Vancouver & Gulf Island Salmon Fishing
Fishing has been up and down this past week, on Friday we landed 2 nice Chinook and a boat load of crab, Saturday was a tuff day producing no salmon but still lots of crab. Both days we fished the Gulf Islands in around Thrasher Rock area. South end of Bowen Island produced some nice fish but unfortunately we chose to fish Gulf Islands in hopes of some of those larger Chinook.
Over the next few weeks we will be fishing both Vancouver area and Gulf Islands choosing which ever is fishing best. With Fathers Day coming up in a few weeks we suggest booking early and taking advantage of our Fathers Day Special which can be found on our specials page http://www.guidebc.com/accommodations/accomm_special.asp
For those of you wanting to try fishing on your own, the standard terminal tackle is working well, Flaming Hans Spoons, Army Truck Hoochies and of course Anchovies. Bouncing your cannon ball off the bottom is a bit risky but if you know the bottom is relatively flat, it is one of the more productive ways to catch the larger Chinook.
Fraser Sturgeon
I would classify the water conditions on the Fraser as challenging. Spring freshet ( snow melt) has begun and water levels are rising. Over the next 4-6 weeks we will see the Fraser rise and drop. when this happens is anyone’s guess but the usual triggers are warm weather and heavy rain fall. We are definitely overdue for some warm weather.
Fishing has been up and down for the most part, we had our first skunk of the season this past week but we rebounded with a 6 fish day so not sure if the bite was off or we just didn’t get the job done.
We are still catching fish on Eulichons but some of our larger fish have come from salmon bellies and lamprey eel. Although high water conditions can make fishing challenging, it doesn’t mean you won’t catch fish. In fact some of our larger fish are caught during spring freshet. The reward of catching that monster sturgeon is always worth the effort.
Fly & Spin Fishing for Trout
We have two upcoming fisheries that offer great fishing opportunities. The Upper Pitt River sea-run Bull Trout and Interior lake fishing. Both of these fisheries are just getting started with June and July the two best months for fishing. We are currently offering some specials for Fathers Day so good time to experience these fisheries.
If you watch fishing shows you might have seen our show with Fish’n Canada that aired this past weekend. This picture was just one of the 9 Bull Trout caught while filming the show in June of 2010.
Although we prefer to fly fish for sea-trout, we also fish with spoons and spinners for those anglers who don’t fly fish. Without a doubt Gibbs/Nortac out of Burnaby produces the best lures for local fishing. My favorite is the Ultra Lure in silver/blue, silver/green or plain sterling silver. The key to fishing spoons is a slow retrieve with a upstream and across presentation.
Interior Lake Fishing
Trout fishing has been fair to excellent this past week, our guide Jerry was out on several interior lakes which produced good fishing. Most rainbow trout were in the 12 to 20 inch range with 1 or 2 larger fish. Most fish were caught on chronomids and mayfly nymphs fished under the surface. Now’s the time for Interior rainbow trout fishing, fishing should be good now through until late July when weather becomes too warm and fish start feeding on bottom. Most local lakes in Merritt area are fishing well best to check with local tackle store before heading out.
Upcoming Fisheries
If you’re looking to go fishing over the next few weeks I would highly recommend fishing several fisheries. If your after salmon, the Vancouver/Gulf Islands is the only local fisheries that are open for salmon. You have a fair to good chance at catching a few salmon as well as a boat load of crab.
For trout fishing I would highly recommend fishing the Pitt River, this is a wilderness river experience that you won’t find anywhere in SW British Columbia. Great fishing, scenery and good chance at seeing wildlife like deer, bear and elk.
Last but not least, sturgeon fishing on the Fraser almost always produces fish. In 2010 we had 4 days without fish, we probably did 500 trips so odds are pretty good you will catch fish. Our average is 6 to 10 fish per day even in high water conditions.
Choose your guides carefully
Seems like everyone is a guide now a days. Websites are popping up like wildfire spreading across the forest floor on a dry summer day. Everyone claims to have fleets of guides with certified boats and years of guiding experience. The fact is, most of these guides claims are not exactly true, most have limited experience, guide part time at best and very few are certified to Canadian TPC standards. When choosing a guide to fish on the Fraser River it is buyer beware. The cheapest price is not always a good choice. The gold rush mentality is alive and well on the Fraser River. I would like to say that you should hire STS as we are one of the premier guide outfitters on the river but there are others that provide a good quality service as well. My recommendation is that if you choose not to fish with STS, fish with a member of the Fraser Valley Angling Guide Association. Look for the logo on their website, ask questions and don’t be afraid to ask for credentials.
Hope to see you on the water.
Vic Carrao
STS Guiding Service
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Local 1-604-671-3474
Toll free- 1-866-771-3474
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