OUTLOOK
September is in full swing and there are so many great fisheries to get out and enjoy! The saltwater fishing is still going strong and Jason tunes in this week with an update from this week and what to expect as we head into September. We can’t tell you what spot will fish best tomorrow but we can relate some of the trends we have seen over the last 10 days (they have been interesting). Check it out in the saltwater section at the end of the report.
We also have a Chilliwack update and even though the water is low it is worth a trip. It is open for pinks and there are quite a few in the river. We have also heard good reports of jack chinook and we have already heard some early coho report. If you head out be sure to -pay respect to the fish and other anglers in the low water conditions (no snagging).
We also wanted to shout out to the other fisheries worth tackling and there are a lot right now. All the egg eater fisheries are doing great because of the numbers of pinks dumping eggs. River trout fishing is still well worth the trip if you are heading to Hope or further afield, and again be sure to release fish quickly in the low water conditions. Lake fishing is picking up again and the interior is looking like a great option over the next 2-4 weeks. We will have more on theses fisheries in upcoming reports but in the interim come into the shop and we will walk you through what you need to know!
The other great fishery this time of year is the sturgeon fishery. The lower river is fishing great. If you didn’t know, this is an awesome fishery you can enjoy right from shore and if you want to get out on a trip with us, we have a jet boat in the lower river 30 mins from the shop and this fishing is amazing. If you are tapped out on salmon, go chase some dinosaurs!
Lastly, we have to talk about the pink fishing. It continues to be productive on the Fraser and is winding down on the saltwater front. You can still go out on the beaches and find lots of fish, but we would encourage everyone to get out and enjoy the Fraser fishery. Taylor has an update on the Fraser River fishery, Eric has a beach update and Jordan has a Squamish update.
Long Story Short GO FISHING
The last good news is not fisheries related but is key for all of your upcoming fisheries! Our annual Fall Salmon Sale is back September 16 + 17. It is a great time to re stock on stuff you used over the saltwater season at the years lowest prices plus a great time to load up for the fall river and lake season. Keep an eye on your inbox and our social media feeds for more details including the full sale list!
Matt covers all of this and more in the video version of the report. Check that out below and on to the report!
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
Join Our Retail Team Today!
We’re Hiring! We’ve a got an interesting hybrid role here in the shop with room for growth. This full-time role will be split between the retail sales floor directly interacting with customers and the office managing our incoming product. If this sounds like the role for you – have a look at the full job description here and send your resume and cover letter in to kathryn@pacificangler.ca
CLASSES AND COURSES
The kids are back in the classroom – why not join them. There are a handful of spots left in our Fall classes so be sure to call the shop to sign up today!
Introduction to Fly Fishing
This course is 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: Sept 19 & 23
Cost: $175.00+GST
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Casting Time(s): 10am – 1pm or 1:30pm -4:30pm
Introduction to Fly Tying
There is no greater satisfaction than catching a fish with a fly you tied yourself. This Introduction to Fly Tying course is specifically designed to give you the fundamental skills needed to tie proven fly patterns used here in BC for trout, salmon, and steelhead.
This course consists of 3 sessions; each session is 3hrs.
Students are required to supply their own vise, tools and materials. A 10% discount is available on fly tying materials and tools purchased for the course.
Dates: Sept. 27, Oct 4, 10.
Cost: $100.00+GST
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Fall Salmon River Fishing: Floats, Spinners, & Spoons
This 3hr evening seminar covers float fishing, spinner fishing and spoon fishing; the three most productive techniques to catch BC salmon in a river.
Seminar: Sep 25, 2023
Cost: $60.00+GST
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
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!
Seminar: Oct 11, 2023
Guided: SOLD OUT
Custom Trip Dates Available
Seminar Only Cost: $60.00+GST
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $300.00+GST per angler, minimum of 2 anglers per guided day on the water.
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Guided: Full Day
Fly Fishing Egg Patterns
This course is designed to teach you the secrets to one of the most productive presentations in the BC fly fishermen’s arsenal; nymphing egg patterns. This deadly method can be used for different species of trout, char, and salmon. During a 3 hour evening seminar we will teach you key concepts, strategies, and gear that will give you a well-rounded foundation during the seminar portion of the class. Then you will put those skills into practice during a fully guided day on the water.
Seminar Date: Nov 21, 2023
Guided: Nov 25 or 26, 2023
Cost: $300.00+GST
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Guided: Full Day
FRASER RIVER FISHING REPORTS
Fraser River Pink Fishing Report
The Fraser River pink fishery continues to be quite productive, with fresh fish pushing in on every tide. This fishery will remain open until the 18th, and it’s very likely to continue being productive until then. The Fraser is running quite clear (relatively speaking) this year, which has definitely contributed to improved catch rates for many anglers, and the very high numbers of fish that are still in the local saltwater means that it’s not likely to slow down anytime soon.
Pink spoons, spinners and twitching jigs are producing very well for most anglers, but spin-n-glos and Tasmanian Devils are also viable options if fished correctly. As always, pink is the #1 colour, but chartreuse or orange can also be quite effective, especially if everybody else is only fishing pink. Pinks don’t usually travel especially far from shore, and they aren’t known to travel in the bottom third of the water column, so you usually don’t need to launch lures into the middle of the river or dredge bottom when targeting these fish. Check out last week’s report for our detailed How To Fish for Pink Salmon Report.
The best fishing seems to be on the first half of the incoming tide and the first half of the outgoing tide, though fish are regularly being encountered at all times of day, regardless of tides. Time of day doesn’t really seem to matter too much either, so there’s no need to wake up super early for this fishery- which is another reason why this fishery is easily the most accessible Salmon fishery available to us.
Speaking of accessibility, pretty much anybody can take part in this fishery- that’s what makes it so special. I’ve seen 5-year-old kids fishing with their 80-year-old grandparents, having fun and catching fish. If you can hold a fishing rod and turn a reel handle, you can fish for pinks in the Fraser. It truly is a unique and much needed fishery that should be enjoyed by everybody at least once. The gear is simple, the fish are plentiful, and the location is convenient- you can pop out to the river for a couple hours after work, after school or when you have some free time on your hands and stand a very good chance of actually catching salmon in a nice, relaxing environment… something would simply not be possible for most people in the Lower Mainland if this fishery didn’t exist.
Taylor Nakatani
Sturgeon Fishing Report
The pinks are in the river in full force now and the sturgeon are responding. They always take advantage of the pink and sockeye runs and feed heavily on them. That makes for some great fishing for big fish!
We are doing trips out of the Lower Fraser in our 22-foot jet boat and fishing has been awesome! If you are thinking of going sturgeon fishing, you want to go now. The fish are on the feed, the weather is nice, and the fishing is fantastic. World class sturgeon fishing only minutes from downtown Vancouver. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
For more information give us a call at 778-788-8582 or visit us at Sturgeon Fishing Vancouver
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report
The C/V system is still running very low and clear, on account of the complete lack of rain over the past week. There doesn’t seem to be any rain in the forecast for at least the next week, so it’s likely going to stay that way for a while, unfortunately. Having said that, we’re closing in on the second week of September, which means that there will be good numbers of springs and pinks showing up- enough to start making the drive to Chilliwack worth it.
The chinook and pink fishing is typically quite good by the second week of September, though this year’s low water might delay that a bit… it’s tough to say. There will definitely be pinks and springs in the system now, it’s just a question of how many were brave enough to push despite the conditions; note that I’ve heard a few reports of decent to good fishing for pinks in the system from a buddy who lives out there. The key will likely be to run smaller presentations to avoid spooking fish, focusing effort on the low-light hours, and finding the pools that fish are holding up in.
Remember that this is still early in the season for the C/V system, and more fish will be arriving every day. Of course, if it rains enough to bump the river up a significant amount, a ton of fish will scoot into the system and fishing will be very good as soon as the water returns to fishable levels of clarity. I’m going to cross my fingers and hope for some rain, because I’m really tired of complaining about how low the river is!
Taylor Nakatani
Squamish River Fishing Report
This past week saw anglers continuing to find success on the mainstem while targeting pink salmon, with a small amount of fresh fish arriving as we get near the end of the run for these fish.
That said, the char and trout fishing has continued to be decent, with it expected to only get better as the season continues.
Tactics and gear are the same as previous reports, with more anglers starting to take their egging/beading gear with them as a back-up option for when pink salmon spots get a little too busy.
Water clarity hasn’t been great, but we can expect it to only get better as temperatures start to drop and cool. The clearest water is where you are allowed to fish anyways, making the confluence of the Mamquam and Cheakamus the go-to spots for this fun, shore-based fishery.
The rest of the river is open to trout fishing so drifting beads under an indicator can be a lot of fun on a fly rod, as well as drifting them on light float set-ups. This can be a fun and visual fishery as you get to dabble in a technical fishery while also watching floats drop.
We are also in September now, meaning there will be some coho entering the system. For the first couple weeks of September, they are a fun bonus fish to encounter while fishing for trout, char, and pinks, but please keep in mind they are a non-target species until September 15th.
That being said, anglers should prepare for them early: twitching jigs, Koho spoons, spinners, and various flies are all great options and tactics to deploy. Colorado blades, beads, and bobs are also great options and should find a home in any Coho anglers kit as well.
Stay safe and be bear-aware,
Jordan Simpson
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
Overall fishing was quite good this past week. We spent most of our time around the T-10 and South Arm when conditions allowed. As usual for this time of year there are waves of chinook showing up off the mouth of the Fraser each tide change so fishing can be highly variable from one hour to the next. If you put in a good shift, you are almost always going to have at least 2 hours or more of great fishing, usually around the tide change when the current backs off. As usual, productive depths have been 35 to 65 on the downriggers and bait has been very productive.
The white springs are starting to show up now, but we are still getting a good number of red springs as well. It’s also great to see lots of coho, some wild and some hatchery. The pinks seemed to have thinned out a bit, so it appears that a good push went up the Fraser. This is great as the anglers in the river are now open and it will allow us to focus on the chinook and hatchery coho.
As we get into the second week of September there will be a lot more white springs showing up. The peak migration into the Fraser is usually around the middle of the month, so there are lots of chinook on the way. In fact, we fished the Gulf Islands on Monday and had red hot chinook fishing. They were all whites, and they are all headed to the Fraser, so fishing should stay good for at least a few more weeks as these fish head south and eventually find the Fraser mouth.
We haven’t spent much time at the Cap Mouth yet, but that will change next week as the white chinook usually show up in force mid-September and that fishery will start to pick up.
If you are looking to squeeze in a trip before the fall sets in, now is a great time. There are lots of chinook around with more on the way and good numbers of hatchery coho as well. Give us a call at 778-788-8582 to book your September salmon trip.
Jason Tonelli
Beach Fishing Report
With the first pumpkin spice latte comes the last act of the beach season. The massive schools of pinks anglers have enjoyed the last month are completing the next phase of their long journey. You will see the schools change to their spawning colours as they stage in estuaries or making their way upriver…. But the season is not completely over. Without any major weathermakers in the forecast we will probably see a few late season shots at coho. Tides are looking great for the end of the week / weekend so it’s still a great time to great out.
– Howe Sound fisheries will still have some pink stragglers heading to the Squamish. Low tides might yield a few fish but its defiantly winding down. Eager anglers could try their luck in the salt before making their way to the river for some catch and release.
– Ambleside will have coho and maybe a confused pink or two. I was out last week and noticed a reduced number of fish and anglers. I noticed fish being taken on the outside sand bar and rock piles. Coho schools are still present and worth your attention! The fall coho are arriving and will hold up outside the river mouth. Without any real rain in the forecast, we can anticipate another week or two of action.
With the reduced number of pinks, I started to shift my presentations back to the smaller flashier presentations for the coho. Blue foxes, cohos and crocs in copper, silver, and brass finishes. Smaller metallic buzz bombs, and small sparse flies all tied on to good quality fluorocarbon leaders. Some of these fish can be very spooky so be mindful how you tackle the water. Fresh unpressured schools will travel close to shore… keep your eyes peeled and look for the nervous water. I had a few shots at coho close to shore before the seals started to spook the school.
Get up early put on an extra layer and see what the last bit of beach season has in store.
Cheers,
Eric Peake