OUTLOOK
Happy Friday! We want to wish all the Dads, Stepdads, Grandpas, Father Figures/mentors out there a happy early Father’s Day. We hope you all have a great weekend and can find some time to get out on the water!
If you’re still looking to get a gift for Dad swing by the shop this weekend. Not sure what to get? You can always purchase a gift card in store or online and have it delivered right to his inbox!
This weekend also marks Family Fishing Weekend which is a celebration of all things fishing here in the Province. There are many free family friendly events held throughout the province and licenses are also free for both fresh and saltwater anglers. Check out all the details below in our Industry Events + Updates section.
On the fishing front we have reports this week from our saltwater guide team who have had some productive days on the water this past week. Jason has an BC Interior Lake Fishing report and Eric has an update for those fishing the Capilano both on the river and in the ocean.
If you’ve been thinking of signing up for our Introduction To Fly Fishing Course be sure to get a seat in our July course as is the last offering until the fall. Check out the course schedule below.
We’ll see you in the shop or on the water this weekend!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Summer is almost here and as look ahead to warm summer days on the water we have just a few classes before we take a break for most of July and August. Next week Matt is back teaching is always popular Introduction To Fly Fishing Trout Streams Course. This is a great one evening seminar where you will learn fundamental techniques for fly fishing trout streams; dry fly fishing, nymphing, and streamer fishing.
If you are looking to learn to fly fish or brush up on your skills we have our last Introduction to Fly Fishing before the fall coming up in July. Get your seat in this class before it sells out!
Details and dates on each of these are below! Sign up online or call the shop at 604.872.2204
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
BC Family Fishing Weekend 2025 – This Weekend Friday June 13 – Sunday June 15
B.C.’s Family Fishing Weekend is an annual celebration of the great tradition of sport fishing that coincides with the Father’s Day weekend. In 2025, the three-day event falls on June 13th to 15th. This is a great chance to get together with family and friends and try fishing!
During B.C.’s Family Fishing Weekend, free fishing events for anglers and families are held throughout the province. Knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand at most events to teach tricks of the trade.
In addition to the free events, our provincial government waives the requirement for residents of Canada – individuals who have lived in Canada for the preceding 12 months – to buy or carry a non-tidal (freshwater) basic fishing licence for Friday June 13 through to Sunday June 15. There are some exceptions so if you plan to fish be sure to read up on those.
More information on the events, licencing exceptions etc. can be found here!
If you are a saltwater angler heading out over Family Fishing Weekend, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which manages fishing in tidal waters, also offers the opportunity to go saltwater fishing for free from June 13-15, 2025.
More details on the free Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence and requirements can be found here!
PRODUCT FEATURE
In case you missed our What's New Wednesday Post on our social media feeds this week we wanted to share this here! We're so excited these are back in stock we felt it deserved a spot in the Friday Fishing Report.
Tomic Plugs! The legendary BC plug is back in stock!
Every Tomic Lure is hand painted and assembled to precise specifications right here in BC. Available in store and online but it’s worth a trip to the shop to check out the colours in person as photos don't do them justice.
The first Tomic was originally designed for commercial salmon fishermen, and it continues to produce for sports anglers around the world.
These are a definite favourite for the PA team - make sure to check them out while supplies last.
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Capilano River Fishing Report
Timing is everything on the Capilano. We had reports of beach anglers finding a coho on the morning tide changes and river anglers intercepting a few fish after some unexpected river bumps.
It’s that time of year when I start to think more about the beaches. Anglers can capitalize on the rapidly descending morning tides this weekend. The quick tide change can hold up fish schooling in the shallows and make for decent fishing. The cooler mornings will also help keep fish in casting range. Keep a verity of presentations on hand: I like having a few spoons and light spinners to fish shallow and some heavier buzz bombs to bomb casts to the deep stuff off shore.
Fly anglers will find fish following the tide out and fishing smaller presentations. We have a stellar selection of Andre’s killer coho patterns for those looking to make a connection on the fly.
Our go to flies!
A surprise late this week. The river had some new life as the water bumped Wednesday. After a slow drop it was bumped up just enough to entice a few fish up river. These fish raced up river fast but anglers had success intercepting them with flies and gear. I heard the best reports from gear anglers as the increased flow made it hard to fly fish. Gear anglers also found a few with smaller spinner, spoon, and bead presentations. I expect the river to slow with the warm stretch of weather heading our way, but early am can still be fruitful if you have a few hours in the morning.
Cheers,
Eric Peake
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
British Columbia Interior Lake Fishing Report
It’s the middle of June and we already have survived our first “heat wave” with temps in the Kamloops area well into the 30’s last weekend. One person I know recorded 42F on their truck thermometer on Monday and had some boat parts melt! Luckily things are really cooling off this coming week, especially north of 100 Mile where evening temps dip down into the single digits. This is great news for the lake angler, as things could certainly be too hot by this time of year.
Mid-June brings a lot of opportunities for the lake angler. Camping and fishing are generally more comfortable for starters, and there are a lot of hatches one might encounter. This makes the fishing interesting, but at times challenging. There are still some chironomids coming off, but you are likely going to have better fishing on leeches, dragons, mays, damsels and caddis. Hatches vary considerably this time of year, depending on the lake and its elevation. Some lakes are well known for caddis, aka sedge, hatches while others are known for their large summer chironomid hatches, aka bombers. It pays to do you research and keep a journal. Each day on the lake or report from a fellow fisher is a data point that should be logged and used for planning future trips.
The Vampire Leech gets yet another fish. This fly has truly become a staple these past few years. Under an indicator, or retrieved, it’s deadly.
As you can imagine, with the list of hatches listed above, plus some blobs and boobies for good measure, your fly box needs to be well stocked this time of year. You also need to be prepared to switch up your lines from a floater and an indicator to a variety of sinking lines. I suggest carrying a clear intermediate sink, a Type 3 sink and then a fast-sinking lines in Type 6 or 7. These along with your floating line will cover the vast majority of the situations you will encounter this time of year.
The dragonflies really get moving this time of year. Try creeping one along the bottom with a Type 3 or Type 6 sinking line or open a beverage of choice and slowly troll one. Make sure your rod is secure!
Good luck out there, I hope to get out a little later this month and will be well prepared because you just never know what you are going to find this time of year.
Jason Tonelli
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Coho Salmon Fishing Report
Coho reports have been rolling in from both sides of the Strait, coming from guides, friends, and customers. It sounds like there are definitely some hatchery fish around, but the bite hasn’t quite settled into a consistent rhythm yet. That’s pretty typical for early June—snap bites followed by quiet periods.
Our guide boats have been seeing a decent number of coho off South Bowen, but during the flurries, the hatchery-to-wild ratio has been around 25/75. That said, this fishery can flip on a dime. One tide it’s all wild, the next it's mostly hatchery, and the day after that—nothing at all. If we go by the timing from the last few years, we’re probably a week or two out from the fishery becoming more consistent.
A couple nice hatchery fish from a charter this past week!
Most of the coho have been taken in the upper part of the water column. The 30 to 60-foot range has been most productive, but don’t be afraid to experiment. Fishing deeper has been putting our guides into more chinook, so keep that in mind—be ready to gaff release or adjust your depth if you start hitting too many.
Reports from across the Strait in the Gulf Islands have echoed the same story. Our boats that have made the crossing are finding coho scattered throughout the water column—some right on top, others right on bottom. The go-to setup has been the Gibbs Highliner Guide Series STS flasher paired with a white hoochie. Nickel-plated spoons have also been getting bit, so it’s worth rotating between the two.
The winning combo this week.
Bottom fishing has been steady, but recent big tides have made things tricky. If you’re heading over to target rockfish and lingcod, aim to fish near slack tide. It makes it much easier to stay on bottom and hold structure while jigging. If the current is ripping and you’re struggling to stay vertical, either bump up to heavier gear or wait until things slow down.
If jigging isn’t working, try running swimbaits on your salmon rods and clip them to the downriggers. It’s an extremely effective way to cover water and stay close to the bottom. Troll slow—just fast enough to keep your downrigger cables near vertical. Keep in mind that swimbaits are weighted and will sink, so keep your cannonballs about 10 feet off bottom to avoid snagging while still staying in the zone.
Tight Lines!
Jake Comrie
