Pacific Angler Friday Fishing Report: March 29, 2024

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Introduction To Fly Fishing Lakes

This course will give you an in-depth look at the fundamentals of fly fishing lakes. We explore equipment, techniques, major insect hatches and ideal lakes to begin with. You will learn all you need to plan your next successful lake trip to one of BC’s 5,000 lakes!  This course is comprised of one 3hr evening seminar.
Dates: Apr 3, 2024
Cost: $75.00+GST
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

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Coastal Streamer Fishing
Many Anglers focus on steelhead in the spring but with spring comes warmer waters, salmon fry, more active sculpin species and all the predators that feed on them. In this course Matt will go over different techniques and flies for targeting these species with single hand and switch rods on coastal streams. This course includes an evening seminar and a guided day on the water.

Dates: Seminar: Apr 9, 2024
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Seminar Only Cost: $75.00+GST
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Portion SOLD OUT

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Introduction to Fly Tying
There is no greater satisfaction than catching a fish with a fly you tied yourself. This Introduction to Fly Tying course was specifically designed to give you the fundamental skills needed to tie proven fly patterns used here in BC for trout, salmon, and steelhead.
This course consists of 3 sessions; each session is 3hrs.
Students are required to supply their own vise, tools and materials. A 10% discount is available on fly tying materials and tools purchased for the course.

Dates: Apr 10, 17, 24 ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT
Cost: $125.00+GST
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

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Introduction to Chironomid Techniques
Chironomids are the number one food source for trout in BC’s lakes; however, few anglers have taken the time to become true masters of this discipline.  Those that do, are often rewarded with the largest fish.  Trevor is a former member of the Canadian Fly Fishing Team and an excellent chironomid angler.  Dedication to his sport has helped Trevor to become one of the top fly fishermen in the province as well as a fisheries biologist.  This course is comprised on one 3 hour evening seminar.  Content is for beginner to advanced.
Date: April 23
Time: 6:30-9:30 PM
Cost: $75.00+GST

Check out the full course listing here and give us a call at the shop (604.872.2204) to sign up today!

FRESHWATER FISHNG REPORTS 

Chilliwack/Vedder Fishing Report 

The C/V system has been dropping steadily over the course of the week, with the river currently sitting at a comfortable level.  As was mentioned in last week’s report, the Slesse slide has been dumping clay into the river, so visibility below it has been variable, though still perfectly fishable.  The salmon fry are around in reasonable numbers, and the water temps are hovering in the 42° -46° range.  Temps this high mean that the fish have the potential to be quite active and aggressive, assuming they haven’t seen too much angling pressure.  The forecast for next few days involves a lot of sun and very mild temperatures, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the river starts to come up and get a bit more turbid due to snowmelt.  

There are still quite a few fish in the system, and fresh fish will be pushing into the system well into April.  Having said that, there are quite a few dark fish in the system, so try to take it easy on the senior citizens so they can spawn.  There are some fish on redds in the upper river, do not target them if you happen to find them… leave ‘em alone.  Keep in mind that the upper river, from the Tamihi bridge to the boundary, will be closing to all fishing at the end of the month.  

There are still some great steelhead fishing opportunities in March/April in the C/V system, so you don’t necessarily have to call it quits when spring shows up.  Pay attention to the regulations and note the rolling closures, and you can still have some great days in the spring- often with fewer anglers around and some significantly more pleasant weather.  

Taylor Nakatani 

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Squamish River Fishing Report 

The Squamish fished well this last week, but we would have liked to see more salmon fry out. The bulltrout and rainbows didn’t seem fully dialled in to feeding but we still managed to find fish on all our outings.  As this week progressed more fry started traveling and with it the trout fishing picked up.  

We expect this weekend to be busy so please respect your fellow anglers and remember the rules of the river . Do not walk below anglers in a given run and better yet, if you see a group fish a run, move to another run.  There is lots of room if you are willing to explore and hike.  

With warm days and cool nights, we don’t expect to see the river rise with snow melt so things should remain at a good height.  Right now, it is sitting between 2.3 and 2.5 on the graph and it has a about 4 feet of visibility.   

In these conditions, when I am not seeing a ton of fry, I like small streamers spoons or float rigs. The second we see more fry darting in the shallows I will go with dedicated fry patterns and Colorado blade. 

Matt Sharp 

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Fry Friday Report  

This past week saw the emergence of a few more fry than last week but still not in big numbers. It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that the boys up the Sea to Sky way started to see them with any regularity.  Historically, there have been more out at this point in the season.  

Though there haven’t been any solid reports of a major fry hatch, there have been anglers encountering the predators that eat them.  There have been some decent cutthroat and char reports sprinkled here and there through the past week, with most of them coming from anglers who are willing to walk fair distances while on the hunt and search for them.  

Small nymphs and buggers are also great patterns to keep on hand while looking for various trout and char, as these can imitate the available food that these fish hunt in the interim while waiting for fry. 

If tying your own patterns or picking up a few of our custom ones, keep in mind to have a variety of shades and colours on hand as the species of fry have distinct colour variations depending on which system they may be encountered.  

There are lots of ways to imitate fry, whether tossing small spinners or spoons, or flicking flies. If you’re looking for some ideas or suggestions for either one, come on by the shop and visit us- we’d be happy to help you out with flies or lures. 

Stay fry, 

Jordan Simpson 

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Sturgeon Fishing Report 

We are entering into spring, which means the mighty sturgeon wake up from their winter slumber and begin active feeding again.  Weather conditions are warming, and temperatures have been spiking into the double digits, creating comfortable fishing conditions and hungry sturgeon.  

Typically, in March/April sturgeon are quite opportunistic on their diet.  Especially compared to the rest of the year when they are keyed in on specific baits and are not willing to compromise. The 3 pinnacles for sturgeon fishing on the Fraser are Location, Tide, and most importantly BAIT.  This time of year, I prefer to use lamprey, eulachon and dew worms.  As we progress closer to late April and into May, I opt for eulachon as it becomes a primary food source for our sucker mouthed friends.  

We have all the gear necessary for sturgeon fishing from shore or off your boat.  Come in and have a chat with one of the guys to get you started or keep you going! 

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Carp Fishing Report 

Carp season is here, and fishing has been picking up quite rapidly.   We are entering into the pre-spawn phase for carp, which is a period where carp begin to feed heavily in preparation for the spawn.  Usually, you will see curious carp roaming the warmer and shallower areas of a lake or slough for food.  Note that the ones you see, are not the ones that will bite, carp are extremely intelligent and spookish.  Casting at carp that you can see will not produce very successful results, conversely, picking a lane where carp frequent will.  

A majority of your local lakes in the Lower Mainland will have carp; think lakes like Mill, Como, Lafarge, and Hatzic.  Our local sloughs, in my opinion, have the best carp fishing in terms of size as well as abundance and lack of fishing pressure.  Every slough connected to the Lower Fraser will have carp present, learning the timings of each system is key to success.  Baits such as boilies, corn, dew worms and dough baits are quite effective for carp.  The most easy and effective way to target spooky carp is with a hair rig.  The hair rig allows a cautious carp to test and “vacuum” a bait such as a boilie into their mouths without feeling the presence of a hook.   

If you have any questions regarding hair rigs or how to target carp, come in and let’s talk carp! 

Best Fishes, 

Gavin Lau 

STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS 

Local Lakes Fishing Report  

Spring is here and the local lakes are well stocked to kick off the season.  Lower Mainland and Sea to Sky lakes have received their first cohort of spring stockings.  This gives trout anglers a great chance to connect with a few fish over the next few months.  This fishery offers new anglers and those unable to travel a chance to take part in a close to home urban trout fishery. Many lakes are a short drive from major urban centers, and some are even accessible via public transit. 

Stocked trout are generally willing biters so there is a good chance you can fool a few once you find them.  I like to fish natural baits such as worms, salmon eggs, and shrimp under a small float.  If you prefer a more dynamic presentation, you can cast small lightweight spinners and spoons.  We are stocked up on some great lightweight trout setups to get you on the water. 

Fly anglers can get in the mix by casting and retrieving small leeches, BMW’s and pumpkin heads sub surface.  Alternatively, you can suspend balanced leeches, blobs, and bright attractor chironomids under a light indicator setup.  This has been one of my most productive methods over the last few years.  It might take some patience but eventually this will pay off… it’s also a great warm up for ice off in the interior! 

I will add that a small boat or float tube can be a great way to explore some lakes close to home.  If you want to access the best trout and bass spots think about getting in the water after them.  Float tubes are affordable and versatile.  These inflatables can pack up small and can be hiked into more remote lakes… heck I have even taken my inflatable paddle board into the bush.  

Check Go Fish BC to see if your favorite spot has been stocked.  Lastly, be kind and courteous to your fellow anglers out there.  With Spring Break and nice warm weather, we see many anglers on the banks of our local lakes.  Remember, this fishery is intended to be inclusive and family friendly.  Give a hand to your fellow anglers and leave your fishing area cleaner than when you arrived. 

Cheers, 

Eric Peake 

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BC Interior Lake Fishing Report 

YES!  My first official Interior Lake Fishing Report of 2024 is here!  In case you can’t tell, I am super stoked to kick off the season.  It has been an early start for some lakes with the ice being off for a few weeks now.  That being said, it did just snow in the Interior, so winter isn’t letting go without a fight. 

This first week of April a lot of lakes are going to come off with temps getting up to 18 and 19 degrees C in Kamloops in the beginning of the week.  As of today, we can confirm the following lakes are off and there are probably a few more as well.  Swan, Shannon, Pat (Six Mile), Morgan, Barnes, Sawmill (Burnell), Monte and Jacko.  Stump is not off yet, but there is some open water in each end, so it’s very close. 

Early season it is all about the shoreline.  Popular and productive tactics include hanging flies under indicators and retrieving flies.  Focus on the shoreline out to about 15 feet of water with the shoreline out to 10 feet often being the key zone right after ice off.   

For indicator fishing, you should try hanging balanced or jig style leeches, scuds, baby damsels, blood worms, and of course blobs.  You can wind drift them, let them jiggle in the riffle if there is one, and if it is flat calm let it sit and try a few twitches now and then to get some attention. 

For retrieving flies, the leech is often the way to go this time of year.  Experiment with different shades or colour bead heads and retrieves.  Retrieving a scud can also be a productive way to fish this time of year.  Of course, if all else fails, out come the booby flies!  To fish these flies, you can use anything from a floating line and a weighted fly to a hover, intermediate, type 3 or type 6 line.  The final decision will be based on how deep you want to present the fly, how deep the water is and your rate of retrieve.  One line can’t do it all, so have some options in your boat bag. 

It will be a while before we see some strong and predominant chronie hatches, so for now focus on the shorelines and the techniques mentioned above and you will be in the game.  Also, be prepared to move a lot.  If you aren’t catching fish, seeing fish getting caught, or seeing fish roll, give it 30-45 minutes and then go try somewhere else.  Now, if you have some of the new forward facing sonar technology you will be able to scan the area to see if fish are present!  You are going to be seeing a lot more pictures and videos about this in 2024 as more anglers are adopting this technology along with the hefty price tag.  If you are interested in learning more about this, stay tuned as I will be doing an article on it a little later in the season. 

See you in the shop or on the water, 

Jason Tonelli  

SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS 

Vancouver Winter Chinook Fishing Report, Regulation Update, Coho Outlook 

Well, this is it, the last weekend before chinook in our local water closes to “no fishing for chinook” regulations effective April 1^st.  More on that later; let’s focus on the positive for this weekend, which is the great fishing, crabbing and prawning.  

The fishing has been good this past week.  There are definitely some nice schools of chinook around, the trick is finding them.  We have been out all week and have had success at a variety of locations.   

Our typical strategy has been to fish South Bowen from Cowan Point up to Roger Curtis.  Most days this has produced some nice chinook and we have been getting them 80-130 on the riggers in 150-350 feet of water.  

When this area isn’t producing, we are generally heading over to the Bell Buoy area and have had success as far out as the QA Marker and as far in as the Mile Markers along Spanish Banks.  Most of the action has been close to the bottom around the Mile Markers and Bell.  Out off the QA try 70-130 on the riggers as it is around 350 feet deep out there.  There have also been fish caught in the Freighters and at the Cap Mouth.  There are lots of spots to try, the fish are moving around a lot, so you may need to as well. 

Crabbing and prawning have been excellent, especially the crabbing.  It seems to be a lot better than recent years, so that is nice to see.  The prawning has really held up as well, and we have about a month of that left before the commercial fleet opens up. 

Productive tackle for these March feeder chinook has been mostly chartreuse shades.  Our favorite bright and glow flashers like Salty Dawg, Lemon Lime have been working well paired up with similar chartreuse and green spoons with glow.  Irish Cream, Trailhead, and Outfitter colours are all good choices in Skinny G or 3.5 Kingfisher.  Hootchies are also working well and like the spoons, your chartreuse glow or green glow splatter back versions are the way to go. 

So, get out there this weekend before it closes to no fishing for chinook April 1^st.  I will get into the details of those regs and the next chinook retention opportunities in next week’s report, but for now it is 2 chinook a day, hatchery or wild, 62cm or greater, until end of day March 31^st. 

What I do want to talk about now is coho!  We are seeing thousands of juvenile coho in the Strait of Georgia this winter.  They are over at Gabriola, in the middle, and off Bowen.  This is great news, as it looks like most of the coho are going to stick around our local waters to feed instead of leaving for the West Coast.  This bodes well for the June, July, and August coho fishery this summer.   

I hope you had a chance to experience this fishery last year as it was phenomenal.  Fingers crossed it is that good again this summer.  Even if it is half as good as last year it will be exceptional fishing.  Retention for hatchery coho starts in June, so in the meantime, release all juvenile coho with care. 

Have a great long weekend!  We are open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and gone fishing Monday! 

See you in the shop or on the water, 

Jason Tonelli