INTRODUCING PA’s NEWEST TEAM MEMBER
We want to take this opportunity to introduce a new member to the PA team. Bryce Franks is in the process of taking over the reins from Dave as the PA Marketing & Operations Mgr. His passion for fly-fishing has taken him all over BC’s rivers, beaches and lakes and he has fished Belize for bonefish, tarpon and permit, Boston for stripers and Florida for bones and redfish. We are thrilled to add Bryce to the team and welcome you to come in, say hello and see what tips and secrets you can share with Bryce.
Now that we got Bryce out of the way…on to the important information!
Outlook
**Pacific Angler will close at 5pm on Saturday, April 27th so we can attend and support the King Fisher Banquet who in turn supports many convservation projects around BC**
End of April is here and we are finally experiencing some true Vancouver spring time weather. The arrival of those sunny patio days means that the transition from our local river fishing to the interior lake fishing is upon us while the saltchuck is picking up momentum. This time of year is great for the ADD fisherman as the choices or limitless on where to wet a line and land a slab. The staff do not expect the rivers to hold up much longer particularly with the warmer weather on the way. However, having said that we have received some good steelhead reports over the last week. While we are on the brink of the freshet you can have some of your best days steelhead fishing, particularly on the fly.
The local Salt scene has been great if you hit the right tide and we hold high expectations in the 5-10days ahead especially for chinooks around Thrasher Rock. There was a 31lb chinook landed this past wednesday at the Hump! The marine forecast for the this weekend is calling for S, SE and NW winds ranging from 15-20knots. Make sure to check the latest marine forecast as conditions can change rapidly on the ocean.
Ready for lake fishing? We are very close to getting into full gear! The long-distance weather report for the Merritt/Nicola is fantastic…if (big if) the forecast holds true the temps in this area will dip a bit around April 28-29th but on May 1 the temperatures will stabilize with low’s of 5deg to highs of 14-20deg seeing mostly sun mixed in with an average isolated POP of 30-40%.
The river systems will be fishable for another 10-14days before the warmer temperatures catch up and freshet begins ending another season of great river fishing!
To keep up-to-date with all things Pacific Angler and the local fishing scene check out Pacific Angler Facebook and on Twitter. You will find our detailed river and saltwater reports below. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to drop by our shop @ 78 East Broadway, Vancouver or give our friendly staff a call @ 604-872-2204.
Vancouver Stillwater Fishing Report:
The following lakes have been stocked by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC:
- Whonnock Lake
- Elbow Lake
- Mike Lake
- Rolley Lake
- Deer Lake
- Mill Lake
- Green Timbers lake
- Como Lake
- Gardom Lake
- Lafarge Lake
- Buntzen Lake
- Sasamat Lake
To check the most updated list of locally stocked lakes visit www.fishingwithrod.com.
Click on the link for a detailed map of each lake, stocking report, and location – Freshwaters Fisheries Society of BC Fish Map. You can also check the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC Facebook page for the most up-to-date information.
As always please feel free to get rigged up for the lake fishing season at our shop. The friendly staff are excellent at explaining not only what gear you need but how to use it!
Interior Stillwater Report:
Bryce fished Marquart on April 17th and saw the fisheries truck drive to Lundbom to do the stocking. Even with Marquart 75% covered in ice, Bryce managed to hook several fish on microleeches and shrimp. The takes were on the active twitch or strip. Lundbom and Marquart are fully ice free as of April 23rd.
Kane Valley lakes (elevation 1100m) should all be ice-free and fishable by May 1-3rd. Courtney lake has been fishing great (use chromies) with some double digit days being had and fish in the 6-8lb range to the hand! Fred at Nicola Valley Outdoors is a great person to check in with before your trip for last minute updates on the fishing. Come in to PA and get stocked up on tippets, new lines, flies and anything else you may need!
Remember to follow the popular posts/forums on http://flyguys.net/, http://www.flyfishbc.com/forums/content/ for additional lake conditions.
Interior Lakes Ice-Free as of April 26th:
- Peterhope
- Pass
- Jacko
- Roche
- Edith
- Courtney
- Stump
We will keep you tuned on when lakes come free to help you plan your trips accordingly.
These interior lakes have been stocked by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC:
- Lundbom – April 17
- Salmon – April 17
- Jacko – April 11
- Morgan – April 11
BC Brothers Stillwater Report:
Harmon Lake as of April 24th
Vancouver River Fishing Report:
Squamish/Cheakamus Rivers –
We have been out on the river lots over the last 2 weeks with good results. The river has been fluctuating from medium to low with combination of melt and rainfall. We have had difficulty with the combination of clear water and bright Sun. This has put the fish “down” in the middle of the day but before and after the peak sun hours we have been hooking fish.
We think the saving grace for the bull trout and rainbow fishery has been a new bump of fry coming the down the river. You will find that the chum fry are quite large now (2-3inch) but a wave of smaller fry hit the river late last week and are coming down in good numbers. They seem to be coho fry and are in the 1inch range.
Steelhead – we have hooked a number of fish in the last few days while guiding. Last week we had some slower reports from the lower river but we are hearing of fish being caught from the low end all the way up. Matt’s tip? Get out on the water – There are probably only a few weeks left!
Capilano River – The river has been relatively low for a past few days but there have been some steelhead reports. We have heard whisperings of the first coho showing up in the hatchery but there are no numbers to report yet. The fishing should pick for coho over the next month. We will be keeping a close eye on the river so watch for the reports. When the fish show up we will post a detailed report.
Seymour River – We haven’t heard anything from the Seymour but there are fish in the system and as the heat picks up there should be some aggressive fish.
Fraser River – Freshet has started so the main stem of the this mighty beast is coloring up and slowing down fishing. Look for side channels and sloughs for cutties. Sturgeon fishing has been on and off but should start to heat up as the Eulachons are beginning their migration into the system and sturgeon love them! We have heard of people having success using spinners and spoons with the Dollies so this is another good opportunity in this system.
Chilliwack/Vedder River – The full moon and good water flow has definitely brought in some final chromers for the season. Fishing was good for a couple days and should be good for the last few days of the season.
As of May 1st, the Chilliwack/Vedder system turns into a fly fishing only river from the Chilliwack/Vedder Crossing bridge to the mouth. The river is in great shape, but the fish are a little wary. Clear water requires us to tone down our presentations. Think of baits the size of a nickel or quarter.
Dropping flows also means there is a need to scale down your terminal tackle. Smaller floats, split shot or small pieces of pencil lead, black hooks and lighter leaders were the key to success. There are lots of fish around now, its just a matter of getting them to bite. Small roe bags, pieces of natural roe, deli shrimp, Jensen eggs and small dick nite spoons are all great options.
Chehalis River – There hasn’t been much to report on for the Chehalis. The river closes May 1st. There is a lack of anglers due to the lack of fish. The fish that are in the system are taking refuge in the canyon. Brave anglers will tempt its depths and sheer faces to catch these secluded fish. With steelhead season winding down, the cutthroat fishing has been another fishery that guys are starting to target.
Stave River – It is worth checking the river for cutthroat accessing by foot or coming into the river by boat as the levels and clarity always almost consistent. I checked the river out last week as I was driving back from the Harrison and there were a couple of fisherman on the island who used inflatables rafts. Park on river right and you can access the back channels also.
Harrison River – The river is a little bit high to walk along the shore. The graph is showing that it is dropping but the lower part of the river is now starting to flood as the Fraser river rises. There is still cutthroat around and the water although high it still remains clear. Lots of coho fry near the shore and getting pretty big. If you have a boat you can cruise around until you see rises and cast to them. With the high temperatures this week you can be sure that there will be lots of hatches so take your dry flies with you.It is getting close to the end of the season for cutthroat so get out there if you have a chance to catch a few of these beautiful fish.If you are at Kilby park walk to the right until you get to the logs, you might find them there.
Skagit River – CLOSED
Vancouver Saltwater Report:
Guests from the Pacific Angler Salmon Course with a good haul.
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.
Jason, Matt, Dimitri, Andre, Dave, Eddie and Bryce