OUTLOOK

Happy almost long weekend!   With yesterday being the last day of school and Canada Day coming up next Tuesday, we saw many of you in the shop Thursday afternoon before taking off early to make this an extra-long, long weekend.  

We are in the shop regular hours all weekend and Monday as well.  The shop will be closed on Tuesday July 1 for Canada Day and for the retail team to spend some well-deserved time out on the water!

In this week’s report we have updates from the interior where stillwater anglers have been enjoying cooler yet unsettled weather over the last week.  These cooler temperatures have kept the lake fishing going and is certainly better than temps in the mid 30’s that can be common this time of year.  Check out Jason’s report this week for what he is looking ahead to for his trip up there this weekend.

On the saltwater, locally we have had productive fishing with strong numbers of coho reported by both PA guide team and clients out on their own boats. Jake covers what we have been seeing on the water and his tactics for coho fishing in his report.    

Last but certainly not least we know that many anglers are awaiting the July 1 opening of both the Chilliwack/Vedder system and the Skagit as well – Taylor and Eric both have reports on what to expect for each of those fisheries.   

Check out all those reports below and we’ll see you in the shop or on the water this weekend.

CLASSES AND COURSES

The kids are officially out of school for the summer months and things are winding down for us in PA Classroom as well!     We have one class left for the summer months!   If you’d like learn how to fly fish or brush up on your skills this is the course for you!

FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS

Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report

The C/V system will be opening next week on Tuesday and is currently running rather low and clear. With no significant precipitation in the forecast and freshet being pretty much over, I think it’s safe to say we’re going to have to deal with another low, clear summer Chinook fishery... unless we get a lot of rain, which seems unlikely. 

Low and clear means the fish will move relatively slowly through the system, holding up in the deepest pools during the day. While this makes them easier to locate, it also makes them harder to catch- you'll want to have your fluorocarbon leaders tied up and ready to go, that’s for sure. Beads, bait, blades, jigs and yarn will all work, just be sure to adjust your presentation to match the conditions. 

In terms of productivity, opening week can be spotty, though there will definitely be some fish around; the fishery usually picks up around the middle of July. I wrote a very detailed article on the C/V system’s summertime fisheries last week, you can read it here.

Good luck out there! 

Taylor Nakatani

Skagit River Fishing Report

Opening It’s almost here… trout anglers rejoice as the Skagit season is only a few days away.

The Skagit is a picture-perfect little trout river just outside of hope. It flows from Canada south to Ross Lake that crosses the border to the USA. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Vancouver with a limited fishing season from July-October. It’s home to large population of dry fly sipping rainbow trout and large aggressive streamer eating bull trout.

Early season is always exciting but it’s far from the best fishing of the year. Water levels are usually a little high (this year is no exception) so you may be limited on where you can cross and fish. If you are a confident wader you can still find plenty of water, just be smart about where you are crossing. Also, we usually don’t see the big dry hatches until a little later in the season so expect plenty of fish sub surface.

There are plenty of ways you can fish this river, but I usually look to three specific techniques. Dry fly fishing, nymphing, and swinging. 

• ·      Dry fly as you expect is a surface fly. Expect to see grey duns and small black flies 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.
• ·      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 a number of ways including, indicator fishing, high sticking, tight line, or other technical nymphing strategy. Small stone flies and hares ear flies will do great.
• ·      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.

Because of the verifying techniques we recommend a load out of at least two rods. One for nymphing and a second for dry fly fishing. You can also throw a sink tip swing rod in the mix if you want the full quiver of three… I tend to throw a sink tip on my nymphing rod when the opportunity presents itself to save me from carrying 3 rods. 

It’s our favorite fly river but you can fish conventional gear on this river. Smaller spinners and spoons will do well early season and can be a great introduction to the sport. I friendly reminder that all moving water is single barbless hooks only and the Skagit is a catch and release fishery. Also practice the best handling of these fish as you can. Proper stewardship of this river will keep it fishing for years to come.

If you are thinking of heading up it is worth it. The road is in good shape and the bugs are still not out in full force. However, you may be limited on the water you can cover because of the river height. If you are only planning one or two trips this season, I would hold off for better conditions, but the trout are there.

Cheers,

Eric Peake

STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS

Interior Lake Fishing Report

Things have remained fairly cool up in lake country these past few weeks.  Kamloops forecast has a high of 21C today and William Lake is 18C.  These cooler temperatures have kept the lake fishing going and is certainly better than temps in the mid 30’s that can be common this time of year.

There has been some decent sedge (caddis) hatches these past few weeks.  Other anglers have encountered chironomid hatches, while others have seen damsel fly hatches or found fish feeding on bloodworms.  Of course, leeches, dragons, boobies, and blobs are all must haves this time of year as well.  As mentioned in previous reports, it’s that time of year where you need to have some depth in your fly box and skill set.  That being said, it can be as simple as just trolling a leech, so don’t get too intimated if you are new to fly fishing lakes.

Bloodworms are a common food source in the summer months, so make sure you have a good selection in red to green shades.

There was some unstable weather last week and a lot of wind which made for some tough fishing in a lot of areas.  This weekend looks to be good for wind and weather patterns and the fish should respond positively.  Good fishing can continue right into July, if it doesn’t get too hot.  We really haven’t seen a solid week of 30+ temps, but when that does come the summer doldrums will officially be upon us.  Until then, I expect there will be some good fishing, especially on your higher elevation lakes of 4,000 feet or higher.

A lot of lakes have algae blooms by this time of year.  Don’t be intimidated by this.  The algae is usually in the portion of the water column and the fish are still feeding actively below it.

I am heading out for a few days of lake fishing this weekend and really don’t know what I am going to see.  It could be chrons, damsels, or maybe no hatches at all and it will be all about blobs and boobies.  The wind and weather look good, so at least I have that on my side.  I will report back next week and enjoy the long weekend.

See you in the shop or on the water,

Jason Tonelli

SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS

Vancouver Saltwater Fishing Report

We’re rapidly approaching July, and I’d say June doesn’t owe us much. The first week of coho fishing was a bit of a grind—until the fish, as coho often do, came in hot. Overall, aside from the odd lull, it was a very consistent month. A healthy mix of hatchery and wild coho have been reported, varying day to day on what dominates the catch.

A nice haul for some charter guests this past week!

The past week has been more of the same, in a good way. Strong numbers have been reported by both PA guides and clients on their own boats. The consensus seems to be that the morning bite has been productive, often tapering off in the afternoon. That said, many anglers still found success later in the day after running into a roaming school and capitalizing on a snap bite. With coho, sometimes you’ll troll right over a tight school and get back-to-back hookups, while the boat 50 meters away is left scratching their heads—blaming gear or depth—when really, they were just slightly outside the travel lane. Moral of the story: cover water. On a flood tide, coho can often be found tight to structure as bait gets pushed in. On the ebb, they might be way out in open water. Boats that made the journey to the Gulf Islands last week even reported coho jumping in the middle of the Strait. The ones that decided to drop lines ended up hitting quick limits out in the abyss.

A quick limit for these lucky folks.

Most of our success—both on the guide boats and among clients—has come on hoochies. I usually start the day with a spoon on one side and a hoochie on the other. If one side gets three hits in a row, I’ll often switch both sides to the productive setup. Don’t get too comfortable, though—if the bite dies and you’re still marking fish or seeing others hook up around you, change it up! Sometimes they are homed in on one particular presentation, and other times their bites are completely reactionary and opportunity based. Coho rarely stay consistent with what they are hitting, so I wouldn't be surprised if my report next week is worshipping spoons. Don't be afraid to experiment!

PA guide Gavin "matching the hatch" with this Gibbs G-Force 30 in Irish Cream.

Coho are primarily being encountered in the upper water column, typically 30 to 50 feet. When ever I have explored deeper it has led to more chinook encounters. Even when trolling shallow, hooking up with chinook isn’t uncommon—so make sure your gaff is handy for a quick boat-side release.

Lastly, remember—it’s tough to troll too fast for coho. Don’t be afraid to give it some juice. A bonus of trolling fast is they’ll often pop the clip themselves.

Tight lines,
Jake Comrie

Beach Update

The beach was fishing well this week. Plenty of positive reports of fish coming closer to shore with success at interesting times of the day. A few early morning bites and some low tide change bites for the late risers… this goes to show you any time can be a good time to hit the beach. Fish will move around and school in deferent areas as the tide moves up and down the beach. Be sure to go prepared with a range to gear weights to fish the shallows and the deeper drop offs.

Tides and weather will be an interesting factor for beach fishing this coming week. We have some mid-level high ties in the AM dropping until the afternoon. This should provide plenty of beach opportunities to cover the outgoing tide and low slack. Temperatures will also be up, so I am expecting those fish to move off to deeper water as the sun gets high. Long days in the sun can be hard on your eyes and skin. We have a wide range of SPF solar shirts, hats and polarized glasses to keep you cool and protected on your summer adventures.

Spinners, spoons and hoochie/spinner combos have been taking most of the fish with a few lucky fly anglers getting shots as well. Try rotating through presentations and colour selection until you have success.  Hot red, chartreuse, pink, and metallic finishes will all do well. If fish move off to deep water, I reach for a good ol buzzbomb or zinger. The heavy casting jigs will get out to where the fish are schooling.

As we move into full summer weather, the shore fishing should just get better. I mentioned last week we had a increasing number of new anglers interested in beach fishing. Now is a great time to get out and dial in your setups before the larger schools show up. Get acquainted with how the tides move and where the fish hold up. A few days of scouting will pay off when the larger schools arrive.

As the fishing improves, so does the amount of angling pressure. Be kind and courteous to your fellow anglers and share the space. Keep your fishing location cleaner than when you found it and have fun. It’s shaping up to be a great season ahead.

Eric Peake