OUTLOOK
We are starting to see solid warm summer weather and it looks as though it is here to stay. With that we will see a drop in levels for our local rivers.
In this week’s report we have info for those of you planning trips to the interior to trout fish on the Skagit and Thompson in the freshwater section below.
For those staying more local and fishing for salmon the Chilliwack is open and as expected things were not gangbusters off the hop, but we are anticipating it will get good soon. We also have a Capilano update where water is getting low but there are still good fishing opportunities.
Last but not least we have a quick saltwater report. With heat comes wind and choppy seas, especially if you are looking to fish across the strait. That said the fishing is excellent, but you will want to pay close attention to the wind forecasts weekend and into next week as you plan your trip. Check out details in saltwater section at the end of the report.
CLASSES AND COURSES
We’ve got one more class before we wrap up for the summer. If you’re thinking about learning to fly fish this summer be sure to grab your spot in Matt’s Introduction To Fly Fishing Course which runs later this month!
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)
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
The C/V system opened on July 1st, and with that opening came the official start of salmon season in the Fraser Valley. The river is currently open for the retention of one chinook salmon per day. There are also some sockeye around, but they may not be targeted or retained.
The river is currently running at what I would consider to be an optimal level, with more than enough viz… but having said that, it’s continuing to drop, and there’s absolutely no precipitation in the 14-day forecast as of right now. Unfortunately, it looks like those low and clear conditions that I mentioned in my previous report will be showing up sooner than I had hoped. I’d recommend having some smaller presentations on hand for when things do inevitably get low and clear. Beads, blades, bait, yarn and jigs will all be viable options, just consider scaling them down as the river drops.
The river has been open for a few days now, and as expected it’s been relatively quiet in terms of fish being caught. I have heard a few reports of chinook being caught and have seen a few photos, but the fishing is usually quite slow and spotty for the first week of July. The summer chinook run is somewhat unique in that it is very short in duration and the fish tend to be very timely; “early” or “late” fish are fairly uncommon. Generally speaking, the fishing usually picks up rapidly in the second week of July and remains good until the end of July, at which point the run tapers off very quickly; the run is usually over by the second week of August.
It’s going to be quite warm this weekend, so remember to bring a lot of water and wear some form of sunblock or SPF-rated clothing. Take it easy and do your best to stay cool out there.
Taylor Nakatani
Capilano River and Ambleside Beach Fishing Report
The Capilano is slowly making its transition into Summer. We had a great start to the season, but some shifts in the weather may change the fishery. We can expect to see low water and more challenging river conditions as the warmer weather sets in. This will present some better beach fishing opportunities as the season progresses.
On the river fly and gear anglers should go small and delicate with presentations. A few fish will still find a way up the system but not in the larger pods of last month. This means you need to make the most of every encounter. A bite or two might be all the chances you get so check your leaders, and bring a net to help land those fish. With no rain or cloud in the immediate forecast, the first light bite is very important.
The beach is set to progressively improve with the low river water. Low tides are expected mid-afternoon this weekend. This might make for some great fishing weather, but might keep some of those fish a little deeper. Buzz bombs and larger casting gear can help get out and down to fish moving father offshore. Fly anglers may move to intermediate sink or sink tip lines if they find they need to get down a little deeper. Andre has recently filled his fly board in shop with some killer Beach Coho patterns! make sure you stop in and grab a few of his new ties before heading out.
More fish will continue to show of the beaches in the coming weeks. The beach is a subtle fishery that takes some work, but is worth your time for a chance at chrome on a warm summer morning.
Cheers,
Eric Peake
Trout Rivers Update
We had some good reports from the opening weekend and as expected water levels were high but fishable. We had some reports of dry fly fishing on the Skagit and Thompson, but most reports were of anglers nymphing.
The focus now is to watch river levels until things drop to a point where we can cross in the spots, we want so we can access more of the river. When we look at the 14-day forecast we expect this to happen quickly!
The Skagit crested 3 days ago and has already dropped almost half a meter in those days. We expect this to continue and that should put the river a good fishing shape very soon if not already. We will see where it goes but as I noted above with the 14-day forecast looking like clear skies and warm weather so it should continue to drop fast, and we will probably see low water levels by the end of the month.
The Thompson and Birkenhead are a little behind the Skagit but the Thompson rested yesterday and historically it can come down as much at 10cm as day. This would put us on course to get to the ideal 4m and below level in about 8-10 days.
We will be getting out next week and will have more details from off the water then so until then get out and enjoy the trout fisheries!
Matt Sharp
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Fishing Report
Summer is here with hot weather and hot fishing! The coho fishing has been excellent this past week with lots of hatchery coho around.
We have been doing well of South Bowen and out on the Hump. The fish have been shallow for the most part, with our guides doing well in the top 30-40 feet of the water column. If you want to book a charter with a lot of action, now is the time!
For those of you with your own boat, if you haven’t been out there yet, we highly recommend it. Drop by the shop for the hottest flashers, hootchies and spoons and a point in the right direction from out expert staff. The guides check in with our retail staff daily, so we always have up to the minute reports on where the hatchery coho are at! You just won’t get better intel at any other shop in Vancouver or the Lower Mainland.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
