The steelhead’s ‘take’ is a culmination of dreams, practice, and patience.  The phrase, “The tug is the drug” sums it up well. The only problem is that like all drugs, the tug comes with a price. Like a junkie with a case of the DTs – or a hangover after a long night of celebration, there is nothing worse than the feel of slack line when the tugging has stopped.

No matter how skilled, every steelheader misses takes. It cannot be avoided. This said, I have found that experienced anglers employ a number of simple techniques to avoid the DTs of missed takes.

The first step to increase hook up ratios, is to understand what is happening under the water when you feel that wondrous pull.  Though there is no end to the verity or timing in a steelhead’s attack, the classic ‘take’ can be broken up into three distinct parts – what I call;  the FLARE, the KILL, and the TURN. All takes (no matter how varied or unique) contain some or all of these steps.

1) The Flare: The steelhead follows your fly, opens his mouth and flares his gill plates.  For the most part, what you feel on the first pull is not his mouth but the rush of water as he tries to suck in his prey.  This can happen repeatedly, felt in the rod as a series of pulls – Tug-tug … tug-tug… tug-tug – very subtly in a gentle pause, or rapidly with one rod bouncing pull.  Do not be fooled! The steelhead has not taken your fly.  DON’T SET THE HOOK.

2) The Kill: The second series of tugs or pauses is produced when the steelhead closes his mouth to disable his prey.  This can take a number of forms.  Sometimes it is a combination of biting, gill flaring and head shaking, felt in a series of violent erratic pulses increasing in tempo.  During this process, the steelhead may bend the rod though he is still not committed to the fly.  The exact opposite can also happen, sometimes they simply close their mouths and hold in the current.  It can be felt by a long pause with an increased pressure on the line.

3) The Turn: The last solid pull is the feel of him turning his head to run.  It is usually followed by a singing reel and those wonderful two words “fish On!”.

Though I could write a short book detailing the endless variety of takes, the angler should try to recognize the simple events of FLARE, KILL, and TURN.  In understanding these steps, we can begin to analyze problems that cause the dreaded Steelhead DTs.

Problem 1:

What you feel is not always lip on fly… so DO NOT set the hook!  During the flare and the kill, setting the hook will very rarely result in a landed fish.   I know it’s hard – we have all done it – but hold back those well tuned trout fisherman reflexes.  For the ideal hook placement (in the side of the mouth), the steelhead needs time to suck the fly, immobilize it, and turn.  If you set on the flare you simple pull the fly away from the fish.  Even worse, if you set while he is closing his mouth or shaking his head, it is very easy for him to feel the point of the hook, open his mouth and spit the fly

Problem 2:

Line tension…in many situations (heavy current, when the line is ‘dangling’ straight down stream or with a hesitant fish,) the tension of line can make it difficult for the steelhead to suck the fly into his mouth and turn.

He flares his gills – he may even move to turn – but feels the resistance from line tension. This is unnatural and can cause him to give up on the attack.  To overcome this, the angler must use what is called a shock absorber.  A method to absorb the shock of the flair, subsequent head shakes, and turn so that the steelhead feels as little line resistance as possible.

There are three ways two accomplish this.  They are:

Method No. 1 - During the swing, the tip of the rod is held a few feet off the water.  In the same way, a trout angler holds his rod tip in the water to reduce slack, this gap gives the steelhead the few inches needed to close his mouth and turn.

Method No. 2 – Hold a loop of line with your stripping finger.  Eight to twelve inches is enough.  When the first pull (or pause) is felt, the angler releases the finger, allowing the steelhead to suck and turn.

Method no. 3 – This is one that takes more skill and experience. Instead of giving line, the angler uses his hand and arm to pointing the rod tip to the fish giving slack during the initial pulls.

Many late night, scotch-induced debates, have raged over what method is best.  I personally use a combination of all three.  The key is to understand the concept and mechanics of the ‘shock absorber’ and apply the method that is most comfortable.  Very few can argue that it does not put more steelhead on the end of your line.

Problem 3:

Sharp Hooks…though this problem is self-explanatory, I wanted to take a moment to rant. Always check your Hooks!  We have all had the experience of missing a take, only to find the hook dulled or worse broken off. The most successful anglers assume this will happen and make a habit of checking hooks at regular intervals as they travel through a run.

Every time you feel the bottom…. Check your hook!

Every time you hear your back cast catch a rock…… Check your hook!

Every time you reel in to move to another run…… Check your hook!

I know it is time consuming and wastes valuable fishing time, but if you are working a dinged up hook, what’s the point of casting?

There is a trick that can help cut down on the time it takes to check. The technique sends the fly sailing back at the caster so that he can catch the fly, check the leader and make sure the hook is sound.

So now that we are armed with the knowledge of what is going on under the water, and we are confident that our hooks are sharp at least for 90% of the time, how should you deal with your next spine tingling tug?

Stay calm.  Drop your loop. Wait until he/she is pulling line from your real then raise your rod tip with slow yet firm movement.  With the rod above 45 degrees and still producing a solid bend, give a short firm hook set, apply side pressure, and let the fun begin.

If you find your hand begging to creep up as the tugs become more fervent. Don’t worry…continue raising…but keep it very slow.  At 45 degrees if the rod is well bent don’t worry about waiting for line coming off the real, pop him, and apply side pressure.

If at any point during this process the bend in the rod is lost, drop the rod tip to the water to give the fish time to turn.  When the dreaded DTs do hit – and they will – do not loose faith. Do not speed up your hook set and try to enjoy the tug. Check your hook and give him another go. Remember, each missed fish only makes the ones that stay buttoned that much better.

Tight Lines,

Matt

Pacific Angler Outlook:

The forecast for this weekend and the following week looks amazing.  Sunny skies with partial clouds and a high ranging from 7 to 10 degrees Celsius.

So whether you are fishing in the chuck or in our coastal rivers make sure to take advantage of this great weather and soak up some vitamin D (sun).

The saltwater guys are going to like this report as well.  The marine forecast by Environment Canada for the Straight of Georgia is:

“Wind west 5 to 10 knots increasing to northeast 10 to 15 early this evening except light near Vancouver Island. Wind diminishing to light Saturday morning then becoming northeast 5 to 10 Saturday evening except light near Vancouver Island.”

Overall, this weekend has the promise to have some amazing fishing both for steelhead in our local rivers in the Fraser Valley and in the saltwater for winter chinook.

Local Saltwater Fishing: 

The saltwater reports have been a bit on the lacking side of late.  Jason was out this past Sunday with some friends and did not even get a bite.  There were no reports of any fish caught that day.  One word…dead slow.

However, things are turning around this weekend.  I just saw a report on one of the forums for February 1st of a nice fish caught.  We’ve also heard of a couple more reports since then.  The weather is going to be perfect with sunny skies, little wind and some great tides.

The standard flasher and spoon rig is the ticket for this time of year.  Imitating a small herring (approximately 3.5 inches) is always a productive method for this fishery.  Often the challenge is finding the fish as they can be anywhere in the harbour.  The shoreline of West Vancouver, Bell Buoy and amongst the freighters are good locations for this time of year.

Cpt. Jason will be out on the Salty Dawg this weekend so don’t be afraid to give him a shout on the radio.

BC River Fishing Report: 

Well, the Vedder River blew out this past Sunday.  It looks like it will be in great shape for the weekend.  There have been some big fish caught over the past week as well and we heard some anglers had their best day of the season yesterday.  Time to get out there on the water!

We’ve also heard of other fisheries starting to produce in the Fraser Valley.  Ones that come to mind are the Stave and Chehalis River.  The fry should also start to be popping out of the gravel.  The cutthroat fishing should start to pick up as more and more fry emerge and venture out from their gravel crevasses.

Also this is Super Bowl Sunday so there should be a few less people on the water come Sunday afternoon, which means more fish you the ones willing to miss the big game.

BC Lake Fishing Report:

Countdown is approximately  2.5 months to ice-off in the interior.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to drop by the store or give us a call at 604-872-2204.  This was a short one, but trust us – get out and fish this weekend.

See you on the water,

Dave

Pacific Angler Outlook:

It’s hard to believe we are almost through January and heading straight into February.  Vancouver’s 2 months of winter is just about half way through.  I say that being from Ontario where you can still have two feet of snow in March.  Living in Vancouver, we are truly lucky to have prime time fishing all year long.  Whether it is winter steelheading from December to May, lake fishing in the spring and early summer, river fishing for rising trout in August or salmon fishing off of Thrasher Rock in May.  There are always a few tails to chase in BC!!!

We are in the thick of the steelhead season at the moment.  The Steelhead Society of British Columbia is having their AGM this Saturday.  This is always a clear sign that the steelhead are in our rivers as you usually hear stories of large fishing being caught in the lower mainland, Vancouver Island, Washington State and a handful of other spots while at the AGM.

The forecast for this weekend and the following week is the usual for Vancouver at this time of year.  Chances of showers throughout the day with overhanging cloud.  On Friday and Saturday the high will be floating around 6 degrees Celsius.  However, that high looks like it will be increasing to 10 degrees Celsius from Sunday to Thursday.  Those milder conditions could make the difference between good fishing and the best fishing of the season.  I expect to hear some good reports all throughout next week.

As mentioned in last Friday’s fishing report we have heard of some larger fish being caught in the chuck.  It is just a matter of getting out on the water with the winter storms rumbling through the Georgia Basin area.  This weekend, the marine forecast looks significantly better…

“Wind variable 5 to 15 knots becoming southwesterly 10 to 15 this morning then backing to southeast 10 to 15 overnight. Wind increasing to southeast 15 to 25 Saturday morning.”

Jason was tempted to go out yesterday with a rare sunny day in January.  It would have been a perfect day to be in the water.  Sometimes it is worth taking opportunities of great conditions when your schedule allows for it.

Local Saltwater Fishing: 

Last Saturday Eddie, Pacific Angler’s head guide, took out some clients from Alaska.  At first we were a bit worried that the forecasted wind and rain would have made for a tough day on the water.  But when I heard that they were from Alaska and that they were coming from -30 degrees Celsius I relaxed a bit.  It turned out to be a beautiful day.

Eddie fished throughout the Vancouver harbour searching for winter chinook.  He was able to hook into a few shakers and one fish just below the legal limit, which was released to get a bit bigger.  Eddie was using the standard flasher and spoon (herring imitations, 3.5 inch) rig trolling at variable depths.

The tide was perfect with a nice flood and flat calm seas.  The sun actually peaked out for an amazing sunset.  Scenes like the one below are what makes Vancouver the city it is.

The tides this weekend are not ideal.  For the early morning angler there is a good flood tide up until 9 am.  Then it will start to ebb around 9:30 ish.  The late morning tide is not ideal.  However, later in the afternoon could be productive at the end of the ebb and going into the second flood.

The crabbing has been pretty good the last two weeks but we’ve heard that it has slowed down a bit this past week.  The prawning has been excellent when the weather permits.  On a good soak you can get up to a couple hundred prawns, which makes for a great feast with family and friends.

BC River Fishing Report: 

This past weekend everyone was holding their breathe to see how the melting snow would impact the river levels.  The rivers in the Lower Mainland did blow out early last week but have since been dropping back into shape.

From now until the end of the season you should be trying to get out on the water and maximizing your days.  The fish are there, it is just a matter of getting days on the water.  This weekend has the potential of being good with overcast skies, precipitation, and milder temperatures on both Saturday and Sunday.

The key to getting into steelhead at this time of year, when the water temperatures are at their lowest is getting your bait or fly close to the fish.  Steelhead can be lethargic in cold conditions so they won’t move large distances.  Pink is a classic winter colour for steelhead as well as reds and black.  Try to mix things up as well when you are fishing behind someone.  Adjust the size, colour and depth.  Also, make sure to cover the water you are fishing thoroughly but don’t dilly dally in one spot all day.  This is where casting can really make a difference between hooking up and getting skunked.

Andre talked a bit about fishing for cutthroat when the steelhead rivers get blown out.  The Harrison is always a good option at this time of year as well as the Stave.  While a few fry will be hatching at this time of year the major hatches will be happening in March.  Make sure to keep posted as this can be some of the best fishing of the year.

BC Lake Fishing Report:

Countdown is approximately  2.75 months to ice-off in the interior.

Well, I hope you found our Friday Fishing Report helpful.  If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to drop by the store or give us a call at 604-872-2204.

See you on the water,

Dave

Pacific Angler Outlook:

While you might say this past week has been an unusual cycle of cold weather, it seems right on par for the middle of January.  Besides, nothing feels more like steelheading than walking through a foot of snow to get to that run.

While Vancouver received some light snow flurries the lower Mainland got pounded mid-week with a heavy snowfall.  It was well below freezing as well, which is a rare thing for us mainlanders.  With some warmer temperatures on the way this weekend and rain in the forecast, it could make for some high water levels.

The forecast for the local Vancouver area is rain Friday afternoon with a high of 6 degrees.  On Saturday you can expect light showers in the morning with some sun poking through the clouds later in the day, with a high of 6 degrees celsius.  Sunday will be interesting.  Right now the forecast is heavy rain (20-30mm) with a high of 5 degrees.

Right now the forecast for Chilliwack is 2-4 cm of precipitation on Saturday.  This will most likely blow out the rivers in this area.  However if the amount of rain is downgraded and if the rivers don’t blow it, there could be some amazing fishing.  Keep your eyes glued to those river levels.

For you saltwater fishermen the local fishing has definitely picked up with some larger winter chinooks being caught.  However, as of 8:30 AM this morning there is a Gale Warning in effect for the Georgian Basin.  It could be a bit windy out there.   This is the forecast from Environment Canada Weather Office…

“Wind southeast 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to 25 this morning and to 25 to 35 late this afternoon. Wind diminishing to southeast 15 to 25 near midnight then increasing to southwest 25 to 35 Saturday morning. Wind diminishing to southwest 15 to 25 near noon Saturday.”

Local Saltwater Fishing: 

As mentioned above, the winter chinook fishing has been good for chinook up to 15lbs.  The crabbing and prawning has also been good.  However, it could be tough getting out there due to the windy conditions.  Make sure to keep an eye on the weather conditions if you are planning on heading out this weekend.

BC River Fishing Report: 

It will be crucial this weekend to keep an eye on the water levels.  With some areas in the valley expecting milder temperatures above freezing other areas will be below freezing.  This means that some rivers may be high and blown out while others are low and clear.

So finding that system which is in perfect shape will give you the best chance of hooking up into chrome sea lice steelhead or some cutties.

In terms of what is going to happen this weekend…it’s anyones guess.  Lets just hope for the best and the weather co-operates.

BC Lake Fishing Report:

Not much to report here.  Countdown is approximately 3 months to ice-off in the interior.  This weather is perfect for tying up a bunch of chironomid flies.

Well, that is it from the Pacific Angler team.  I hope you found this fishing report helpful in guiding you this weekend.  If you have any further questions please feel free to swing by the store and chat up the friendly staff.

Also, if you head out this weekend let us know how you do.  It has the potential to being a great weekend!

See you on the water,

Dave

Pacific Angler Outlook: 

Well, last weekend there was a good push of fish that came on the high water.  The staff heard of anglers hooking up into not only several fish but also some big ones.  At the beginning of this past week the air temperature dropped significantly.  On Sunday the temperature was floating around 5 & 6 degrees Celsius.  When I woke up on Monday morning to head to the shop there was a thick frost on the windshield.

The drop in air temperature has not only dropped the water levels but also the water temperature, making the fish less aggressive.  Over the weekend fishermen were getting fish on larger presentations.  This weekend we expect fishermen to hook up with lighter presentations.

Vancouver is expecting some light rain friday night and Saturday morning.  Saturday afternoon is looking like it is going to be sunny with some clouds and maybe some light rain.  On Sunday the forecast is calling for scattered flurries.  Saturday looks like it will be a bit milder than Sunday.  A high of 5 degrees Celsius is called for Saturday while a high of 2 degrees Celsius is called for Sunday.

Now that I’ve gone over the forecast remember that this could all change.  One of the biggest mistakes a fishermen can make is not go fishing due to the weather conditions.  Like they say, “you can’t catch’em if you don’t go fishing”.  Well, that’s at least what I say.

Local Saltwater Fishing Course:

We’ve finally heard of some good reports in the local saltwater scene.  Some of the more mature springs are starting to show up and being caught on a more consistent basis.  The prawning has been awesome and the crabbing has been good as well.

The Seastar was out last weekend for a full day charter.  They were able to hook into a few immature salmon (which were released) but they got a couple hundred prawns in their traps.  Captain Preston boiled up some fresh prawns right in the boat for the guests.

Not much will change in terms of the setup you run during the winter.  Trolling with flashers and spoons has been the ticket.  The goal is to imitate herring so a size 3.5 spoon is pretty standard.  If you have any questions or want to learn more about this under-estimated fishery or the local saltwater scene possible, sign up for Pacific Angler’s “Master Local Saltwater Salmon” salmon course.

BC River Fishing Report:

BC Lake Fishing Report:

Again, the lakes will be slow until they are re-stocked.  Good time for tying up a million different chironomid combinations.

If you have any specific questions about BC’s amazing fisheries please do not hesitate to drop by the shop or give the friendly staff a call (604-872-2204).

See you on the water,

Jason