Guide Profile- Doug Elias

Guide Profile – Doug Elias

Doug is a local boy who was born and raised in Abbotsford, BC. He played junior hockey for the Abbotsford Pilots as a youngster then as an adult went to work for corrections Canada.

Doug began working as a guide on a part time basis back in 2005 deckhanding for Vic Carrao who at the time was injured with a separated bicep from an ATV accident. Vic recalls the accident like it was yesterday, “My youngest daughter Deanna was loading her ATV on the trailer after a ride and accidentally hit the throttle instead of the brake, I grabbed the back of the ATV as it was launched off the trailer, I tried to stop it with no luck, the force was so great it tore my right bicep into two parts”.

At the time of Vic’s injury (2005) Doug was already an avid angler who mostly fly fished local rivers and lakes. He was working full time as a corrections officer and fished for fun and stress relief. “I saw an advertisement on the STS weekly fishing report and thought, what the heck, why not” recalls Doug. I went for an interview and was hired to help Vic get through his season as his right arm was in a full cast from surgery. So like many of the long-time STS Guides, Doug started as a deckhand for Vic.

Doug recalls many good times and stories, most of which we won’t repeat here, lol. The old Harrison Bay days when STS ran their entire guiding business out of Harrison Bay Store dock. Doug worked side by side with Vic that first summer, then began running one of their boats and eventually purchased his own jet boat in 2007. Doug recalls on one of his first trips his rods and reels didn’t hold up and by the end of his day they had all broken. The Idaho Boys were a regular group that came up to fish each summer, “they were crazy fanatical fisherman recalls Doug” I think they broke two of my rods before lunch says Doug.

Since those early days Doug has transformed his part time passion into a full time job. Retiring from corrections in 2014, Doug is now going into his 6th season as a full time fishing guide and 15th season as one of STS’s top guides. More recently Doug has purchased his dream jet boat a 2017 23ft Thunderjet jet boat fully equipped with the latest and greatest fishing gear and electronics. Doug is an accomplished fly fisherman as well as sturgeon and salmon in both fresh and salt water. Doug has also played an important role in helping STS promote the Fraser River attending many trade shows as one of their representatives. If you’re booking a trip with STS don’t hesitate to ask for Doug, if he is not already booked, he would be a great choice for any group.

Celebrating 25 years of Guiding Fishing Adventures: 1994-2019

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