Pacific Angler Friday Fishing Report: December 27, 2024

OUTLOOK

We can’t believe we are sitting down to write the last Friday Fishing Report of 2024!  Where did the year go?   We wish you all a happy and healthy start to the new year and look forward to seeing you in the shop or on the water in 2025. 
 
For those of you who haven’t had a chance to come down to the shop to get in on some great Boxing Week Sale deals, the sale runs until close on Tuesday December 31, 2024.  There are still some great deals to be had so swing on by this weekend.  Friendly reminder, we are closing early (3PM) on New Years Eve.
 
If you can’t come down for the sale or just want to spend some time outdoors over the holidays now is the time to get out fishing. We are seeing another relatively warm and damp weekend but those are actually the conditions we want in the winter.  
 
In this week’s report we have an update on the egging in Squamish and we also go over the conditions for both the Sea to Sky and Chilliwack systems plus some updates on the boxing day derby where the numbers were better than they have been in the past few seasons.  

For all the steelhead fly tiers, we also have an article on how to setup trailer hooks on flies. There are a number of ways to do it and in this article, Jay Awry looks at what you need as well as some of the benefits of each style. If you are a fly tier, check it out.

Jason rounds out the report with an update from our saltwater guide team who have been enjoying some productive days on the water over the holidays.  

On to the report!

CLASSES AND COURSES

It’s here – our 2025 Course Listing.  We have just released our full line up of courses for the 2025 season.  From the beginner angler just starting out to the advanced angler looking to refine their craft there is something for everyone! 

FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS

Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report

The past week has been quite productive on the C/V system, considering how early in the season it is... remember, it’s only late December! There's been no shortage of rain recently, which means the water levels have been consistently higher than normal... high, but not blown out, surprisingly. There have been a few minor blowouts, but the river has been fishable more often than not over the past few weeks. I suspect the higher water levels and warmer water temps are contributing to the better-than-average fishing this December.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the forecast over the next 7 days, so it’s hard to say if the river is going to remain fishable, or if it’s going to blow out. As always, check the weather forecast and river levels before you head out, and make sure you have some larger presentations tied up and ready to go.

Taylor Nakatani.

Squamish River Fishing Report

The river is back in shape after some high water before Christmas. The back-to-back rainstorms dropped enough water to just about blow out the river at a 3.4. The water has since dropped back down to fishable level for the weekend. It’s hard to predict the river this time of year with more rain in the forecast. Day time temperatures are supposed to cool, so the 10-20 mm of rain forecasted may not affect them river as much. Keep checking the weather and water levels before you plan your trip so you can plan accordingly. 

Egging will be the most productive technique for trout. Light float rods or 5-6 weight fly rods rigged for nymphing will produce fish. The trick here is to cover water. You should be able to pick up a few fish as you travel from run to run and may be lucky to find a larger pod of fish to spend some time on. Swung flies and spoons will still produce fish if you want to cover larger runs quickly. Be sure to match the size of the presentation to the water conditions. Larger intruder flies and spoons are needed when the water is coloured up after a good rain.

Coloured water and a healthy flowing river usually makes for happy fish. This allows fish to hold in slower water and conserve energy. When the river bumps, I like to take more time to fish the inside softer water of the runs. Below are a few tips to consider on your next outing.

• Let your fly swing all the way into the bank and dangle a second… Maybe give it a quick pop or retrieve or two before you strip it in. Fish holding in the slower water will chase it right to shore.
• Fish egg patters right inside current seams and into slow water.
• If you can’t see the bottom fish it.
• Remember you are not looking for “Traveling” fish like salmon or steelhead. Trout hold where there is food. Find the best feeding spots and you will find more trout.

Take advantage of the late fishing opportunity and enjoy some quiet time on the river after a hectic holiday. You may not encounter as many fish as the fall, but each one will be well earned. Dress for the weather and go prepared for changing conditions through the day.

Cover water stay warm and have fun!

 Eric Peake

SPECIAL FEATURE

Tubes and Trailers

Growing up as a fly fisherman in the Pacific Northwest I am fascinated by anadromous fish and the flies that catch them.  A peek into a salmon or steelheader’s box can be a mesmerizing array of colours, sizes, and styles of fly with different chassis and hooks.  With another steelhead season right around the corner, let’s take a look at rigging tube and trailer hook flies, but to better understand what’s happening and why, it helps to begin with the shortcomings of the presentations that inspired their development.

Before the explosion in popularity of tube and intruder style flies, many anglers had little choice but to tie on big hooks for big flies.  These heavy wire hooks punched big holes, didn’t always hook up, and the fish that get hooked up are more likely to use the long shank to their advantage as leverage to wrestle the hook from their jaws.  While their components are different, tube flies and trailer hook flies are really just different approaches towards the same goal: to put more fish in the net and see more swim away healthy!  Another side benefit to trailer/tube patterns is when you ding that hook on a rock during a snag or cast, you can change the hook instead of turfing a large, complicated fly that took time at the bench to tie or dollars at the fly shop to purchase.

Tubes and stingers aren’t just for fishing big flies for sea-run monsters, and the same advantages over the fish we enjoy in larger presentations can be applied to scaled down patterns.  Many legendary flies like venerable slumpbuster are tied in smaller sizes and make use of a mono or braid loop, and I can personally attest that sea run cutthroat will smash an olive muddler tied on a tube!!  

Tube Flies
Let’s start with tube flies!  The tube fly platform is just as the name might suggest, and it’s through the center of the fly that the leader is threaded and then a hook tied on the tippet.  The most common method of rigging tube flies is to then draw the eye of the hook into the rear of the fly tube, with a gentle friction fit ensuring the hook remains as positioned.  

Flies tied on tube platforms such as double or 40/40 tubes use a larger diameter section of tubing in the rear to secure the hook eye, while flies tied on single tubes like our Aqua Flies 1.8mm Poly Tubes will need a small section of silicone tubing called “junction tubing” (Aqua Flies Ultra Tubing).  For those tying their own flies on 40/40 or double tubes hook position relative to the fly pattern can be tweaked by adjusting the length of the rear section, but you can adjust the hook position on any tube fly with different lengths of junction tubing.  Hook choice for this setup is a short shank, straight eye hook with sufficient wire strength to handle big fish, and popular choices include the Partridge NTS Tube Hook, and my personal favourite the Ahrex HR430.  When steelheading I like to carry #1, #2, and #4 hooks, but will opt for something in the #1, 1/0, or even 2/0 sizes if I swing those same tubes for chinook salmon.  Rather than worry about grabbing the right hooks or forgetting them entirely, I like to keep all of my tube hooks in one convenient package like our Micros Organizer (fly Box 1240) with a selection from sizes #4 to 2/0. 

It’s difficult to match the flexibility of hook position that tubes offer us, and you’re sure to miss strikes if you don’t take full advantage of it.  For flies with longer profiles, a conventionally rigged tube hook nestled into the rear of the tube itself, well short of a long flowing tail, is a recipe for frustration.  Instead of tying on a tube hook with a clinch knot, opt for a non-slip loop knot which when paired with an up-eye hook like the Aqua Talon 3474 Swing Hook allows for quick, knotless hook changes.  Simply adjust the size of your loop knot to position the hook near the rear of the pattern’s tail and then draw the knot into the junction section of your tube.  

Shank & Trailer Hooks

Note this fly is tied on a standard hook but there is a braided loop off the back. We will cut this hook and attach a trailer to the loop.)

Like tubes, flies with trailer hooks articulate to decrease spat hooks and offer us the ability to quickly replace or adjust hooks.  While there are myriad ways to hang a hook behind a fly, it really boils down to a shank on which the fly is tied (either a crafted from a cut hook or specialty shank) from the rear of which a loop of wire, monofilament, or braided line is extended.

There are a number of great platforms on the wall at Pacific Angler, whether you prefer to tie on traditional hooks like the Daiichi 2441 Traditional Salmon Steelhead Hook and cut and file the ends, or prefer the convenience of a commercially produced Aqua Flies Waddington Shank, Aqua Flies Return Eye Shanks, or Aqua Flies Round Eye Shanks.  Like most things, it largely comes down to personal preference but hooks or shanks with return eyes are the ideal platform for patterns with dumbbell eyes, and round eyes best for cone or bead head presentations or flies that sport a disc.  There are also some amazingly talented tyers out there developing some cool patterns platformed off a jig hook or with a specialty jig shank, and we have 25 packs of the VMC 7161 in the shop that can be clipped to make DIY jig shanks.   

If you are tying on a vise without a strong grip you may find that the increased surface area of the bend of traditional hook or waddington shank offers you a more rock solid platform to work with, but most vises available today are capable of holding a straight shank properly.  Those who are shank users can take their intruder game to a whole other level and opt for a vise like the Regal Medallion fitted with the shank vise head, which sport a pair of hook grooves on the left side, and a horizontal shank groove on the right side.

Once we have our chassis of choice in the jaws it’s time to secure our trailer loop material to the shank.  Nearly as famous as the ubiquitous Intruder-style pattern itself, the most popular choice for loops is Senyo’s Intruder Trailer Hook Wire, but heavy monofilament or braided lines also have their place in the fly box.

No matter what the material, the loop must be properly affixed to the shank and sized for the appropriate finished pattern and hook size.  To take advantage of the quick-change functionality of a trailer loop it is crucial to leave, at minimum, a length of trailing material that is at least as long as the distance from the rear of the hook bend to the leading tip of the hook eye.  It is useful to test this and keep a template shank and looped hook on your desk so you can make this step repeatable.

It is also important when tying the loop material in to do a fold back on each end of wire or brad and add a drop or two of a low-viscosity CA glue like Zap-A-Gap to the thread wraps to help make the trailer loop a permanent feature.  

If tying on hooks, once you’ve finished tying your fly and admiring your hard work, it’s time to clip the hook point and file the end smooth.  Regular pliers won’t cut it (no pun intended) in this situation, we’re looking for a pair of heavy side cutters ideally with a carbide edge, and definitely not your good scissors!!  I have tried a number of different tools over the years, and I eventually settled on the Knipex Wire Rope Shears (Model #95 62 160) as the best hook choppers on earth.  They’re at the top of the Rockwell Scale at 65HRC so they stay sharp and slide through hooks like a hot knife through butter.  

As a commercial fly tyer, I’m used to tying my flies in stages and I will often make a session out of rigging a few dozen shanks at a time.  I like to add Zap-A-Gap at two different times when batch assembling my intruder platforms.  The first application of CA glue is a small drop spread along the shank after I’ve wrapped my first layer of tying thread down over the wire, working from the front towards the rear of the fly.  I then wrap my way back towards the eye of the shank with touching turns into the wet glue.  Once I have whip finished and clipped my thread, I apply another small application of glue on the front and rear of my thread wraps securing the wire.  The idea is to get better penetration into the thread wraps and bond the wire, shank, and thread together as one, but whether it serves a purpose beyond making me feel better remains to be seen!

While octopus hooks have long been the standard trailer hook, since its arrival on the scene the team at Pacific Angler have been impressed by the Aqua Talon 3474 Swing Hook.  They’re very similar to a conventional stinger hook, but they’ve got a shape and eye angle that produce fish-friendly hookups.  I fish them in sizes 2 and 4 for steelhead and sizes 1, 2, and 4 for salmonoid species, but I also love the fluorescent finishes of the Gamakatsu Octopus Hook Fluorescent Series!  I’m partial to fishing a glow hook in low-light conditions (especially when charged up with my Loon UV Bench Light!), too.  I carry these hooks in size 2 only, as I find the thick coating on the Gamakatsus renders the hook eye on the size 4 hooks too small to be functional on standard Senyo wire and the hooks themselves too heavy for the thinner diameter wire.  Be sure to keep your pliers away from the coating when pinching your barbs or you can chip that lovely finish!  

Senyo’s Intruder Trailer Hook Wire comes in different colours and two sizes: Standard wire for hook sizes 6 and up, and Thin for hooks sizes 6 or smaller.  The diameter and stiffness of the wire is designed to properly support different hook sizes while still being narrow enough that it can pass through the eye of a swing or octopus hook easily.  If you find yourself frequently fishing size 6 hooks, I recommend stocking your bug station with both sizes to adjust for hook mass and eye size.  

The Twisted Hitch

If you’ve ever stopped by Pacific Angler and scanned our selection of steelhead flies, you may already be familiar with the next method of rigging stinger hooks.  As popularized in one of his signature patterns, the Dirty Hoh, the Twisted Hitch is a technique developed by Jerry French for rigging a swing hook with the inclusion of an additional turn which secures the long rabbit strip tail, preventing not only the tail from fouling with the braided trailer loop, but also to help eliminate short strikes.  Try using lighter braid for flies with smaller hooks or for more movement, and heavier braid for bigger bugs and magnum rabbit strips.

Ultra Rigging
Ultra Rigging is the fusion of elements of both trailer-hook and tube flies, blending the convenience and flexibility of a braided loop with Aqua Flies Ultra Tubing to produce a fly that moves naturally while still supporting the hook when swinging.  If there’s one thing Jerry knows, it’s how to bury a hook point, and flies with ultra rigs have beautiful swimming characteristics and stand up to violent takes.  Tie in the braided loop (I like 50-65lb braid, depending on type) as normal and continue tying your fly, but before you slip on your hook of choice with a girth hitch, measure out a length of ultra tubing that is long enough to both cover the eye of the stinger hook, and onto the rear of the shank.  

What method is best? That’s a hard one. Matt loves the ability to use a free moving loop knot on trailered shanks with a braided loop (you use this with a tube) but there are many amazing anglers using cost effective tubes and it is way faster to change hooks with a tube.  Experiment and find what works for you.  We have two videos - they are oldies but goodies where Matt and Dimitri share two videos with shanked style flies.

Far from a complete list, these are just a couple of the ways to rig up your tubes and stingers but if you’ve got a cool technique, we would love to see it!  Stop by Pacific Angler and say Hi to the fellas behind the counter on your way down to pick up some new flies, tying materials, and tactics for fishing tubes and intruders ahead of your next steelhead season!  

Jay Awrey

SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS

Vancouver Winter Chinook Fishing Report

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!  Those who have found the time to get on the water sure have been enjoying the great winter chinook fishing around Vancouver.  The fishing this past week has been excellent, with lots of fish right in Vancouver Harbour and Howe Sound as well. 

On our recent trips we have kept close to home as there really hasn’t been the need to leave the Harbour.  There are fish along West Van from the Cap Mouth up towards the Pink Apartment, out in the middle of the freighters and along the Mile Markers and the Bell Buoy. 

Lower and upper Howe Sound have also been very good, so at this point, pick a spot and they all seem to be holding fish this year.  I feel like every year the winter chinook fishing keeps getting better and I have to say it again this year, it’s some of the best I have ever seen.  The pure biomass of chinook out there is undeniable, and although there are chinook stocks of concerns in some areas, the ones that frequent our waters in the winter are clearly doing very well again this year.  A lot of these fish are hatchery chinook from WA and the unmarked ones are likely hatchery as well, from our local hatcheries.  Mark rate on most days has been at least 50% and if BC clipped all their chinook the mark rate right now would be closer to 80%.

You know the fishing is excellent when you come back with 8 winter chinook!  Clearly the hatchery programs are working well and ocean survival and productivity in local waters is on the uptrend!

For productive gear, not much has changed from last week’s report.  The green and chartreuse Gibbs and Oki flashers with glow tape have been outstanding.  In particular STS, Salty Dawg, Lemon Lime, Chartreuse Phantom, and Green Onion Glow to name a few.  For spoons, the Skinny G and Kingfisher spoons in 3.0 and 3.5 have been excellent.  Again, sticking with the green and chartreuse shades with glow on them such as Irish Cream, Trailhead, Outfitter, and Yes Bananas (glow back).

If you want some advice on some spots to try and what to use, stop by the shop for some friendly, expert advice.  We have our Boxing Day Sale on right now and there are some great savings on all your favorite saltwater gear.  There are some nice jackets and bibs on sale if you need to get some new winter gear.  

If you can’t make it down, you can now shop online!  Our sale items are in store only at this point, but look for some clearance deals online in the first week of January for the online shoppers

See you in the shop or on the water,

Jason Tonelli