OUTLOOK
Merry Almost Christmas! We hope everyone is having an excellent holiday season. It looks as though we are going to see a white Christmas with a noticeable dump of snow forecast for Christmas day and then we will see a cold snap for the following week. This is going to put a damper on many fishing plans but there is something special about fishing in the snow.
In this week’s report we have info on the Chilliwack and Squamish but, if you are planning on hiding out at home, make sure to check out our boxing week sale list. This is the biggest sale of our year and this year has some amazing deals. We have waders, boots, jackets and lots of other fishing gear heavily discounted. If you don’t want to come into the shop, the full list will be in your inbox and on our social media feeds later today but with such a big list this year Matt has picked out some of his favorite deals. You can see his picks at the end of the report.
If you’re reading this and still have a gift to take care of – don’t fret – we are here until 3PM today, December 24. We can also process a gift card or course purchase over the phone for you so give us a ring and we can get that taken care of so you have something under the tree to give to the angler in your life.
Another good thing to do over the holiday break is to take a look through your fishing pictures from the past year! There is still time to enter our Best Of 2021 Picture Contest! Matt will be announcing the winners in the New Year’s edition of the Friday Fishing Report on the 31st. Entry Deadline is the 30th of December. Check out the details on how to enter in the Industry Events + Updates Section, below.
As a reminder, here are our Holiday Hours:
December 24 – Christmas Eve – 10AM – 3PM
December 25 – Closed – Merry Christmas!
December 26 – Boxing Day Sale – 10AM – 6PM!
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
Boxing Week Sale – Check your In-box for the full sale list, later today
Best Of 2021 Fishing Picture Contest
Here are all of the details for our Best of 2021 Fishing Picture Contest Details!
We will be picking winners within the categories listed below. Each winner will review a $50 Gift card to use on anything at Pacific Angler! Winners will be announced in the December 31st edition of the Friday Fishing Report as well as on our YouTube Channel.
Categories:
– Best Fish Picture – anything with a fish in it. Prize: $50 Gift Card
– Best Fishing Picture – anything related to the act of fishing. Prize: $50 Gift Card
– Best fishing Scenery Shot – amazing shots of the wonderful world we get to fish in. Prize: $50 Gift Card
– Best of Kids Fishing (under 16) – we want to see how the next generation is enjoying their time on the water. Prize: $50 Gift Card
Submission Instructions:
Pictures will be accepted via email only! Email your entries to photocontest@pacificangler.ca Each entry must include a brief description and the category you best think it fits
Contest is open December 10, 2021 – December 30, 2021.
Submission Details:
Parents or Legal Guardian must submit photos for participants under 18.
By submitting your photos, you give Pacific Angler permission to use your photo in the Friday Fishing Report, our social media feeds, and/or Pacific Angler TV on YouTube. At any time, you may revoke this authorization by notifying Pacific Angler in writing to info@pacificangler.ca This written revocation will not affect the actions taken prior to this notification.
CLASSES AND COURSES
We’re looking forward to getting back in the classroom in the new year – whether virtually or in person! Remember classes make an excellent Christmas gift and we can get that processed over the phone and send you something to put under the tree! See our full course listing here!
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report
It’s all just a waiting game at this point. The water looked like it was finally starting to come down only to bump back up with the latest rainfall. Usually, we don’t see the water bump up this drastically after rain events when the water is running this high already, but this might be the reality for the next couple of months with the lake water levels being so high. The hope is that this upcoming cold snap will allow the river to finally get below 2m for the first time in months. It also makes it tough when any bit of rain is causing the river to colour back up due to the washouts around Slesse and Ranger. It’s tough to make any predictions on the upcoming season but it seems like the river is going to run high and dirty for most of the season. Hopefully mother nature plays nice.
Saying all that, steelhead have already been caught this year. The best fishing is going to be tight to shore as steelhead love to move tight to shore when the water is high and dirty. Break out those large presentations like 4-6” pink worms and big gaudy flies as the biggest challenge will be getting your presentation in a spot where they can even see it. I fully expect the fish to be in cleaner 2-4 feet of water. I always like checking creek and river outflows as they’ll typically have the cleanest water. The water doesn’t seem to be coming down anytime soon so it might be worth it to just get out there and see what happens.
Sterling Balzer
Squamish River Fishing Report
The good news is if you are off for today or tomorrow the fishing should be quite pleasant on the Squamish. Fishing in the snow is kind of magical. Though water levels are low, and we do not expect hot reports, I have had better than expected days when the snow starts coming down as long as it is not windy.
Bring a shovel and maybe chains for the truck, be safe on the roads and have some fun. That is the good news. The bad news is that we are about to see one heck of a cold snap. If the weather man has it right, temps will go into double digit negatives on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with night time temperatures possibly hitting negative 20 mid-week. This is going to make fishing a challenge.
We will see what the weather brings but, when we do get a little warmer and rainy weather in January, things should be back on.
Matt Sharp
Matt’s Boxing Week Sale Sneak Peak!
Every year we go through our inventory and look at items that we are over stocked on or have been discontinued by suppliers. Sometimes, there is not much to blow out. Sometimes, the discontinued items are discontinued for a reason as they aren’t all that great. Sometimes, there are absolute gems that, for whatever reason, ended up being missed in inventory checks or simply changed because companies need to come out with the “new cool thing” not because the old cool thing was not awesome.
This year, we have a bunch of gems! Here are my picks for ones you won’t want to miss out on. Have a read below for some of my favourite items and then be sure to keep an eye out for the full list which will be in your inbox later today!
Simms G3 Waders (2020/2021 Model) in Cinder and Shadow Green
First off, we need to start with Waders. Simms changes waders every few years and this year it is the G3 wader’s turn to get a face lift. I have seen the new G3 waders coming out and though they are great, the current ones have been a work horse for the last 3 years. Dedicated anglers putting lots of days on the water know how reliable these waders have been. This is your chance to jump up to a pro level wader at a much reduced cost.
Simms G3 Waders (2020/2021 Model) in Cinder and Shadow Green – Assorted sizes. Regular $749.95 now 20% OFF
The Okuma Nomad Multi Tip Travel Spinning Rod
The second item I wanted to look at is one I own and have fished hard for almost 5 years. It is one for all you traveling anglers going down south or anywhere you want a great durable spinning rod. It is the Okuma NTi – S – 703M-MH/M Spinning rod. It has top end saltwater safe components; comes in a great travel case, that you can actually put other rods in as well, and comes with a spare tip to change the rod from a medium action to a medium heavy action.
I don’t worry too much about changing the actions but there is peace of mind knowing that you have an extra tip if things go wrong on a remote trip.
I have hooked everything from tarpon to coho to carp on this rod. If you were to blind fold me and say “we are going fishing” this would be the rod I’d reach for.
Okuma NTi – S – 703M-MH/M Spinning rod Reg $299.99 now 20% OFF!
Simms Men’s Katafront Hoody
If we go back to Simms for a moment, there are a number of discontinued layering pieces this year. One that I own and highly recommend is the Katafront Hoody. With fast drying sleeves and a water-resistant body material, it is one of my go-to outer layer pieces. In the summer, it is in the pack if things get chilly. In the fall, it is my outer layer and when things get cold or wet it layers perfectly with a jacket.
Simms M’s Katafront Hoody, Hex Flow Camo, M, $159.99 now 30% OFF!
Big News in the Fishing Pack World
Let’s move on to packs. Something interesting happened this season with one of our favorite pack companies. Fishpond is keeping many of their iconic designs but they are changing the material used in these designs. That means packs with the old materials are on discount! If you are looking for a water proof sling or back pack the Thunderhead series is considered the gold standard for durability and true waterproof performance. Here is what we have in the store on sale:
- Fishpond Wind River Roll Top Backpack, Shale, $295.99 now 20% OFF!
- Fishpond Thunderhead Backpack, Cutthroat, $439.99 now 20% OFF!
- Thunderhead Sling, Shale X1, Riverbed Camo X1 $334.99 now 20% OFF!
- Castaway Roll Top Gear Bag, Shale, $269.99 now 20% OFF!
- Thunderhead Submersible Lumbar Pack, Shale, $334.9 now 20% OFF!
Fly Lines
Ok – last but not least – Something for all the fly junkies out there. I did a big cull of the fly line wall last night and found a bunch of lines with old packaging. Many of the lines are actually the same line that is in the “New” packaging just under a new name. There are also some older lines that got discontinued that were winners and worth looking at. I have a sneak peek picture below but the discount box is worth a dig through if you can make it down to the shop.
These are just a few of the items that caught my eye. There are a bunch more gems on the list so make sure to check it out your inbox or our social feeds later today and I will see you all at the store on Boxing Day!
Matt Sharp