Pacific Angler Outlook:
Christmas season is here and the Pacific Angler staff have been decking the halls and putting together gift packages and ideas. This year you can get exactly what you want under the tree instead of tube socks or a Christmas sweaters – then again socks aren’t a bad idea. A couple pairs of Simms Extreme Wading socks would be awesome come January for the winter steelhead season.
Ok, all joking aside, I promise not to plug any more “Christmas specials” in this email because there are still lots of great fisheries to explore in December that usually go unnoticed because of the Christmas bustle.
The weather is always a big factor for this time of year. The Vancouver weather forecast for this weekend and into next week is calling for cloudy to rainy conditions with daily high temperatures ranging from 1 to 8 degrees Celsius. We have been getting lots of rain but that isn’t a bad thing. Water visibility should stay good for fishing with low temperatures just around freezing levels.
The rivers have been going in and out like a yo-yo as of late. However, if you know how to watch the river levels you can experience some amazing fishing just as the rivers come into shape and before they go out.
The Pacific Angler staff have heard of some good reports of fishing with egg/flesh patterns on the Stave, Harrison and Squamish Rivers for cutthroat, Bull trout and Rainbows.
There have been a few reports of late coho and chum being caught last weekend. We’ve also heard the odd early report of steelhead being caught on the Vedder/Chilliwack River. We are also expecting some good fishing on the Fraser for cutthroat over the next few weeks but haven’t heard any reports yet.
In the salt we are eagerly awaiting the winter springs and our guides are planning early scouting runs in the next 2 weeks. Fishing around the mouth of the Capilano River and the freighters can be pretty decent and it’s a cool way to spend a Christmas afternoon, touring the harbor, dropping the crab traps and hopefully running across a few feeder springs. This is not a traditional Christmas meal but the fish this time of year are extremely tasty.
If you are thinking about booking a saltwater charter with us in the 2013 season we are offering an awesome deal. If you reserve a charter or multiple charters and pay before Christmas we will give you 10% off your trip. You don’t even have to pick your dates. We can look at dates closer to prime times but act now to save some cash!
For a detailed look at Vancouver’s river fishing scene and updates on the saltwater scene please read the reports below. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact our friendly staff @ 604-872-2204 or better yet, drop by Pacific Angler @ 78 East Broadway.
River Fishing Report:
For a complete river fishing report compiled by the Pacific Angler staff please read below.
Chilliwack River: Steelhead are on the way and more reports are coming in every day. This bodes well for the season to come. We recommend not burning out early because the best fishing will be from mid January to April. That being said, there is a very real chance of hooking a fish over the next few weeks. We recommend float fishing because you can cover lots of water. The staff has not heard of any fly caught fish yet but it is only a matter of time as more fly anglers hit the water and more fish come in.
Chehalis River/Harrison River: The Pacific Angler staff have not heard of any positive salmon reports this week but we did hear of some decent cutthroat and dolly reports. Fish Eggs and flesh patterns with light trout rods or run floats, wool and rubber eggs.
Fraser River: We haven’t heard too many reports coming from the Fraser River but there is still some fishing to be had. Sturgeon are still biting on roe, but it is slowing down as the fish prepare for a sleepy winter. A fishery to keep on your radar is the cutthroat fishing on the back sloughs. Fishing bead head nymph patterns as well as egg and flesh patterns cab be excellent when you find the fish.
Squamish River: We heard some good reports from the Squamish River this past week. It was in good shape over the last 3 days and the egg fishing has been solid and one group ran into a good pod of late coho. See the post we did 2 weeks ago on the best egg fishing rigs. The river is now on the drop and sometime the cooler weather will turn the bite off for the bulls and rainbows. However another push of rain over the weekend should get them moving again. As mentioned earlier, egg patterns or flesh patterns are the way to go this time of year.
Capilano River: The staff have heard whisperings of early winter steelhead in the Cap but nothing confirmed. There will be some steelhead trickling as we enter January…
Stave River: We haven’t heard too much over the past week. The chum are done and there are few dark coho around. There are also a few cutthroat being caught on egg patterns, flesh patterns, or small spinners and spoons.
Vancouver Saltwater Report:
The guides are planning to head out for some scouting over the next week in search of some winter chinook. We have heard whispering of success but it usually gets more consistent as we enter the third week of December off the Cap mouth and freighters. You can expect the crabbing to be more productive as we enter the winter months! If you need any crabbing or prawning gear do not hesitate to drop by the shop. We have everything you need.
On behalf of the Pacific Angler staff we wish you the best in your fishing endeavours 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.
Happy fishing,
Matt Sharp and the Pacific Angler Team