OUTLOOK
More cold weather is coming. When we look at the 14-day forecast it looks as though winter weather is sticking around for a bit. If the weather man is on his game, we will see more flurries and then some clear cold days into next week with a little more snow possibly coming at the end of next week. Beyond that, there is some rain in the long-term forecast but we will see if that materializes with some warmer temperatures at the end of the 14-day forecast.
With this forecast, expect rivers to stay low. We have been talking about strategies for low water over the last 2 weeks but if you are just tuning in, expect challenging conditions. Dumb down your presentations, scout and use your eyes. Matt did a great Scouting Tactics article last week that you can read here. In this week’s report, we have updates from both the Chilliwack and Squamish systems.
With the cold weather, we have put all our layering pieces on sale both online and instore. If you were thinking about a great under wader layering piece or a cold weather boat pant, they are all 10% off for this week only (until 02/12/25). Check out these items and other clearance items on our website for in stock models.
On the saltwater front, we will be back with a full report for you next week but if you’re looking to get out on the water, now is a great time to book your trip and take advantage of our Winter Chinook Charter Special. More details on that here or give us a call on our charter line at 778.788.8582.
On to the report.....
CLASSES AND COURSES
Tying Intruder Fly Patterns
In this one-night course you will learn about the specifics techniques and unique materials used to tie Intruder style flies. At the end of this course, you will have the skills needed to tie a variety of Intruder style flies from multistage, monster flies for high water, average sized flies for everyday conditions, down to small, mini intruders for low water. Students are required to supply their own vise, tools and materials. A detailed list of what materials are needed will be supplied in advance of the course. A 10% discount is available on materials and tools purchased for the course.
This course is suitable for intermediate to advanced tyers.
Cost: $85.00+GST
Class Size: 7
Date: Feb 12
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sign up here.
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Introduction to Spey Casting
This 2-part course is designed to introduce you to the art of Spey fishing and establish the fundamental techniques required for basic Spey casts used on our local rivers. In the seminar portion of the course Matt Sharp goes over the history of Spey casting and gives students a great fundamental understanding of the gear and casting concepts. In the on water portion of the course we hit the Squamish River for a full day of casting were we look at different casts for specific fishing scenarios. Student will need waders and boots for the cast portion of the course and will need to coordinate transportation to Squamish. We can provide spey rods upon request.
Cost: $275.00+GST
Dates: Seminar: Feb 19 (At the Store) Casting: Feb 23 (In Squamish)
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm | Casting Time: 10AM - 4PM, Squamish
Sign up here.
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Contemporary Chironomid Tactics
Chironomids can account for 2/3 of a trout’s diet in BC lakes and on many days, it is all they will eat. If you want to catch the biggest fish and the most fish, you need to know how to effectively fish chironomids. Your instructor, Jason Tonelli, has been fishing BC interior lakes since he was 5 years old, and in recent years he has been extremely devoted to chironomid fishing. We finally convinced him to share some of his very productive techniques and insights using today’s contemporary rods, fly lines, tippet materials, fly designs and electronics. Here is what he will cover during the course.
- Life cycle of chironomids and their importance to trout and anglers.
- Boat selection, setup, rod holders, anchors, oars, electric motors.
- Rod, reel, fly line, leader and tippet selection.
- Floating line indicator setups, floating line “naked” setup, sinking line “dangle” setup, and when to use them.
- Understanding and utilizing todays electronics (sonar and GPS) including High CHIRP and Forward-Facing Sonar (Live Scope Plus, Active Target 2, Mega Live 2) with recommendations.
- The steps to properly assess a lake and subsequent boat positioning and fishing techniques.
- Contemporary fly design and fly choice (dark flies, bright flies, dark beads, white beads, etc).
- Chironomid fishing seasons and elevation.
- Course booklet.
- 10% off all in store purchases on course night.
Cost: $100+GST
Dates: March 19 or April 15
Time: 6:30 – 9:30pm (At the store)
Sign up here.
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
5-6 guests – $1499 +GST
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report
The C/V system is still running low and clear... which isn’t unexpected considering the sub-zero temperatures we’ve been experiencing all week. While it did bump up a bit on Saturday, that bump was less than .1 of a meter (10 cm for the mathematically challenged) ... and a bump that small isn’t really going to have that much of an effect on water conditions. Having said that, while the river did remain low, a decent number of fish pushed into the system anyways and fishing has been consistently good; it is pretty close to what would normally be considered “peak season”, after all.
With the forecast for the coming week being cold and dry, it’s safe to assume the current conditions will persist for a while. As such, you’ll want to bring the standard assortment of low, clear water gear. Also bear in mind that very cold water will slow the fishes' metabolisms greatly, often resulting in fish that are not very aggressive and just generally unwilling to move very far to take a presentation. Under these conditions, I’ll usually slow down and cover water a bit more methodically and thoroughly than I normally would, since I know I have to get my gear pretty close to a fish if I want to have any chance of making it bite.
Remember to layer up, bring gloves and be prepared to deal with frozen line guides if you’re planning on heading out this week- it's going to be a cold week! There are good numbers of fish in the system, so those who are willing to put up with frozen gear aren’t wasting their time... though whether or not any of those fish are actually willing to bite is a different issue.
Taylor Nakatani
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Squamish River Fishing Report
The cold is not great for the Sea to Sky system. That said, for those who got out and used Matt’s sight fishing/scouting strategy, we had a number of anglers come back who had found fishing in these tough conditions. The bulltrout in the below picture was caught this week using this tactic. If you missed that article where Matt discusses his mindset for tough low clear days check it out here: Top 5 Low Water Scouting Secrets.
This fish was caught on a bright presentation but only after cycling through a number of options did the boys get it to bite
Run pale coloured presentations with light tippet/leader and if you see a fish, note that you may have to “feed” them. This does not mean try to snag them. You will need to get your presentation right in front of them and if they don’t react try resting them for a few minutes and then change to a different presentation. Once you have found a fish, this process of making the perfect cast, resting, changing presentations and repeating the process, might take 10-30 mins but it is worth taking the time as you can usually fool a bulltrout with the right presentation and perfect angle.
Good Luck!
Matt Sharp
