OUTLOOK
Local saltwater fishing has been excellent this past week, with the hot spot for chinook being the Bell Buoy. Beach fishing for pinks continues off of Ambleside and Furry Creek with good tides for fishing from the beach starting on August 24 onwards. If you can’t get out in August, don’t worry, beach, both coho and chinook move in during September. So many beach fishing days are ahead!
For river fisherman there are limited options at this time due numerous closures. Be sure to familiarize yourself with all the closures and regulations before you head out. Although water clarity is an issue we have had good reports from those fishing the Squamish.
While it is almost time to start thinking about fall lake fishing, there are still some great opportunities if you are heading up to the interior. Reports from anglers fishing Tunkwa and surrounding lakes note some great fishing with chironomids being your best bet!
In case you were wondering it is NOT too late to sign up for the Vancouver Chinook Classic. This is amazing catch and release derby is just one week away. All of the details are below!
Happy guests with their catch for the day!
INDUSTRY UPDATE – FISHING REGULATIONS
RECREATIONAL – Salmon Fishery Notice – Fisheries and Oceans Canada Subject:
FN0904-RECREATIONAL – Salmon: Region 2 – Fishing Closures in Region 2 – Mamquam River
Further to FN0715, water levels in many systems throughout the Province continue to be extremely low and river temperatures in many cases are reaching lethal limits for fish.
Effective August 22, 2015 at 00:01 hours until further notice, the Mamquam River is closed to angling. All closures previously announced in FN0715 remain in effect. This order is made in conjunction with a Provincial order. The result of these two orders is a complete angling closure in the listed waters. Variation Order No. 2015-399
For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at 1-(866)431-FISH (3474) FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the nearest Fisheries and Oceans Canada office or visit our website at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center – FN0904 Sent August 20, 2015 at 15:53
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
If you have any questions, please contact us via e-mail to:
OpsCentre@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
VANCOUVER CHINOOK CLASSIC
Your chance to take home the first place prize of $25,000 cash is a week away. There is still time to sign up. Details are below!!
The Vancouver Chinook Classic is the premier catch and release salmon fishing event hosted annually in Vancouver. With a new location, based out of the new marina at the amazing Pacific Gateway Hotel in Richmond derby entrants will be much closer to the mouth of the Fraser and be able to enjoy the amenities of the hotel throughout the tournament. Held one week earlier to maximize on this years big chinook return, this 2-day event awards the largest cash prize of any fishing derby in Vancouver.
Not only do you have the chance to win amazing prizes, the tournament is also an opportunity to support local charities and salmon stewards. The Vancouver Chinook Classic raises awareness and funds for Capilano Little Ones School and the Pacific Salmon Foundation. Last year’s tournament raised $10,000 for the Pacific Salmon Foundation!
Tournament Dates: Saturday August 29th and Sunday August 30th
Entry Fee: $1,500 per boat (includes up to 4 anglers)
Your tournament entry includes moorage, registration gift bag, hot fisherman’s breakfast both days, gourmet dinner including 2 drink tickets on night one, entertainment, awards ceremony and barbeque with 2 drink tickets on day two, and special daily prizes from our sponsors.
For more details and to register visit the Vancouver Chinook Classic Website!
COURSES
We’re already looking ahead to September and a month of great courses. The overview is below; if you have any questions or want to sign up, give the shop a ring!
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.
Seminar Date: September 16, 6:30PM to 9:30PM
Casting Date: September 19, 10:00AM – 1PM or 2PM to 5PM
Cost: $125.00
Introduction to Fly Tying
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.
Dates: September 14, 21 and 28 – 6:30PM – 9:30PM each evening.
Cost: $75.00
Fall Salmon River Fishing: Floats, Spinners and 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. Upgrade your seminar to include a fully guided day on the water, putting into practice your new knowledge with a Pacific Angler guide.
Seminar Date: September 23, 6:30PM – 9:30PM
Cost: $45.00
Upgrade this course to a guided trip!! Call us or come see us in shop for more details.
We have a full line-up of courses coming up this fall. Check out our full 2015 course listing here.
FRESHWATER REPORTS
Chilliwack
If you’re thinking of heading to the Vedder this weekend you may encounter the odd fresh red spring but the majority of the fish have moved through the river. Focusing your efforts in the lower river may give you a shot at a late fresh red spring.
Late August can be an interesting time on the Chilliwack. A few coho will start to move into the river as well as pinks, white springs, and jack springs. The river is usually low by late August but this year is different with the exceptionally low water, so there will be a huge emphasis on downsizing your presentation. Think fluorocarbon leaders, smaller hooks, and softer colors. Float fishing roe, wool combinations, and smaller blades such as Hildebrandt’s and Colorado blades are a good choice for the conventional angler. Fly fishing using a full floating or a clear tip line paired with some sparse streamer patterns in olive, chartreuse, and blue. Pinks will also start to enter the river in good numbers towards the end of August and early September.
Squamish River
Fishing this week on the lower Squamish has been producing reports that can only be called epic. We have seen large numbers of fish hitting the lower river and though there are occasional lulls in the in the action when the fish are moving, it has been excellent.
Water clarity is still an issue and there is little to no visibility. Chartreuse/pink combinations have been the go to color. Though waves of fish have been moving through all day long the three best times have seemed to coincide with the cooler early mornings, cooler evenings and then a big push of fish around high tide. This week the high tides are starting around midday and shifting into the afternoon as the week progresses.
We provided an overview in the last few reports on techniques so be sure to check out the techniques section of last week’s report. Remember the limit for pink salmon is 2 per day on the Squamish but all other species are catch and release and it is strictly a single barbless fishery.
Good Luck!
Matt
Fraser River (upper and lower)
The Fraser is closed to fishing.
Capilano
The Capilano is closed to fishing above the Highway No. 1 Bridge, be sure to familiarize yourself with the river and the closure location.
Chehalis
The Chehalis is closed to fishing.
Skagit
The Skagit is closed to fishing.
Mamquam
The Mamquam is closed to fishing.
STILLWATER REPORTS
Local Lakes
As noted in previous reports we haven’t had too many reports from any of our local lakes as most are focusing on other fisheries. There are a few positive reports from those giving the Whistler Lakes a try. If you are heading out, remember that morning and evening is the best time to get out there.
Interior Lakes
The temps are dropping down to 3-5 degrees at night, which produces good hatches as the day unfolds. Great reports are pouring in from Tunkwa, Leighton and Hihium lakes. The chironomid hatches are intense during the day at 20 to 15 feet deep. Fly fisherman are catching up to 30 fish in a few hours and then switching to leeches in the evening. It is just a matter of time until the fall fishing lakes start so come in and make sure you are set up for the season.
Andre
SALTWATER REPORTS
Beach Fishing
There are still pinks getting caught at Ambleside and Furry creek. The tides are going to be in our favour from the 24th to fish off the beach. There were a few reports of wild coho caught on both fly and gear. I am looking forward to September, as it is my favourite time to fish the beach, both coho and chinook move into the estuary. As for flies you might want to try switching from Euphaucid patterns to more streamer/wooly bugger type flies. Remember that chinook actually feed so you can fish baitfish patterns with a clear tip or full intermediate clear line to get you fly a little bit deeper.
See you on the beach,
Andre
Local Saltwater
The chinook fishing has been excellent this week and this should be no surprise as we are at the peak week for this fishery. There have been lots of fish caught off the Bell Buoy and the hot depths on the riggers have been from 20-80 with the bulk of the action in the 30-60 range. As usual the best producer is bait. Anchovies and herring in glow green and glow green chartreuse are hot. The best flashers have been green or chartreuse with some glow tape on them and on the deeper rods the double glow flasher has been hot. We had some double headers this week as there seems to be some pretty sizeable schools of chinook in the area. Make sure to bring at least a couple of packs of bait with you because if you get on one of these schools you will need it. The vast majority of the fish have been red springs in the low to mid teens although there have been a few in the 20 pound range and even a few just over 30.
Eddie and his guests with some nice chinook!
There are good numbers of pink salmon around as well and they will hit the anchovies when you are fishing for chinook. Most of the Fraser pinks haven’t shown up yet but this will change later this month and the first week of September. In the meantime we would recommend concentrating on chinook with bait. I spent some time on the phone with DFO this week talking about the recent closures. As you know the closures have been put into effect to protect the summer run sockeye as the run is much lower than expected and the Fraser is low and warm so they are expecting some in river mortality. This means they really don’t want the saltwater anglers to catch sockeye so avoid using pink hoothcies as the sockeye will bite this, and of course so do the pinks. The pinks will readily bite anchovies as well and you will catch chinook on anchovies, so it obviously makes sense to keep the pink gear off and use the bait.
Matt and friend with pinks and a couple nice chinook.
There haven’t been too many boats off West Van shoreline as all the boats have been over at the Bell Buoy chasing chinook. There are lots of pinks and coho around but with the consistent chinook fishing we haven’t been in West Van all week. The coho are getting pretty stale and who can blame them as they have been sitting off the beach for a month or two already. They are getting hard to catch and this means you should fish bait. We are still getting some on white hootchies, but bait usually starts to work well this time of year for coho. You also have a good chance at catching a chinook as some of the Fraser chinook get pushed into this area on the flood tide. The first Capilano white springs will also show up this coming week, so when that rod bounces, don’t immediately assume it is gong to be a small Capilano coho.
Dimitri’s guests with 4 nice chinook caught on a 5 hour trip this week.
If you need some chinook gear, come down to the shop, we have the hot flashers and teaser heads, lots of herring and anchovies, and of course salt. If you are thinking about booking a charter, now is the time, as we are at peak timing for chinook.
See you in the shop or on the water.
Jason Tonelli