OUTLOOK
Long Weekend Incoming! We hope everyone can get out for some time on the water. A few fisheries are slowing down, and we are still waiting for major pushes of pinks to the beaches and rivers, but we have heard some spotty reports of fish in the Squamish and off the beaches; they are now also showing up on our saltwater charters consistently.
We said it last week and we will say it again – It could be any day that we see them consistently on the beaches and up Squamish so it’s worth getting out. Jordan and Eric have details on the river and beaches.
If you are thinking about hitting the ocean in a boat the fishing continues to be excellent. There are lots of coho still off Bowen and with some increased areas for chinook retention opened on Aug 1st, plus the added bonus of pink salmon, it is hard to beat for a fishing option. Check out Jason’s saltwater section for all the details at the end of the report.
For freshwater anglers, the Chilliwack is slowing down as we are past prime time summer chinook but there are still fresh fish coming in. It is worth a hike, but fishing is not as good as it was 2 weeks ago. Taylor has all the details in his Chilliwack River Report.
Lastly, we have some summer trouting intel from Matt. He used some new gear on his trout trip last week and in this week’s report he shares some easy fishing tips as well as a recommendation for a couple of gear items that he used on his trip.
BC Day Long Weekend Holiday Hours
Friday – 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday – 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday – 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Monday – CLOSED FOR BC DAY
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 14, 15, 21 or 22, 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
Squamish River Report
The Squamish is still running quite dirty with a majority of the ‘cleaner’ water being found near the tributaries.
Char fishing continues to be okay to decent, with anglers finding most success on spoons and larger flies. These larger profile offerings are easier to see and produce more flash and vibrations- perfect for these dirty conditions
We have heard a couple reports of pinks and more should start showing up soon. They are already noticeably late.
Once here, small to medium sized pink, orange, and chartreuse lures and flies will be the norm for anglers targeting these often-willing fish. Small jigs fished on a twitching setup or under a float are also a good way to target these fish and, with the proper float depth, they are a good way to avoid snagging fish.
Spinning and fly rods that are used for large trout and/or coho are perfect for these fish as they often hit well but are manageable on lighter gear.
This is where your 6wt-7wt rods are fun, with an 8wt being a good all-round for BC in general.
Spinners, spoons, flies, and jigs are all great options, with size and shade being taken into account. I always have small, medium, and large offerings available in a variety of shades (hot pink, fuschia, cerise, bubblegum, etc.).
When targeting these salmon, I like to use 12lb Maxima as my tippet on fly rods as it is more than enough for the pinks, it can handle a coho and mouth-hooked incidental chum but, can also break off easy enough should I snag and need to break free.
Remember to be respectful of the resource. We have seen closed areas because of anglers not respecting proper fish technique, so make sure you are playing by the rules and have fun- it’s just fishing!
Cheers!
Jordan Simpson
Chilliwack River Report
The C/V system has continued to produce fish, although things have been winding down as we near the end of the summer chinook run. There are still some fish pushing into the system, but the bulk of the run has already come and gone; it’s usually pretty much done by mid-August. The river is also running very low and clear, which should come as no surprise given this summer’s weather patterns… and of course, these low, clear conditions are making things challenging for those who are still heading out there.
Anglers will want to focus their efforts on the deeper, faster pools or runs that offer cover to the fish and make them feel “safe” when the water is low and clear. Of course, smaller presentations and fluorocarbon leaders aren’t a bad idea under the current conditions, so make sure you aren’t just bringing your giant soft beads and Maxima leader. It’s also a good idea to stay mobile and cover water to find fish, since there won’t be as many fish around.
The majority of the fish in the system will be in the upper, although these fish are likely to be fairly dark and highly pressured, which can make for some very tight-lipped fish and frustrating angling conditions. Alternatively, there will still be some fresh fish moving through the lower, but targeting them is quite challenging, since they’re usually on the move and don’t hold up in any one area for long.
Just a reminder- DFO has closed a portion of the river to all fishing in the crossing area until the end of September; this closure was put into place to address an extremely high amount of snagging and flossing of sockeye that was observed in the area. More details can be found in last week’s report here.
With the summer chinook season nearing its end, we’re coming up on a bit of a lull that typically runs until the first group of fall salmon arrive, which is usually the white springs in early September. Of course, this is also a pink year, and the pinks typically start showing up in early September as well. There is a huge degree of uncertainty regarding the size and health of the pink run following the catastrophic floods of 2021, so it’s really hard to say if there will be any opportunities for targeting or retention of pinks in the C/V system this year; as of right now there are currently no listed angling opportunities for pinks in the C/V which means that they may not be targeted, so we’ll be keeping our eyes open for any in-season changes or updates on the fishery from DFO.
Gear Tips for Summer River Trout Fishing
Summer trout fishing is one of my favorite fisheries, be it up Birkenhead, Skagit, Thompson, toward the Kettle or farther east. For the last 15 years I try to take a week off in the summer. I jump in the truck with a raft on the back and car camp the different trout rivers around the province.
I had a great trip this last week and, even though I have been very concerned about river water temperatures, we got lucky and actually had some rain and cool evening temperatures. We have had some closures in area 4 to protect fish from low warm water conditions but, as of writing this report, we have not had any more closures announced.
If you are planning a trip, pay careful attention to announcements and as always you need to treat these fisheries and the fish with respect. Making sure barbs are well pinched and releasing these fish quickly can reduce mortality almost to zero. When I was out, it got as low as 7 degrees at night in my tent so at least for the week I fished, water temps on the systems I fished were not too far off historical norms even though they were all quite low. Fingers crossed with mid to low 20s in the forecast with some more rain next week, fishing can continue.
I am not going to go into a ton of detail on the fishing. Short story, it was excellent. Come down to the shop if you are heading out and I can help with specific fisheries. In this article, I want to look at a couple items that were new editions to my kit this year and one item that I have used for years and would not leave home without. I think they might make your own trips a little more enjoyable.
The big addition to my trout kit this year is the new Sage R8 3wt 9 foot. All I can say is WOW. Without getting into swing weights and taper profiles, this rod was exactly what I was hoping for.
I wanted the perfect BC dry fly rod. A great feeling light rod that I could still cast big flies, in wind on big water. I have owned many 3 wts before in 7 ft through 10 ft but I always felt a little held back by either the clunky nature of the longer more euro focused rods or the lack of power in the shorter rods. The R8 has an amazing range. On this trip, I set a personal record for my longest dry fly hook up. It was a full 80ft cast with the backing knot in a loop at my feet. I will admit there was a bit of a tail wind, but the drift was perfect, and the fish came flying out of the water to eat the large hopper pattern. I couldn’t have made this cast with my other 3 wt rods.
On the very next piece of water, I was working my way up a rocky shore, casting 3 feet off the bank. The R8 has the feel and delicacy to make these little chip shots and then a beautiful store of power when carrying 50ft plus line.
I would still not recommend a 3 wt to newer fly casters but if you can double haul and want a dedicated BC dry fly rod, I don’t think you can beat a 9ft 3wt.
I tried another couple of interesting pieces in the kit. You don’t need waders for most of our summer trout streams, but you need proper boots, pants and more importantly socks. In past years I have used the Simms neoprene socks to allow me to use my wading boots. The neoprene socks simulate your wader’s foot for sizing and protects your feet, but – I have found that over 4-5 days of constantly wearing these neoprene socks, my feet would get completely shriveled and destroyed plus the socks were disgusting by day 3.
Buying multiple pairs of these socks works but they are not a cheap piece of the kit. This trip I used a trick picked up from warm water fishing. I used tight weave wet wading socks under the neoprene. This might sound redundant, but the tight weaved socks added a layer of protection for my feet from sand and gravel. They are also cheaper so you can buy a couple of pairs for cycling. Pulling on a fresh pair of wet wading socks and then slipping into the neoprenes every morning put a smile on my face where in previous years I would always dread trying to squeeze into damp gross neoprene.
Last tip for your dry fly addicts is one that I won’t leave home without. Get gel style gink flotant and powder flotant. If the fishing is good your flies get saturated fast. I am even treating my flies at the bench after I ty them with a permeant flotant but, I have found over the years, that treating your fly first with the gel and then after a fish or two switching to the powder flotant helps dry out the fly and can get you a few more fish on a pattern before it needs to be retired.
Hope the rivers stay cool and you all have the opportunity to get out.
Matt
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
Well August is here and that means there is a lot going on locally for salmon. On our 5 hour and 6 hour trips we have been fishing along West Van in area 28-6 which is now open for chinook, 1 a day 62-80cm. We have been picking up a few chinook in this area as well as some coho and pinks.
We are also doing well off South Bowen for coho and pinks. The hatchery coho are getting a little harder to find, but this is to be expected as we have been on these schools of hatchery coho for 6 weeks now and many have been harvested. That being said, we are finding our fair share of hatchery coho daily. The pink numbers have really increased this week as well, keeping our guests busy with lots of bites and rounding out the daily catch.
On our full day trips, we have been crossing over to Gabriola and Entrance. The chinook fishing has been nothing short of fantastic, with multiple hookups each day. There are plenty of coho over there as well and some lingcod too. If winds allow, we highly recommend taking the time to get over there and experience this fishery.
Fishing should remain consistent in all of these fisheries for the rest of August and area 28-9 opens for chinook on Aug 13 as well, adding even more opportunity. To book a trip give us a call at 778-788-8582 and make sure to follow us on Instagram @pacificanglersportfishing
Beach Fishing Update
This might be the year of late starts. After spotty reports in the salt water, we are finally seeing pinks showing themselves off Bowen and surrounding waters. This is great news for the shore bound angler looking to tackle salmon. Next week is shaping up nicely with some low AM tides. This will offer some good opportunities at Ambleside and Furry Creek. We even have a few cloudy days forecasted that might extend the early AM bite for spooky shore coho.
Ambleside:
Ambleside has seen an increase in anglers with the prospect of pinks moving in. Expect to see a mix of fresh and stale coho with a possibility of pinks. Try reducing the size of your lures and flies when the fish get pressured. You will usually see a few anglers chasing around the same pod of fish. The trick is to set yourself up to intercept fresh fish and not hammer the lock jawed ones.
Furry Creek:
The Sea to Sky beaches are starting to produce fish. We have reports of anglers and seals scouting the area looking for the first few fish to trickle in. Not everyone out there is having success but if you pick your days and tides right, you should connect with a few. The bulk of the run has yet to be seen but things are picking up.
Pink fishing can be a fun social fishery with plenty of families and new anglers. If someone is struggling, maybe give them a hand. Give each other space and be courteous to your fellow angler.
Cheers
Eric