HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!
Ladies and gentleman, today is the day you can earn brownie pts with your partner to be used for negotiating more days on the water so don’t drop the ball!!
Outlook:
The weather is trending warmer this coming weekend and into next week. Temperatures that were below freezing in the GVRD are now looking at a high of 8-10deg and low’s of around 3. Up in Squamish the warming trend continues there along with 15-20mm of rain each day in the forecast. Highs of 5 and lows of 1-2deg means that with the rain the water levels have a chance to come up and in turn, the fish can move around and continue to feed.
Friday and Saturday are not looking promising for calm waters in Vancouver Harbour with winds SE up to 30-40knot on Saturday afternoon. As usual, do your weather safety checks before you go out as conditions can rapidly change for the better or the worse.
We are into mid-February which means that we about 2months away from the start of lake fishing season! Break out that fly tying gear and start tying your leaches, chironomids, bloodworms and stock your box for the upcoming season.
With a little bit of Canadian pride rising up, this is also a great weekend to catch some of our Canadian athlete’s competing their butts off over in Sochi – GO CANADA!!!
Jordan Simpson – Sunglass Review 2014
With cold weather and rain starting to make its presence known, more and more anglers are starting to look for flights headed to warmer waters and brighter skies. Cuba, Mexico, Belize, Hawai’i, and Florida are all popular destinations for anglers over the next few months and those headed there will want to be geared up accordingly.
With such a vast array of gear available, many people lose themselves in the newest tropical lines, fast rods, big reels, and UV-clothing. The one thing that is heavily over looked is sunglasses. Many people already own a pair of sunglasses and at the last minute tosses the pair into their carry-on bag without much thought. This is alright and isn’t a bit deal…if you plan on just hanging at the beach sipping on some cool libations. If you plan on fishing, especially effectively, you’ll want a pair of sunglasses that are specific for the purpose they are to serve.
There are a lot of different companies that make great products, all of which offer different features and technologies. That being said, there are a few key things to keep in mind when shopping for fishing-specific eye wear.
The ones discussed here are not only the ones we have in store, but have also been worn by our staff under a variety of conditions.
Maui Jim
How it began:
Now one of the fastest growing premium polarized sunglass makers in the world, Maui Jim got its start in 1980 as a small company selling sunglasses on the beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. Seeing a need in the market for technology that could combat intense glare, harmful UV while bringing the brilliant colors of the island to life, the fledgling company engineered the revolutionary PolarizedPlus® lens.
Incorporated into seven new sunglass styles, their Classic Collection was introduced. And with that, have steadily built a cult following.
Performance and Engineering:
Over the years, Maui Jim has continued to offer their fans high-performance design developments. In 2004, PolarizedPlus®2 technology revolutionized the sunglass market: patented, color-enhancing treatments in the form of rare earth elements were added to the lenses to really pop the colors your eye takes in.
In 2006, a new 24,000 sq ft state-of-the-art direct surfacing lab was built to ensure precision prescription optics. A year later, they introduced MauiReaders®. A short while later, MauiPassportTM followed in 2008, offering prescription wearers wide views and outstanding acuity. That same year, the new MauiHTTM lens brought clarity to low-light conditions.
Jordan’s Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Suncloud
How it began:
Suncloud is based out of Idaho which borders Washington and Oregon – two great states known for their incredible fishing – not forgetting to mention Idaho itself.
Owned yet operated independently from Smith Optics, a lot of the same engineering can be seen in both, with quality being higher in Smith Optics. Suncloud allows anglers to tap in to quality eye-wear without breaking the bank. The idea that a leader in sunglass technology (Smith Optics) would offer a price-point brand is a good one, as it will allow one to graduate from good lenses to great lenses.
Performance and Engineering:
With the lenses being cut from the outside of the sheet (the inside is where Smith Optics come from), you are getting great technology for a great price, but still not the premium cuts. Consider it similar to a cut of meat- you’re getting the trimmings of Prime Rib, which is still good (Prime Rib is always good…!) but not getting the actual piece. Price respectively reflects quality.
Thoughts: Suncloud makes a great price-point lens that function decently well for those who do a once a year trip and usually rely on the guide to spot fish. Great quality in consideration to the price, and are offered in a variety of lens colours and shades for various applications, as well as frames to suit all personalities.
Jordan’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Smith Optics
How it began:
Based in Sun Valley, Idaho, Smith Optics, was founded in 1965 with the creation of the first-ever goggle featuring a sealed thermal lens and breathable vent foam. Considering that they were a leader in research and design in outdoor action-sports in the mid-sixties, their sun glass technology in the 21st Century is UN-paralleled.
Performance and Engineering:
Smith Optics offers a lens and frame suitable for pretty much every single situation and personality imaginable. From quirky fashion statements on the slopes all the way to a Pacific Northwest river and then down to the Tropics.
With industry leading technologies including Photochromic, TLT, Polarchromic, and their brand new ChromaPop, I personally feel that Smith Optics are the best for warmwater fishing in the winter.
Jordan’s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Jordan’s Winner: Smith Optics
Reasons: Two words – quality and technology.
Examples: TLT, Polarchromic, ChromaPop.
TLT-Tapered Lens Technology:
Visual distortion occurs when light waves hit an aggressively-curved lens causing it to bend or distort an objects true size or position. Imagine looking through a fish eye lens. What your eye normally sees is stretched beyond reality. Tapered Lens Technology corrects the distortion by progressively tapering the lens from the optical center towards the outer edges. Light waves are thereby delivered straight to your eye resulting in zero distortion and true optical clarity. What you see is what you get.
ALL Smith sunglasses have TLT, regardless of price and model.
Polarchromic:
The glare stopping benefits of polarization meet tint shifting photochromic magic in the most advanced lenses we have ever created. Versatile and comfortable, Smith Polarchromic lenses automatically darken or lighten as a response to the level of light you are exposed to due to the precise amount of silver halide crystals that are infused directly into the glass.
Say what?! Insane and awesome, I found it helped me reduce carrying around two separate pairs of glasses- one specifically for bright, sunny days/moments, and one for overcast/cloudy days.
ChromaPop:
By blocking specific colour wave intersections as they pass through the lens, ChromaPop is able to eliminate colour confusion, so your brain is recognizing true colour, faster. ChromaPop optimizes colour and increases clarity, enabling you to see the greens, blues, and reds more clear…which is perfect for spotting bonefish and other hard to see fish that seem to blend in to the waves, ripples, and bottoms.
General things to consider:
When one is fishing shallow blue/green waters in a full-sun environment (bonefishing, for example), they would want an amber or copper lens to help with contrast and to aid in the VLT (Variable Light Transmission), helping to reduce glare and make solid shapes more definitive compared to the ripply moving surface water of most tropical destinations.
Another good colour to have on hand for overcast or cloudy days is a rose tinted lens (called Ignitor by Smith Optics).
*Note – the Polarchromic lens from Smith Optics adjusts according to light and one may find it helpful in contrast to carrying two specific lenses.
A lot of people like full wrap-around frames to help block out ambient and side-intruding light. I find, and believe, that this comes down to personal preference as well as facial shape, and is not 100% necessary.
A good sun glass retainer to aid in the even that your glasses slide off your face due to sweat when bending down to release a fish can be a huge help, as well as carrying lens-cleaning wipes (can be bought in bulk at most grocers).
Come on in to the shop to see our wide variety of sunglasses and where our knowledgeable staff can help you pick out the lens and frame combination that is right for you and your trip.
JS
Freshwater Fishing Reports
Vedder River:
I was there on Tuesday fishing the upper river and witnessed one caught on a Colorado blade, after talking to him he had caught three in an hour. I talked to another fisherman and he was walking away with a steelhead and had hooked 3 as well. As of Thursday the river blew out and will take a few days to have some visibility so check the levels before you head out. The river should have more fish after this rain as the fish needed this to push through the canal. The water temps are pretty high (40F) for this time of the year which is good for swinging a fly.
***Note: Vedder came back into shape on Thursday – good luck this weekend!
Single Barbless hook regulations are in effect. Be sure to identify your fish correctly in the water, all wild steelhead (fish with an adipose fin) must be released – be 100% sure it is not wild before bring it up on the rocks. As always have fun, respect other anglers, respect the fish and play by the rules.
Squamish/Cheakamus River:
I was out on Wednesday after the heavy rains from Tuesday evening all through the night. Although the river bumped up a little bit the rivers were super low and clear. Even the regular deep pools were not a pool anymore. I did not hook anything and saw four other fisherman and they had not touched a fish. If you really want to head out in this around this area I would choose Squamish over Cheakamus. With rain in the forecast the river should bump up and it could get good. Keep your eye on the river levels.
The Squamish and Cheakamus systems are a 100% catch and release – no bait/scent – barbless fishery, so play by the rules, give other anglers space and have fun!
Harrison River:
The river is low and clear. With this warm weather we are having there should be some early fry but we still have to wait for the fish to finish their spawning and move down to the main stem Harrison. As I said in the previous reports you can still catch little ones that are pre-spawning years. Also note that Chehalis steelhead will be going up the Harrison so as it happens every year we get reports of anglers hooking an unexpected winter steelhead on a 4 or 5 weight. My epoxy fry patterns will hit the store on the 21st of February, just about the time we are predicting a start to the fry hatch and an end to the cutthroat spawning cycle.
Stave River:
We are still hearing cutthroat and white fish reports and it is worth looking at this time of year. Like the Harrison it should pick up around the end of the month into March when the fry begin hatching in force. Note: Access Can be difficult with construction so do some research on your part before heading out.
All wild cutthroat/char are catch and release in all streams in the Lower Mainland.
Capilano River:
Everyone living near the Capilano should get out their garden houses and start pumping water into the river. It is lower than we have ever seen it. Because of this the fishing is very poor and fish have to be stressed out. Keep your eye on the Cap Cam if it bumps up it should be good but until then we recommend leaving the fish that are in the system alone for at least a few days and wait for some water. Seymour is in the same condition.
ALL steelhead (both hatchery and wild fish) are catch and released only. Single Barbless hook regulations are also in effect. Be sure to identify your fish correctly in the water. This is a vulnerable stock and your action will decide its future so as always have fun, respect other anglers, respect the fish and play by the rules.
Saltwater Reports
Eddie Matthei:
The recent cold snap have been keeping all but the die hard fishermen off the water. I was able to get out last Sunday with three repeat guests who paid me another visit all the way from Germany. We lucked out on the weather and even though it was frosty in the morning we had no wind, flat water and the sun was rising to warm us up.
After we set prawn and crab traps we headed back to West Vancouver and began fishing at the QB marker and trolled towards the mouth of the Capilano River. There have been a few decent reports at the Capilano over the last week. 4″ Irish Cream spoons seem to be the favourite but the Green Glo, Homeland Security and Kingfisher spoons are also good choices. The sounder was showing bait and we even hooked a lunker herring to confirm the sounder was working properly. It was hooked on a new 3.5″ black and glo Rikker spoon I was testing.
I checked in with one of the other boats and and he reported hooking two fish. One was undersized and the other was a legal fish. He was at the Capilano right at the tide change but had no further action since then. We had missed the bite so we waited for the next tide change. Unfortunately another bite did not come on at the next tide change and so we headed for the traps. We pulled up 150 large prawns and a crab for each of the guests. My guests were looking forward to a generous fresh West coast meal and I look forward to our next trip on their yearly business trip to Vancouver!
EM
Pacific Angler Course in the Spotlight
TYING INTRUDER FLY PATTERNS – Dimitri R.
Happy students with their intruder flies after Dimitri’s course!
This course is designed for those that are interested in tying steelhead flies in the “Intruder style”. This style of fly is extremely productive for steelhead and salmon due to its profile and movement in the water. During this two night (5hr total instruction) tying series, you will learn the very specific techniques and unique materials used to tie this fly. This course is suitable for intermediate to advanced tiers. Students are required to supply their own vise, tools and materials. A 10% discount is available on materials and tools purchased for the course.
Class Size: 7 (2spots left)
Cost: $45.00
Dates: (Feb 17 & 18)
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm
STEELHEAD FLOAT FISHING – Jason Tonelli
Class Size: 20 (8 spots left)
Seminar Only Cost: $45.00 (before taxes)
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $400 for one person or $500 for two people
Date: Feb 19th (Guided trip dates are flexible)
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
In this fishery, 10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish. This is your chance to learn from the Jason Tonelli who would be in that preferred 10%! Our 3hr evening seminar will educate you on the gear, water types, conditions and other key variables that put veteran steelhead anglers in that 10%. Mastering this fishery will make you the envy of your friends. Upgrade your seminar to include a fully guided day on the water, putting into practice your new knowledge with a Pacific Angler guide.
To review the rest of the current courses that are upcoming please view them by downloading the Pacific Angler 2014 Course Schedule PDF.
Additional course dates are added throughout the year due to demand. Please contact the store for additional information or to be added to a wait list.
Pacific Angler Retail: 604-872-2204
On behalf of the Pacific Angler staff we wish you the best in your fishing endeavors and we hope to see you either at the shop or on the water. To check out the latest Pacific Angler news view the Pacific Angler Facebook page.
Jason, Matt, Andre, Max, Eddie, Jordan and Bryce