Outlook:

Where are the cutties?  Anyone seen some?  Should we put in a “missing trout” report?  We have heard reports from the valley of great hatches of stoneflies and fry showing up but water levels have not been cooperating and the bi-product of that is few cutties have been seen and caught.

We hope this recent rain and the upcoming forecast will truly start this phenomenal local fishery that is ideally suited for the angler who gets that rush from stalking a fish, silently picking your spot to cast and softly landing the line on the water with an epoxy minnow, leading the cuttie then twitching your minnow pattern your fingers themselves nervously awaiting that rush of the cuttie spotting your pattern and making a frenzied rush to your fly then voraciously hammering it and you in turn get that exhilarating rush of hooking that elusive cuttie.   Anyone excited to get out there?

The weather forecasts this weekend are bleak for the sun gods.  However, Mr. Rain is going to make a splash and while this will make for some wet fishing we still need more rain to raise water levels in the valley (Harrison River) and even in the Squamish Valley.  Check your local hydrometric data to see how the river levels are doing before you head out fishing.

Saltwater is still producing some winter feeder chinook (see report below) and we have heard rumours of some fish being taken off the Hump near Bowen Island.  This is great news as overall, the winter chinook fishing was a little more sporadic this year than in recent years.  Hopefully, the Hump fishery will now take off and very soon we will be firing up that spring BBQ!

Visit out saltwater charter site “Vancouver Salmon Fishing” to check latest saltwater updates and call our charter line 778-788-8582 to book your date fishing at the Hump!

Since we sent out the information on rafting the Squamish for steelies, rainbows and bulltrout earlier this week the phone has been going crazy!  April is our BUSIEST month of FW guiding all year.  If you are keen on getting together for a float down the gorgeous Squamish River valley please call us to book your spot!

NOTE: If you are a single fisher and want to be paired up, let us know!  We do get single rods looking to pair up on walk/wade or raft trips at this time of year and we would be happy to do our best to accommodate!

Special Fly Tying Feature

John Kent Tying Night!

The first John Kent (JK) tying demo at Pacific Angler was simply amazing.  We had a great turnout to the evening hosted by JK and those in attendance were feverishly taking notes as well as eagerly listening as JK told stories about how these fly patterns came to be and where he is known to have fished them with success.  In addition to the images of the 8 patterns that JK tied that night, one of PA’s customers who attended the course, George, also video-taped much of the night capturing 5 of the 8 patterns on video before the camera battery died!  All in all, we were able to find a 6th video online featuring “The Army Truck” chironomid that JK tied while at Robinson’s Outdoor Store on Vancouver Island and we are excited to share the information with you below.

Keep in mind that our chironomid order from JK should be arriving at PA in the 2nd week of April.  His flies are in high demand and we look forward to keeping them in stock for 2014!

Rusty Nail (Tying Video: http://youtu.be/rzF41wNtuw0)

• Hook: Daiichi 1150 #12 (10-16) 2xs
• Thread: UTC70 Wine
• Body: Mirage Opal Tinsel
• Head: 3/32 White Brass/Tungsten Bead
• Wrap / Rib: Hareline Hollow Tubing Micro Mahogany

 

ARMY TRUCK (Tying Video: http://youtu.be/aoyj7bNP-p0 ) – Robinson Outdoors

• Hook:  Daiichi Covert #11 (9-15)
• Thread:  UTC70 Rust
• Body:  Lagartun’s Mini Flat Braid Olive
• Head:  Brown or Copper 7/64 Brass Bead
• Wrap / Rib: UTC Small Amber Wire

HOG MAGNET!

• Hook: Daiichi 1760 #12 (8-16) 2xl
• Thread:   UTC70 Red
• Body:  Lagartun’s Mini Flat Braid Holo Silver
• Head:  Red Anodized Bead 7/64
• Wrap / Rib: Large Red Holo Tinsel/  UTC Small Red Wire

Guns n’ Roses (Tying Video:  http://youtu.be/hVV96ChvmZk )

• Hook:   Daiichi 1150 #12 (8-16)
• Thread:  UTC70 Wine
• Body: Gunmetal Flashabou 3 strands
• Head: 3/32-7/64 Black Tungsten Bead
• Wrap / Rib:  Hareline Hollow Tubing Micro Mahogany
• Gills:  White Uni Stretch

Green Hornet (Tying Video: http://youtu.be/joRUu44qQe0 )

• Hook: Daiichi 1760 (12) 10-16 2xl
• Thread: UTC70 Rust
• Body: 3 strands of #6960 Flashabou
• Head: 7/64 White Brass/Tungsten Bead
• Wrap / Rib: Wapsi Stretch Tubing Black Midge Size

Green Bloodworm (Tying Video: http://youtu.be/V9RpzM-7KX0 )

• Hook:  Daiichi 1150 or Mustad C49S #12 (2-1xs)
• Thread:  UTC 70 Green Olive
• Body/Tail: Kelly Green Seal Fur/ Marabou
• Head:  3/32 Red Anodized Bed
• Wrap / Rib: UTC Small Red Wire

Dragon Lake Special

• Hook: Daiichi Covert Hook #13 (11-15) 2xl
• Thread: UTC70 Rust
• Body:  UTC70 Wood Duck
• Head: 3/32 Silver Tungsten
• Wrap / Rib: UTC Silver Wire X-Small

JK’s Coppertop  (Tying Video: http://youtu.be/p4j19LRq4Ko)

• Hook:   Daiichi 1150 #12 (8-12) 2xs
• Thread:  Brown UTC70
• Body:  Rainy’s Reddish Brown Stretch Flex or Scud Back Chocolate Brown
• Head: 7/64 Brown or Copper Brass Bead
• Underbody:  Two strands of Red Holo Flashabou
• Rib: UTC X-Small Wire Red

Stillwater Reports

To start off this section of the report I thought it was time to direct you to the blogs/forums we use regularly when putting together the weekly Friday Fishing Report.  Not only do these forums offer us useful tips that we enjoy sharing, we also post in these forums many of the courses, guided trips, reports and other information in an effort to support these forums and the services they provide by sharing with others.

Forums to Use:

FlyFishBC: Great fly-fishing forum covering a wide range of topics related to fly-fishing from fly-tying to ice-off reports.

FlyBC:  FlyBC is a not-for-profit BC based forum for the discussion of all things fly fishing in Beautiful British Columbia!

FishBC:  The British Columbia Adventure Network’s guide to sportfishing the lakes, rivers and saltwater of Western Canada.

SportFishing BC Forum: BC’s and possibly, Canada’s foremost sport fishing web site containing BC saltwater fishing, BC freshwater fishing, maps, fishing tackle news, sport fishing destinations, fishing tips and techniques, editorials, articles and much, much more. Inside you’ll find everything you need to tackle trophy fish of all varieties including salmon, halibut, steelhead, trout, bass, and sturgeon to name a few.

Flyguys.net:  The flyguys are located in the interior of Canada’s beautiful British Columbia where we are fortunate to be surrounded by hundreds of trout filled lakes, river systems, mountain fed creeks & mere hours away from the pacific ocean. Our goal is to offer a place to share information & ideas promoting fishing in our spectacular province, like a one stop shop for fly fishing British Columbia with a focus on the BC interior!

flyguys.net offers information on aquatic entomology (the bugs that fish eat), fly tying & fly patterns (to imitate the bugs that fish eat), fly fishing methods & techniques (to fish the flies you tied to imitate the bugs that fish eat), as well as cleaning, filleting, recipes & cooking tips (to care for & prepare the fish you catch with the flies you tied to imitate the bugs that fish eat)! We also offer Fishing Guide, Resort & product reviews to help you make the most of your BC fishing vacations!

Winter Kill Reports:   flyguys.net forum posted the following news in their 2014 Ice-Off Report feed.

Total Kills: Pass, Bleeker, Frisken, John Frank, Allen Meadows, Bog, Englishman?, Hudson Bay, Ida, Isobel, L. Rossmore, Tulip

Partial Kills: Red, Logan, Horseshoe?, McGlashin?, Tom Campbell?, Tsotin

Andre also mentioned that Englishman in the Kane Valley winter killed this year as well.  It will be interesting to see how bad it was.  This would be the first time in 4-5 winters since it last winter killed.

River Reports

Vedder river:

The conditions this past week have been reasonably good. The water clarity was not an issue on Wednesday with 4-5ft of visibility at the crossing. Fish were well spread throughout the system with some fresh ones still showing up.

The rain held off nicely in Chilliwack on Thursday. The forecast calls for rain all weekend which will likely degrade the river clarity. The loose clay banks have made for finicky conditions this year so please tread carefully.

Pictured below is a client guided by JT with a bent rod fighting a nice Vedder steelhead!

Don’t forget to fish close to shore! Steelhead will sit very tight to the bank in the morning and evening. Don’t forget to keep moving and please be respectful to all fellow anglers.

Harrison river:

I had the cutthroat course last weekend and for the first time in the season we managed to get a fish a day. Not so great but the way things have been shaping up (or not shaping up) I will take it. Last Saturday, when we met at the parking lot of the Sasquatch Inn a guest was scrapping ice of his windshield so right there I knew that spring was not here yet.

On Sunday it was much warmer with sunny skies and the barometer rising and of course the fish were happy and showing themselves for the first time this year. With the fry all over the place and getting bigger due to lack of cutthroat the stoneflies were hatching with full force by the early afternoon.

I went out to the Harrison again on the Monday after the courses and it was cold again with no sign of fish and the river level was dropping from its already low level.  We can all be prepared for the season but we can’t control nature and the weather patterns. Hopefully it is just a late start and not a bad year and we will still have a chance to chase these nomadic fish.

Andre S.

Squamish / Cheakamus Rivers:

We have heard some great reports from both the Squamish and Cheakamus in the last week.  Customers ran across good numbers of salmon fry coming out of the gravel and hooked fish on both fry and sculpin patterns. A few customers have been out and not seen fry but we think this is more to do with location. The fry will probably not be in the lower river yet but in warm sun exposed side channels and runs in the upper river they should be out in force.  The bull trout should start focusing on them soon. We are out for our steelhead course this weekend and will have more detailed information on fry numbers come Monday.

The nice fat bulltrout in the picture below was caught by our friend and regular customer Immanuel.  He has been getting some big bulls this year!

Though any steelhead on the Squamish system is a gift, we have heard of quite a few over the last 10 days. This is right on schedule and we have high hope for this weekend.

The forecast this weekend is calling for rain. Friday and Saturday is going to be wet and we are watching river levels carefully. As it stands right now the river rose on Thursday and we are excited to hear reports because the levels should have been perfect.  If the river rises over 2.5m on the graph be prepared for dirty water but if it holds it could be a great weekend.

If you are heading up, make sure you have fry patterns or small spinners but be prepared to focus on sculpin fly patterns, brighter steelhead patterns, or classic steelhead gear.

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!

Capilano River:

Although the Capilano is a challenging system we have heard ok steelhead reports from the last couple days. Water volumes have been good, holding at a medium to high level. Again the weather this weekend may blow it out but if you are a float fisherman it is worth exploring.

SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS

Todd Sweet:

Friday we went straight to Grace Islands and splashed the gear just into the ebb tide.  On our second pass we hooked into a legal spring in 175 ft of water.  We then hit two undersize shortly after and then it went quiet.  We make our way over to the Falls on the west side of Bowen and hit another 22 incher in 180 ft of water.  All the hits were on the deep rods and on a Kitchen Sink and Irish Creme spoons.

Saturday we did the same routine however we were not able to get  any keepers.  We had a double header undersize at Grace but it was pretty quiet.  The weather was terribly wet and windy and I suspect that the low pressure system shut thing off a bit.  Both days had good outflow winds in the morning and inflow winds in the afternoon.

Sunday we stayed in the harbour.  Best day of the weekend weather wise.  Smooth waters and sunny skies.  We worked hard at the cap for the high tide with no luck.  There were a number of boats there with little action.  As the tide flooded we moved out towards the freighters.  We stayed patient and eventually late in the day we hooked a beauty closer to the Jericho side of the harbour.  I’ve included a picture of the gear (see above) that worked and it was about 90 ft in 125-130 ft of water.

Prawning and crabbing was also decent all 3 days.  Looking forward to more fishing soon!

TS

Pacific Angler Courses

The following featured courses are coming up in the first few weeks of April and still have some space available.  Our courses tend to sell out FAST once we post them a 7-10days before the course date so please do not hesitate should one of these amazing courses be in line with what you are looking for this year!

INTRODUCTION TO FLY FISHING

This course was specifically designed to give the new fly fisher the basic knowledge, casting skills and fly fishing strategies to effectively fish our local BC waters. This course is comprised of two sessions; 3hr evening seminar and a 3hr casting session. The dates below show the seminar date first and casting date second.

Class Size: 12
Cost: $125.00
Dates: (Apr 7th seminar & 13th casting)
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Casting Time(s): 10am – 1pm or 2pm – 5pm

INTRODUCTION TO FLY FISHING LAKES – Matt Sharp

This course will give you an in-depth look at the of fly fishing lakes. We explore equipment, techniques, major insect hatches and ideal lakes to begin with. You will learn all you need to plan your next successful lake trip to one of BC’s 5,000 lakes! This course is comprised of one 3hr evening seminar.

Class Size: 20
Cost: $45.00
Dates: Apr 23 or May 6
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Customer Testimonial:

Hi Jason

Please will you convey my appreciation to Matt for last night’s workshop on “Intro to Fly Fishing Lakes”. I learned a great deal and look forward to the next workshop. Maybe now I can finally start fishing in Canada.

Kind regards

Eden J. – May, 2013

INTRODUCTION TO CHIRONOMID TECHNIQUES – Trevor Welton

Chironomids are the number one food source for trout in BC’s lakes; however, few anglers have taken the time to become true masters of this discipline. Those that do are often rewarded with the largest fish. Trevor is a former member of the Canadian Fly Fishing Team and an excellent chironomid angler. Dedication to his sport has helped Trevor become one of the top fly fishermen in the province as well as a fisheries biologist working for Dillon Consulting. This course is comprised of one 3hr evening seminar. Content is for beginner to advanced.

Class Size: 20
Cost: $45.00
Dates: Apr 16, Apr 29 and May 7
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

INTRODUCTION TO FLY TYING – Andre S.

There is no greater satisfaction than catching a fish with a fly you tied yourself. This course was specifically designed to give you the fundamental skills needed to tie proven fly patterns used here in BC for trout, salmon, and steelhead. This course consists of 3 sessions; each session is 3hrs. 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  (2 spots left!)
Cost: $75.00
Dates: (Apr 8, 15 & 22) 
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

TYING CHIRONOMID FLY PATTERNS – Andre S.

80% of a trout’s diet consists of chironomids whose patterns vary from lake to lake. This 3-hour evening seminar will teach you how to tie a variety of the most effective chironomid patterns used in BC’s world-renowned lakes. You will finish this course understanding the very specific technical aspects ranging from beads, ribbing, colors, and body shapes. 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
Cost: $40.00
Date: Apr 30
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

To view all dates & times for Pacific Angler 2014 course schedule, 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