OUTLOOK
The first real Fall weather system is rolling through as we are writing this report. As storms go, it is pretty mild, and this is a good thing for all the fisheries. We needed water on our rivers, but we also didn’t want to see a large dump of water into the estuaries because that would cue all the fish in the harbour to head upriver.
On the saltwater front, we are keeping an eye on the marine forecast this weekend as it looks like there is a bit of wind coming through. With the rain, some fish will have pushed up into the rivers but there is more fish to come! Have a read of Jason’s saltwater report for a quick update of what we are expecting this week.
On the river front, it is go-time for many of the valley systems. With this in mind, we have a detailed Chilliwack report and an update on the Harrison where we are starting to hear reports of fish moving into the system. The Capilano River fishery is also another one to keep an eye on. If they open the dam expect good reports. The last local river we are going to look at is the Squamish. The water clarity is still an issue, but we see more fish are moving in. Check out all these reports in the Freshwater section below.
Jake has an update from our guided sturgeon trips this week so if you’re heading out this long weekend look at his report.
The other fishery we touch on in this week’s report is Interior Lake fishing. Jason was up in the Interior last week and Matt is heading up this weekend. Jason has an outlook for the next week and Matt will have more details from his trip in next week’s report.
Finally, we are open regular hours all weekend and closed on Monday for Truth and Reconciliation Day.
Long Weekend Hours
Friday September 27 | 10AM-7PM
Saturday September 28 | 10AM-6PM
Sunday September 29 | 11AM-5PM
Monday September 30 | Closed
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 1 SPOT AVAILABLE
Guided: Oct 19, 20, 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
Rain! Finally! While it didn’t end up raining as much as was forecasted, it was still enough to bump the C/V system up a bit- though not as much as one might have expected. The river jumped up .3 of a meter and has since dropped back down ~.15 of a meter, as of writing this report. While the increase in water levels wasn’t especially large, the increase in turbidity was, with visibility dropping to basically zero for a while. Of course, viz is now increasing as water levels drop; it was looking to be about 1’-2’ as of Thursday evening. With no significant rainfall in the forecast for the next few days, it’s safe to say that viz will continue to increase as the river drops.
As we can see, the river crested Thursday morning and has dropped a fair bit, save for a small secondary bump resulting from some rain on Friday morning.
It’s also safe to say that quite a few fish would’ve moved into the system with the increase in water levels; there were a ton of fish waiting at the mouth of the river. I’m expecting to hear some very good reports as the river drops and viz gets to a comfortable level… probably today, Friday, or Saturday. This is peak season for white chinook, and the coho run will be ramping up right now as well, so I’m expecting the numbers of chinook in the system to be ridiculously high, with quite a few coho mixed in as well. There will probably be a handful of chum around as well; be aware that they may not be targeted or retained, so treat any chum you happen to encounter with respect and release them as carefully as possible.
As I’ve been mentioning in pretty much every single report I’ve written this season, be sure to adjust your presentation to best suit the conditions you’re encountering- in this case, you’ll probably want to scale your gear up a bit to enhance visibility in the less-than-gin-clear water. Brighter colours, larger presentations, scent, flash and/or vibration will all increase your odds of success when the water is a bit dirtier- bait, larger beads (think 12-20mm and flourescent pink, red or orange), blades, spinners spoons and jigs will all be good options right now. With the water dropping, viz will be slowly, but constantly increasing- so having a variety of presentations on-hand will let you adjust your gear to continue to match the conditions as the conditions change throughout the course of the day.
With the bump in river levels coming right at the peak of chinook migration, I’m expecting this to be some of the best chinook fishing of the season- so now is the time to get out there if you’re looking to find some of these big, strong fish!
Taylor Nakatani
Squamish River Fishing Report
Salmon season on the Sea to Sky is starting. The quick onset of wet fall weather bumped up the main stem river. The good news is the river should have fish once it comes back into shape… The bad news is it will remain muddy until some seriously cooler alpine weather. Tributaries of the Squamish also spiked but will become fishable and clear faster than the main stem.
For anglers looking to get out in the next little while I would keep a sharp eye on the water levels: https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=08GA022 . It did crest over the 4-meter mark but should drop quickly.
If you are fishing muddy water, try upsizing your presentations. Larger spoons and spinners will thump bigger and make more commotion. Large dark twitching jigs will help hunt fish down in the slower pools and eddies. Large dark colored flies on the swing or strip can act the same for fly anglers. When the conditions are dirty, I also recommend fishing closer to shore. Fish will travel inside the faster outer current under the cover of dirty water.
I would also focus my efforts lower in the system. Upriver, we have had problems with washouts in and around the 22-25 km mark. This may stop you from accessing the upper reaches of the river.
Lastly, with the cool weather and salmon flooding the rivers, I would like to remind anglers to be bear aware. We are stocked with bear spray and holsters. Keep it quickly accessible when hiking and brush busting in the early morning… Bear spray will not help you if it’s stashed in your backpack.
Please do your part to keep our beautiful fishing venues free from garbage and be courteous to your fellow anglers.
Eric Peake
Harrison River Fishing Report
This past week saw a slight bump in water levels which was a good sign for those headed out that way. There have been sone encouraging reports from those doing some earlier scouting with some fish encountered by those willing to walk around and explore.
With that said, water levels are ever-changing at this time of year so please remember to wade and drift safely.
The Harrison is known for having spooky, laid-up fish so having a variety of flies in various shades and sparseness can play a role in success.
Small Christmas Trees and flash-flies are always a good card to have in your coho box, but don’t be scared to go simple: small sparse, rolled muddlers in various colours and sizes can sometimes be Charlies golden-ticket.
For those on gear, small spinners and spoons are a good bet, with Prime and Blue Fox spinners being popular choices alongside Rooster Tails, Gibbs Crocs, and Gibbs Koho spoons.
Standard issue coho gear, both fly and traditional, will work great, but when it comes to the terminal end of the gear, don’t be scared to lighten up as needed. When the river is up and coloured, standard leaders and lengths are fine, but when the water drops and clears up on the flats, don’t be scared to scale down to 10lb and 12lb Fluorocarbon, and even 8lb at times too.
Remember to wade safe, respect property, and leave the river cleaner than how you found it.
Keep your hooks sharp,
Jordan Simpson
Capilano Blast!
It’s go time! The tides were great and the beach was fishing very well. Coho are being taken by gear and fly anglers. Spinners spoons and spinner/hoochie rigs have been fooling fish the last 3 days.
Staffer Mike scoring a fresh one on the beach taking his new rod out for a test fish in the morning.
The river did not rise but a few pods of fish have squeezed up. The river is best targeted with small flies and small spinners and spoons. This is only a small taste of what is to come. Once we get a river bump from a dam opening, the fish will flood up.
We also have a fresh re-stock this morning of coho flies… I would say the best selection in town.
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
Interior Lake Fishing Report
Slowly but surely the lakes are cooling down as the nighttime temperatures drop into the single digits on the lower elevation lakes and below that on the lakes higher up on the plateaus.
In the meantime, there has been some excellent chironomid fishing and there is certainly no problem with that!
There are a few lakes where the chironomid fishing has slowed down and the fish have moved on to the staples like scuds and leeches. We will see more of this each week as the temperatures start to drop into mid-October and the fish move into shallower water to feed. Until then, I am happy to tie on a chironomid as I am sure it will be over quite quickly then out come the sinking lines and the scuds, leeches, boobies, snakes, etc.
October can be one of the best lake fishing months of the year and the pressure is generally a fraction of the spring season, so get out there while you can.
See you at the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
STURGEON FISHING REPORTS
Early September blessed us with some warm weather, but its finally starting to feel like Fall. It’s time to retire the shorts and T-shirts and get out the rain gear for some of the most exciting sturgeon fishing of the year! September in the lower Fraser River has so far been nothing short of outstanding.
Our Pacific Angler jet boat has been out regularly, returning with tales of double-digit hookups, double headers, and some massive sturgeon. The incredible productivity of the fishery right now can be partly credited to the exceptional salmon run in the Fraser River this season. Discarded salmon parts—like heads and fins—have been the go-to bait since they’re abundant in the river and exactly what the sturgeon are focusing on. Salmon roe has also proven to be highly effective and will remain a top bait choice as we move deeper into the Fall.
These fish are highly motivated right now. With so much food present in the river, the sturgeon are seizing the opportunity and feeding aggressively. Expect big runs and massive jumps from these energized and eager fish. If you’re heading out on your own, make sure you’re equipped with the right gear to handle these powerful fish and fresh, high-quality bait. With an overwhelming number of salmon in the river, sturgeon have plenty of options. If your bait isn’t top-notch, they won’t hesitate to pass it up. If you have questions on what gear you’ll need or how to rig up bait for sturgeon, swing by the shop! The guys can get you set up and pointed in the right direction.
This is truly prime time for sturgeon fishing. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind experience, just a short drive from downtown Vancouver, hop on our jet boat and get in on the action! Call us at 778-788-8582 or visit sturgeonfishingvancouver.ca to book your trip online.
Cheers,
Jake Comrie
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
Rain, rain, go away, we want to chinook fish one more day! It was inevitable, it’s late September and we finally got hit with some rain. This will no doubt push some fish up the Fraser and maybe even the Cap, but the good news is there are more fish to come.
There are still some Fraser chinook being caught further up the Strait of Georgia and there are thousands of coho heading our way as well. This means that we have some good fishing ahead of us and the rain looks to be letting up just in time for the weekend. I have had some fantastic coho days off the Fraser well into October and we usually get a few chinook as a bonus.
So, it’s not too late to head out to the Fraser Mouth this weekend, preferably the South Arm, if the winds let you (and they may not) so don’t forget the Cap mouth is also a good option at this year time of year for chinook and coho.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
