OUTLOOK
The weatherman owes us a beer! He was off the mark last week. There are more than a few of us who changed our fishing plans last weekend based on the forecast of storms. That said when a major, legitimately dangerous, storm doesn’t materialize, we probably shouldn’t be complaining.
We still got enough rain that most rivers did blow out but there were a few spots that stayed fishable and a number of places came back into shape faster than we expected. This proves the old saying you don’t know until you go.
This weekend we are once again facing a wet weather forecast. On paper it is dryer and colder than last week so we’re hoping that things will stay in relatively good shape. Temperatures this time of year can be more important the amount of rain. When it is cold enough it snows in the high country and the risk of blown out rivers is way less.
So our glass half empty outlook is that once again with the rain forecasted we can expect more blown out river conditions. The glass half full outlook is that you should be tying large flies and jigs and watching river levels and weather carefully. We are coming into the prime time salmon season and if things line up right there could be very good fishing
If you’re looking to learn more about fly fishing some of our local rivers don’t miss out on two of Andre’s upcoming fly fishing classes. For those of you dreaming of a warm winter vacation have a read of Jordan’s fishing travel report of his day out on the water in Mexico.
CLASSES AND COURSES
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!
Dates: Seminar: Oct 25 Guided: SOLD OUT- custom trip dates available
OR
Seminar: Nov 7 Guided: Nov 12 or 13 (custom trip dates available)
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Seminar Only Cost: $45.00
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $250.000 per angler, minimum of 2 anglers per guided day on the water.
Fly Fishing For Coho Salmon
Catching a coho on the fly in BC’s many coastal rivers is a bucket list item for any fly fisherman. Our course is designed to educate you on the very specific techniques used to catch coho salmon on the fly in the Lower Mainland.
After your 3 hour evening seminar you will then put the skills into practice during a fully guided day on the water.
Dates: Seminar: Nov 1 Guided: Nov 5 or 6
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Seminar Only Cost: $45.00
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $250.000 per angler, minimum of 2 anglers per guided day on the water.
TRAVEL FEATURE
Trip Report: Riviera Maya!
After a good long stint guiding up north in British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii, a trip down to Mexico was very much welcomed. Though it was mostly a family and personal vacation, I did take the time to spend a day fly fishing for bonefish.
Flying from Vancouver to Toronto and then Toronto to Cancun, we were eventually greeted by hot, muggy air. Time for beer! Arriving at our resort, the Grand Palladium White Sands, we were greeted by friendly and helpful staff…and more drinks! This resort was beautiful, has everything you could want or imagine, and had endless dining options- including endless ice cream and popsicles. I’m pretty sure I consumed just as many popsicles and ice cream cones as I did drinks.
Fishing options are somewhat limited right at the resort, though walking around I did see some reef points and rips that looked fishy- I just couldn’t get myself up early enough each morning to get out there before the rest of the people showed up to go swimming or suntan.
I did however book a day of fly fishing on Cozumel through Cozumel Charters . Booking my trip through them was a breeze and they were very helpful and quick to reply to my emails. Their rates were also very reasonable, and included snacks, beverages, and a case of beer covered in ice right on the panga!
Catching a taxi to Playa del Carmen, then taking the ferry to Cozumel was incredibly easy and very cheap compared to here, and my guides, a father/son duo, were very helpful and knew exactly which flies to pick. Spotting fish here was a lot easier than in Hawai’i, and often I spotted a few fish before my guide did- though we teamed it and scanned in different directions. Unlike Hawai’i, I found these fish a lot easier to spot. Once spotted, these fish were incredibly spooky of the panga. After a few blown shots and scared fish, we hopped out of the boat and decided to walk and wade the flats. This was much more sneaky and gave me the opportunity I needed to get them to eat. I foolishly left my phone/camera in the boat in fear of dropping it in the drink, so no fish pictures for me- which is okay as I’ve caught bonefish before and this was meant to be more of a relaxing personal day than it was a day to get hero shots. These flats are beautiful, with bird-filled mangroves for as far as you can see. This area also gives opportunity to catch snook and permit to those fortunate enough to have the gods on their side.
If you’ve popped into the shop the past couple days, I’m sure you’ve noticed my raccoon-eyes caused by the Mexican sun. I highly suggest a good pair of polarized sunglasses in amber/copper or bronze mirror finish to help provide the fish-spotting contrast and eye protection necessary.
If you’re interested in doing a warm water trip, either on your own or with an outfitter, come on in and talk to us – we’ll be more than happy to get you geared up, give you pointers on flies and patterns, as well as possibly some recommended guides. Most of us here at the shop are well versed in this world and can offer you a hand in pointing you in the right direction.
Cheers,
Jordan Simpson
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vedder River Fishing Report
A dropping river equals decent fishing and that’s what we had this week. There is a good number of fish in the river and now is a great time to get out. Hopefully the rain forecasted for this weekend won’t affect the water level too much.
For those of you gear fishing, the same old tried and true baits are working such as roe, spoons, spinner, and twitched jigs. We’ve also had a couple decent fly fishing reports as well. When the water is high it is key to find the slow walking pace water where fish will sit to rest on their migration up river. Keep an eye out for those overlooked side channels which coho love, look for 4ft to 6ft plus of stagnant water. Put some boots to the ground and go find those spots and you will be rewarded.
Fishing will continue to be good throughout October and into November.
Good luck,
Sam Graham
Capilano River Fishing Report
The Capilano was flowing high and fast for much of this previous week which was great for the fish, and fishing was exceptional during periods of lower water between flooding events. Most of the run has entered the river so it should be good this coming week if the water maintains a fishable height.
As with last week these fresh fish were eager to hit a variety of things including wool ties, trout beads, artificial (non-scented) eggs, jigs, spinners, and spoons. Fly fishermen have also been doing decently with bigger attractor flies when the water is higher and coloured and flash flies or small muddler minnows when the water comes down and clears a bit.
Please keep in mind that there is a bait ban until the end of October.
Alex Au-Yeung
Harrison River Fishing Report
Well I have had minimal luck timing my days off with good river levels since last weeks storm. Unfortunately river levels rose to 9.6 meters this week which put a damper on walk and wade fishing. Since the last time I was there, which was Thanksgiving Monday I have been unable to scout the back channels or anywhere on foot except the golf course side. I’ll be keeping a keen eye on the forecast and the river levels. As I write this the river level is around 9.4 meters and looking at the forecast it’s predicting more rain so it could be another tough week for walk and wading.
If you have access to a boat I’d recommend checking out the upper parts of the river to see if there are any coho holding in the slower parts of the river or the back channels. Hopefully we will get some dry weather to bring the levels down to 8.8 meters so we can have access to more parts of the river on foot.
Keep your hopes up,
Andre Stepanian
Squamish River Fishing Report
Well as we mentioned above the weatherman was a little off his mark. The river did blow out and was not fishable because of dirty water but less water came than we expected. This is a good thing because the river didn’t go into flood and change all the runs.
The river came back into shape mid week and we heard a number of good reports of coho, chum and bull trout.
A nice coho landed on a guided trip on the Squamish this week.
The forecast is not looking great again for the weekend but keep a close eye on things. If the weather predictions don’t materialize the river could be fishable.
Spoons and spinners are always a good choice for gear fishermen in high water. Chartreuse blue foxes are one of my top producers. On the low river purple jigs under a float are very effective for chum.
Fly fishermen should be following the same theme. Larger purple patterns for chum in the lower river and copper, chartreuse and purple patterns in a variety of sizes. In dirty water go big and as it clears or you find spots with clearer water shift to smaller patterns. Fish sink tip lines with 10-12 lb leaders for the coho and go 15lb maxima for the chum. Though a 6wt rod will work for bull trout and coho, this time of year you will want to fish at least a 7wt or 8wt rod because of the chum.
Good luck,
Matt Sharp
Stave River Fishing Report
Large numbers of chum salmon have entered the Stave River and fishing has been great for many that have ventured out there. A large number of fish have been taken on floated jigs in purple and chartreuse combinations and we have a good selection of locally tied jigs that will get you into some green tiger action! In saying that don’t overlook classic wool ties in similar colours as well as casting big spoons and spinners for these fish.
There are also coho present in this system and they can be caught on spoons, spinners, and roe. They can be harder to find amidst all the chum chaos but they will be in backwaters and slower pockets away from the chum.
Timing your trip with an incoming tide can increase your chances at landing a cleaner fish.
Tight lines,
Alex Au-Yeung