OUTLOOK
Spring is starting to show its face, and while the weather has been keeping anglers on their toes, there’s still plenty to be excited about on the fishing front. Rivers around the region are seeing good pushes of fish, and when conditions line up, anglers are being rewarded for putting in the effort. With rising water, active fish, and peak opportunities for trout and steelhead, now is a great time to get out and cover some water.
Saltwater anglers have had to dodge some windy weather lately, but when boats have made it out, the fishing has been productive and it’s definitely worth dropping some traps while you’re out there.
On the community side, we’ve got a bunch of great courses and events coming up including Jason’s Contemporary Chironomid Course, our Stillwater Jam Session and the IF4 Film Festival in Vancouver.
It’s shaping up to be a fun few weeks in the shop and on the water, so swing by, say Hi, and we’ll help get you geared up for your next trip!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Contemporary Chironomid Tactics
Chironomids can account for 2/3 of a trout’s diet in BC lakes and on many days, it is all they will eat. If you want to catch the biggest fish and the most fish, you need to know how to effectively fish chironomids. Your instructor, Jason Tonelli, has been fishing BC interior lakes since he was 5 years old, and in recent years he has been extremely devoted to chironomid fishing. We finally convinced him to share some of his very productive techniques and insights using today’s contemporary rods, fly lines, tippet materials, fly designs and electronics. Here is what he will cover during the course.
- Life cycle of chironomids and their importance to trout and anglers.
- Boat selection, setup, rod holders, anchors, oars, electric motors.
- Rod, reel, fly line, leader and tippet selection.
- Floating line indicator setups, floating line “naked” setup, sinking line “dangle” setup, and when to use them.
- Understanding and utilizing todays electronics (sonar and GPS) including High CHIRP and Forward-Facing Sonar (Live Scope Plus, Active Target 2, Mega Live 2) with recommendations.
- The steps to properly assess a lake and subsequent boat positioning and fishing techniques.
- Contemporary fly design and fly choice (dark flies, bright flies, dark beads, white beads, etc).
- Chironomid fishing seasons and elevation.
- 10% off all in store purchases on course night.
Cost: $100+GST
Date: April 7, 2026
Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Introduction to Fly Fishing
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
Still Water Jam Session - March 25, 2026
Our Stillwater Jam Session is less than two weeks away!
If you haven’t joined us for jam sessions in years past, it is a relaxed and fun night for tyers of all levels of experience from beginner to expert to hang out, do some tying, share their favourite flies and techniques, and of course talk about fishing!
More info HERE on our tyers here and grab your free ticket to this event before it sells out!
IF4 Vancouver – One Night Only
The International Fly-Fishing Film Festival (IF4) is coming to Vancouver on April 9 at the iconic Rio Theatre.
Join us for a night of world-class fly-fishing films, cold drinks, and a theatre full of fishy people!
Hosted by the Pacific Angler crew, the evening features films from independent filmmakers around the world—including “In Pursuit” by local filmmakers Eben Norman & Lucas Parry and “Let’s Make a Fishing Movie” by RA Beattie.
Check out all the details here and get your seat for this not to be missed night!
As a warmup, have a watch of the “Let’s Make a Fishing Movie” here:
Fly Fishing Team Canada - 2026 Online Auction
There are some great prizes to be had from rods, reels, lines, flies, guided fishing trips, lodge stays, and more. We’ve donated a guided saltwater trip to the auction so be sure bid on that – we’d love to be on the water with you!
The auction runs online March 9 - 18, 2026 – bid on items here!
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Salmon Allocation Policy Petition e-7198
As you know the proposed changes to the Salmon Allocation Policy threaten our access to fish for coho and chinook.
This is about protecting opportunity, fair access, and the future of recreational fishing in BC.
If you care about keeping our fisheries open and accessible….add your name to the online Petition e-7198
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7198
Share it, as every signature counts.
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT
Chilliwack/Vedder Fishing Report
The past week has been quite productive on the C/V system; a bunch of fresh fish pushed into the system during last weekend’s blowout. Current conditions are pretty darn good, with the river running at a nice level and viz being great as well... not too clear, not too dirty.
The current weather forecast is up in the air, but it’s looking like the river should stay in good shape for the weekend. There does look to be a fair bit of wet stuff coming for the start of the week; that could cause some issues if it actually happens. I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again, keep your eye on the weather forecast and river levels to determine what kind of conditions you’ll be working with if you plan on heading out. It’s pretty much peak season right now, so if the river is fishable, it’s worth putting in some effort. Float fishing with a wide variety of gear or swinging spoons/spinners/flies are all good options as the warmer weather starts to make the fish more active.
Fishing should remain good for a while yet, so there’s plenty of time to get out there. As I mentioned earlier, there are quite a few fish in the system and that will be the case for the rest of the month, so it’s a great time to be putting some leg work to find fish... as long as the river stays in shape!
Note that the upper portion of the river, from the fishing boundary 100m below the confluence of Slesse Creek to the Tamihi Bridge, will close at the end of the month. Also, remember that it’s March, so there will be a bunch of salmon fry hiding in the gravel. Please avoid any unnecessary wading to avoid squishing them.
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Squamish River Fishing Report
The Squamish systems had a good bump of water this past week. This made for some decent fishing for trout when the waters level dropped back down. Fish can be encountered throughout the various tributary systems with a few good reports from up the valley. The weekend looks good but that might change soon. We have been keeping a keen eye on the weather as we have a large storm incoming for next week. Levels on the main stem will rise quickly if the temperatures remain mild. I would anticipate a blowout, but fishing should pick up as soon as it comes back in shape.
So, what does this mean for your chances at trout and spring steelhead? Well, the rise in water will push up spring run fish and disperse trout through the river. Swinging flies can be a great tactic when you have aggressive steelhead moving through and hungry trout looking to fatten up after the winter season. I have some tricks and tips for the fly anglers this week on the hope to make the most of your Spring sessions.
Fish everything… if you can’t see the bottom, it might be worth a swing. Fish will hold in deeper pools and shallow riffled runs for cover.
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Look to swing through the deeper runs with heavier sink tips and weighted flies. Long casts with big mends upstream will be the ticket to get your fly down into the fish zone. T14 tips for two handlers and heavy Versileaders for single handed rods are the best option. You may notice most anglers will seek out these larger pools. Get up early and try to hit your favorite spots at the start of the day, or you might be fishing second or third through a run. This is especially important if you're out before the storms and fishing clear water.
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Shallow runs with water moving walking pace are another great place to swing, especially when pressure is high on the river. These spots are usually low and clear, but with the spring rain they will now offer cover and hold fish. These smaller sections of traveling water are often overlooked by anglers moving fast to hit larger spots. The trick here is to fish lighter tips and smaller flies to keep you from hanging up on bottom. T8 or t11 tips with unweighted flies will do the trick. Single handers can opt for trout versileaders.
Flies for this time of year can come in a range of sizes or flavours.
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If the water is up, try larger bright flies to generate aggressive bites.
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If the conditions clear, I like smaller sparse flies in darker colours.
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As I mentioned last week its fry time so I will always have a few in the fly box this time of year.
This will also change depending on what you’re after. If you have your sights set on steelhead stay to the larger sizes and brighter colours. If trout are your target, then try more fry and sculpin patterns. Bull trout will still hit steelhead flies and vis versa but one thing you might want to think about is the amount of flash on your flies. When fry are present and temperatures rise, fish really key in on that flash.
I know I went heavy on the fly side this week, but gear anglers are still finding fish. Deeper water is easier to cover with the floats setup and various sized spoons has been fishing well for trout. You may have a harder time with beads as trout have been turning off them… but steelhead will still fall to a well-presented egg presentation.
As with all steelheading trips, gear or fly, move fast and cover water. Don’t be afraid to do some leg work or bushwacking to find less pressured water. Your perseverance will likely be rewarded.
Stay dry and I hope you get out there!
Eric Peake
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Winter Chinook Fishing Report
We’ll be back next week with a full report, but in short, it’s been a tough week to get out on the water. Strong winds kept our boats on the dock for much of the week.
When we have been able to get out, the fishing has been productive, and it’s definitely worth dropping traps while you’re out there.
More to come in next week’s report!
