OUTLOOK
We have another warm weekend incoming and though we are still seeing some water level and clarity issues on the river fishing front we have had good reports come in all week.
Saltwater fishing continues to be great even though the warm weather has brought with it the NW winds. Chinook, pinks and coho are all coming down the strait into the harbour in good numbers. Jason has all the details in his saltwater report.
The beach fishing has been interesting this season. In some areas we are hearing amazing reports but in others, things have been spotty, and fish seem to not have shown up. Eric has more on this in the beach update below but with lots of fish still coming it is well worth getting out.
Taylor tunes in this week with an update on the Chilliwack where we are counting down the days until September for things to pick up again. Last, but not least, Jordan has a report from the Squamish where the pinks are in, but water clarity is making things challenging.
There has also been an opening on the Thompson River for chinook. Check your regulations for size restrictions and exact location details but it is a fun fishery to tackle, and you can combine it with some trout fishing if you want to travel into the interior.
Lastly, we have had some great sturgeon fishing in the lower river this week. We don’t have a detailed report on it this week, but we wanted to let anyone thinking about bank fishing or boat fishing, that it is well worth an outing.
On to the report!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Introduction to Fly Fishing
This course is 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.
Dates: Sept 19 & 23
Cost: $175.00+GST
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Casting Time(s): 10am – 1pm or 1:30pm -4:30pm
Introduction to Fly Tying
There is no greater satisfaction than catching a fish with a fly you tied yourself. This Introduction to Fly Tying course is 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 fly tying materials and tools purchased for the course.
Dates: Oct 4, 11.
Cost: $100.00+GST
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Fall Salmon River Fishing: Floats, Spinners, & Spoons
This 3hr evening seminar covers float fishing, spinner fishing and spoon fishing; the three most productive techniques to catch BC salmon in a river.
Seminar: Sep 25, 2023
Cost: $60.00+GST
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Fly Fishing for Salmon in Rivers
Fly fishing for salmon is one of the most exciting fisheries in the Lower Mainland. Let us teach you the techniques and the hot spots to catch salmon on the fly in our local rivers. In the 3hr evening seminar you will learn about rod, reel and line, sink tip, and fly selection. Then put the skills into practice during a fully guided day on the water where you will learn how to read water and swing the fly!
Seminar: Oct 11, 2023
Guided: Oct 15, 21, 2023
Custom Trip Dates Available
Seminar Only Cost: $60.00+GST
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $300.00+GST per angler, minimum of 2 anglers per guided day on the water.
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Guided: Full Day
Fly Fishing Egg Patterns
This course is designed to teach you the secrets to one of the most productive presentations in the BC fly fishermen’s arsenal; nymphing egg patterns. This deadly method can be used for different species of trout, char, and salmon. During a 3 hour evening seminar we will teach you key concepts, strategies, and gear that will give you a well-rounded foundation during the seminar portion of the class. Then you will put those skills into practice during a fully guided day on the water.
Seminar Date: Nov 21, 2023
Guided: Nov 25 or 26, 2023
Cost: $300.00+GST
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Guided: Full Day
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report
There’s not much going on in the C/V system right now, as expected for the time of year as there’s always a lull in August. The summer chinook and sockeye are pretty much done by the second week of August, and reasonable numbers of fall chinook and pinks aren’t usually in the system until somewhere around the second week of September. This isn’t to say that there is absolutely no fishing to be done in the C/V system during this lull; there are always a few summer chinook that trickle in late and a few fall chinook that trickle in early- it’s just a question of if it’s worth the time and effort or not. Most people tend to think it’s not worth it, so the upshot is that angling pressure is usually quite low, so at least you won’t have to deal with the usual crowds of anglers. Crowds of beachgoers, on the other hand…
There will be some resident trout, steelhead smolts, whitefish and cyprinid species that can be targeted on light/ultralight tackle or fly rods, if you’re interested in trying out a fishery that not many people take advantage of, or if you’re just really itching to get out there. The river is currently running very low and clear, which obviously makes angling more difficult, as has been discussed many times before… but it’s not as much of as issue right now, since there isn’t a lot of angling pressure.
Run timings for the Squamish pinks seem to be a bit later than what we’re used to seeing, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Fraser returns follow that trend as well. We’ll have to wait and see, fingers crossed.
Taylor Nakatani
Squamish River Fishing Report
The mighty Squamish is still running dirty for the most part, but fish are still being found by those putting in time and effort.
Trout and char fishing continues to be decent to consistent in the tributaries, with a mix of offerings being accepted. Small spinners, spoons, blades, and beads are all finding fish for those using more traditional gear. That said, similar offerings in feather and fur are also finding fish with sculpin and baitfish patterns being the go-to.
For targeting pinks on the mainstem Squamish, timing your tides can sometimes be a good strategy as it will encourage the arrival of new and fresh fish. Similar gear offerings that are used for trout, but offered in various sizes and shades of pink and chartreuse are great options- whether it be jigs, small spoons and spinners, or other related options.
For those using appropriate-sized fly rods, small flies in similar colours and shades are the norm. Small bugger-style patterns, both weighted and unweighted, usually make up the majority of one’s box. Along with buggers, small Clouser’s and similar jiggy-style flies can often tempt fish with their lift-and-drop presentation.
Try to keep in mind this is a shared system with mixed user groups, and that not all anglers may have the same levels of experience or knowledge. Let’s all do our part to make this an enjoyable and positive fishery for all anglers, experienced and new.
Jordan Simpson
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
The theme this week is NW wind and lots of it! This high-pressure ridge that has brought the summer heat has also brought in a consistent NW wind that has ranged from 10 knots up to 35 knots this morning. As a result, we have been fishing in Vancouver Harbour for over a week now because it has been too rough to cross over to Gabriola and Entrance on our longer trips.
Luckily, the fishing locally has been good to excellent with lots of pinks, cohos and chinook, so there really hasn’t been a need to cross anyways. The fantastic pink and coho fishing have been well documented in previous reports and it’s great to see more chinook showing up daily along West Van from Point Atkinson to the Cap Mouth. With 28-6 and 28-9 open to 1 chinook a day from 62-80cm, it’s nice to put some of these fish in the box along with the pinks and cohos. A lot of these chinook are the abundant “red springs” that are Thompson River bound and are in the 8 to 15 pound range. We are also starting to see some of the larger “white springs” show up, which are headed to the Capilano. The fishing in this area will remain good all of August as more chinook show up next week and September 1 it goes back to 2 chinook a day, min size 62cm and no max size!
Fraser River chinook test sets have been great, probably why we are seeing so many Fraser bound chinook off West Van as they get pushed over on the flood tides. When the Fraser mouth area opens September 1, it should be excellent chinook fishing. There will be a lot of pinks too, as the run size was just upgraded to 8.6 million and there will be a good amount of coho in the area also. Basically, this summer is turning out amazing and there are a lot more fish and great days on the water ahead of us. If you haven’t been out there, get out there! It’s been an amazing season and we are right in the middle of some hot fishing!
Give us a call at 778-788-8582 to book your trip or drop by the shop for all your tackle and bait needs. The bait freezers just got loaded up this morning!
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
Beach Fishing Update
We are in full swing pink season with fish showing up in some unexpected places. Schools have been spotted on North Shore Beaches, Howe Sound, Indian Arm and even on some South Shore Vancouver Beaches! This coming week will have high AM tides and afternoon low tides. This might present some afternoon and evening opportunities fishing the incoming.
Ambleside and North Shore:
Ambleside is holding fish for those looking to stick close to Vancouver. This fishery can be a grind but if you put in your time, you will be rewarded. A bonus here is you may intercept a school of pinks in your chase for coho. Pinks will be traveling past to join the large schools heading up Indian Arm. I have seen some big schools past Deep cove for those with boats.
Furry Creek and Howe Sound:
Howe sound is reporting pinks all the way to Squamish. Low tides will give anglers the best shot at fish. I have heard multiple angler encounter fish just outside of fly-casting range. Sometimes a spinning rod is the only answer. I would be prepared with a few heavy lures for when the fish are far offshore or the tides are up. Braided line will give you an edge in distance casting on the beach. It’s a few dollars more than mono but is worth it to chase salmon. Quality braided lines are more abrasion resistant, have little stretch, and a thinner diameter than mono.
Remember to pinch your barbs for all salmon fishing, only take what you need and have fun!
Eric Peake