OUTLOOK
It feels like Spring has officially hit its stride, and it’s showing across many of our fisheries right now. Warmer temps are pushing river levels up and kicking off freshet, but there are still windows to get out there, especially if you keep an eye on conditions and time things right.
On the Vedder, we’re into fly-only season and the final stretch for steelhead, while the Squamish system is quickly transitioning with rising flows and shifting opportunities.
Stillwaters, on the other hand, are absolutely on fire. Local lakes are fishing incredibly well, making this one of the best times of year for both new and experienced anglers to get in on the action. Stocked trout are feeding hard, kokanee season is just getting started, and the Interior is ramping up fast with chironomids, leeches, and even early mayfly activity. If lakes are your thing, the next few weeks are about as good as it gets.
Saltwater anglers also have something to look forward to with bottom fishing now open. While local retention is limited, there are opportunities not far from home if you’re willing to make the run.
And of course, it all lines up perfectly with our Spring Super Sale this weekend (May 2–3). Whether you’re gearing up for lakes, rivers, or saltwater, it’s a great time to swing by the shop, chat with the team, and get dialed in with gear we use and trust every day.
Good luck out there this weekend and hopefully we’ll see you in the shop for the sale (or scoop some deals online) or on the water!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Introduction to Fly Fishing
Introduction to Fly Fishing Trout Streams
Stalking trout on mountain streams defines fly fishing. In this course we will teach you the fundamental techniques for fly fishing trout streams; dry fly fishing, nymphing, and streamer fishing. This course will get you as close to being Brad Pitt (River Runs Through It) as you will ever be! This course is comprised of one 3hr evening seminar.
Cost: $85.00+GST
Date: June 16, 2026
Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
Spring Super Sale – May 2 + May 3, 2026
In-store and online – keep an eye on your inbox out for the full sale list coming out this evening and we will see you in shop or online!
We’re lining up serious deals across the entire shop, including:
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Fly fishing gear
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Fly tying materials & tools
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Saltwater setups & tackle
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Conventional tackle
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Waders, boots, jackets & all apparel
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Spey rods, reels & lines
From everyday essentials to premium setups we have it all at a great price!
In-Store Sale Hours
Saturday May 2 | 10 AM-6 PM
Sunday May 5 | 11 AM-5 PM
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder Fishing Report
It is May 1st, which means a couple different things for the Vedder River this month. First, the river is now fly only, as well as being closed above the Vedder crossing bridge. Fly fishing can be great throughout the month of May, provided the water level doesn’t spike too high.
Freshet is starting to happen throughout the Fraser Valley. With the warmer temperatures this week, I would imagine river levels remain on the higher end. Water levels dropped slowly last week; however, they spiked again this morning. Water levels are currently sitting at around 2.1 meters, which isn’t too bad at all, however I’d imagine the river is a bit dirty from the spike we saw last night. There is not a ton of snowpack in the mountains this year, so I wouldn’t be expecting a very heavy freshet this year.
If you’re planning on getting out and swinging the lower lections of the river, keep an eye on the water levels. It seems to spike and then slowly drop to a more fishable level, so there will be opportunities this month. There will still be fish in the lower river, not as many as March and April, but still enough to give you a solid chance. I’d imagine water clarity will stay fairly cloudy as we keep seeing these bumps in water levels. Brighter fly presentations will work well early in the morning however as you head into the afternoon, the sun on the water can cause fish to become spooky. This is where a brighter yet more subtle fly can come into play.
This is the last month of steelhead season on the Vedder River, so if you’ve been wanting to get out and do some fly fishing, now would be the time. As I said, keep an eye on water levels. If it starts to drop again, it might be worth the trip.
Jacob Leboe
Squamish River Fishing Report
The Squamish has been on the rise the last couple of days with sunny skies and warm temperatures. The weekend water levels are edging up to max fishable levels. I would say it’s about wrapped up for the main stem. The Squamish tributaries are on the rise, but they are more controlled and will still be fishable for a short time. 
With the added river velocity we are giving a word of caution to those looking to drift the spring. I was out recently and noted a solid bump in the flow after things warmed up. Water levels can change quickly through the day so be aware of the conditions and have a solid respect for the river. No fish is worth the risk.
Fly and gear anglers can still expect fish if they cover ground. With the bump in water, I often look for ways to cover larger runs faster. Gear anglers can cover water effectively with spoons and spinners. Fly anglers can effectively cover the same water using streamer tactics and swung flies. I like to throw fry patterns or larger sculpin/rabbit strip patterns when I have good clarity to the water, something white olive or brown. larger steelhead flies in a host of bright colours will stand out when the snow melt tints the water. Don’t go stingy on the leaders. Keep them heavy in the 8-10lb range for trout and 12-15lb for steelhead.
For those looking for a slower pace with lighter gear there is a short season to fish nymphs on the tributaries. This can be done under an indicator or tight line “euro style”. If clarity holds up look to fish the inside seams of larger runs and choppy water at the heads of runs for trout. Larger stone flies and jig nymphs/streamers are effective to pick apart the likely holding water. It’s also a good technique to master as we look to other rivers in the summer months. Check out the Redington Strike if tight line is your thing. Alternatively, the Redington vice 5wt 10ft is a great nymphing rod and doubles as a lake indicator rod.
It’s Spring so expect to see more people adventuring out to the backcountry. If you are camping, please take care to keep a clean camp site and pack out whatever you bring in. Be bear aware.
You will see plenty of new signs up: Pack light, don't love it to death.
Eric Peake
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
Local Lakes Fishing Report
This is one of our favourite times of the year here at the shop not just because we get to introduce so many new anglers to the sport, but also because we get to share in so many stories of success and fun days of fishing! There are probably a dozen local lakes that are within two hours of the shop that are fishing in a way that I would call fantastic, and even novice anglers can get in on the fun!
An up and coming local angler with a nice stocked trout from Rice Lake!
We’ve been hearing positive reports from all the usual local lakes and no surprise, the bait anglers have been largely outfishing the gear guys. A fantastic option that we suggest all the time is a synthetic scented bait like a Berkley Gulp! Floating Trout Worm , but Mad River Shrimp Eggs or Berkley Gulp Alive 1” Minnows are all terrific choices that check all my boxes: no need for refrigeration, cost effective, and stockers eat them like candy. My favourite setup for May stocker fishing is a sensitive slip float like an Edem Balsa Wood Float paired with either a Wapsi Super Jig Head in size #10 or #8, or a Mustad Egg/Caddis Fly Hook C67SAP-TX in size #12 or #10. In float fishing scenarios I would gravitate towards the jig heads, but if I were bottom fishing and trying to float a light bait off bottom, I would be using the Mustad hooks. Bonus points for the prepared anglers who bring some scented marshmallows for their bottom rigs!
While this is everything you need, there are so many more fun options in our freshwater section!
Everything you see here on our feature wall is a great choice for a day of red-hot lake fishing, but if you’d like to get into some more complicated techniques like dropshotting or fishing flies under a float with a spinning rod, come by the shop this weekend for some tips and tricks and take advantage of our Spring Super Sale, Saturday May 2nd to Sunday May 3rd!
Jay Awrey
Local Lakes Kokanee Fishing Report
It is early May, which means a cool fishery is kicking off. Kokanee fishing can be done in a variety of lakes, both in the Lower Mainland and up in the Interior. Kokanee are essentially a small, landlocked sockeye salmon; most of them are quite small, however up in the Interior, you can encounter some big ones. This is a seasonal fishery; prime time is pretty much now until August.
A nice early spring morning, searching for kokanee.
Trolling for these fish is the most productive method; this can be done from big boats, small boats, kayaks, canoes, basically any type of water vessel that is safe to take out on a lake. If you’re kitting out your kayak or boat, I would highly recommend you invest in some rod holders, this way if you are alone, you can troll 2 rods at once. The Scotty R-5 Universal rod holder is a great option for this, they mount easily onto your boat or kayak with a 241 scotty mount.
Most kokanee trolling is done with downriggers, which can be key when fish push deeper into the lake during the summer. However, in the Spring, these fish are fairly shallow and that’s when I like to surface troll with Willow Leaf Gang Trolls or Dodgers. Willow Leaves and dodgers will sink just below the surface when trolled slow enough. If you need to get deeper, you can also add a dropper weight, however most of the time I find I don’t need to. Behind my willow leaves and dodgers, I like to run a Gibbs Wedding Band or Gibbs Mini G. You can also tip these hooks with some bait, small gulp maggots or the elusive shoe peg corn, which we have in stock at the shop. A bit of scent in the water can make all the difference especially when fish are being picky.
Kokanee fight extremely hard especially once they get to the surface.
As for rods and reels, you want a very soft and light rod, with a deep bend. Kokanee have very soft mouths, making them very good at spitting the hook. These softer rods will compensate for that tension, hopefully resulting in a better landing ratio. The Okuma Kokanee Black would be my top choice, as the taper is built specifically for this type of fishing. As for reels, I like a low profile baitcasting reel like the Daiwa Fuego. For more dedicated Kokanee anglers, the Okuma Kokanee Black also comes in a spinning rod version, which can be paired with a 5/6 fly reel like a Reddington Behemoth to create a mini mooching setup.
A nice pair of some early spring kokanee, a very tasty fish.
The season is starting now and will only get better. Kokanee are small but very tasty, you can keep 5 of them in most lakes, however always double check the regs before you go out.
If you have any more questions about kokanee fishing, drop by the shop or give us a call at 604 872 2204.
Jacob Leboe
BC Interior Lakes Fishing Report
The heat is here! Things are heating up in more ways than one this weekend with lots of heat in the forecast for Merritt, Kamloops, and the Cariboo with highs up to 29C.
The fishing in Region 3 is now full-on chironomid mode for the lower to mid elevation lakes. The higher elevation lakes are now coming off and the heat this weekend will take care of any that are lagging behind in the ice off department. On these higher elevation lakes, the go to presentations will be blobs and leeches, but everywhere else will be chironomids and we are even hearing of mayflies on some of the lakes that iced off late March.
Region 5 is also starting to happen with many of the lakes coming off a cold week and temps in the mid 40’s. These lakes are now up in the high 40’s and will be in the mid 50’s after the heatwave this weekend. That means chrons, chrons, and more chrons.
The chron hatches are going off! Time to get out there.
It’s definitely starting to happen in Region 5 now and the higher elevation lakes will also be coming off and warming up this week. To put it into perspective, there are already a few lakes in the Cariboo that have water temps in the mid 50’s and have had chironomid hatches for a good week or so. So, be ready for more chrons and definitely mayflies if you are heading up the next few weeks, as this heat is going to push some hatches forward.
The fish are happy and feeding. It must be May!
Region 8 is also happening, same story, the lower elevation lakes are in full chironomid mode and the higher elevation lakes up on the plateaus will be off now and warming up.
The next 2-3 weeks will be some of the best lake fishing of the year, so I hope you can get out there and enjoy all the amazing fisheries, and good luck on your trip!
In the meantime, if you haven’t visited our YouTube channel lately, we have some great videos on blobs and forward facing sonar with many more videos and topics to come!
Jason Tonelli
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Bottom Fishing Gear Guide
Today - May 1 – marks the opening of bottom fishing! While there are no retention opportunities in Vancouver waters (Areas 28 & 29), a quick run across the Strait of Georgia into Area 17 puts you into retention waters for lingcod and rockfish.
If you missed it earlier this week on our social feeds check out our Bottom Fishing Gear Guide for a quick overview of regulations and a few of our go-to's for the bottom fishing season ahead.
