OUTLOOK
Happy Canada Day Long Weekend! We have something for everyone in this week’s report!
Taylor has a Chilliwack River Update. This system opens on July 1st and we are expecting good water levels so it is well worth a scout. With water levels in mind, we have details on a number of the trout streams that are opening in July or at least should be coming down to good fishable levels. Matt goes over all the river levels data in the video version of the report but the short version is things will be fishable if only a touch high for perfect fishing levels.
We have another mixed weekend of weather coming but things are warming up slowly
We also have a saltwater update where it is well worth getting out for the weekend. There are lots of coho around and we expect more good reports from this weekend.
Another great fishery to consider this weekend is out local bass fishing. Taylor has a detailed report on how we fish for bass in the Vancouver area. It may not be like the Bass Masters but if you tweak some of the bass master trends to fit our environment you will be successful. Eric has an update on the Capilano coho fishery and Jason is back with the last lake report of June!
Matt tunes in with a video version of the report where he goes over all the fisheries but focus on the river levels and 3 of his top early season flies for hitting these systems. Check the Video report out here:
Last but not least is you’re heading into the shop this long weekend we are open regular hours all weekend and closed on Monday!
Canada Day Long Weekend Hours
Saturday June 29 | 10AM-6PM
Sunday June 30 | 11AM-5PM
Monday July 1 | Closed – Happy Canada Day
CLASSES AND COURSES
Introduction to Fly Fishing
This course was specifically designed to give the new fly fisher the basic knowledge, casting skills and fly fishing strategies to effectively fish our local BC waters. This course is comprised of two sessions; 3hr evening seminar and a 3hr casting session. The dates below show the seminar date first and casting date second.
Dates: (July 16 & 20), (Sept 18 & 22)
Cost: $180.00+GST
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Casting Time(s): 10am – 1pm or 1:30pm -4:30pm
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report
It’s hard to believe that June is already almost over, especially considering the decidedly un-June like weather we’re having. While the weather isn’t great for those who want to go to the beach, walk in the park or partake in other summertime activities, it is a good thing for anglers who are looking forward to summer chinook season on the C/V system. Yes, I’m back to writing the weekly C/V report….
Water levels on the C/V system are currently running well below what I would consider to be “normal” for this time of year, due to the virtually non-existent snowpack. Having said that, it’s not as low as we were expecting and not as low as last year, which is a good thing; this is almost entirely due to all the rain and cool weather we’ve had. The fish often get stuck in the lower river during low water years, which results in an extremely crowded lower river and excessive amounts of unethical fishing; this is why I prefer years with higher water levels – the fish are able to move throughout the system and the angling pressure spreads out accordingly. Sure, the fish can be harder to find, but they are usually much less pressured when you do find them. The lack of a snowpack means that the rain is the only thing keeping the river up, so the river will get low if it stops raining. I don’t have a crystal ball, so I won’t comment on if or when this will happen.
The C/V will open on July 1st for retention of one chinook salmon, though fishing is usually spotty until the second week of July. The summer chinook run usually remains strong until the end of July; it usually tapers off pretty quickly in August- thus making it a rather short run. In addition to the run’s limited duration, it is also one of the lowest volume fisheries in the C/V system, with a return of a few thousand fish being considered very good. The relatively low quantity of fish means that covering water is often your best bet for finding fish- it’s for this reason that I sometimes liken summer chinook fishing to winter steelheading… except it’s hotter, the mosquitos are out, and the river is exceptionally busy with anglers, beachgoers, rafters and other assorted recreators. First light and last light are usually the best times to target these fish, though they can be willing biters all day- provided they are not heavily pressured. Float fishing with roe, prawns, beads, blades, yarn and jigs is the preferred method of targeting these fish, though they can occasionally be hooked on spoons, twitching jigs or flies under certain conditions. Summer chinook are, in my opinion, some of the hardest-fighting salmon in the C/V system, so make sure your gear is up to the task- medium-action rods can get the job done if you know what you’re doing, but most anglers opt for medium-heavies instead.
The summer chinook are typically smaller than the fall chinook, but they fight incredibly hard and have red flesh instead of white flesh.
There will also be a number of sockeye in the system at the same time as these summer chinook. These sockeye are part of the endangered Chilliwack Lake run and may not be targeted or retained. Though they may not be specifically targeted, they can be willing biters and are often incidentally hooked while targeting chinook. Please make sure that any sockeye that you do hook is landed as quickly as possible and released with extreme care, as these fish are rather fragile and usually do not survive long fights or rough releases- which is just another reason to add to the long list of why selective fishing methods should always be practiced. On that note, make sure you identify your catch before you drag it up on the rocks, and follow all proper fish handling practices when releasing sockeye. Seriously.
Make sure you’re bringing plenty of water if you head out there; sunscreen and/or SPF-rated clothing are recommended as well… being dehydrated and sunburnt is not ideal while trying to cover water and find fish. Heat-related injuries can also be a concern, so be mindful of that when you’re out there. The only thing worse than being dehydrated and sunburnt is being dehydrated, sunburnt and suffering from heat exhaustion. Stay safe out there, and good luck!
Taylor Nakatani
BC Trout Streams Update
July 1 is almost here and with it the start of our BC trout streams fishery. Yes, a few rivers are already open but historically July 1 is when we can expect water levels to be coming down from their springtime highs.
When we look back at water levels this time of year, they are usually high and this can make fishing a challenge. This year we were expecting a very low water year, but the cool wet weather has kept the levels much higher than we were forecasting with such a low snow pack.
Looking at past data, we expect most systems across the lower part of the province to be low but still at a level that will mean tight banks and deep tail outs. For the Birkenhead and Skagit, we want everyone to be careful on opening day if they try to cross these systems. With the numbers we are seeing it looks similar or a little higher than 2019 water levels. If you look back to 2019, the rivers were crossable in limited areas and though there was lots of room to hike the banks there were areas where tight banks made fishing challenging.
This is one of Matt’s Top Nymph Patterns.
If you are heading out for opening week, we expect good nymphing on all the systems but limited dry fly fishing. In this week’s Video Report Matt shares one of his custom nymphs from the bench and his top 3 standard commercially available nymph patterns. He also shows you how to doctor up commercial patterns to make them a little more effective.
This is at the end of the Video report so click here and skip to the end if you want to see these patterns.
Good luck if you head out and we’d love to hear your reports so be sure to email us!
Matt Sharp
Capilano River Fishing Report
The coho are rolling at the Capilano. Gear and fly anglers have found fish in the canyon as well as the beach. The key to unlocking this fishery is getting a good feel for when/where the fish will be. We saw a low and clear river conditions early in the week that let many anglers chase fish on the beach. Afternoon low tides and a few cloudy days made for great fishing conditions. Thursday morning the dam made a small release of water. This combined with some heavy rain and a morning high tide moved some fresh fish up the river. I was lucky enough to sneak out for a quick flick. I had a late start but was still rewarded for my efforts. Spoons did it for me with multiple takes on small cohos and crocs with a few misses on the fly. The river was low, with a slight flow, and a little colour. I am going to say this one again from experience – bring your net.
Coho from a quick morning session.
The weekend will probably be a mixed bag of weather, but mostly cloudy with a chance of drizzle is a great outlook for us anglers. We are expecting some good low morning tides for those looking to hit the beach. If you fishing the salt make sure you have some heavier presentations to get some good distance on your casts. If you’re fishing the river, try and keep your spoons and spinners small. Fly anglers can ensure they are using s6 or s7 sink line when the flow is moving.
Eric Peake
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
BC Interior Lake Fishing Report
The last lake report of June is here! Hard to believe, but this season just flew by. It was the spring season that never really happened in some ways. We just kept seeing cold front after cold front all of late May and all through June. It definitely affected the fishing, with most people reporting a “tough season.” There was certainly some good fishing if you hit some decent weather, but that was not easy to do this year.
All the overcast and stormy days did make for some good mayfly and caddis hatches though. Either way, it was a weird one and like I have said many times, there doesn’t seem to be a “normal” anymore when it comes to seasons and fishing. We just need to adapt and roll with it as anglers and do the best we can, because the new normal is that we can expect the weather to be far from traditional.
This springs stormy weather made for some tough fishing, but it did account for some excellent mayfly fishing on the overcast days.
I did manage to get away one day this week with Rob from BC Fly Guys. We fished a Region 3 lake around 4500 feet and had some decent caddis fishing. Hanging the caddis (sedge) pupae under an indicator and wind drifting it accounted for a few good fish, as did retrieving it with a midge tip. Rob also got a few great takes stripping dries across the surface. As one would expect, there was limited chironomid activity, as is normal for most lake this time of year. That didn’t keep us from looking for some bombers of course, being the chironomid bobber addicts that we are. Overall, an enjoyable day, some great chats, and even a touch of a sunburn!
If you are heading out in July, expect to see a few mayflies, caddis, damsels and be prepared to fish leeches, bloodworms, dragons, and scuds/shrimp, as these are summer staples. If all else fails, try hanging or retrieving a vampire leech or fish blobs and boobies.
July and August can present some interesting opportunities on the higher elevation lakes and there is even some good chironomid fishing on lakes that have bombers, like Tunkwa, but the vast majority of lakes will have some tough fishing conditions in the coming weeks. It really starts to heat up into July with plenty of 30C plus days in the forecast for Kamloops, and that will be the start of the summer doldrums.
Some lakes in July and August will have some good size chironomids coming off, aka “bombers”, so always be on the lookout for that during the summer months.
We won’t be doing as many interior lake fishing reports through July and August. I will report back if I hear of anything interesting or worthwhile, but personally I will be focused on the saltwater the next few months and will get back on the lakes for the fall chironomid hatches and fall feeding season once the water cools down. Until then, have a great summer and see you out there soon!
Jason Tonelli
Bass Fishing In Vancouver – It’s Not a Bass Master’s Tournament – But It Is Fun
It’s officially summer, and while the weather is still all over the place, it’s safe to assume that there will be a general warming trend as we get into July. Warmer weather means warmer water, and warmer water means the trout fishing in the local lakes will start to slow down and become less productive. While this does kind of suck, one must remember that trout aren’t the only fish that swim in our local lakes. While it is unfortunate that there are invasive largemouth bass in many Lower Mainland waterbodies, they do offer great fishing opportunities throughout the summer, while other fisheries become unviable due to high water temperatures, freshet or other factors.
Largemouth bass are not native to this area, as mentioned above, and thrive in water temperatures ranging from 18° -28°, but can survive in water temps up to 38°… keep in mind that rainbow trout start to die around 24°. Many local anglers will target trout through the spring and early summer, then transition to bass when water temps exceed 20°. This excellent tolerance for warm water means that largemouth bass are present in many of the smaller local lakes/ponds- with Mill Lake and Deer Lake being two well-known examples; it also means that Bass fishing will usually remain fairly productive all summer.
Largemouth bass are the most popular game fish in North America, so it should come as no surprise that the amount of tackle designed to target them is outrageously vast. With so many options, some anglers struggle to decide which lure they should be using, and when they should use it. The first thing one should consider when looking at bass gear is that you are not Kevin VanDam, and these are not highly pressured 10lb Texas hogs. Just like with stocked trout, the best advice I can give is to keep it simple, don’t overthink it and don’t overcomplicate it. The average angler doesn’t need every single bass lure on the market, what they need are few senkos, swimbaits, swim jigs, spinnerbaits, topwaters, shallow-diving crankbaits and the terminal tackle needed to rig them- these lures are versatile and effective; you’re covered for pretty much any condition you might come across when targeting local bass. Let’s look at these conditions and these baits.
Senkos can be wacky rigged, Texas rigged, Carolina rigged, or thrown on a jig head; they work especially well when fished slowly for lethargic or bedded down fish. Break these out when the weather is off.
Swimbaits can be Texas rigged, Carolina rigged, thrown on a jig head, or used as a trailer on a spinnerbait or jig. They can be fished fast, slow or anything in between are incredibly versatile. These are a great every day lure and can be rigged to avoid weeds so you will see me fishing them quite a lot.
Swim jigs are simple and easy to use, they can be fished fast or slow and work best when tipped with a swimbait, creature bait or other soft plastic. These are great for fishing holes or light cover.
Spinnerbaits are also very simple and easy to use, they work best for covering large amounts of water efficiently and work best when tipped with a swimbait or creature bait. I use them in more open water especially when I am fishing from boat.
Topwaters are rather self-explanatory; they float and are fished on the surface. Frogs and poppers are the two most common styles of topwater. They work best when fish are aggressive and tend to be most effective in the morning or evening, when light levels are lower. Frogs excel at covering very weedy areas, as they are almost entirely weed/snag proof. Bank fishing in Vancouver is always a battle against the weeds and in some ponds top water is really the only way to not be constantly snagged.
Shallow-diving Cranks are great for covering water, much like spinnerbaits. They can be fished slowly or ripped quickly, though they often struggle in weedy areas so the Vancouver bank fisherman don’t need to have many of these in their box. That said if you are on a bigger lake in a boat, they are amazing at covering water.
The above lures and rigging techniques can be used to good effect in virtually every situation that you may encounter when targeting local bass, which is why we carry them. Bear in mind that local Bass are usually not especially big; anything over 3lb can be considered a “good” fish; anything over 5lb is considered a “big one”. Also note that Bass are very structure-oriented, so they are very often found hiding under docks, fallen trees, lily pads, or submerged weeds- keep that in mind when choosing an area to fish, and also keep that in mind when choosing a rod and reel- your ultralight Trout rod might not be up to the task of hauling a Bass out of a pile of lily pads. Pound-for-pound, Largemouth Bass don’t fight very hard or at least they don’t run far. They are known for trying to run into cover, so you want to be using gear that can stop that initial run for cover… or you will be bring in a 2lb fish with 6lb of weeds stuck to it. A 6’-7’ medium or medium-heavy spinning or casting rod spooled with 20-40lb braid will be perfect for most local Bass applications and allow you to pull through the weeds. You can fish for bass with a light trout rod, but you will lose fish and gear to the weed.
While Bass fishing is serious business elsewhere in North America, I like to think of local Bass fishing as a more relaxed, casual pastime- it’s fun, relatively easy, and you don’t have to go far to have good results. Sometimes it’s nice to pop by a local pond after work and pitch a frog for 45 minutes; catching a fish is just an added bonus.
Taylor Nakatani
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Fishing Report
This is the second summer now that the number of coho that showed up in the Strait of Georgia is the best we have seen since the 80’s. With all the herring and anchovies in our local waters, the coho are maturing locally instead of heading out to the west coast of Vancouver Island. The result is some world class coho fishing in local waters and this past week was just that. We had excellent coho fishing and crabbing has been good as well.
Right now the coho are very shallow, up in that top 50 feet of the water column. We have been getting them as shallow as 12 feet on the downrigger on overcast days. Our go to setups consists of flashers that work well up high in the water column because they have lots of reflective tape and the coho love that. The Gibbs Twisted Sista and the Oki Betsy are the two go to flashers as well as Purple Haze, Green Haze and Purple Onion or Green Onion. UV white hootchies with a mylar tinsel inserts are always a top producer and use a shorter leader around 24-28 inches to give the hootchy lots of action.
The Gibbs Twisted Sista flasher and some UV White Hootchies ready for some coho action!
Another great way to fish coho is with a dummy flasher to get the coho close to the boat, then just fish a spoon, plug, or similar lure such as a Brad’s Super Bait Cutplug or the new Luhr Jensen Anchovy Roll off the release clip, about 5 feet back from your dummy flasher. We have all the gear you need at the shop to setup a dummy flasher rig as well a good selection of spoons, Brad’s Baits and Anchovy Rolls that all work well with this technique.
Looking ahead to chinook, the next opening will be July 15th. I am assuming the opening will be on this date, as it has been the past 4 years, and I don’t have any information that it will be otherwise. You will be able to fish for chinook and retain one between 62-80 cm just west of Gower Point. The chinook fishing there is usually not that great but the coho fishing can be good and chinook encounters are not uncommon.
For more consistent chinook fishing, we cross the Strait of Georgia and fish Gabriola Island from Thrasher Rock up to Entrance Island. The fishing the past few years has been nothing short of remarkable, with double digit days the norm, not the exception.
Double headers are not uncommon in our July and August chinook fishery!
With the amount of chinook around this year, which in my opinion is the most we have ever seen, I think the July and August fishery off Gabriola this year is going to be exceptional. Stay tuned for more on that in future reports.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
