A drastic improvement in weather has made for a much better week on local rivers. The Vedder, Harrison, Chehalis, Stave, Fraser and most smaller tributaries are all in great shape. Some of the above mentioned rivers are fishing very well for steelhead and the Fraser is clear of all ice flows. See below for detailed report.

Fraser River – The Fraser river has cleared up and looks great for fishing, right now you can either try for sturgeon or local cutthroat trout. For those anglers wanting to try for sturgeon, this week was fair to good with some good results on our 4 & 6 hour charters. Best bait was chum salmon eggs but they seem to jump onto just about anything we put out. The lower river below Mission fished well, Chilliwack/Harrison area also fished well.

Take advantage of our Winter Sturgeon Special – Save over $200 on our regular rates.

LOW SEASON December 1 – March 31

4 Hours – $440 Flat Rate up to 4 anglers
6 Hours – $500 Flat Rate up to 4 anglers
8 Hours – $640 Flat Rate up to 4 anglers

Fly fishing for Winter Cuttroat – If you are wanting to try your luck at fly fishing or light spin tackle for Cutthroat Trout, this is a great time of year to fish main flow and side channels. There is a prolific winter Stone Fly Hatch that occurs each year on the Fraser. If you like to get out and try your luck, try dead drifting a winter stone fly pattern just below the surface using a floating line or very slow sink tip. If you see fish rising, don’t be afraid to try a DRY Fly Pattern as well.

For you fly tiers, here is how to tie one of our most productive Cutthroat patterns

Note, this pattern was tied using green deer hair, you can also use natural, purple or dark green for similar results.

Rolled Muddler Hook: 8 or 6 Streamer Thread: 6/0 Black Tail: Mallard flank Body: Medium flat silver tinsel Underwing: Mallard flank Overwing: A few strands of deer hair from head. Head: Deer hair, color to match mallard flank. Note: Can be tied in green, red, yellow, purple. and in natural.

Tying Instructions: Tie in mallard at hook bend. Tie in flat tinsel, then wrap thread forward leaving enough room for the spun deer hair head. Wrap silver tinsel forward, overlapping slightly on each wrap. Secure with thread, and then tie in more mallard for the wing. Tips should reach the tips of the tail. Lay a clump of deer hair between the wing and the eye of the hook, perpendicular to the hook shank. Wrap thread over deer hair, this should cause the deer hair to flare upwards. Make a few more wraps to secure deer hair, then whip finish, and head cement. The last step is to trim the deer hair to form head. The head should be trimmed to a small size and should be rounded. Leave a few strands of deer hair, extending back over wing.

Here is a link to some of our favorite fly patterns – http://guidebc.com/flypatterns.asp

Vedder River Steelhead – Steelhead fishing has been very productive this past week, water conditions are about as good as it gets. Local steelhead anglers are reporting some good catches and we now have a new leader for the Wall Hall Jr Memorial Derby with a great catch of 16lb.17oz by local angler Kurt Latkovich. Congratulations Kurt. Conditions like we have this week will lend well for spoon fishing or float fishing with Colorado blades. Best spoons for Steelhead is the Gibbs-Delta Iron Head, Koho and for Float fishing there is none better than the Colorado Blade. You can review these products at http://www.gibbsdelta.com

Artificial Baits for Steelhead is an excellent alternative to roe, you can eliminate all the trouble of finding, curing, storing and using salmon eggs, not to mention the mess. It’s a proven fact that single eggs, small egg clusters and the larger gooey bobs account for as many Steelhead caught as cured salmon eggs. There are many advantages to using artificial baits, they come in endless sizes, shapes, and colors. From red to several shades of orange, pink, peach, and chartreuse, also available in florescent and translucent. Sizes can vary from fingernail to the size of a quarter.

Gooey Bob Steelie Worm Delta Drifter

More info on plastics can be found at – http://www.gibbsdelta.com/plastic-lures

There is two key factors to remember when using artificial baits, fish them with the same presentation as you would roe. The artificial has no taste and the texture is harder, the fish will spit the lure quickly. So watch for the slightest movement in your float, it may be a strike. Spinners are a great alternative when you’ve just fished a run through and want to try it once again with something a little different. Another good time to try a Gibbs-Delta Colorado Blade fished under a float is when you’re confronted by a large crowd, or you know that the particular water to be fished has been fished heavily. There are a few rules to apply when using spinners. Water volume is what controls the speed that the blade turns. Steelhead like a slow presentation, so the quicker the water the larger the blade you should use, slow water trying going to a #3 or smaller. Like to use a spinner under my float, fishing it just off the bottom with a slight across and down presentation. You may be surprised at how Effective this method is, and it never hurts to add one more method for Those tuff days.

Vancouver Salmon Fishing – We have been fishing all over the place in recent weeks. Howe Sound, Vancouver Harbour, and the Gulf Island’s have all kicked out some good numbers of fish depending on the day and the weather. It seems to be one of those winters where you can pick one of the manywinter chinook spots and be successful if you fish the area properly. As per usual in the winter months, keeping your gear close to bottom is key to winter chinook success. These chrome fish typically hold and feed on sandy flats that are 80 to 200 feet in depth. Keep a close eye on your sounder for bait and fish.

Hope you have a great weekend and please feel free to send us your fish porn from this week.

Tight Lines

Vic Carrao

The cold snap is finally over, local rivers such as Fraser , Harrison, Vedder and all tributaries are now on the rise. Heavy rains are expected for this weekend so it will be a wait and see for steelheaders wanting to fish the Vedder. The Fraser will be fishable again as will Harrison but the smaller rivers are the ones to watch.

Picture of Fraser River looking down from Mt Woodside in Harrison Mills,

Vedder River Steelhead – you can expect the Vedder to rise and color up for the weekend, you might find some clean water in the upper reaches but it will be a wait and see. You can expect some fresh fish to move in and those fish that are in the system to start moving as waters rise. It is anyone’s guess on what river conditions will look like so it will be a wait and see for this weekend.

Next week is supposed to be clear and nice so waters conditions should improve by early to middle of next week if it blows out. Last week we talked about fishing in low clear water, this week you will be dealing with a completely different challenge. Go big or go home is the new mind set, try fishing some 6 inch bubble gum works, large gooey bobs, big chunks of curred row or my favorite a big ass GibbsDelta Ironhead in harder colors such as black or purple.

Early Season Steelhead tactics

Early season steelheading can be some of the more rewarding fishing you will do all season, even if you don’t hook into fish. Not only are you out fishing, which is always a good thing, but you are also gathering information that will be helpful lateron in the season. Each year the rivers change, deep holes get filled in, main channels get turned into side channels, water flow rates change in various areas of the river, large tailouts get washed away, logs and debris get moved around the river channels. Last years hot spot can be totally wiped out so new water must be found. All these factors are critical to mid and late season success.

Steelheads are creatures of habit; they sense specific areas of the river and seem to know that they once lived there. They also seem to prefer the same types of holding water and travel lanes throughout the river. If you catch a steelhead behind a specific rock, the chances of catching another one behind the same rock at a later date is very good. Same goes with larger runs and tailouts. If you hook a fish 3 feet from shore in a particular tailout the chances of hooking more steelhead there are very good. This is when your early season tactics begin to pay off. Now its mid season, there’s plenty of fish in the river and because you covered most of the river in the early season, (keeping mental notes on where fish were being hooked), you can now fish the most productive water with the least amount of guess work in primetime.

Fraser River Sturgeon – The Fraser has not rally been fished for the past 2-3 weeks due to snow and ice so these fish are probably ready for some action. No pressure means aggressive takes. Try fishing salmon eggs and lamprey eel for best results, remember it is still winter and water temperatures are cold so be sure to fight your fish quickly and if you can, try not to take the fish to shore and just release at side of boat. The less time you spend handling these incredible fish, the quicker it will recover.

Harrison River – Harrison looks great right now, traditionally snow melt and heavy rains don’t affect the Harrison. You might get some color down the west side of the bank but middle flow and east bank should be fine. You can find Sturgeon , Cutthroat and Steelhead in the Harrison, this might be your best bet for the weekend if rains blow out the Vedder and Chehalis.

Vancouver Boat Show has begun, doors open at 10am. If you plan on attending this weekend, stop in a say hello to STS Guides Doug Elias and Vic Carrao, they will both be working the retail booths for Pure Fishing. Drop by Steveston Marine or Harbor Chandlers to say hello. Also the new TV Series “ REEL WEST COAST” will be at the show, drop by and say hello, it’s going to be a great hit.

STS Seminars

STS Seminars are now selling, for 2017 we are offering both a sturgeon seminar and jet boat seminar, there are two dates offered for each seminar. Please call or e-mail us to book. sts or 604-671-3474

Jet Boat Seminar is a full day on the Fraser travling 240km from Mission to Hells Gate – Cost is $195.00 per person.

When – April 1 or April 2

Sturgeon Seminar is a 6 hour instructional seminar on the water fishing for sturgeon – Cost is $175.00 per person.

When – April 15 or April 16

Hope you have a great weekend on the water.

Tight Lines

Vic Carrao.

Winter Steelhead Strategies and tips.

Presentation is everything! You’ve probably read this a thousand times, and it’s for a good reason. How many times have you heard "first cast, hit a big one" or "I walked in above these guys, 3rd cast, Fish on!" It’s been my experience that most Steelhead are caught within the first 10 casts of any one offering. Choose the primary lie in any given run. This is the most likely spot a fish would be traveling or holding. Place yourself well above and only enter the water when it’s absolutely necessary. Make your first cast above the predetermined primary lie and allow your offering to drift as naturally as possible.

10 cast rule, bread and butter of most successful Steelheaders. Once you’ve determined the primary lie you need to determine secondary lies then separate the run into sections to fish. I.e.: riffle, runs, tailout, and transition water. Choose which sections you want to fish, take into count, water depth, color and temp etc. Now you’re ready to begin fishing. Make no more than 10 casts in the same slot. If you’re fishing boulder runs, no more than 5 casts. If you feel the need to make more casts, "change the offering." Sometimes a small change can payoff with a nice fish. Once you’ve made your 10 casts walk downstream staying above the water not fished yet, so not to spook any possible takers. Continue this way throughout the run, you maybe surprised with a nice chrome fish.

For more tips on fishing for steelhead – http://guidebc.com/articles/steelheadvalley2.asp

Have a great week.

Vic Carrao