OUTLOOK  We are almost in May.  May is a time of flux for weather and fisheries but, there are lots of opportunities worth looking at.  We have still not seen regulation changes for saltwater chinook fishing but on the 1st of May bottom fishing opens in some areas of the Vancouver local waters.   The weather has also not kicked freshet into full swing so we are seeing some good late local river fishing but we do not expect it to last long.  Check out the Squamish, in the video, and Harrison Report below for the latest updates.  Regulations change on the first of May for the Chilliwack/Vedder so be sure to familiarize yourself with those check in Alex’s report below.   With the shift in seasons, we are tuning in on the Capilano this week because it is time to start looking for early…

OUTLOOK  Well, the world continues to move in interesting ways.  We hope that everyone is staying safe, respecting health measures and also enjoying proper social distancing – ideally alone, in nature with a fishing rod.  If you haven’t already, we remind everyone to please familiarize yourself with current Public Health orders/travel restrictions and focus on your local waters.  The weather this week put many of our systems into a state of flux with river levels rising and lakes icing off.  For our readers in the Lower Mainland, we have updates on the Vedder and Harrison as well as water levels for the Squamish systems.  For our readers in the interior, we are envious of you guys.  Lakes are coming off and some have now turned over, have a read of Sterling’s update in the StillWater section below.  Jason has updates on the saltwater front where the…

OUTLOOK  Epic weather incoming for the weekend!  We are going to see temperatures in the 20’s across the lower half of the province!  This means we should see most of our local fisheries picking up.   We have seen relatively low water on our local rivers and the cool night temps. have kept the water clear.  This warm high-pressure system might change things and we should see some snow melt this weekend across the Lower Mainland.  We will also see some ice melt in the interior.   From the water we have details on the Squamish, Harrison and Chilliwack in the freshwater section and we have some details on interior lakes in the still water section of the report.  This week, Alex also has a detailed piece on early season bass lures that you will want in your kit. We expect this warm weather to kick off bass fishing locally.   The big news this week on the fishing regulation and politics front is that it is…

OUTLOOK  Spring has sprung and we are seeing great weather in the forecast.  Today’s rain might help out some of our valley fisheries and we will see temps break the double-digit mark in the Lower Mainland next week.  We might even see double digits in the interior at some lower elevations. With this in mind, Sterling has an update on interior lake fishing.  He was out and did some interesting fishing last weekend and we expect this to continue with temps maybe even hitting the high teens next week.   We also have updates on cutthroat fishing on the Harrison, late Vedder steelheading and the Squamish area for those that live up that way.  On the saltwater front, Jason is back this week with our bi-weekly saltwater report.  While there is not a whole lot to report on the fishing front, given the April…

As of April 1st, we are under some very restrictive interim chinook fishing regulations in the Vancouver area.  In this update I am going to talk about the regulations, proposals on the table, what we might see in the coming weeks, and what you can do about it.  Here is great video from Public Fishery Alliance on the importance of the SFAB proposals DFO is currently considering.     The Sport Fish Advisory Board (SFAB) has put forward recommendations to DFO to have some hatchery chinook retention areas in Howe Sound and over at Gabriola Island as of April 1st, 2021.    I can’t sum it up any better than the Sport Fishing Institute did in a recent update, so here is what they have to say:  AWAITING A SOUTH COAST CHINOOK DECISION While we wait to…

OUTLOOK  We are almost at the end of March.  Though we haven’t seen crazy warm weather, temps are holding in the high single digit range and it makes for great fishing weather.  This weekend, we are going to see some rain and like last week this is a good thing.  Rivers are low and can use the water.  Hopefully, the banks will hold.  In this week’s report, we look at the Vedder/Chilliwack, the Squamish and the Stave rivers.  Water levels were low but there were continued clarity issues on the Chilliwack.  See the River section for updates.  Cutthroat fishing is starting.  A few of the guys at the shop have been out and there are fish around.  We have an update on the Harrison with cutties in mind.  Last but not least, we have a local lake update and a…

OUTLOOK  Local lakes are getting stocked, temperatures are rising and we have some rain in the forecast.  Though the rain may not be ideal for spending time outdoors it should be good for fishing in most areas.  The rivers could use a little water and overcast days are better for spring trout fishing.   This week in the report Alex has a piece on how to fish the local lakes that have been freshly stocked. Taylor has a Vedder update where we are still getting good reports and Zach tunes in for the Squamish where again, we have heard “ok” reports across the board but the system could use some water.   On the politics and fisheries science side of things, we are at the end of a licence cycle and new regulation announcements are coming soon.  This will be worth paying attention to.   A bunch of DFO…

OUTLOOK  It looks like we will see spring continue to poke her head out with temps getting into double digits in many areas across the lower mainland this week.  That said, the night temps remain low, so warm clothes and gloves are still not a bad idea for the mornings and evenings.  We should see a mix of sun and some rain this weekend but overall, the forecast looks good for fishing!  This week we look at the Chilliwack, Stave, Squamish and Capilano systems in the river section and Jason tunes in for a saltwater update at the end of the report.  Matt is taking this week off for the video report but he will be tuning in next week.   On to the report!   INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES  We’re Hiring – Saltwater Fishing Guides  The saltwater season is just around the…

OUTLOOK  Welcome to March!  We are pumped to welcome a much better fishing month.  Overall, February is probably the toughest fishing month in the 12-month cycle fishing in the Lower Mainland.  The good news is that March is actually one of the better months. Why?  It is a month of transition.  Temps warm up, the salmon fry hatch and there is lots to do if you love waving a length of graphite around on our local flows or salt chuck.  This week, the Vedder had some very bad slide issues but there should still be fishing options for those of you looking to get out.  On the Squamish, it is low but rain is coming and it should be a good weekend with a mix of rain and cloud in the forecast.  Saltwater is still fishing well when the winds allow you to get out there.  Next week, Jason will tune in for the…