OUTLOOK
As we head into the Canada Day Long Weekend and for those of you taking a few extra days off next week, summer fishing is really starting to hit its stride. Saltwater anglers continue to enjoy improving coho fishing, with South Bowen producing consistently and more reports of fish showing up in the harbour. Beach anglers are also beginning to connect with the first local coho, and with favourable tides and some light rain in the forecast, the coming week could offer some excellent opportunities from shore. Freshwater anglers still have options as well, with our local lake report highlighting where anglers are finding success and what tactics are producing fish.
July 1 also marks some fresh openings for river anglers as well, including the Chilliwack/Vedder. Check out the report below for more info. on what we are expecting for that system.
Beyond the fishing reports, we're also highlighting an important piece of gear that often doesn't get much attention until it's needed - your PFD. In this week's feature, we take a closer look at Mustang Survival PFDs and why now is a great time to inspect your current life jacket to make sure it's ready for another busy season on the water. If yours is showing its age, we've got a great selection in stock to help keep you safe this summer.
Whether you're planning a salmon trip, spending an evening casting from the beach, or heading out to one of our local lakes, we've got plenty of tips, gear, and local fishing information to help you make the most of the week ahead. If you're planning to fish over the holiday, be sure to stop by before you head out. Reminder: Pacific Angler will be closed on Wednesday, July 1 for Canada Day. We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday and, as always, tight lines!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Introduction to Fly Fishing
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
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Sport Fishing Institute of BC – Big Spring Raffle
PRODUCT FEATURE
Is Your PFD Ready for Summer? What Every Angler Should Check Before Heading Out
Is your PFD ready for another season? Before your next day on the water, take a few minutes to inspect your PFD and make sure it's ready if you ever need it. We've put together a quick guide covering what to check, when you should replace your re-arm kit, and some of our favourite Mustang inflatable PFDs that our staff use throughout the season. It's a great read before your next fishing trip – check it out here!
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder Fishing Report
We’re already near the end of June, and that means the C/V system will be opening shortly- on July 1st, to be specific. The summertime fishery on this system isn't necessarily the most productive, but there will be opportunities to target summer chinook, “trout”, whitefish, and some coarse fish; there will also be a run of sockeye coming through- though this run is considered to be “at risk” and thus is closed to targeted angling. More on that later...
The Summer fishery is a variable one, with some years being “better” than others; water levels are usually the largest deciding factor as to whether or not anglers do well. If the water is still high due to freshet, the fish tend to push through the system quickly, which can make them rather hard to find; if the water is low, then the fish usually hold up in pools, thus making them easier to find... especially in the lower river. While this may sound like a good thing, it tends to result in very spooky fish, extremely crowded spots... and extremely questionable fishing ethics. For what it’s worth, the river is currently alarmingly low with a good amount of viz and is continuing to drop- thus indication that the freshet is already over. Given this info and the complete absence of any remaining snowpack, I’m predicting a very low water season unless we see a lot of rain in late June/early July.
The Summer chinook run is a bit of an unusual fishery for the C/V system- it's a small run (averaging less than 2,000 fish) that is rather short in duration. There are usually a few fish in the system on opening day, with the run quickly ramping up and peaking around the middle of the month... then rapidly tapering off, with the run basically being over by early/mid-August. The short duration and small size of this run make it a challenging fishery, though those who are willing to put in time to find fish can be rewarded. Float fishing is the go-to method for this fishery, with bait (roe/shrimp), beads, blades, jigs and yarn all being top producers. Spinners, spoons, jigs or swung flies can also produce fish, but you’re probably better off float fishing. These fish aren’t particularly big; they average 7-12 lbs, but they are extremely strong and tend to sit in fast water, so some beefier gear is a good idea- think medium-heavy rods, 20lb mainline, at least 15lb mono (or flouro) leaders, sz.1-3/0 hooks and 30-35 gram floats. Focus your attention on areas of at least moderate depth and speed and note that these fish will usually occupy the “head” and “body” of a run; rarely will they sit in a tailout.
The “trout” fishery is also unique, specifically because there is no minimum size limit for “hatchery rainbow trout”, of which you may retain 4 per day, as long as they do not exceed 50cm in length, in which case they are considered a steelhead. You will note that I’m putting the word “trout” in quotation marks, as these fish aren’t resident rainbow trout- they're juvenile steelhead. The idea behind this regulation is that the hatchery-marked fish that haven’t migrated to the ocean by now will be spending another year in freshwater, thus competing with wild juvenile steelhead in the system. As such, the people who make the regulations figure that letting anglers retain the hatchery fish will protect the wild fish. The jury is out on whether or not this is a helpful regulation, but the fact is that the fishery is open and accessible to all. Float fishing with bait such as worms, shrimp or salmon eggs is very effective, as can be casting small spoons/spinners, nymphing under an indicator or stripping/swinging small flies. These fish are typically quite small, averaging 8”-13", so light or ultralight gear is recommended. If you do participate in this fishery, please handle any wild “trout” you catch with extreme care, as these fish are crucial for the recovery of wild steelhead populations in this system. Of course, there are a few actual resident trout in the system; they average 12”-16” and are most often found in the upper river. The same tactics that work for the smaller “trout” will also work for the larger trout as well.
Of course, there will be plenty of whitefish and coarse fish, such as northern pikeminnow, pea mouth chub, largescale sucker and various species of sculpin, in the system during the warmer months; and these fish are very often encountered as bycatch when targeting other species. Whitefish will typically be found in the mid/upper stretches of the river, whereas coarse fish are usually found in the lower river. These fish can be a lot of fun on light/ultralight gear and are easily caught on the same gear you would use for “trout” in the above paragraph.
As was mentioned earlier, there is a reasonably decent run of sockeye that push into the system in July; their run timing is very similar to the chinook. As was also mentioned earlier, these fish are protected by a strict “no fishing for sockeye” regulation, so don’t even think about targeting them. Having said that, these fish can be remarkably aggressive at times and unintentionally catching them while targeting chinook is not at all uncommon. Please handle any sockeye you hook with extreme care, as these fish are depressingly fragile and suffer very high mortality rates if not handled properly.
While admittedly not my favourite fishery, the C/V’s summertime fishery is the first decent, accessible fishery of the season and is a great option for those who are looking for a bit of a challenge... or are just chomping at the bit to get out there. First light is your best bet, so waking up early, very early, is definitely helpful, though the afternoon bite can also be quite good. Be sure to bring some form of sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunshirts if you have them) and a lot of water or Gatorade- it gets HOT out there, and the mosquitos can be brutal. Enjoy the fishery and be mindful of other people who are out there enjoying themselves- this includes other anglers, rafters/tubers, dog walkers and “beachgoers”. We're all out there to have a good time, so let’s keep it that way.
Taylor Nakatani
Capilano River Fishing Report
The river has been slow leading up to the weekend. The warm weather has made the river fishing tough. With a little luck, the forecasted rain could stir up a few fish and improve the fishing.
If you have a look at the river levels, you will see it’s flat as a pancake. With no water being released we must reply on seasonal precipitation to drive up fish. We have a fair bit of rain coming this week, so fingers crossed it’s enough to get a few coho moving upriver. For those of us who want to maximize our chances we can look at AM high tides to maximize the push of fish upriver. The early AM high tides are looking food for the end of the weekend and into early next week. This might not be ideal for the beach angler but it’s something to look for when timing the river fishery.
Fresh coho will push up from the salt when the conditions are right. If you're lucky you can intercept a fresh pod of feisty fish.
With levels this low I usually target coho on the fly. Fly fishing excels at presenting small delicate presentations to picky or spooky fish. I like clear sinking lines (Rio Coastal Quickshooter) or full sink lines (Rio Fatham) with fluorocarbon leaders. (Rio Fuoroflex Strong)
Go small on the flies. Flash flies and Cab buggers will work well and some weighted trout leeches can be taken from your lake box when you need something smaller. A good fly box will have some flashy options and some natural low flash options. Almost all the flies I have for river coho are weighted and tied on small but strong hooks. Lastly, I go fishing coho with LOTS of flies. This is for two reasons. The first is that coho can get bored of the same flies. Think of them like cats… if I throw the same toy all day, they get bored of it quick. I might rotate through 4-6 different colour patterns to entice strikes. The second factor is the Capilano is hard to fly fish, and you will lose flies. Canyon walls and overhanging trees will take their share of flies, as will the sunken boulders and rocky banks. If you have a favorite pattern, go with 3-4 and plenty of second and third string options.
Let’s hope the fishing get better this coming week. A bright note is with low water we can look to some better beach fishing. Check out Jordan’s Beach report for some saltwater opportunities before these fish hit the river.
Eric Peake
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
Local Lake Fishing Reports
I hope everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day and managed to sneak in some multi-generational angling, but if you didn’t, there’s good news in the forecast! This colder weather and precipitation is great for trout fishing in that it extends the bite window through the middle of the day, so it’s less crucial to find a good spot for the morning and evening bites. If there’s some cloud cover, don’t be afraid to brighten up the colours on your spinners and spoons and change lures a little more frequently until you’ve found the right bite.
Rice Lake received a bunch of fish just last weekend, and while I’m sure there was a fair number of anglers after them on Father’s Day, a lot of them will have hunkered down and acclimatized in the deep water for a couple of days. The Edem TB14R is an awesome choice of slip float for fishing deeper, but with the Eagle Claw Pro Bobber Stops it’s super easy to make a quick depth change and fish higher in the column! The Mad River Shrimp Eggs are great for a quick weekend fish because they’re packed with scent and don’t need any refrigeration…if you’ve ever forgotten worms in your tacklebox all week, you’ll know how important that is!!
Jay Awrey
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
The last week of June did not disappoint! South Bowen has continued to produce plenty of hatchery coho and we’re starting to receive reports of action in the harbour as well. Every week has brought bigger and bigger coho which is a good sign for July!
A quick limit for this lucky family earlier this week!
The program has remained pretty much the same. The PA guide team has been having most of their success in the upper 30ft of the water column, and hoochies have been king. When fishing this shallow, your flasher choice can make a noticeable difference. The go to strategy this while fishing this high up is bright, reflective flashers that catch the light and draw in these aggressive salmon.
They're getting bigger by the week!
Due to some less than ideal wind conditions the past few days, we didn’t see too many boats making the trip over to the Gulf Islands. That being said, the previous week produced some great bottom fishing action that we typically don’t see this deep into June.
Plenty of double headers out there this week!
If you’re looking to get out for some incredible coho action, give us a call at 778-788-8582 to book a charter!
Summer bookings are filling up fast, and you don’t want to miss out! See you in the shop or on the water.
Tight lines,
Jake Comrie
Vancouver Beach Fishing Report
This past week saw some decent tides for beach fishermen, and we have some more with for the upcoming week. With the favourable tides, a few anglers have been lucky enough to encounter the first of many coho to arrive off our local beaches.
Tides next week will allow for some access to the sandbar, though most are late-morning through the afternoon. Though this may not seem ideal, it is always a good idea to go out whenever you can. As these tides move into lower-light hours, such as dawn or dusk, anglers will want to start planning around this as well.
A low-light, or first/last-light situation, combined with a tide that falls below six feet creates ideal conditions to pursue these weary fish. When the tides drop below six feet, the sandbar will be exposed which will force the fish to run the gauntlet in front of anglers as they seek the entrance to the river.
If this can line up with a drizzle or light rain, anglers may notice an increase in fish movement and activity as well. Looking at the forecast next week, there is plenty of light rain in the forecast so definitely time to get out on the water. As these fish linger in the harbour and start the staging part of their life, they are eating more out of sustenance than predatory behaviour and are looking for a positive return of energy versus expenditure. This often leads to these local coho keying in on smaller prey items such as krill, euphausiids, and crab larvae.
Some custom-tied beach flies by Andre
This is where fly anglers can do quite well, with 7wt-8wt rods being a common choice. Paired with a an appropriately sized sealed reel, this same outfit will fare well for pink salmon locally, as well as be standard issue if travelling to somewhere warm.
When fly fishing for these staging and weary fish, anglers will usually offer smaller and lighter presentations fished on floating or intermediate lines. Fluorocarbon leaders and tippet help greatly when targeting these pressured fish.
If you prefer to fish conventional gear, there are plenty of options to offer these fish as well. Most anglers will fish Buzz-Bomb’s and Zzzinger’s when searching or blind-casting to whatever may be out there. This is probably the most common way to angle off the beach as it covers distance and depth. When the fish are closer in, I’ll often switch to lighter lures that stay up in the water column and away from the snags along the bottom. It also allows me to stay up in the shallower running fish versus dropping thru them.
Spinners from Prime, Blue Fox, and Mepps are all great starting points; whereas your Gibbs Croc or smaller Mini-G behind a small weight are great spoon options.
A few staples for targeting beach salmon
Keep in mind that variety will play a roll, so make sure to have a few different options on hand with a mix of both being considered.
Adding some Pro-Cure gel or stick scent can be a leg-up as it helps mask any unwanted odors or scents.
Remember, Ambleside beach is one of the few single-barbless hook fisheries; so make sure your barbs are pinched and you’ve swapped out any treble hooks for singles.
If you are planning on retaining any legal fish, a salmon conservation stamp will be required in addition to your basic tidal license.
Keep your eyes peeled and stay safe,
Jordan Simpson
