February Fishing Courses
We have some big announcements in the report this week but before we jump into the details we wanted to let everyone know that we still have a few spots in our February fishing courses. Call to sign up today! 604-872-2204
Introduction to Spey Casting with Matt Sharp – Wednesday Feb 24th and Sunday Feb 27th
It’s the Perfect time to learn Spey Casting! Join us for our introduction to Spey casting course with Matt Sharp. This is a 2 part course where we go over everything you need to know to tackle casting in the classroom and then head out on the water for a full day of casting practice. Matt Sharp has been Spey fishing for nearly 20 years and has seen the progression of the Spey rods from the eyes of a full time steelhead guide. He is a master at taking a new caster and getting them fishing effectively on their first day with a Spey rod. Let him show you his tricks and get you started off right. Call to sign up today. 604-872-2204.
Steelhead Float Fishing Course – Monday Feb 15th
We have another addition of our steelhead course on Monday Feb 15 with on the water fishing days open for Feb 20, 21, 27 or 28. If you missed out on our last sold out course this is your chance to learn from one of the most dedicated float fisherman in Vancouver and then get out on the water in prime time. Call today to book your spot in this very popular class. 604-872-2204.
Tying Intruder Patterns with Dimitri Roussanidis – Monday February 22nd and Tuesday 23rd
As you saw in his the Stinger Prawn Video last week (Click here to see video), Dimitri is a master. His Steelhead flies have been featured in Magazines and many top guides rely on him to fill their boxes. In this 2 day course learn the intricate skills needed to take your steelhead flies to the next level. With a large focus on the ideal silhouette for a steelhead pattern, this course is one you don’t want to miss. If you are getting into tying steelhead patterns or want to take your skills to the next level, sign up today. Call to sign up. 604-872-2204.
Winter Steelhead on the Fly NEW Dates! Saturday March 12th and Sunday March 13th (in house Feb 29th)
Fishing for winter steelhead on the fly (single hand or spey) is arguably one of the most challenging and rewarding fisheries in BC. Let our steelhead gurus help you unlock the mysteries of these magical fish with their decades of steelhead guiding knowledge. This course consists of a 3hr evening seminar and 1 full day of guided fishing on the water. In the seminar we will go over rods, reels, lines, sink tips, flies and reading water and swung fly techniques. The fully guided day on the water we will be working on casting, reading water and swinging the fly. Call to sign up. 604-872-2204.
February is Warm Water Fishing Month at Pacific Angler!
The weather in Vancouver in February is something I look forward to every year. I look forward to staring at it out of a plane window as I am leaving for somewhere with awesome fishing and warm weather!
With this in mind we are dedicating February to be Warm Water Fishing Month at Pacific Angler and we have two big announcements.
Free DIY Bonefishing BOOK Offer
First off, our friend Rod Hamilton has been gracious enough to give us copies of his book “Do It Yourself Bonefishing” and we wanted to pass them on to anyone who comes into the shop for FREE!! Come down to the shop and spend $100 or more on warm water fishing gear and the book is yours! This means flies, rods, materials, whatever you need to equip your next warm water fishing adventure! It is a 30$ value!
One of the Best Books One Bonefishing!
DIY Bonefishing is one of the best books for finding great spots to go Bonefishing. It has detailed info on hundreds of bonefishing destinations across the Caribbean and the rest of the world. It also has one of the best “how to fish for bonefish” sections that is a must read for beginners and experts alike. We have quite a few copies but this is a “while supplies last” offer! So come down to the shop and get your copy today! Rod is also coming out with a new book, so keep your eyes on his site DIY Bonefishing for details coming SOON!
New Pacific Angler Team Member
The second piece of big news is that we are proud to announce a new Pacific Angler team member and it fits into the Warm Water theme. He is a legend in the warm water fishing community and he is at the shop ready to help you plan your next fishing adventure!
Lars Akerberg is well regarded as one of the guys who started the Hawaii Bonefish scene and he has also fished more locations than anyone we know – Cozumel, Cancun, Isla Blanca, Isla Holbox, Belize, Honduras, Venezuela, Christmas islands, Hawaii, China, Hong Kong, Northern Europe – the list goes on. (Not to mention a ton locally)
Lars Akerberg with a Great Hawaiian Bonefish
We are blessed to have such an experienced world traveling angler on our team. If you want to see some epic bonefish pictures and read his full bio, (it’s a short novel worth of fishing experiences) Click Here. If you want to come into the shop and pick his brain about anything from local fisheries in beautiful British Columbia, to Northern Europe, to Hawaiian bonefish or even tarpon fishing in Hong Kong he is your guy!
WELCOME LARS!
You may have seen this little Video that Matt put together on Hawaii Bonefishing last year. Lars helped a ton with getting Matt in the right spots. If you haven’t seen it Click Here to take a look!
Fishing Outlook
It looks as though we are getting into a familiar cycle with the weather. For the last few weeks it has dumped rain on Thursday and Friday and then cleared up over the weekend. This may be good for not getting wet on the weekend but many of the rivers have been blown out or high for fishing on Saturday and Sunday. This week is no different, with big dumps of rain in the forecast yesterday and today. The silver lining for the guys going out Sunday is that it is going to clear up and rivers may come into shape. For those who are heading out Monday or Tuesday this is awesome and we should see some great river fishing again early next week when all the rivers clear up. Keep an eye on the river levels and check out our detailed river fishing reports below.
On the Saltwater scene things picked up a bit from last week and it is definitely worth getting out. Check out Jason’s Saltwater report below!
ON TO THE FISHING REPORTS
Vedder and Chilliwack River Fishing Report
Reminder for those of you wishing to angle for steelhead that you must have a “Steelhead Conservation Stamp” to participate.
The Vedder will most likely blow out for this weekend and probably won’t come into shape till Monday. The warmer temperatures expected for next week will keep the river from dropping quickly because the mountains will not freeze. Once the river comes into shape it will definitely be worth a fish.
It was fishing okay this past week when the conditions were cooperating. February is a great time to get out steelhead fishing as there are usually a few fish around. With all this high water it has pushed a lot of the fish around and spread them throughout the system so there is lots of fish-able water for you to cover.
Fly Caught Steelhead
All the usual suspects can be used to target steelhead on the Chilliwack-Vedder River at this time, Jensen Eggs, Colorado Blades, Pink Worms, and Jigs to name a few. If you prefer to swing flies then I would recommend the tried and true Black and Blue patterns as well as smaller profiled flies such as the Egg Sucking Leech if the water clears or you are fishing pressured water.
Good Luck
Chehalis River Fishing Report
If the rain comes on Friday then the Chehalis may be an option for you to check out for this weekend. This river can come up very quickly so be aware of the water level as you are fishing. The Chehalis does get a small run of hatchery and wild steelhead and is a great option for float fisherman who are willing to put in the time to learn this system.
The Stave River Fishing Report
It’s steelhead season and we’ve heard of a few steelhead already caught on the Stave, as well as the usual trout and whitefish reports. This river can see some fairly steady pressure, so it doesn’t hurt to try and time the tides to hopefully encounter fresh fish that haven’t been lined over yet. Keep your presentations varied to offer these anadramous trout a healthy selection to choose from, and don’t forget to have your proper licensing. Another tip, for those chasing these fish on a fly, is to have some stone fly nymphs in your box. Drifting these through an already worked over run can be extremely effective. Float fisherman can do the same, drifting them like they would a bead under a small Clear Drift float.
Leave the river cleaner than you found it, respect your fellow anglers, and have fun!
Squamish River Fishing Report
I feel a little like a broken record. The weather cycle has been very similar for the last few weeks. Just like last week we saw some great fishing in the Upper Squamish and upper Cheakamus early in the week as the river dropped and came into ideal levels. We are expecting another big bump of water today (40-50 mm!) and I would be a little surprised if the river was not dirty on Saturday. The only hope is the snow levels. For those who have some flexibility with their schedules, keep an eye on snow levels and watch the river levels. Once again when it drops fishing should be excellent. The only question is will it be in time for the weekend?
Next week is warm so if it does come into shape Saturday or Sunday, Monday and Tuesday could be excellent.
With the water coming up, make sure you have some brighter eggs in your kit and it may be a good week to start swinging larger streamers. Olive’s, whites and blacks in the 2.5-3.5 inch range are recommended. As I mentioned last week, in dirty water I have had great success combining the two presentations. Peg a bead an inch or two above a sculpin pattern if you are worried about fish not seeing your presentation in colored water.
Good Luck, respect your fellow angler and follow the rules. The Squamish is a 100% single barb-less catch and release fishery.
Vancouver Saltwater Fishing Report
Things were fairly consistent this past week, not red hot fishing, but certainly better than the fishing around the full moon in late January. For the most part there were fish to be had in Vancouver Harbour, Howe Sound, and the Gulf Islands.
Those who put their time in were rewarded with a fish or two. The fish have generally been in the 8-12 pound range although we have seen a few in the mid to high teens. There really hasn’t been a stand out spot this year so far and this season is starting to look like it will be more of a “normal” season compared to last year which was one of the best in a long time. Our best advice for this time of year is to not wait for a hot report, but just to get out there and cover water and fish your slack tides.
As noted in previous winter chinook reports, these fish move around a lot, so everyday is truly a new day on the water and you can’t put too much emphasis on past reports. This is especially true if they are more than 48 hours old.
As we are about mid way into the winter season, the fish are spread out and any given day you could have good fishing at any of the spots we have mentioned in the past few months. The keys are to cover lots of water by trolling fast, keep your gear just off the bottom, and use glow flashers, spoons, and hootchies as you are generally fishing pretty deep. We prefer to fish artificials this time of year, like spoons and hootchies, because they are durable and work well on a fast troll. Bait is effective but is less durable on a fast troll and a small glow teaser head does not put off as much glow as a glow spoon or hootchy.
These 2 Oki Glow flashers are staples for the local chinook fishery.
The usual flashers and spoons and hootchies have been producing well. For flashers you should be using Green Onion Glow, Purple Onion Glow, Chartreuse Glow and Green Glow. For spoons you should be using Irish Cream, Homeland Security, Kitchen Sink, Gut Bomb, Clupea, and Sucker Punch. Try these spoons in the smaller sizes like 3.5, 3.0 and 2.5. Productive hootchies are pure glow, or white glow.
If you would like to book a charter please give Jason Tonelli a call at 778-788-8582 or call Pacific Angler at 604-872-2204.
See you in the shop or on the water,