fewer fish will be moving through the lower.
Taylor Nakatani
Skagit River Fishing Report
This past week saw the Skagit produce some great fishing, with many anglers finding success across all platforms of angling. Though I always like to fly fish, don't be surprised if you see me tossing small spoons or spinners as well on an ultra-light spinning rod.
When on the river we encountered a mix of Caddis and Mayflies, with nymphing being the most dominant form of success. Girdle-Bugs, Birds' Nests, and Prince nymphs were the most productive, with cycling thru them being the key. As weird as it sounds, it seemed as if they were getting wise to patterns for periods of time, but not presentation.
Swinging and 'dangling' small streamers and soft-hackles also produced quite a few fish, with most of the sportier ones being found on streamers.
Some Skagit regulars- no matter the rod!
Though I'm often found fishing a 5wt, this is a great 3wt and 4wt fishery if you have those rods and want to fish a little livelier.
One thing I often see while walking the Skagit are anglers that carry a lot of rods- one for this, one for that, another in case of this, etc.
I used to be like this, and if you've seen the photo I have on Insta, you'd think we had a tackle shop in the back of the car. But over time and through experience, I've learned to pare down my rods to just two.
The first rod is one with floating line that is set up for nymphing that will turn into my dry fly rod. By unscrewing my Oros indicator and cutting the small tag-end that I have a micro-splitshot on, I can quickly and easily convert this into my dry fly rod.
My second rod is usually set up with a floating line and Versi-Leader, or an integrated sink tip line for fishing streamers on the strip or swing.
As I mention swinging streamers, there really is no need to carry a trout-spey on this system, though you might on the Thompson. If you are wanting to swing streamers or soft-hackles, your single-hand rod will do just fine and will allow you to fish the swing, the dangle, and the strip.
Keep in mind that fish may sit in the shadows as the water is cooler, offers more cover, and also provides some great camouflage thru counter-shading.
A classic trout stream: cover, seams, and shadows
If you feel like tossing small spinners and spoons, a small-to-medium sized Gibbs Croc is a great choice, as well as small fluttering spoons like the Mini-G behind a small weight or under a float can also produce. Speaking of floats, don't be scared to drift small nymphs under a float if you want to 'fly fish' on your spinning rod.
Water levels are lower than previous years-to-date, with most areas being wadable and accessible depending where you adventure up/down-stream and cross. Please keep in mind that no fish is worth risking a crossing for, and to wade/cross the river with caution. If you're headed to the Skagit, keep in mind that the mosquitos are very much a real thing, and that the stories you hear about them are not hyperbole. You will know what I mean...
Skagit River Drifting Update
If you are planning to drift the river, please plan accordingly and use caution when navigating different sections. We have been informed by a longtime customer of a significant logjam located approximately 7–8 km downstream from the last accessible launch point below the 26 Mile Bridge.
While our customer and his fishing partners were only about 1.6 km from the road, dense brush and challenging terrain made hiking out unsafe. After assessing the situation, they made the decision to return to the river, stay together, and wait for assistance.
This group was experienced, well-prepared, and equipped with maps, offline imagery, and satellite messaging—highlighting that even the most prepared anglers can encounter situations where assistance is needed.
During their safe exit the following day, they learned they were the third group to require assistance from the same logjam. Based on conversations with local groups, Hope Search and Rescue has been advocating for an official warning sign at the final launch point, approximately 7–8 km below the bridge.
Please take extra care when planning your drift and be aware of changing river conditions and potential hazards.
Keep safe and stay hydrated,
Cheers!
Jordan Simpson
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
It’s mid-July and the fishing has been fantastic! On our local trips we have been fishing for coho around Bowen Island and West Vancouver and the fishing for hatchery coho continues to be very consistent.
The fishing for hatchery coho continues to be very productive!
On our longer trips, we have been going to Area 17 (Gabriola & Entrance) as chinook opened as of July 15th. On these trips we fish for chinook, hatchery coho, lingcod and rockfish! The chinook numbers this year are excellent, as are the coho numbers, so the fishing on our first few trips across has been nothing short of outstanding!
Opening day chinook fishing in Area 17 was hot!
If you are looking to book a trip, this is the time, with lots of options locally and farther afield. The good fishing will continue through the rest of July and into August and then we have the Fraser Mouth chinook fishery to look forward to on September 1st.
If you are heading out on your own boat, make sure to check out our videos on coho fishing and subscribe to see the chinook videos that are on the way.
We just sold out of the Rapalas yesterday, but more are on the way, so if you want some, go to the product links below and click Notify Me When Available and you will be the first to know when they come back in stock mid next week.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
Beach Fishing Report
The Capilano shoreline has seen a bit of action this week. High early am tides have flooded the mouth and lagoon areas. Anglers have been fishing the morning outgoing tides as the sand bars appear. Not everyone will catch but if you’re in the right place at the right time your hard work will pay off. Needless to say, if you don’t go you won’t get them.
I checked out the tide change this week and saw a few fish about. I thought it was surprisingly quiet. The tide was still, with low wind, no big swell, and the seals where mostly pressuring the fish upriver past the train bridge. I did see one fly angler hook a fish as he pushed out to make the crossing towards the sand bar. I don’t think it was landed but good on them for seeing fish and moving to them.
These are great mornings to get out and learn the habits and traveling patterns for the shore fishery. Fish will move very shallow and provide better shots for fly and gear anglers. On the fly side try using a distance line like the Rio Outbound Short to help battle the wind, or the Coastal Quickshooter for a more sub surface stealth presentation. We have plenty of Rio fluorocarbon saltwater leaders for durability and better turnover in salty environments.
I keep my flies small with white, pink, green and purple variations to choose from. Andre has a nice collection available at the shop for anglers looking to get some tried and true beach patterns.
Gear angling is still the most productive with spinners and spoons doing most of the fish catching. Check out the Prime Spinners or Koho Spoons for small and medium options. Spinners have the irritating vibration to rattle the tight-lipped fish, and the spoons have enticing wiggle in the shallows. I am a sucker for orange, but pink, blue and green options will all take fish. Anglers will also get creative with lure crafting. Try throwing a small hoochie off the back of your spinner or spoon for some additional tail action!
This Fishery will continue to produce as the summer rolls in, so you still have plenty of time to get out and give the fishery a go.
Cheers
Eric Peake
