OUTLOOK
Summer is here and is looks like she is going to teach Spring a lesson about what an epic weekend should look like. If the weather man gets it right, we will see high 20s Saturday through Monday and we hope everyone can take advantage of it and get out enjoy mother nature.
With the warmth, things are going to change in the fishing world. We expect good lake fishing this weekend but if this trend of warmer weather sticks around we can expect lake water to warm up and trout fishing to slow. We take a look at our local lakes below because we probably only have a couple weeks left of low water temps and good fishing but there are still lots of cool fisheries like carp and bass to check out if you want to get out on a local lake.
Sterling has an Interior Lakes update where the warmth will not play too much into things right now but will change things over the next couple weeks.
On the saltwater front, we are hearing more consistent coho reports so it is well worth getting out. Jason has an update on what is going on there and another saltwater fishery to start looking at are the beach fisheries around the harbour. We have seen high levels on the Capilano over the spring due to the extended run off but with more heat it is time to at least start scouting the beach fisheries. Jordan has some details on how you can get out with a fly rod or spinning rod in this challenging but easily accessed fishery.
Gavin has a fun fishery that he likes to tackle and it’s a little different. We have talked about crabbing before but never shore crabbing without a trap. It’s quite fun to break out the waders, polarized sunglasses and a long handle net to stalk the shallows for crabs. All size, licensing and limit regulations still apply but it is something that everyone can have fun with when out on the beach. Gavin has details and some tips on how to do it below.
Matt has a little water update on what is going on the major flows because many fisheries will hinge on this over the next 2 months.
Last, but not least, we’re looking ahead to next weekend and wanted to let everyone know we will be OPEN on Friday July 1 from 10AM – 7PM, so you can get stocked up for all of your Canada Day Long Weekend fishing adventures.
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
PARKING
We know it’s been a challenge to park near the shop with the ongoing Broadway Subway Construction Project. So, we’re here today with an update on parking.
As always, there is plenty of metered parking on 8th avenue, one block north of us, and on various side streets in the neighbourhood. There is also a parking reimbursement program in place for those that park on top of the old MEC building at 130 W Broadway – follow this link for more details on that program.
The newest update we have is for those who know what you want and are just dropping in to pick up an item or two. We now have a 15 min room to load/unload zone in front of the shop! It’s a great option if you’re just popping in or have to pick up a large or heavy item – just in time for summer! #pacificangler #parking
We also can reimburse you for the cost of parking if you park in the roof-top parking lot at 130 W Broadway, on top of the old MEC building. Once parked, choose the $2/90 min parking option. Bring your receipt in and we will reimburse you the $2. It’s as simple as that and this lot is just two short blocks from the store. *Note this program only applies if you park in the 130 W Broadway lot.
CLASSES AND 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. The dates below show the seminar date first and casting date second.
Dates: (July 12 & 17), (Sept 20 & 24)
Cost: $150.00
Zoom Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Casting Time(s): 10am – 1pm or 1:30pm -4:30pm
Introduction To Fly Fishing Trout Streams
Stalking trout on mountain streams defines fly fishing. In this course we will teach you the fundamental techniques for fly fishing trout streams; dry fly fishing, nymphing, and streamer fishing.
This Introduction to Fly Fishing Trout Streams course will get you as close to being Brad Pitt (A River Runs Through It) as you will ever be! This course is comprised of one 3hr evening zoom seminar.
Date: June 28, 2022
Cost: $50.00+GST
Zoom Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Fly Fishing on Beaches
This single evening 3hr seminar will cover the basic principles needed to be an effective beach fly fishermen in BC from Howe Sound to the east coast of Vancouver Island. Topics covered will include rods, reels, fly lines, flies, tides, and techniques. Andre Stepanian, the instructor for this course, has been chasing salmon on our local beaches for over two decades. Remember, east coast Vancouver Island has a pink salmon run every year and last year the Capilano had 12,000 coho! Book this course early as we sold out all courses last year!!
Date: July 5, 2022
Cost: $50.00 + GST
Zoom Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
BC Water Levels Update
Sometimes we end up with tunnel vision when talking about water levels related to fishing so to start off, we wanted to send our best wishes and prayers to those who are in the Thompson or Columbia basin where flood warnings are in effect over this weekend. You can check out details on these areas of concern on the BC emergency Info Map here.
Another very interesting resource to check out is the Fraser Discharge Forecast. This one just got brought to my attention. Thanks Ryan! It’s a great tool to gain insight on what is happening.
I am not going to go on a deep dive this week but it looks as though things plateaued or dropped a little over the last week. We can expect overall water levels to get higher this weekend with the warmer weather. I was hoping that we had hit the peak of freshet but we will have to see what this weekend brings. If we do see things start dropping after this heat, you can look back to last week’s report video where we talk about how long it takes for a number of our systems to come into shape after we see the peak of freshet. Long story short, most of our systems that see July 1 openings will not be at good fishing levels and will take a substantial amount of time to come down.
Here is the link to the video report with the water levels information.
Matt Sharp
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
BC Interior Lake Fishing Report
The weather will be getting north of 30 degrees in Kamloops this weekend meaning it’s time to start fishing deeper if you haven’t started doing that already. Blobs, boobies, and dragon patterns on full sinks lines are essentials throughout the summer months. Deep line chironomids have been successful throughout the province over the past week but I expect consistent hatches to taper off this weekend meaning the bite window becomes shorter too. I also expect the mayfly hatches to become almost non-existent once we start seeing temperatures over 30 degrees. They might still key in on mayflies early in the morning or evening if there is a storm front but I wouldn’t bank on it.
This is really the season when caddis hatches start to get rolling. You’ll see the very large 1.5″ travelling sedges pop out first, followed by the smaller case maker caddis. The travelling caddis are so large that they’ll leave a trailing wake as they’re skittering across the water. The best fishing for adult and caddis pupae will occur in the late afternoon and into the evening. You’ll typically know where the densest caddis hatches are happening based off of the lake terns so follow the birds when possible. Mikaluk sedges, elk hairs, and goddard caddis are my go-tos for adult patterns.
It’s also important to have pupal caddis patterns. I find that the pupae patterns aren’t as effective as the top water action but I’ve had some great 2-3 hour feeding windows just before the adults emerge. I like fishing these patterns on intermediate sinking lines or long leaders under a floating line similar to my mayfly nymph setups. Caddis are much better swimmers than mayflies though meaning that I do faster 2-4 inch strips with a second or two pause. I like fishing my caddis pupae with bead heads as I want the fly to look like it’s dropping after each strip. The last thing you’ll need in your caddis arsenal are emerger patterns. Emerger patterns are a mix between nymph and adult patterns. Emerger patterns incorporate a bit of deer or elk hair to give the pattern some buoyancy but will sit subsurface. I like casting these out to rising fish and then letting it sit with no added movement. I’ll typically just strip up the slack in the line and wait for the grab. You’ll sometimes see fish rise to your emerger but fish will often sip them subsurface and then start peeling line.
Sterling Balzer
Vancouver Local Lake Fishing Reports
For those who want to get out on the water but don’t have time to head to the interior, most of the local stocked lakes are still fishing fairly well, thanks to a small stocking done just before the Father’s Day weekend. This is done as part of the BC Family Fishing Weekend, in which the lakes are “topped up” with anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand catchable-size Rainbows.
Normally, local lake fishing is slowing down quite a bit by this point, but the cooler weather has kept lake temps at tolerable levels, so fishing has actually been quite decent. This may change with the forecasted heat wave, though… I’d expect some of the smaller lakes to start getting quite warm after a week or two of above-average temperatures. This latest round of stocking has been one of the bigger ones that I’ve seen in the past few years, likely due to cooler water temps and an increase in projected survival rates, so fishing has the potential to stay good for a few weeks, depending on what the weather does.
Casting lures or float fishing with bait will be your best bets; most of the local lakes are too weedy to bottom fish by now. I’ve always been a fan of Gibbs Croc spoons, specifically the 3/16oz. ones, as they are small, but still cast well… but having said that, these fish aren’t really the wariest or most intelligent creatures, so any small spoon, spinner or jig will almost certainly work just fine. Float fishing with shrimp, Powerbait, or a worm, of course, is also super effective, although bright sunlight and increasing water temps mean that you’ll have to start fishing fairly deep soon- so a slip float setup will be beneficial. Come on in to the shop if you need help getting set up; we’ve got you covered.
Keep in mind that most local lakes get fatally warm for these fish in the hottest months of summer, so this is kind of a “limited time” fishery- I don’t retain any of these fish although you are definitely allowed to in most local lakes; be sure to check the regs before you head out if you’re unsure. I stop fishing for the summer when water temps reach 68°F (20°C), as Trout that are caught and released when the water is above this temperature are very unlikely to survive. Fishing also tends to get very slow when the water is this warm anyways, so in my mind, it kind of defeats the purpose of fishing in local lakes- they’re supposed to be fun, exciting, and action-packed… and sitting around for an hour or more on a warm local lake with no bites is not fun, exciting, nor action-packed. I usually transition to fishing for warmwater species such as bass, sunfish and carp during these times; all of which can be found in many of the local stocked lakes. They’re still tons of fun to fish for and catch, and they remain active during times when the trout are dying of the fish-equivalent of heatstroke. We have done detailed reports for these species in the past carp primer and a bass primer. Consider checking them out if you’re interested in trying something a bit different!
Taylor Nakatani
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report
Finally, the forecast is for some sunny days this weekend! Of course, with that sun comes the high-pressure system and that means NW winds. This weekend will be no exception as there are some NW winds in the 10-20 knot range on the horizon. Depending on your game plan and location, this may or may not be an issue, so make sure you check the forecast before you head out.
Locally we have been getting a few coho. George picked up a few more this past week on his charters and we are hearing of decent reports of coho in the Capilano River itself. So, they are definitely coming in and worth targeting. Check out my detailed coho article here.
For those doing DNA sampling, there have been decent numbers of chinook off South Bowen. Other anglers have been crossing when sea conditions allow and have had good catch and release chinook fishing off Thrasher Rock up to Entrance.
Speaking of chinook, we are still waiting for DFO to announce the Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for 2022/23. This is supposed to come out early June and that usually means late June, but now we are hearing early July. We are all hoping and expecting it to open for chinook over on Gabriola and Entrance for July 15th, like it has the past few years, but we won’t know for sure until the IMFP comes out. As soon as we find out we will post about it on Instagram and FB and it will be in the Friday Fishing Report.
Bottom fishing has been fairly steady over in the Gulf Island and crabbing has been decent in Vancouver Harbour as well.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
Capilano Beach Fishing Primer
This weekend coming up sees some great tides for the local beach fishery, with the low tides dropping below six feet: this should excite the beach anglers looking to get out onto the sandbar. That being said, there are some strong winds expected so being able to punch through the wind with double-hauls will be key for those on fly rods.
This weekend coming up sees some great tides for the local beach fishery, with the low tides dropping below six feet: this should excite the beach anglers looking to get out onto the sandbar. That being said, there are some strong winds expected so being able to punch through the wind with double-hauls will be key for those on fly rods.
Using sites like Dairiki Tides, just search ‘Dairiki Tides Vancouver’, can allow anglers an upper hand in picking and choosing which days or times to hit the beach as it is very easy to read and gives fairly accurate tide and moon information.
For fly anglers, 7wt-8wt rods paired with floating lines, long leaders, and small flies are the norm for those tossing bugs, while weighted spinners, spoons, and buzz-bombs are all key ingredients for those on traditional gear.
As mentioned above, 7wt-8wt rods are all that are needed for these local coho, along with a good saltwater-rated reel. Rinsing your gear off each evening and rinsing/washing your rods and lines will play a big role in the life of your gear.
Traditional gear anglers usually find success using 8’6” medium to medium-heavy spinning rods loaded with matching monofilament or braid. With various brands, models, and price-points, there are rods and reels for everyone- from the beginner to the expert! Finished with a bit of mono or fluorocarbon topshot, anglers have options at plenty of offerings, including Mepps, Blue Fox, Crocs, Buzz-Bomb/Zingers, and SC Custom Spinners that are built local.
Fishing from the beach usually means you want to be mobile and be able to quickly follow fish up and down the beach as the groups move. With this said, you don’t need to bring the shop to the beach when targeting coho. A sling or hip pack with a couple tackle trays is all that is needed: one tray for terminal and accessories such as swivels, beads, replacement hooks, etc. while the other can be divided and organized for all your spoons and spinners.
For fly anglers, the same thing applies: A couple spools of tippet, a spare leader or so, and a box of flies is all that is needed for a fun, light day at the beach.
If you are looking to get into this fishery you can join Andre for our Beach Fishing Course next month. This course often sells out so don’t hesitate to call the shop at 604.872.2204 and book your spot today! Date details are in the course section above.
Come on into the shop to see any one of us- all of us love to fish for coho and as the weather gets warmer and tides get bigger, more and more coho will start to stack along the beach, making for a great and exciting local fishery!
Cheers,
Jordan Simpson
Shore Crabbing: A Cool Activity for the Family at the Beach
Shore crabbing can be a fun and unique way to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family. There are two types of crabs available in our local area, Dungeness and Red Rock Crab. Crabbing from shore is available usually from late spring into mid-summer. Shore crabbing is done in tidal flats where there is a very gradual slope, a popular example would be Centennial Park in Tsawwassen. The advantage to shore crabbing vs crabbing with a conventional net is the ability to pick and choose the best crabs, as you do not have the luxury of choosing what goes into your trap like you do on shore.
What do you need?
Items critical for success while shore crabbing include:
- Long Handle Net
- Chest Waders
- Large Mesh Bag
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Hat
- Thick Gloves
- Sunscreen
- Crab Caliper
- Tidal Fishing License
When?
Going on the wrong tide can be the difference between a full limit and no crabs at all. Use the tide charts to identify the days in the week where there are the lowest tides; time your arrival at least 2 hours before the lowest tide of the day. Picking a day with little wind and lots of sun can significantly increase success as you gain a lot more visibility.
How?
As the tide recedes, you will walk out with the tide at the same pace. The crabs will have moved into the eelgrass to mate during the night and will recede into deeper water with the outgoing tide. Once the tide is low enough, you should be able to see patches of eelgrass. In anywhere from ankle to waist deep water, wade with the sun to your back to gain ideal visibility. This is where the polarized sunglasses come in handy. Walk at a stable pace and look for any movement within the water; they should look like a dark patch and if spooked will scatter away quickly. Keep in mind that crabs can only move side to side, so use that knowledge to your advantage. Once you have identified the crab, make a wide V with your boots, and use your net to corral the crab between your boots then scoop up. Chasing the crab with just the net can prove to be very difficult as the crabs can be very good at running away and hiding. If identified that the crab is legal, place your bounty into your mesh net. Keep in mind that the crabs can and will pinch you if given the chance.
Please make sure you familiarize yourself with any applicable regulations.
Cheers,
Gavin Lau