Pacific Angler Outlook:
Wow, how have we gotten to the last week of November? While this month has flown by there has been some amazing fishing. The coho and chum fishing was good when the conditions allowed and the Mighty Thompson opened up and we heard some strong reports early on.
Speaking of the Thompson, the Pacific Angler staff would like to thank the Steelhead Society of British Columbia for putting on a great event last night in Coquitlam. The event had everything. Great food, great people, and great prizes which were donated by some very generous people. And the best part of it all is that all of the proceeds go to habitat restoration for the Bonaparte River, an important spawning and rearing tributary to the Thompson River. Dave managed to be the winning bidder for this Harry Lemire original classic salmon fly!
The weather forecast for the Vancouver area is wet. On Friday and Saturday you can expect a good dose of precipitation with 25 to 35 mm on both days. The rain lightens up on Sunday but then continues on Monday and Tuesday. The daily temperatures are quite mild for this time of year, ranging from 4 to 8 degrees. This is good news for the angler as rain and mild temperatures will bring in some fresh fish and put resident fish on the feed. Make sure to check out the most up-to-date river levels before you head out!
Looking forward the salmon fishing is tapering off for the season. You can expect small trickles of chrome coho to come into some systems in the Fraser Valley and the Sea-to-Sky Corridor but the peak migration is behind us now.
As Matt mentioned in last weeks report fishing with egg patterns and flesh flies will be the ticket for targeting rainbow trout, bulltrout, and cutthroat trout.
Next week we expect to hear the first good reports of winter run steelhead being caught in the Vedder/Chilliwack River. The Pacific Angler staff can’t wait to get out on the water in search of these majestic fish!
2013 Pacific Angler Course Schedule
For a detailed look at Vancouver’s river fishing 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 detailed look into the local river scene read the river fishing report below.
Chilliwack River: I just saw the very first report of a winter steelhead being caught online. Last year the hardcore anglers did well float fishing throughout December. The real action usually doesn’t start until December 15th. Float fishermen are successful on a wide selection of bait and lures. Everything from roe, prawns, shrimp, pink worms, goey bobs, mice tails, spin’n glos, and jigs. Focus your efforts around first light and last light. However, make sure to fish hard throughout the day as you never know when that float is going to go down!
Chehalis River / Harrison River: The large amount of rain we received throughout October really affected these two systems. Typically the Harrison River can fish well at this time of year. However, the two high water periods we had in October allowed the coho salmon to enter the Chehalis River freely. The Pacific Angler staff have not heard of any positive reports this week but we’ll keep you posted.
Fraser River: The Pacific Angler staff have not heard of any positive reports coming from the Fraser River but I am sure there is still some fishing to be had. Typically, the sturgeon start moving into their overwintering holes at this time of year. However, if we keep getting mild daily temperatures there could be some good sturgeon fishing.
Squamish River: Salmon fishing is coming to an end on the Squamish River. Last week the Pacific Angler staff heard of a few good salmon reports. However this week we have not heard of any which is typical for this time of year. If the Squamish Valley does receive the precipitation and mild conditions that the forecast is calling for then you can expect the Squamish River to be high and dirty over the weekend. The good news is that when the river drops back into shape there may be some chrome salmon in the river. Fishing with egg patterns and flesh flies can also be productive during these high water periods.
Capilano River: The Pacific Angler staff has not heard any positive reports from the Capilano River. However, we do expect the first reports of winter run steelhead to come in over the next couple of weeks – so stay tuned!
Stave River: The staff have not heard of any positive results over the past week. We’ll heard of a few anglers heading out this weekend so we will update you if we hear any great reports.
Vancouver Saltwater Report:
The Pacific Angler staff have not heard of any recent saltwater reports for winter chinooks. Most saltwater anglers are taking a rest at the moment and gearing up for the winter chinook fishery at the start of 2013 in January. You can expect the crabbing to be more productive over the next few weeks as well as the prawning! Coming home with a big catch of prawns and crabs is always a crowd pleaser with family and friends.
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,
Jason, Matt, Dave, Dimitri, and Andre