OUTLOOK
Happy Friday - we’re here with the last fishing report of May! As we head into June our guide team and local saltwater anglers alike are looking forward to the June 1 coho opening!
In this week’s report, Jordan goes over our favourite coho gear picks and shares some tips for approaching this fishery. Check that all out and more in this week’s saltwater fishing report.
Jason has a report from the Interior lakes for those who are headed up for some stillwater fishing this weekend/next week.
For those who are looking closer to home, Eric has an update on the Capilano River where anglers saw some productive days on the water this week.
In the shop, we have our Introduction to Fly Fishing class coming up this week. The course is almost sold out, so if you were thinking of signing up, now is the time! More details on the course and link to sign up is in the Classes Section below.
CLASSES AND COURSES
We have a great line up of courses. Check out all of our upcoming May and June courses below and our full course listing here and sign up today online or over the phone at the shop - 604.872.2204!
Pacific Angler Course: Introduction to Fly Fishing
Pacific Angler Course: 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
Class Size: 20
Date: Jun 18
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sign up here
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
Sport Fishing Institute of BC – Big Spring Raffle
While the early bird prizes have been drawn, there is still time to participate in the main raffle! Support the great work that the SFI does in our province and have the chance to win some great prizes – it’s a win-win!
The Sport Fishing Institute of BC represents the interests of hundreds of thousands of anglers and works with communities and organizations across the province. It is dedicated to protecting, enhancing and promoting sustainable access and opportunity to the public fishery on BC’s west coast. Your raffle ticket purchase will help support the SFI’s efforts to secure a healthy future for BC’s public fisheries and the marine resources on which they depend.
Check out all the details and purchase your tickets here!
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Capilano River Fishing Report
The Capilano woke up this week. An increase in water levels and favorable tides have pushed fish upriver and made for some decent fishing.
After some low and clear conditions, we had some much-needed rain. With the low snowpack I expected the dam to remain shut and levels to stay consistent… much to my surprise the dam was opened, and the levels bumped. This caught many anglers off guard, but it helped the fishing. The increase in flow really gets the early fishing moving upriver. Roe was the best choice when these fresh fish zip upriver. Spinners, spoons and even a twitching jig, will produce if you can get in front of fresh fish. I was able to pick up a few on beads, but nothing out fishes good roe in these conditions.
If you are lucky enough to harvest a doe/female coho be sure to put it to good use. This would be the first opportunity to collect roe for the upcoming season. We have the favorite cures to prepare roe for your next day out. Good quality bait cures will make a huge difference in the catch rate. The additional colour and scent will result in more bobber downs.
Fly fishing when the water picks up can be challenging. I look for deeper pools or runs where the water slows down considerably. Full sink lines are usually the go-to, but a sink tip can be used. Wait for the water levels to settle and fly fishing will start to get better.
If you are hiking around the canyon, be careful as the steep banks are heavily saturated and muddy after the rain. A few studs or cleats in your wader boots help on the steep descent and keep you stable on your canyon adventures.
With the river being such an urban system, I expect to see more people on the water. Be courteous and patient to your fellow anglers. Don’t put too much faith in the old ropes, and keep your fishing area cleaner than when you found it.
Eric Peake
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
BC Interior Lake Fishing Report
With Kamloops temperatures in the high twenties all next week we are well on our way to mayfly and damsel fly season. Things look slightly cooler in 100 Mile and Williams Lake with temps in the high teens and low twenties, but we are getting reports of big mayfly hatches in those areas as well and some bigger chironomids coming off.
There are still some great chironomid hatches to be had, but you should be looking to the higher elevation lakes now from 4,000 feet and all the way up to 5,000 feet. As mentioned in the past 3 reports, you want to have some may and damsel patterns ready to go. We are also seeing some dragonfly migrations and some fish have been keyed in on bloodworms as well. It is a very dynamic time of year, so you need to have some depth in that fly box!
A little bit of everything here, which can make things a bit more difficult. Size 18-20 chrons, size 12 chrons, and a mayfly for good measure.
Although this time of year can be a bit more difficult fishing with chironomids, mays, damsels, dragons, and blood worms on the menu, there can also be less people as we get into June. A lot of people book time off in May, and rightfully so as it is some of the hottest fishing of the season, but that means less people around in June, especially later in the month. The well-prepared angler can have good fishing and less crowds in the coming weeks, so keep that in mind when planning trips in the future.
When all else fails, the Vampire Leech wind drifted under an indicator will often save the day. On my last trip it certainly proved its worth once again.
I’ll be back in the shop for a few weeks now but hope to get out on a few day trips in Region 3 and will be ready for whatever the lakes have to throw at me. Good luck out there!
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Fishing Report – Coho Fishing in Vancouver
With June being just around the corner, saltwater anglers will want to start getting their coho gear out of the closet and polished up.
If the past few seasons were any indication of what we can expect, another healthy run should be on its way to our local waters.
A productive day coho fishing for some charter guests last June!
When targeting coho from the boat while trolling, anglers will want to stay focused on tidelines and depth, with their gear usually in the top 30'-40', with bites often coming even shallower while anglers set gear.
For lures, chrome/nickle spoons with UV properties can do great, with popular highlight colours being pink, green, chartreuse, and orange. Though these aren't the only colour, it wouldn't hurt to have a few of these in your cutlery tray. Same goes for green and blues- these can offer great countershading and offer a changeup from the usually brighter colours.
If Spoons 'n' Tunes aren't your thing and you'd rather send down the squids, hoochies are a great choice to tempt coho and offer a very erratic presentation. UV Whites, pinks, pearls, purples, and chartreuse are popular choices, especially paired up with a mix of mylar inserts.
Speaking of Mylar inserts, having a mix of pearls, silvers, and whites can help add a special touch, as well as help draw in these curious and ambitious fish. Alongside the mylar inserts, adding Colorado blades and Spin-n-glo's are great options for adding additional flash and vibration.
When picking out flashers to go with your spoons and hoochies, anglers will want to focus on UV blades, with Chartreuse and Purple Onions being popular choices along with Betsy-styles. Any flasher that has UV tape on it should be decent, whether its Moon Jelly or Onion Skin. Another great sleeper of a flasher is Club Dub, which is a soft blend of UV green and chartreuse with a reflective luster.
Remember to troll a little faster and a little shallower, and to look for those ever-moving tidelines. These lines can sometimes be close to shore or farther away, depending on the tide's direction. These are often visible lines where either debris or foam collects, or where you can see two different currents meeting on the surface.
Check out our video from last season where Jason chats through our top coho spoons, flashers and hootchies, plus Leader lengths for coho and some tips on boat speeds for coho.
Remember to keep your tips up and your rods bent!
Jordan Simpson
