Some great weather the past few days has got us out on the water, we have had some great success on sturgeon as well as fly fishing on the Harrison River for whitefish & cutthroat trout. A few of our guides have been walking the banks of the Vedder River in search of steelhead with some good early season luck.

Vedder River Steelhead

The Vedder is in great condition for float fishing or fly fishing for steelhead, the river has moderate flow and clear so small presentations would be a good bet. Roe sacks fished under a float, 6 inch bubble gum plastic worms or maribou jigs would all be a good choice. For fly anglers, larger streamer patterns in bright colors such as pink, orange and chartreuse are all good bets.

Instructional guided walk and wade trips are available in January and February with one of our certified angling guides, we offer 6 & 8 hour days where you can learn to fish for steelhead with confidence. We offer both float fishing with level wind or center pin reels and single and double handed spey fishing.

Here are some great locally made artificial plastics and blades made by Gibbs/Delta Tackle out of their Delta Plant. These pink worms are some of the best on the market and not replicated by any other manufacture.

Fraser River Sturgeon

Sturgeon fishing has been exceptional this past week, some nice fish over 6ft landed on the last couple trips and some good numbers of smaller fish. We are mostly using salmon eggs which is a great choice of bait this time of year. The weather has been chilly but once you hook up the body warms very quickly and the clothes starts to come off.

This is a great time of year for us for tagging sturgeon, not allot of pressure on the river and fish are usually stacked in various locations so action can be steady for most of the day. We continue to offer sturgeon charters through the winter months as long as weather is reasonable. This is a great way to get out of the house and help us tag and sample white sturgeon.

Vancouver Salmon Fishing

Winter Chinook fishing has been spotty but that is expected during winter months. On most charters we will hook up onto 3 to 6 bites with 2 or 3 to the boat. Size range for winter feeders can be from 5 to 12 lbs on average but there is the ocassional larger Chinook in the 12-14 lb range caught during winter months. Most of the local anglers are running flasher/spoon combinations with the Gibbs Guide Series Flashers and Gforce Spoons starting to dominate this fishery. They come in a variety of colors but they all work well so if you don’t have a few in your tackle box, you might be missing out on some of the best bites.

Here is a great starting lineup of flashers and spoons made by GibbsDelta, these are some of the go to winter set up, the only one missing is the STS Guide UV Glo which is one of my favorites.

Speaking of West Coast Salmon, our West Coast Adventures for salmon and halibut get started in middle of June. We are now taking booking for this amazing trip fishing the Quatsino area near Winter Harbour. If you are looking for that trip of a lifetime we offer 2,3,4 & 5 day package starting as low as $1550.00 per person.

2016 Seminars are selling fast, we are now SOLD OUT for our April 2 Jet Boat Seminar but still have seats available for April 3. Our April 16 & 17 Sturgeon seminars still have a few seats and our one on one instructional steelhead trips are available any day in January or February.

You can see more information on our seminars at http://www.guidebc.com

Hope you all have a great week

Tight Lines

Vic Carrao

Another year is almost complete, 22 seasons and still going strong. The team at STS Guiding would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year and hope that 2016 will be a great year for all. We have been blessed to have been able to be part of this incredible industry and to have the opportunity to meet so many great people. We appreciate you following our blog, being part of our on-line community and having confidence in our team here at STS. Happy Holidays everyone.

Dec 17 Fishing Report & STS Update

Fraser River Sturgeon

Sturgeon fishing has been nothing short of amazing this past week, we have done several trips where in only 4 hours managed to land 15-20 sturgeon. Most of the sturgeon are between 3 to 5 feet but we did get a couple larger fish over 6 ft. This is a great time for tagging sturgeon as these fish are stacked up in specific locations. During prime season in late summer and fall we are mostly targeting and catching larger fish so winter is great opportunity to collect data on some of the smaller fish and provide the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society with some much needed data.

Did you know?

White sturgeon can live well over 150 years and grow to over 6 meters in length.

FRSCS Adopt a Sturgeon program lets you learn about a sturgeon you sponsor, track its travels through the recapture data and receive updates! Adopt a Sturgeon today! Makes for a special Christmas gift that never stops giving, for more information go to – http://www.frasersturgeon.com

2016 Sturgeon season forecast

Each year we provide anglers and visitors with a pre-season forecast for the Fraser River Fisheries. We will update the salmon forecast a little later in the year but I can give you a bit of an idea when you might want to plan your next fishing holiday for steelhead and sturgeon.

Steelhead season has just begun in the Fraser Valley with the Vedder River already producing a few early fish. Each year the Chilliwach Fish & Game Club puts on the Boxing Day Steelhead Derby which gets hundreds of avid and skilled anglers trying to take the title of King Fisher. This derby often provides us with a look into what we can expect for the upcoming season. We have used this gauge for many years and has proven to be quite accurate. We can not only gauge the size of the run but also how well they have feed in the ocean by average catch size and weight. Hopefully we will see some great fish caught on Dec 26 and have a excellent 2016 season.

Here is a useful article written quite a few years ago by Vic Carrao on early season tactics and how to start your steelhead season off on the right track – http://www.guidebc.com/articles/earlyseasonsteelheadtactics.asp

Sturgeon fishing has become one of the fastest growing sport fish on the Fraser maybe all of British Columbia. Anglers are now targeting these fish year round but there is definitely times when fishing is far better and fish fight harder. Spring brings the annual Eulachon migration which is a small bait fish that sturgeon love to feed on. Most sturgeon have spent the better part of the winter hibernating in deep winter holes so when the Eulachons arrive, fish are aggressive and ready to feed. If you are planning to fish between April 1 & May 31, our Mission location is the place to be. The last few seasons we have been having some amazing results for these larger fish over 7ft which is a bit unusual, as the population of sturgeon ages, the fish are becoming larger.

Spring Sturgeon & Steelhead Rates & Packages

Daily trips are offered on the Fraser from several locations, Vancouver, Mission, Chilliwack and Harrison Hot Springs. We occasionally offer spring specials so please call or e-mail us for day rates for spring sturgeon fishing. Our rates are very competitive and our team of guides are some of the best on the water. For our Special Spring sturgeon packages please use this link http://www.guidebc.com/accommodations/accomm_special.asp

Most of our guided steelheading are what we call instructional steelhead trips, these are usually one or two days when we take you out on the river with one of our professional guides and they show you the When, Where & How’s of steelhead fishing. Because the river has great shore access points, you can then go out and fish more days on your own with confidence. Our walk & wade trips start at $375.00 for a day on the water.

Check out our great introductory package for steelhead and Sturgeon, this is a great way to spend a weekend after the long winter.

2 night 2 day Spring Steelhead/Sturgeon Package

• 1 x 8 hours of guided Sturgeon fishing wit
• 1 x 8 hours of guided steelhead fishing
• 2 nights accommodation at Best Western Hotel
• Breakfast each morning
• Catered Lunch for each day of guided fishing
• All fishing tackle, fully equipped jet boats and private guide exclusive to your group
• Private Dock for your safety and comfort

2 person – $850 p/p
3 person – $675 p/p ( sharing 2 rooms)
4 person – $575 p/p ( sharing 2 rooms)

Call or e-mail us to book one of these great package specials.

Vancouver Winter Salmon Fishing

Vancouver offers a year round winter Chinook fishery that many anglers overlook. The fishery is less consistent than some of our other salmon fisheries but none the less still very productive at times. Our daily charters depart from Vancouver and Richmond locations and we offer 5 & 8 hour charters. We usually begin winter fishing in middle to late January lasting all the way through to April. Most of our charters are around the Vancouver Harbour area and Howe Sound. This fishery is trolling with flashers and spoons for the most part.

Local River Conditions

Fraser River – is in great shape, water levels are a bit higher than normal for this time of year but still fishable for sturgeon, steelhead and Cutthroat Trout. The Mission Boat launch is open year round, Dewdney Slough is now closed for the season. Sturgeon fishing has been excellent and there are quite a few trout also available to catch.

Vedder River – is in great shape for early season steelhead fishing, some fish are being caught but you really need to work hard and put in your time. Next big day on the river is the Boxing Day Steelhead Derby, you need to sign up so drop into your local tackle store before heading out.

Harrison River – is low and clear, great shape for winter Cutthroat fishing and my sources tell me that fly fishing has been very good for winter cuts. You will still find the odd late Coho around and if you fish near the confluence of the Chehalis you may encounter the occasional steelhead.

Stave River – is low and clear, lots of whitefish, chub and some nice cutthroat available all winter. This river is Dam regulated so water is always fishable. The Stave will get a small run of steelhead later in the winter and offers a great little fishery when the bite is on. Also great spot to fish on windy days as it is very well protected from east and west winds.

Chehalis River – is low and clear, lots of coho still around but they are getting dark, some chromers around if you search for them. Great time of year to fish single egg patterns on fly rod or light tackle for Cutthroat Trout laying behind spawning salmon. Still too early for steelhead but you never know, might get lucky.

Christmas is almost here, from you late shoppers we do offer Christmas Gift Certificates which can be purchased on-line by e-mailing us at STS

Hope you have a wonderful holiday and hope to see you on the water in the New Year.

Best Regards

Vic Carrao

STS Guiding.

Been a crazy week for weather and storms but now that things have settled down we are seeing some bright fresh Coho getting caught on many of our local waters. The Fish’n Canada Episode that we film this past August will air this Saturday on Global TV at 10am BC time , be sure to watch it as we have some amazing footage of the Fraser Canyon and some great battles with large sturgeon.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/145524203?color=d60b11&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Nov 20 Report for the Fraser Valley

Salmon Fishing Report

Now that the weather has settled we are seeing some good catches of Coho and fresh Chum Salmon on local waters. The Vedder, Harrison, Chehalis, Dewdney Slough are all producing some nice fish. Casting spoons is a great way to search out and find holding salmon, once you find them, you can dial it in with smaller more subtle presentations. Looks like the weather will be clear and cold for a few days so great time to get out and catch some of those late run Coho.

Here is a beauty wild Coho caught by Guide Harry Colivas while fishing on the Harrison River, Nice fish harry.

Here is a great example of one of the Gibbs/Delta Lures that we use to catch Coho.

Sturgeon Fishing

Sturgeon fishing has been good to excellent, both the Fraser and Harrison are producing some great results. We are fishing both rivers and offering trip from Harrison Hotel and Mission harbour. Salmon eggs have been the key to best bites, chum eggs are preferred but good fresh eggs are the key. We have just announced our Spring Seminar dates, April 16 or 17 for our Fraser River Sturgeon Seminar, cost is $175 per person, please see http://www.guidebc.com/seminar_sturgeon.asp for more information.

The Wuth family on their first family sturgeon fishing trip,

Harrison River Eagle Watching Tours

Every year, Harrison Mills and the Harrison River attract one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the world. Upwards of a 1000 Eagles have been counted in the Harrison Mill area at the height of the season. Starting in mid October and typically continuing through February, these incredible raptors are here feeding on salmon that have come to spawn in the Harrison River and its tributaries.

Join STS tours as we transport you down the Harrison River… by jet boat and then float leisurely through the Harrison Mills area past this incredible natural phenomenon. Watch the eagles as they feed on the spawning salmon.

Our jet boats are covered, comfortable and heated so that regardless of the weather you can enjoy this spectacular event.

Season: October – February (depending on the Eagles!)
Rate: $69 per person (plus tax)

Steelhead season is just around the corner, book your walk and wade trip with STS anytime between now and March 31, 2016.

Christmas Gift Idea’s from $69 and up

Well I guess it’s that time to start talking about gift idea’s for the fisherman in your house. At STS we not only offer guided fishing trips but also less expensive tours that range from $69 to $139. Below I have provided a list of Gift idea’s for the entire family, there is nothing more fun than a family day out on the water.

90 minute Harrison River Eagle Tour – $69.00

4 hour Hells Gate Tour – $139.00

8 hour – Mission to Hells Gate Tour – $195.00

4, 6 or 8 hour guided fishing trips – $450 – $850

If you would like to purchase one of the above tours, or just purchase a Gift Certificate for any STS adventure, just e-mail us at sts

Hope you have a great week, don’t forget to watch the fishing Canada show tomorrow

Best Regards

Vic Carrao