OUTLOOK
Well we might actually see a little rain this weekend. It won’t be in any substantial quantity so it won’t change water levels in rivers but the overcast skies should bring fish in close to the beaches and possibly get some hatches going on the trout rivers.
We’ll just come out and say it THE PINKS ARE IN BUT the reports have been mixed, areas have been crowded, and we have not heard of any consistent high number days yet. The bulk of the run is still not in but it should continue to ramp up over the next 10 days. Overcast skies are always good for this fishery so be sure to check the weather, tides and of course Andre’s beach fishing report.
On the saltwater scene things are looking up for fishing in the harbour. Fishing was not great earlier in the week but we are seeing more coho, pinks and the odd chinook coming into the harbour and we expect things to get better as the days progress. This week’s saltwater report has more info on what we’re using and where we are fishing.
Matt did his annual big Skagit trip this past week. Despite higher water levels and a flat tire he had an excellent time. We have some great pictures and a ton of details below.
The Vedder should be picking up for chinook fishing. We are hearing about the odd fish being hooked and again it should only get better over the next 2 weeks as the season progresses.
The Capilano is getting low but anglers are still catching fish in the river with smaller presentations. With the lower water in the river, the beach fishing for both coho and pinks should get good very soon. The overcast days in the forecast should be interesting. With this in mind we are featuring Andre’s custom Pink Pam beach salmon pattern in the product of the week. This fly can be a game changer for pinks and quite a few coho have been hit on them. It is simple but the glow in the dark body and sparse design make it and must have in any beach box. Check out the write up and pictures below and if you come into the shop tell the guys you saw this report and the Pink Pam will be at 10% off for this week only.
INDUSTRY EVENTS
Vancouver Chinook Classic Catch and Release Derby
This event is just over a month away! Are you registered? We expect this derby will be a sell out this year so be sure to get your registration in today!
The Vancouver Chinook Classic is a premier 2-day Catch and Release Salmon Fishing Event hosted annually at the new Pier 73 Marina at the Pacific Gateway Hotel. This is one of our FAVOURITE events of the summer angling season and something we look forward to each year.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the tournament and at $300 per angler (supply your own boat) you can’t beat that for an amazing weekend and a chance at the largest cash prize of any fishing derby in Vancouver!
Don’t have your own boat? Experience the Vancouver Chinook Classic on one of our Grady White boats outfitted with the best tackle and fully guided for $1,000 per day (non-inclusive of angler fee). To inquire contact us on our charter line at 778.788.8582.
More details on this not to be missed tournament weekend here!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Our July courses are wrapped up for the month…. So be sure to check out our August courses.
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.
Cost: $125.00
Dates: August 15 (seminar) and August 20(casting)
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Casting Time(s): 10am – 1pm or 2pm – 5pm
Mastering Local Saltwater Salmon Fishing
Over 50 million salmon migrate past Vancouver annually. Learn how to catch these fish with a Pacific Angler. This course offers an in-depth look at the local saltwater scene. We cover the local saltwater salmon fishing for the entire year, showing you the how, when, and where. This course includes a 3hr evening seminar and a fully guided day on the water in one of our Grady Whites.
Cost: $250.00
Dates: Seminar: August 9 Guided: August 12 or 13 This class is sold out – but peoples schedules do change – so give us a ring to get yourself added to the waitlist.
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
FRIDAY FEATURE PRODUCT
Pink Pam
It was four years ago just before the arrival of the pinks that I noticed the UTC glow tinsels in a few colours in the “new material section” of the Hareline fly tying catalogue. I always like to try new materials to tie with and the first colour I ordered was the pink one. When I got the tinsel I tied a mini clouser looking fly using the glow tinsel as a body, hot pink flouro fiber for the wing with little 1/8 dumbbell eyes in silver.
In a few days I had the chance to go to Furry Creek for pinks I brought Dimitri along for the beach fishing experience to try out these new flys. To this day I have no solid theory why this fly became a huge hit, but I will never forget that morning as we both hooked around forty fish including a couple of jack springs. We were fishing these on a floating line with long flouro leaders. From that day the phone calls were plenty asking if we had any PINK PAMS in stock. I couldn’t keep up with the supply the last two pink season but I am ready and I have tied a few hundred for this season, with the reports coming in over the last two days I think things are about to kick off.
Andre Stepanian
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack River Fishing Report
We are now into the third week of July and for those of you that are looking to get into a Vedder River Red Spring, peak season is nearly upon us. The water is still a tad high but clarity is great and it is very fishable. Fish will be spread out throughout the system at this point so concentrate on deeper runs. There are multitudes of ways to target chinook but some of the more common ways are with pro-cured roe, colorado blades, wool ties, large spoons, and intruders. These are strong fish so be prepared with the right tackle; come on in to the Shop if you’re looking to get set up for this great summertime fishery.
There are also a good number of sockeye salmon in the system as well. While they do offer a great scrap but remember that all Sockeye must be released so if you do catch one, please release it with care.
Alex Au-Yeung
Capilano River Fishing Report
Water levels have hit an annual low on the Capilano. This does not necessarily mean that fishing is impossible albeit it can be very difficult at the best of times. There is not much current so drift fishing will not be very effective. Instead, try tossing lures and flies as the Coho will be stacked in the deepest holes which means finding fish won’t be too much of an issue. Tested and proven lures for getting them out of their lock-jaw are spinners such as the Blue Fox Vibrax and Mepps as well as spoons like the Croc and the Koho by Gibbs. Alternatively, bringing out the fly rod can be a good idea as well as these fish can react well to a fly that gets down to them. Think small wooly buggers, flash flies, and other finesse presentations.
Skagit River Fishing Report
We hit the river this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It was one of my better trips to this little river but the report comes with a caveat. The river is high. One of my most valued strategies on the Skagit is to cover water. I never like to fish one area for more than 30 mins. I feel that the constant casting puts the fish down. I like to bounce from one spot to the next, covering as much water as I can. I then cycle back to areas that produced fish or looked fishy on the first pass. I might cycle a few times over the day and the more ground I can cover on each cycle the more fish I hook. With the water levels quite high you will have trouble crossing and most anglers were limited to only a couple spots. This obviously makes the “bounce and move” strategy very hard. A couple of guys at the shop made it happen with some daring deep wading and lots of bush whacking, so it is possible but go prepared. It is a good idea to bring a wading staff for crossing, bear spray, lots of bug spray and a great trick is to pack a pair of old light weight rain paints. You can put them over your waders to protect them when working through thick bush.
The hiking was worth it and we were rewarded with these rainbows.
On the graph at Rose Lake we have seen a ¼ meter drop in the last couple days. Though this does not always accurately reflect water levels in the river because of the dam, this is positive news and I suspect the river will be in good to excellent shape around the end of the month. If you are planning only one Skagit trip this season, hold off and go a little later. If you like a challenge and don’t mind hiking then get out now. The limited access means there are hidden gems where no one has fished and the fish are uneducated and hungry.
A couple of nice bull trouts from our trip.
We nymphed heavily in the mornings with smaller olive and grey mayfly patterns, size 12s and 14s. In the afternoon we saw some limited dry fly action. Larger grey mayfly imitations were best. In the evenings we did run into some good but brief hatches. Again the larger grey mayflies patterns worked best.
The lake also fished well at the mouth in the evening and is worth a look if you have a belly boat or john boat. The road is pretty good and the bugs are not terrible but they are around. Bug spray and a spare tire are a must.
Our trip was fuelled by our friends at Batchfoods.com. Perfect for a multi-day trip where you need to pack light but want to eat something healthy and delicious.
Remember the river is a 100% catch and release single barbless fishery.
Good Luck,
Matt Sharp
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Beach Fishing Report
Finally – We have some positive reports filtering into the shop from customers. The pinks have arrived at Furry Creek so make sure you head out there and take advantage of this fishery especially with the really good tides all next week. Don’t forget that the pinks are actually feeding until they head up to the river, you can catch a pink on almost any pattern as they are the easiest species of salmon to catch but to fish with an Euphocid or Kreel pattern will give you better results. At Ambleside the coho are starting to accumulate as the river levels stay low. I saw way more coho in the last few days than a week ago, unfortunately I did not connect with one but at least staring at the beach without making a cast is over. Soon the Indian and Seymour river pinks will show up as well and they usually hang out at the mouth of the Capilano for a few days before making there way to the Burrard inlet.
The tides are low in the afternoon so if it is a bright sunny day use flies with orange, yellowish colours and if it is an overcast day use white flies with chartreuse accent or flies that glow as coho depend on sight over smell and love to chase. If you are stripping your fly slow or fast make sure it is at a consistent pace and all the way to the beach as they could be following the fly it. Yes it is hard to catch a coho in our estuary but be persistent and don’t get discourage. You will be rewarded if you stick at it. If you like to tie your own flies come by the shop and I will discuss colours and patterns suitable for our local beach.
I’d like to thank everybody that took my beach course and made it a sold out event. It was a lot of fun sharing my knowledge with you. If you missed out on the course, drop by the shop and we can give you a hand!
Good luck and see you on the beach,
Andre
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report
Well things finally picked up in the harbour this week with some decent catches of coho, pink, and chinook. I wouldn’t call it red hot for any of these 3 species quite yet, but there are enough fish around to warrant some effort in local waters.
Off West Van to the Cap Mouth there were some pinks and some coho caught the last few days and as usual the fish are shallow. From the surface down to about 50 feet on the riggers is the go to zone. Your best bests are UV flashers with Moon Jelly or Kinetic tape one them and hootchies with about a 28 inch leader. A variety of hootchies will work but the most productive ones are white, white UV, and some of these with some red, peach or pink in them will also work very well. We have ordered in very specific Yamashita hootchies for the coho and pinks off West Van and have a good selection in stock right now. We have 5 packs if you want to tie your own and ones all tied up for you as well. We also have some awesome flashers from Gibbs and Oki in stock that we have brought in especially for our local waters and this shallow water fishery. The pinks will bite the same gear we like to use for coho and if you find big schools you can also cast small pink spoons and jigs on light spinning rods for some great action. We have some specific combos in stock for this fishery and some great Gibbs Delta lure kits so come in and get geared up as things will really get going in the coming weeks.
We are well stocked for local coho and pinks.
Right on schedule we are starting to see some chinook get caught off the Bell Buoy as well. Things usually get going around now and will build as we get into August. These fish are usually shallow, about 30-80 on the riggers and bait is the name of the game. Glow flashers on the deeper rods and chrome flashers on the top rods work well. The same can be said for the teaser heads. We just received our summer order of teaser heads so now is a good time to stock up on the hot glow and chrome colours before things get crazy in August. Teaser heads are always hard to get in August, so get them now while you can.
Captain Eddie’s guest with a couple of nice chinook from the Bell on Thursday morning.
There have still been some feeder fish caught off South Bowen from Cowan to Roger Curtis and even up to Worlcombe, but for the most part this past week we were chasing coho and pinks off West Van and chinook off the Bell Buoy.
Captain Tom got his clients into these 2 nice chinook earlier in the week off South Bowen.
I will be out guiding Friday, Saturday, Sunday so I am looking forward to chasing some fish so close to our docks. Hopefully it is a productive weekend and we see more pinks, coho, and chinook move in.
See you on the water or in the shop.
Jason Tonelli