Been quite a week for me, seems like nothing can go quite right and every boat I own is having issues. I spend all winter in our shop working a preparing boats for the next season, you would think once spring arrives and boats are in the water, everything would go according to plan, wrong…. I guess the good news is most of the issues were minor, things like bilge pumps, fuses, alternator and a new kicker motor for the KingFisher. Oh well, maybe now we are ready for the season, oh ya, maybe a couple new 150 Verdaos might be on order.

Let’s forget about the boats and talk about fishing this past week.

Lots of talk about a 11ft 6 inch Sturgeon caught by a local angler in the Mission area last week. News spread like wildfire on the internet so fishing pressure was a bit higher than normal in Hatzic Flats area where the big one was caught. I think I can say that Spring Freshet has officially begun as water levels on the Fraser have risen from 3.7 meter on April 3 to 4.5 meters on April 10. On Saturday April 6 we saw a big push of sticks and logs in the river but it has since cleared up and the river was in pretty good shape yesterday.

Fraser River Sturgeon – Sturgeon fishing has been inconsistent for the most part, one day you get 7 or 8, next day 3 or 4. The past few days fishing has slowed, probably due to cold weather front and the rise in river levels, yesterday we fish from Mission to New Westminster with okay fishing but nothing to get too excited about. Walt hooked a big 8ft sturgeon yesterday but unfortunately it was not hooked properly so they got punished trying to let him go. I took a run down to the Alex Fraser yesterday afternoon to see if there was any signs of Eulichons in the river, didn’t see much going on so my guess is that it is still a bit early.

Sturgeon fishing will improve considerably over the next few weeks as weather and water temperatures begin to rise. Watch for pods of seals feeding close to shore and sturgeon breaking surface as these are two good indications that Eulichons are present in the water. Best boats this week have been Lamprey but we have got fish on Salmon eggs as well. Our bookings are sold for the last two weeks of April and most of May but we always have more room to get you out on the water.

Vedder Steelhead fishing has been pretty good this past week, water levels are up but lots of fish getting caught on both fly and gear. As water levels rise, access to the Vedder becomes more difficult so this is probably going to be the last kick at the can before the season is over for most anglers. May 1st and the Vedder will change to Fly Fishing only , the only downside is that water levels are often too high to access the good water.

STS Guide Braeden Szlabon has been working the Vedder hard this week, some great catches to show for it.

April 27 Hells Gate Tour still have 4 seats available, if you would like to join us for this wild and crazy ride, the cost is $129 p/p. The trip departs from Hope and is about 4 hours in length.

Vancouver Salmon Fishing has been up and down this past week, we have seen some good reports coming from QA to Bell Buoy area and South end of Bowen Island should start to pick up in the next week or two. Crab and prawn fishing has been excellent so great time to get those traps out. We do drop crab traps on all trips but prawn traps only on 8 or 10 hour charters. The reason for this is that prawning takes considerable time away from fishing so it just doesn’t make sense to drop them on 6 hour charters.

We have quite a few trips going out over the next two weeks so if you are looking to get on the water, give us a call. Our saltwater boats are moored at the Delta Hotel in Richmond so we are only minutes away from the prime fishing grounds.

Want to get the most up to date fishing reports from the water ? You can either join our facebook page or go to our fishing blog site at https://blog.guidebc.com/ and click on the " follow us" button.

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Please feel free to call or e-mail us with any questions or concerns.

Vic Carrao

STS Guiding Service

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This is the report everyone is waiting for, enjoy the read and feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Lots of great news to report, we have just finished up with our spring fishery meetings for both Federal & Provincial Government as well as our Sturgeon technical and community working groups. Throughout our report I have provided you with 2013 pre-season forecast as well as some seasonal timing information. This is the report everyone is waiting for, so enjoy.

Trade Show season is in full steam ahead, I am heading to Edmonton on Monday for the biggest and best fishing show of the year. Quite a few changes at this year’s show as they have joined with Fish’n Hole. Not only will the Fish’n Hole have a large retail booth in Hall B but all the tackle manufactures will be there as well. I will be in Edmonton & Red Deer for a couple weeks then heading to GP so if you’re looking for a fishing partner, I think I might have a few days to spare.

Bookings for 2013 are very strong, if you’re wanting to fish primetime with us you need to book early especially if you are wanting to fish with us in September of October. The spring sturgeon fishery is approaching fast so give me a call and we will do our best to get you on the water.

Our booth location has changed this year from booth number #375 to #370 & 371. We are in the same isle as past years but further north on the main isle way.

If you have trouble finding please call me 604-671-3474.

After spending 6 hours on a sturgeon working group conference call yesterday I had the itch to get out, went out for an hour last night and landed 3 fish.

Sturgeon fishing is starting to warm up, I was out last night for an hour and hooked 3 fish. Tom and Walt are out on the water right now doing a couple trips, Tom just text me and reported the fishing as "Stupid" ?, I think that is slang for really good, lol. Tom texted me at 10:30am, they had landed 4 fish over 5 ft and a few smaller ones so looks like the season is starting a bit early this year. The Spring fishery is our next peak season with April 1 to May 30 being best for action. We have some great deals on right now " Fill the Boat" special so good time to take advantage of the great fishing opportunity.

Lots of talk about Eulachon this year as they are considering listing them under SARA and there will be no fishing for them on the Fraser which means you can’t use Fraser Eulachon for bait. what does this mean for you the sturgeon angler? At our local SFAC meeting on March 7 we received an update from C & P officer Doug Cliff. Officers on the water will be checking anglers for the usually violations but this year they will also be looking for "proof of purchase" for any Eulachon found on your boat. The only place that still harvests Eulachon is in Alaska so you must have proof that they were purchased from this region.

Sturgeon update – speaking of sturgeon, lots of encouraging news the past few days, population has increased to 49,313 from 44,713k with a good portion of those fish being from the 140 to 180 class range which is 4-6 footers. These fish could be potential spawners for upcoming spawning season so great news for sturgeon population. Another notable good news story is that the growth rates in 2012 were above average which means fish are happy, feeding well and growing faster than normal.

Sturgeon handling is still something that we as anglers and guides need to improve on. The Sturgeon Best handling Practices was designed provincial fishery managers with help from local fishing reps including myself. These guidelines ensure that sturgeon are being handled correctly with least amount of harm and that this world class fishery can continue for years to come. Please take the time to review the latest Best handling Practices at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/docs/ws_guidelines.pdf

This is a great example of how sturgeon must be handled, any fish over 1.5 meters must remain in the water at all times.

(except when they are tailing talking of course)

Salmon fishing in Vancouver area has been fairly good the past few weeks, best action that I have heard of is coming from the Ladner region near the south arm of the Fraser in front of the Delta Ship yards. Heard of a 10 fish day recently and fairly consistent fishing producing 2 or 3 fish each time out. The freighters around Vancouver Harbour are also producing fish and south end of Bowen should start to produce good results soon…

Our 28ft Kingfisher is ready to hit the water, we offer daily charters from the Delta Airport Hotel located across the street from the Vancouver Airport and only 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver & 2 minutes from downtown Richmond.

Fraser River Chinook Salmon pre-season forecast was released a few days ago, overall it is very encouraging but we still have issues with our early spring & summer Chinook stocks returning to the Fraser. Fishing for Chinook will be much the same as 2012 with no fishing opportunity in the Fraser River until July 16, then slot limit from of 1 fish under 77cm until August 1. These numbers are still subject to change based on the in-season test fishery at Albion but very likely this is what we will be looking at. The Summer 4.1 Chinook ( late south Thompson) return is expected to below 2011 but enough to allow for sport fishing opportunity. The Fall Chinook Runs look promising for both Chilliwack & Harrison with a pre-season terminal abundance of 66k.

Sockeye pre-season forecast is encouraging, early runs are still a concern but summer run is predicted to be strong with a 50% probability of 4.765million fish returning to the Fraser. These fish are mostly Chilko & Quesnel River stocks contributing 78% of the total return forecast whereas the early runs contribute 9% late runs contribute 12%. I would suggest that anglers who are planning on bb for salmon wait until the sockeye numbers are up and DFO announces a sport fishing opportunity.

Pink/Coho/Chum Salmon Forecast is a bit lower than I expected but still looking good for both recreational angling and sturgeon food supply. Pink Salmon Pre-season forecast at a 50% probability is 8,926,000, almost 9 million with a 90% probability of 17 million. My guess is it will be somewhere in between. Peak run timing is middle of September. The Chum and Coho returns both look to be about the same as 2012 which was good but we will still be looking at a Interior Fraser Coho selective fishery with window closure same as previous years.

Overall I think we are in for a better salmon season that 2012, the good news for STS clients is that we offer salmon fishing in Vancouver and Vancouver island from April to August so even when the Fraser Salmon Fishery is not open, we can still put you on some great salmon fishing. We also offer combination trips for Fraser Sturgeon & Vancouver Island Salmon so be sure to give us a call before making your holiday plans.

Fly & Spin Fishing the Upper Pitt

June 1 to August 15 – is peak fly fishing for sea-run Bull Trout on the Upper Pitt River. These fish enter the Upper river from the lake heading for their spawning ground in Garibaldi Park. These fish are chrome bright and full of fight. Size ranges from 3 to 10 lbs with lots of fish in the 4-6 lb range. Some of the larger fish can reach as much as 14lbs. This is one of British Columbia’s Premier fisheries with limited access and a wilderness experience. Late July the sockeye begin to enter as well as the Chinook Salmon so it makes for some great fishing. Our regular rate is $850 for 2 anglers but we are currently offering $100 off for early bookings.

This fish was caught in early August on the Upper Pitt River.

Our fly fishing adventures begin only 40 minute drive from Vancouver. We fish 7 river systems within 1 hours drive of Vancouver including one of British Columbia’s best kept secrets. Trout fishing is a year round fishery with several peak periods when trout fishing is at its best. Typically winter and spring offer some good fly fishing opportunities on several river systems, late May to June offers spectacular fly fishing for sea-run trout and local resident fish. Salmon fry are just starting to hatch so this is a good time to try your luck at fly fishing for cutthroat trout. We offer daily charters on both Harrison & Fraser River.

Left to right: STS Guides Vic Carrao, Casey Martin, Braeden Szlabon, Tom Pearce, Doug Elias

The BC Fishing & Hunting Show was a great success, I love seeing some of my old friends and past and current clients. Lots of great fish stories and we get to see what is new for 2013. The Berkley booth was by far one of the more active booths in the show, kids were reeling in the big one on our fish simulator while Dad got to check out all the great rods and reels.

Love those pink boots, you go girl.

I was caught off guard on Saturday morning when I was call to the Berkley/Pure Fishing booth for a Pro Staff meeting. I started to think we were all in trouble when Pure Fishing Marketing Manager Chris Hockely started to speak. Turns out that Chris is moving onto a bigger and better position within Pure Fishing as the new USA Berkley marketing manager and I was awarded the Pure Fishing " Ambassador of the Year" award. Thanks to Chris and Harry for their support and I much appreciate them for all they do for our team at STS Guiding Service.

I will be traveling for the next few weeks but we are open for business with Tom and the guys ready to guide you on your next adventure. You can call us on our toll free number 1-855-223-5453 or my cell at 604-671-3474. I will be checking my e-mails twice a day so feel free to e-mail me at sts@guidebc.com

If you have a friend who loves fishing, please feel free to pass along our report or have them join us on facebook or follow us on our blog.

Hope to see you along my travels, tight lines.

Vic Carrao

STS

The Biggest fishing & hunting show is only a week away. The BC Boat & Sportsman Show is going to be bigger and better than ever this year. Lots of great products, new vendors and a 50ft Fish tank with live fish that i get to cast to while doing seminars. I did this once at the Calgary Bass Pro Shop Grande opening and had a blast until one of the fish wouldn’t let go of the Berkley Scented worm. We will have to wait and see what fish are in the tank before I decide what to cast at them.

Vancouver Saltwater Fishing

We have been working on our 28ft Kingfisher all winter doing some minor repairs and upgrades and are now ready to put it back into service. We will be moving the boat back to our Delta Airport Hotel location this week and should be ready for spring Chinook fishing early next week. Our associate guides have been out a bit this winter with typical mixed results, some great days followed by "where did all the fish go".

Chris was out fishing Howe Sound a few days ago and caught this 9lb feeder Chinook, pretty typical of what you can expect this time of year. Over the next month we should start to see some larger Chinook around the harbour as well as the Gulf Islands. We offer daily trips out of Vancouver & Richmond area so please don’t hesitate to call us if you are looking for information or a last minute charter.

Fraser River Trout

The Fraser is in great shape with good visibility for trout fishing. Heard of a few small Cutthroat caught this week in the main flow but we are still a few weeks away from the spring salmon fry hatch. Once the fry start to hatch the Fraser will begin producing some great trout fishing for fly anglers. Using patterns that imitate salmon fry will be your best choice. We have an extensive fly tying gallery on our website for those of you looking to tie up some patterns before the season get going. http://www.guidebc.com/flypatterns.asp

Here is one of my favorites

Epoxy Chum Fry Hook: #6-10 Thread: 6/0 Olive Body: Silver Diamond Braid or Mylar Tubing Tail: Olive Mallard Back: Olive Mallard Head: Olive Thread Eyes: 2/2.5 mm Stick on Eyes

Tying Instructions: Start by tying in the diamond braid at the bend of the hook and wrap forward ¾ way up the hook. Build up a large enough head using your thread so that the eyes can be later put on. Tie in mallard with tips pointing forward. Whip finish. Restart your thread at the bend and pull mallard over the back of the hook and tie off mallard. Tail length can be ¼ to ½ the shank length. Coat the fly in a thin coat of epoxy, add the eyes at this time.

Fraser River Sturgeon

Although we don’t do allot of winter sturgeon fishing we did have 1 group out last weekend. Fishing was fair but we still prefer to let sturgeon rest a bit longer while water temperatures remain quite cool. Once we begin to see some warming trends we will get back out and begin offering daily charters. Usually Middle to end of March things begin to pick up so it’s a good time to begin booking your spring trip. Best fishing in spring is between April 10 to May 30 when the Eulichons are in the river.

Spring Specials

• "Fill The Boat" Spring Special. 6 hours for $560, 8 hours for $700, up to 4 anglers. Total Savings – $120 off our regular price. Trip must be taken before July 15.
• Sturgeon Seminar – book 2 seats on our Spring sturgeon seminar and receive a 3rd seat for Free. Total Savings – $175
• Jet Boat Seminar – book 2 seats on our Spring Jet Boat seminar and receive a 3rd seat for Free. Total Savings – $195

Vedder River

The Vedder has been fishing good this week, several of our guides have been out with some excellent results. Water levels have been stable but raining pretty hard today so not too sure what that will do to the water clarity. We are expecting more rain so it will be a hit/miss fishery over the next few days. Overall the season has been good with average run size returning to the Vedder this year. Over the next few weeks we should see the largest push of fish so now’s the time to be out on the Vedder. Salmon eggs, roe bags and small wool ties have all been producing fish. I would start using sand shrimp or even table shrimp as water temperatures begin to warm.

Nice fish landed by STS guide Dan Macleod this past week.

Here’s another beauty chrome doe to hit the beach.

Chehalis River

I drove over the Chehalis River this morning, the river is in good shape but was on the rise as the rain was just pouring down. We are getting snow in the higher elevations so it should not blow out for the weekend unless air temperatures rise above 8 or 9 degrees. There are a few nice steelies been caught on the Chehalis but overall fishing is a bit slow. Hiking into the canyon is a good bet or try fishing one of the larger runs below the main bridge. I would suggest using smaller offerings such as roe bags or table shrimp for best success.

Harrison River

Water levels continue to be very low on the Harrison, water clarity is excellent. For those of you that fish this river regularly, the boat ramp under the Harrison river bridge is closed until the water comes back up, kilby, on the other hand is still open and there is enough water to easily launch any boat up to 18′.

STS Guide Casey Martin was out a few days ago and it was the first day he has seen salmon fry in the river this year. The fish should start really start keying in on these but they will also still be looking for alevin so Make sure you have a good selection of both patterns if you are planning on heading out fishing. Here are a few of the ones we like to use.

Fishing was slow for us for the first half of the day but managed to land a number of fish by the late afternoon. The fish we have been catching lately have been on the smaller size with the odd fish in the 14-16 inch range. Due to the low clear water most of the spots we like to fish are too shallow to hold fish in them at this time. The fish that we are catching are coming out of spots where the deeper than 6 feet and you can’t see the bottom so try to focus on those spots if your out there on the water . Above are two photos of my largest cutthroat from yesterday it measured in at 16"

As more fry start to emerge in the coming weeks more fish will start to move into the system so expect this fishery get really good really soon. If your intrested in doing some winter trout fishing with us or if you have any questions. feel free to give us a call, Local 1-604-671-3474,
Toll free- 1-855-223-5453, or email us at info

Hells Gate Jet Boat Tours

Our big 28ft twin engine boat will be at the Tradex Show parked near the front doors. We are offering a show special which must be booked at the show so make sure you drop by our booth inside the show to get the details. Our next available tour is April 30, we still have a few seats so please feel free to e-mail or see us at the show.

For more information on our jet boat tours, please visit http://www.hellsgatejetboattours.com

West Coast Salmon & Halibut Fishing – 2013 Dates released for West Coast newest lodge,

Whales Reach Lodge at Coal Harbour has teamed up with STS and we are now offering our guests spectacular salmon & halibut fishing through the summer when salmon fishing is not available in the Fraser River. Our location offers calm water fishing for both Chinook & Coho and we don’t have to run 30 miles off shore for Halibut.

2013 season schedule

Our 4 day 3 night package is just enough time to fill the coolers with salmon and halibut for the year. Calm water fishing with opportunity to head out to sea for those like me who like to fish big west coast water.

Trip details – All inclusive packages with 2 – 4 anglers per boat, 100% guided, all gear provided. Arrival day begins with meet & greet then head out onto the water for an afternoon salmon fish, returning for a crab feast by the fire. Day 2 & 3 are full days fishing for salmon and halibut followed by dinner and post fishing activities. Wrap up this incredible trip with a morning fish before heading home with your cooler full of salmon, halibut, snapper, cod, bass, crab and some prawns.

Trip Dates:

1. July 18 – 21
2. July 21 – 24
3. July 25 – 28
4. July 28 – 31
5. Aug 1 – 4
6. Aug 4 – 7
7. Aug 8 – 11
8. Aug 12 – 15

The above dates are Thursday – Sunday or Sunday to Wednesday

Weekend and longer stays are available, maximum group size of 6 anglers per date. Combination package including Fraser Sturgeon are also available.

2013 Rates:

• 2 anglers – $2770 p/p
• 3 anglers – $2100 p/p
• 4 anglers – $1875 p/p