Outlook

On Wednesday, Jason and Max hosted Breakfast Television out on the saltwater and had an awesome time showing the crew and viewers how to hook sockeye while promoting the Labor Day Chinook Classic. If you missed the show check out this link. The sounder was black with fish and they literally couldn’t get the lines in the water without hooking sockeye!

On the freshwater front, things are looking pretty good. Trout fishing on the Skagit and Thompson is still worth the time. Fall salmon fishing is very close and the weekend rains may bring a few coho and chinook into the Capilano and the Chilliwack.

A little bit of rain and overcast skies could make for some awesome fishing. In short, brace yourselves for reality my fellow Vancouverites! We have been spoiled with a beautifully hot and dry summer,and now that is all about to change. This change in the weather could bring on some of the best “fishing” conditions of the summer. See you on the water!

Also, it is not too late to sign up for the Labor Day Chinook Classic fishing tournament on Saturday. If you are not signed up we recommend not fishing for Chinook on Saturday. On any other day hooking a big Chinook is awesome! On Saturday if you get one without being signed up for the tournament it could be a $25,000 mistake! To sign up visit this page or call 604-754-0242.

 

Labour Day Chinook Classic

The 2014 Labour Day Chinook Classic is taking place this weekend. This is your chance to win $25,000 for the biggest chinook released right here in Vancouver!

The last 3 years have been amazing and we were proud to donate $5,000 to the Pacific Salmon Foundation recently.

To sign up visit this page or call 604-754-0242

 

For more information please visit us online at: http://www.labourdaychinookclassic.com

 

Upcoming Courses

 

INTRODUCTION TO FLY FISHING

Class Size: 12

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 seminar is held on the evening of the 23^rd and the casting session will be on the 28^th.

Cost: $125.00

Date: Sept 23rd & 28th

Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Casting Time(s): 10am – 1pm or 2pm -5pm

 

INTRODUCTION TO FLY TYING

Class Size: 7

There is no greater satisfaction than catching a fish with a fly you tied yourself. This course was 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 materials and tools purchased for the course.

Cost: $75.00

Dates: Sept 8th, 15th, & 22nd

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

 

FALL SALMON RIVER FISHING: FLOATS, SPINNERS, & SPOONS

Class Size: 20

This 3hr evening seminar covers float fishing, spinner fishing and spoon fishing; the three most productive techniques to catch BC salmon in a river. Upgrade your seminar to include a fully guided day on the water, putting into practice your new knowledge with a Pacific Angler guide.

Seminar Only Cost: $45.00

Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $400 for one person or $500 for two people

Dates: Seminar on Sept 17th. Guided trip dates are flexible.

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

 

FLY FISHING FOR SALMON IN RIVERS – Andre Stepanian

Class Size: 8

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!

Cost: $225.00

Dates: Seminar on Oct 1st. Guided Oct 4th or 5th.

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

 

MASTERING LOCAL SALTWATER SALMON FISHING

Class Size: 8

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 with guide Jason Tonelli.

Cost: $250.00

Dates: Seminar on Sept 10th. Guided Sept 14th.

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

 

Freshwater Reports

RIVERS

Squamish River

We are nearing the time of year when we hear the first rumors of coho being caught in the lower Squamish. It is still quite high and will remain so until the first cold fall nights arrive.

Squamish Cheakamus system is a 100% catch and release, bait-ban, and single barbless hook fishery so play by the rules and have fun!

 

Chilliwack River

With rain in the forecast, and fall right around the corner, we are already getting very excited for the fall salmon fishery on the Chilliwack. Now is the time to start getting geared up for this fishery. Start pre-tying your bait loops, organize the spinner box, and stock up on bait cures and scents. We should start to hear decent reports of chinook and coho fishing by mid September.

Please familiarize yourselves with species identification as you may encounter Cultus Lake sockeye which must be carefully released.

 

Skagit River

Once again a number of customers have been hitting the Skagit. We can expect green drakes to hatch soon so make sure to have parachute style patterns in olive and grey. The presence of tons of fry is still being noted by anglers and a few guys have had success swinging small fry patterns. Make sure to have golden stones for nymhing when there is not hatch.

Matt Sharp

 

Thompson River

We are still hearing great reports from the Thompson. We have been concerned that the sockeye might slow the trout fishing but from all reports the fish are moving through in defined areas and though there are lots in the river, they have not spread out into the trout water. California Blondes and stonefly nymphs are a must this time of year and the reports from the entire river have been solid.

Matt Sharp

 

Chehalis River

We haven’t heard much from this system as of late. It’s safe to say the salmon fishing is done till the fall. Summer steelhead are present in the river. Because the water is generally very clear, first and last light are your best chances at hooking one of these fish. We are already looking forward to the fall coho fishery on this river.

Productive baits for steelhead include jigs, colorado blades, roe bags, dew worms, and krill.

 

Capilano River

With the next rise in water level, we should see the first of the fall chinook return and some larger coho as well.

The fall chinook fishery on the Capilano is right around the corner! This can be a very exciting time to fish. Because of the bait ban, we must use artificial baits to entice these brutes into biting. Spoons, colorado blades, wool ties, and jigs all catch fish. These fish will readily take artificial baits when they are fresh from the ocean and we advise everyone to keep your floats on.

Please note: ALL steelhead (adipose clipped and unclipped) must be released with the utmost care.

 Bait ban as of August 1st.

 

Non-tidal Fraser River

The Fraser sockeye Fishery is “On”. We have heard of some of the most consistent fishing these last couple of weeks. We are expecting the Fraser to be full of sockeye over these next 2 weeks. Now is the time to grab your bouncing betties, sunscreen, and hit the bar.

The sturgeon fishery in the Upper and Lower Fraser has been fishing well all summer. With the presence of salmon in the river a good choice for bait would be sockeye salmon bellies. This fishery is a great alternative for people who have already limited out on fish for the day and don’t want to stop fishing. Coarse fishing is also very productive right now, this is a great introductory fishery for all ages. You can encounter species such as northern pikeminnow, peamouth chub, and sculpin.

Sam Graham

 

Interior Lakes

Start stocking the boxes with your favourite scud and leech patterns. Fall stillwater fishing can be a very exciting experience that not many people partake in!

 

Local Lakes

The local lakes are now in their summer doldrums. Trout fishing won’t pick up again until the fall. Although trout fishing is now slow, lakes that hold carp and bass can be fantastic this time of year.

If you are looking to do some lake fishing for trout, the Whistler lakes are your best bet. Alta and especially Green Lake can actually fish better in the summer months. For Alta cutthroat try olive Wooly Buggers, and Muddler Minnows in various colours and flash combinations. Don’t be afraid to crack out the big streamers for Green. Large flashy rabbit strip streamers work quite well for the bull trout on the drop offs.

Please remember that Alta and Green Lake are catch and release/bait ban fisheries.

 

Beach: (West Van)

The tides are not going to be great for the earlier part of the week. If you are going to try your luck, go out on a boat, a pontoon or even a float tube will do since the currents are not going to be ripping hard. There is fish all along the West Vancouver shore. I have seen a few people walking away with coho in the 8-9lb range. I find the best time to have a chance at hooking a coho is an hour before and after low tide, the fish are more settled and calm instead of going by you in a frenzy. This my favourite time of the month to fly fish off the beach as many salmon swim by West Vancouver on their way to other rivers. You will also see more wild fish around which are more willing to bite your lure than the hatchery ones. If you like a challenging fishery, beach fishing is for you. Be persistent, and you will get your first coho off the beach, and I bet you will never forget it. If you are fishing spoons or spinners you have a good chance at hooking into a chinook. The best time for chinook is mid to high tide, especially in the early morning and evening.

Happy fishing,

Andre

Local Saltwater

The saltwater fishing over the past week has been excellent. Sockeye fishing from the North Arm down to Sand Heads has been getting better day by day. Jason and I hosted Breakfast Television on the Salty Dawg this past Wednesday morning. We took Dawn over to the North Arm for a little sockeye action and we had a blast! If you haven’t already seen the video, be sure to check it out here. We started our tack just inside the North Arm Jetty and immediately started hooking fish. We were marking giant schools from 40-70ft on the sounder, and most of our fish were hooked in the 50-60ft range.

Around 9:30-10:00am, it seemed that most of the schools moved deeper. Guys heading out in the afternoon have reported having a tougher time limiting out than in the morning. However, anglers who have started to run their gear deeper in the mid day (60-90ft) have had some great fishing after most have packed it in for the day! With still tons of fish coming down the inside, we should be in for at least another couple weeks of great sockeye fishing.

Plenty of reports of chinook getting caught on sockeye gear is a good indication that they are about in numbers. Don’t forget, if sockeye were not open, we would be chasing big mature chinook salmon from the Bell Buoy to Sand Heads. If you are all “sockeyed out”, try running some chinook gear. Bait is key for these fish, Anchovies in glow teaser heads and chartreuse glow flashers are the standard for Fraser chinook. We are excited to see some big chinook released during this year’s Labour Day Chinook Classic!

On the West Van front, coho fishing has been quite good. With far less boat traffic than usual due to the sockeye opening, the fish seem less pressured and very willing to bite. Chinook fishing will also get better day by day until the heavy fall rains arrive. For coho off West Van, try running your gear fairly shallow. Koho killers, white squirt hootchies, and the 2.5 “Leprechaun” or “Skittles” Pesca spoons are all great choices. For chinook, fishing your gear deep is important. The chinook off West Van will often sit right on the bottom,  fishing anchovies or herring down deep is often what it takes to hook these strong fish.

 

Good luck on the water,
 

Max Stickel

 

The P.A. Saltwater Guide Team:  Jason, Eddie, Dimitri, Todd, MikeGive us a call on our charter phone at 778-788-8582 to book a charter or come by the shop for all the right gear and some friendly advice.  The shop number is 604-872-2204.

 

On behalf of the Pacific Angler staff we wish you the best in your fishing endeavors and we hope to see you either at the shop or on the water. To check out the latest Pacific Angler news view the Pacific Angler Facebook page.

 

Tight Lines,

 

Jason, Matt, Max, Andre, Sam, Eddie, Dimitri, Todd, Mike, Kathryn