Not much of a report this week as winter weather has hit the lower mainland pretty hard. Snow accumulations ranging from 6cm to 30cm has fallen and now the rain and in some areas ice rain has begun to wreak havoc on local roads. Water conditions on smaller tributary rivers like Vedder, Chehalis, Norish etc are about to rise due to a warn weather trend that is about to hit the Fraser Valley. See below for more details.

Vedder River Steelhead – River conditions are still very good but you can expect the Vedder River to begin to rise and color due to a warming trend that will start later this afternoon. Typically, the mornings will be more fishable, as temperatures warm late morning/early afternoon, water will begin to color and rise. You might see another good push of fresh fish once water begins to rise which should turn things on a bit. We did have a charter out on the river yesterday for a 6 hour walk and wade, our guest Vince Andreana visiting from Milton Ontario managed to land one nice wild steelhead and they saw 3 more fish caught which is a pretty good day considering the weather.

We offer these instructional trips all winter for anglers looking to learn the river or improve their knowledge on local steelhead tactics.

Great job Andrew and Vince.

Fraser River Sturgeon – Local boat launches have been a bit of a disaster this past week, lots of snow and ice so not many boats out. As temperatures begin to warm we should see some better access and a few boats out by early next week. I have been updating some of my Sturgeon tackle and though I would mention a reel that I have been testing. The Penn Fathom Lever Drag is a reel that I have been using this past season, I was running 3 Penn International VSX12 which is my reel of choice but as I get older, slower and weaker I am finding that the international series is a bit heavy for all day use.

Penn has come out with the new Penn Fathom which is very similar to the Penn VSX but less than half the weight. It comes in a 2 speed as well as single speed and offers a variety of sizes. I really like this reel and have now purchased another 3 to replace my VSX series. The price point is very attractive, less than $300 which makes this reel the perfect Fraser River Sturgeon or Halibut and jigging reel. I am using the 40 series size and it seems to hold enough line and do the job. If you would more technical information on this reel visit http://www.pennfishing.com/penn-reels-conventional-reels-penn-fathom/penn-fathom-lever-drag-2-speed/1347896.html

I will be working the STS Booth and Penn Booth at this years BC Boat & Sportsman Show, please feel free to drop by and have a look at the new products we will be showing at the Pure Fishing Booth. The STS booth will be same location as 2016 show, Our booth #312.

Spotting Sturgeon on your Hummingbird Side Imaging Depth Sounder. – A few weeks back while working at the Vancouver Boat Show I was asked by a customer how I could tell what a sturgeon looked like on my side imaging unit, it’s hard to describe so I thought the best way to explain is to show some images on what a sturgeon looks like when laying on the river bottom. If you look closely you will see that sturgeon images are thicker on one end then the other and more often than not, the fish are laying behind a hump or laying on the down stream side of a hole. I will look through my archives this week and see if I can find a few more images for next weeks report.

Blow Out STS Swag Sale – We have a few Hoodies, Long sleeve and Ball Caps left over from the 2016 season.

Hoodies $70 – Blow Out – $45

Long Sleeve Shirt – $40 – Blow Out – $29

Ball Caps – $20 – Blow Out – $12

Shipping charges may apply.

Hope you have a great weekend, if your out on the water and would like to share your fish porn, please feel free to send to us at sts

Vic.

Hiring – Freshwater Angling Guide

STS Guiding is now taking applications for two seasonal positions that are currently available.

Position 1 – Jet Boat operator and angling guide to operate one of our jet boats from April 1 to Nov 15 on as needed basis, expectation to do 100 – 130 guided fishing trips. Must have good knowledge of Fraser River salmon & sturgeon fishery.

– Qualifications needed – Marine First Aid, Med A 3, ROC.
Training Courses can be provided for right candidate. Sturgeon tagging for Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society is mandatory, training and equipment is provided.

Position 2 – Owner /Operator for guided salmon and sturgeon fishing, min 2 years guiding experience.

– Qualifications needed – Marine First Aid, Med A 3, ROC. Training Courses can be provided for right candidate. Min Liability Insurance of $2 million.Sturgeon tagging for Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society is mandatory, training and equipment is provided.

In Canada the tourism industry employs 1.3 million people. Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries and offers a variety of employment opportunities. STS Guiding Service’s objectives include setting vision, leading the industry, promoting fisheries, promoting best handling practices, training professional fishing guides to lead the industry, develop good client relations, outdoor leadership, communication skills and safety protocols. STS has been an industry leader for the past 23 years. If you feel you have what it takes to become one of the top fishing guides in the Province, we would like to hear from you.

Please send resume to sts@guidebc.com

This week has been a bit slower for most local anglers, weather has been very cold and clear with high winds so only the Die Hardest of anglers are out on the water. We are expecting a good snowfall on Friday up to 20cm but won’t last long and should be cleared up by late Saturday or Sunday at latest.

Fraser River – water conditions are in great shape, we had a couple sturgeon charters out this week with good catches rates of 6 to 12 fish in ½ day, best bait was salmon eggs. Fish are spread throughout the river with Chilliwack, Mission and Langley area all producing good results. We are currently offering our off season rates so if you are looking to get out, give us a call.

This pic was taken this past summer by STS Guide Doug Elias, Doug was putting them on the big fish this day, great job Doug!

Vedder River Steelhead – not as many reports in this week, some nice fish caught but a bit slower than the last few weeks. Water clarity is clear and river is still dropping from last rise. You can expect conditions to remain the same until the expected snowfall this weekend then the river shoud,begin to rise again and move another fresh push of fish into the river.

Vancouver Salmon Fishing – Winter Chinook Fishing was very good this past week, our guides were out 3 days and produced good results on every trip. Winter fishing is not for the faint, you need to dress warm and be prepared if you plan on spending a solid 5 hours on the water. Most of our trips in winter are ½ day or 5 hours and our off season rates do apply, please contact us for quote.

As you can see by the above pic, not only is salmon fishing good but prawns and crab fishing is also very good.

Halibut opening just annouced.

Book Now for our June & July Halibut Charters on West Coast.

Fraser River Jet Boat Seminar – is beginning to fill up, we still have a few seats for April 1 and April 2. This trip is 240km round trip from Mission to Hells Gate and back in lower water, this is the best way to learn the river. Suitable for anyone who owns a boat, jet or prop and wants to learn what these boats are really capable of doing. We will run shallow water, big whitewater, learn to read water, surf, anchor and much more.

Dates – April 1 – or April 2 – 8 hours traveling 240km on the Fraser River.

Cost – $195 per person.

e-mail sts

Have a great weekend.

Best Regards

The Guide Team at STS

604-671-3474