OUTLOOK
October is here and with it we are into prime-time river salmon fishing season, prime time interior lake fishing season, and prime time sturgeon fishing season! It also looks like saltwater fishing is still well worth an outing. We are hearing great reports for the back end of the season.
In this week’s report, we look at all the major river systems where salmon fishing is going strong, and the egg eater fisheries which have started to pick up as more salmon eggs are being dropped.
Jason tunes in for the saltwater report. We are getting late in the season but there are still good reports coming in and it looks as though there is still more of the season left before we can soon turn our eyes to winter chinook fishing.
We also have a sturgeon fishing update. If you want to get out on a charter, now is the time to call and lock in that date.
Last, temperatures are dropping on the Interior lakes. Matt and Jason were out last weekend and have some key strategies to take on your next Fall trip to the Interior!
On to the report!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Fly Fishing for Salmon in Rivers
Fly fishing for salmon is one of the most exciting fisheries in the Lower Mainland. Let us teach you the techniques and the hot spots to catch salmon on the fly in our local rivers. In the 3hr evening seminar you will learn about rod, reel and line, sink tip, and fly selection. Then put the skills into practice during a fully guided day on the water where you will learn how to read water and swing the fly!
Seminar: Oct 16, 2024 2 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Guided: Oct 26 or 27, 2024
Custom Trip Dates Available
Seminar Only Cost: $75.00+GST
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $325.00+GST per angler, minimum of 2 anglers per guided day on the water.
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Guided: Full Day
Fly Fishing Egg Patterns
This course is designed to teach you the secrets to one of the most productive presentations in the BC fly fishermen’s arsenal; nymphing egg patterns. This deadly method can be used for different species of trout, char, and salmon. During a 3 hour evening seminar we will teach you key concepts, strategies, and gear that will give you a well-rounded foundation during the seminar portion of the class. Then you will put those skills into practice during a fully guided day on the water.
Dates:
Seminar: Nov 20, 2024
Guided: Nov 23 or 24, 2024
Seminar Only Cost: $75.00+GST
Seminar & Guided Walk’n Wade Cost: $325.00+GST
Seminar Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Guided: Full Day
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report
As expected, last week’s rain pushed a lot of fish into the C/V system- tons of chinook, lots of coho and even a small handful of chum. Fishing was very good after the water started dropping and viz had improved to a fishable level. Although the water didn’t come up quite as much as I was hoping, it was definitely still enough to get fish moving. There’s some rain in the forecast for Friday, though the current forecast is only for 10-15mm… which I don’t think will be enough to do much to the river for the weekend. There’s some inconsistent weather (including some rain) in the extended forecast, but I don’t usually trust any forecast that’s more than 3 days in the future these days.
To say that there are a lot of chinook in the C/V system would be a massive understatement; there are hordes of the things in that river right now. It’s only early October, so there will still be ~1-2 weeks of chinookageddon before that run starts to taper off. Remember, the chinook run usually peaks somewhere around the last week of September. Quite a few coho pushed into the system with the rain as well, perhaps more than I was expecting. That run typically peaks around the second week of October, so that fishery will be ramping up now; there are already a lot of coho around and fishing for them has been quite good. As was briefly mentioned, a few chum have pushed into the system; be aware that they may not be targeted or retained, as the return is expected to be very poor this year.
One thing that I have noted many, many times is that, when there are a ton of chinook around, the coho fishing can get unexpectedly tough- this is not because the coho aren’t around, but rather because chinooks are bullies. To be more specific, you’ll find that the chinook will occupy the “best” part of a given run- usually the deepest, slowest water- and actively push other fish out of that prime holding water. As such, the coho will often be found outside the prime holding water, usually quite close to shore or in the tailout. If they’re in the tailout, that’s not so bad, but if they’re close to shore, you have a problem. You’ll find that being close to shore in suboptimal holding water will make them very skittish and less than willing to bite. As such, your best bet will be to target coho at first light or last light, when lighting conditions make them less spooky; you’ll also want to avoid making a bunch of ruckus close to the water’s edge to avoid spooking them- tread lightly, try to stay outside the fish’s “vison window”, and avoid pointing your flashlight at the water if it’s still dark out.
All the usual gear that I’ve talked about in past reports has been and will continue to be producing fish- float fishing with bait, beads, blades, yarn and jigs, or casting spinners, spoons and jigs if the conditions allow will all yield results. Adjust your presentation (size, colour, type of water you’re fishing) to suit the conditions, and do your best to find some water with less angling pressure (this can be hard on the C/V system, admittedly), and your odds of finding fish will be very high.
Taylor Nakatani
Squamish River Fishing Report
Water levels have dropped after the little bump of rain last week. This pushed fish upriver to kick off the coho season. Water clarity remains an issue in the Sea to Sky region. Visibility has varied from a foot or two down to unfishable chocolate milk. When the conditions are challenging, it is best to prepare with a variety of gear and fly presentations.
Gear anglers should be prepared with larger Koho and Croc spoons as well as dark coloured twitching jigs. Float fishing can also be productive. Fishing beads in larger sizes will find coho and trout. If you know fish are moving through, try drifting a colorado blade under a float. A bright chartreuse or fire red blade creates a ton of vibration and helps fish track your presentation in the poor visibility.
Fly anglers are going with larger flashy streamers in the stained water. Chartreuse, black, purple, and fluorescent pink are all good colours. Try to have a few medium size weighted patterns for stripping in slower water and larger flowing popsicle flies for swinging moving water. We are re stocked on all your heavy and trout versileaders so you can get down to depth fast. It might be a bit early but fly anglers can also look to bead and indicator fishing. This will pick up coho and trout as the season progresses.
The valley is remote with ever-changing conditions. It’s bear season so go strapped with bear spray. Take the time to leave your return time and trip plans with someone you trust, and make sure your vehicle is capable of handling the rough roads.
Eric Peake
Harrison River Fishing Report
This past week saw a good influx of fresh fish with anglers finding them throughout the system. With the fish moving around and river levels staying static, coho are starting to be found in large groups, often stacked up together as they rest in slow moving areas.
There have been decent reports of anglers on both fly and gear rods getting into fish, with anglers finding success from shore and watercraft. With the mention of watercraft, now is a great time to take your smaller watercraft to look around back-channels and sloughs; often times larger craft can be too big for low water conditions and can’t always get into smaller troughs and sloughs.
Spinners, spoons, and jigs are all great options for the gear anglers, with Colorado blades being drifted along holding seams as well.
For those flinging feathers and fur, having a mix of patterns can be a great way to target these fish as they will often take a few different attempts to activate them.
Some days they want small and sparse patterns such as Naked or Rolled Muddlers. Other days they want the flash of Arrow’s and Comets.
Jordan Simpson
Capilano River and Beach Fishing Update
The beach continues to put out fish! Gear anglers are doing well on coho with the odd chinook on spinners and spoons. You could call this the bonus round of beach fishing… Once the river bumps the salt fishery will quickly diminish. If you have a few hours to kill locally this is your fishery.
The river has coho tricking through with the high tides and rainy weather. If you keep the gear small and get out early you might get lucky. Fly anglers might have the advantage until the river bumps and the river floods with coho and chinook.
Eric Peake
Sturgeon Fishing Report
Fraser River Sturgeon Fishing Report
September is now behind us, and it certainly didn’t disappoint on the Lower Fraser! The sturgeon fishing this past month has been some of the best we’ve seen all year, with each day outdoing the last. The sturgeon have been feeding aggressively, putting on quite the show with multiple jumps and huge runs. Double headers have been common, and some impressive giants have made their way to the beach.
Bait Tips for Success
When it comes to bait, roe and discarded salmon parts have still been key. With so many sturgeon actively feeding right now, if you’re hunting for a giant, expect to sift through a few smaller ones before hooking into the big one. If your main goal is to land a monster, don’t hesitate to run larger baits. You’ll be amazed at what these massive sturgeon can inhale, and using bigger bait helps deter the smaller fish, giving the heavyweights a chance to see it.
Remember, the largest sturgeon in the Fraser River are seasoned and cautious, so they’ll be more wary than their smaller counterparts if there’s any issue with your bait. Always use fresh, unspoiled bait, and minimize handling to keep the scent as natural as possible. Rig your bait in a way that leaves the hook point exposed. If the point is covered, you risk missing hook sets, especially with circle hooks. Keep a hook file handy as well. These fish have very tough mouths; each missed bite or fish landed can significantly dull your hook.
October is Prime Time
October is traditionally an exceptional time for sturgeon fishing, and the few trips we’ve had so far this month are proving just that. If you’re looking for a thrilling battle with these river dinosaurs, you’re in luck. Just a short drive from Vancouver, our Pacific Angler jet boat, moored in Richmond, BC at Vancouver Marina, offers easy access to world-class sturgeon angling.
Don’t miss your chance to experience the action! Call us at 778-788-8582 to book your trip today. For more sturgeon fishing info and the latest reports, visit our website at sturgeonfishingvancouver.ca.
Jake Comrie
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
Local Lake Fishing Report
We haven’t reported on the local lakes in several weeks, but it is time to keep an eye on GofishBC. Every Fall, our local lakes throughout the province are re-stocked. This creates a great opportunity to take the kids out or to get in some easy access fishing. Check out the GofishBC site here for the latest stocking reports.
Interior Lake Fishing Report
September is in the books, and it was a good one for the fall chironomid angler. The gradual transition to cooler water temps meant many of the productive chironomid lakes had great hatches throughout September, resulting in some awesome fall lake fishing.
Although there are still going to be some chironomids coming off somewhere, for the most part those hatches are over, and the fish are starting to head into the shallows in search of fall staples. On a recent trip I saw this, as fisherman were doing well fishing right into the weeds with scuds and leeches. There will be a lot more of this all October and into November as the waters are cooling off rapidly, with most lakes now in the mid to low 50’s.
If you are heading out you want to make sure you have a variety of scud patterns with and without beads, leeches with and without beads in a jig style and traditional style, baby damsel patterns, attractor jig style leeches like the Vampire and the same style fly in olive, maroon and brown shades, bloodworms and of course blobs and boobies when you really want to get their attention. All these flies can be fished under a strike indicator, wind drifted under the indicator, retrieved with the indicator, or retrieved on their own. The one exception would be the booby, which needs to be retrieved on a sinking line.
You will also need a variety of sinking lines to cover the different depths of water you will need to fish from a clear intermediate, a slow sink, medium sink, and a fast sink. Final choice will depend on how deep the fish are and how fast your retrieve is. Usually, I have one fly under the bobber, and I am casting and retrieving with the other rod. If the bobber rod is hot, I will go to two bobber rods.
So “true” Fall fishing is now upon us and it is some of the best of the year. I’ll see yah up there!
Jason Tonelli
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
The first week of October is already here and we have the typical fall rains in effect. Despite the low-pressure systems and the rain, the fishing this past week at the South Arm and T-10 was quite good. There were some big fish around and I know quite a few people were sending me pictures of chinook in the high 20’s and a few Tyees as well. As to be expected, there were lots of coho around and that will continue for a few more weeks. The chinook will be dwindling down now, but with it being such a strong return, even this late into the season the fishing has been very good.
Chum are also opening up on the 5th. Here is the info:
FN1033-RECREATIONAL Salmon – Chum – Areas 11 to 20, 28, 111, 121 to 127 and Subareas 29-1 to 29-5, 29-8 – Opening – Effective October 5, 2024
Effective 00:01 hours October 5, 2024, until 23:59 hours March 31, 2025, the daily limit of Chum salmon is two (2) in the following waters:
Areas 11 to 21, 28, 111, 121 to 127, and Subareas 29-1 to 29-5 and 29-8.
We will be focusing on winter chinook, aka feeder chinook, in the coming weeks as the last pushes of coho and chinook head up the Fraser and into the Capilano with the Fall rains. It’s been an amazing summer and Fall season and the boats have been pretty much booked all summer long, so thank you for that everyone! Time to get a few of them up on the land and do some repairs to get things ready for the winter season. I do a lot of my personal fishing and guiding in the winter, so I am looking forward to getting out there in November once I am done writing booking orders for the 2025 season and done chasing trout in Region 3 and 5.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
