Vic Carrao announces the sale of STS Guiding Service Limited

You may have heard some rumors over the past few months of the sale of STS, well it’s true. We are very pleased to announce that STS Guiding Service has been sold to one of BC’s biggest and best guide outfitters BC Sport Fishing Group based out of Harrison Hot Springs. ” Nothing really changes within STS said Vic Carrao, all of our guides will stay in place and I will become the sales manager dealing with sales and customer service and continue to run the Hope to Hells Gate Tours and Fraser Canyon Sturgeon Adventures. “ “I needed some help with the day to day operations due to some health issues and felt that now was the right time to make the move from owner to manager” . Tony Nootebos (owner of BCSFG) has been in the fishing industry for over 20 years and has worked closely with Vic representing the industry on both Federal and Provincial committees, they know each other very well and will make a great team. Keeping the two companies separate will allow STS to continue to focus on the Mission area while BCSFG’s main operation is out of Harrison and Chilliwack, this brings the total guide team to over 28 guides both full and part time. “ We do many large corporate fishing trips where STS needs to hire outside help, this has always been a sore spot with me as it’s hard to find the quality of guides that can offer the same level of experience. BCSFG has a great team of guides and we will now be able to draw from that pool when needed. This will give our customers a higher quality experience and consistency that they have become accustom too. “I would like to thank all of our loyal customers over the past 22 years who have helped us become the company we are today, I look forward to working with you in the future and am excited to get the 2016 season started.

Fraser Valley Fishing Report for Nov 10

Fishing in the Fraser Valley has been excellent this past week, lots of sturgeon being caught on the Fraser and Harrison, good numbers of Chum and a few Coho on the Fraser, Harrison , Stave and tributaries. Our Harrison River Eagle Tours are running daily out of Harrison Hot Springs and we have just announced our first dates for 2016 seminars, please see below for more details.

Sturgeon Fishing

Both the Fraser and Harrison have been producing some great results for sturgeon in the 3 to 7ft range, we landed several larger fish in the 8ft range as well. The numbers of fish have been impressive to say the least, 75 fish between two boats in one day in not the normal catch but that is what we have seen this past week. I would not suggest that all charters are going to produce these types of results but it is an indication of some great action.

Speaking of great sturgeon fishing, we still have some of the best action of the year ahead of us in the month of November. Sturgeon are bulking up for winter and need to feed. In the lower River between Mission and Langley the tides play an important role for best bite. Incoming tides are good but best bite is just after a high slack. If your fishing well above Mission and between Harrison confluence the tides are not a factor , these would also ring true for the Harrison River as there is no tidal influence this high up. Salmon eggs and meat are good choices for bait this time of year but other baits such as lamprey will catch fish year round.

2016 STS Guiding Sturgeon Seminar – We are once again offering our Spring Sturgeon Seminars, this seminar is 6 hours on the boat with one of our full time guides learning everything you need to know to be a successful sturgeon angler.

We cover: best baits, sturgeon migrations, where , when and how to target sturgeon in all water conditions, hook sets, readying bites, best sturgeon handling practices and much more.

Cost is $175 per person.

2 Dates – Saturday April 16 or Sunday April 17 ( limited seating available)

To register e-mail us at sts@guidebc.com

Speaking of Seminars, we also will be offering our very popular Fraser River Jet Boat Seminar. This seminar is a full day on the Fraser River with Vic Carrao of STS jet boating 240km from Mission to Hells Gate and Back. This seminar is for anyone who already has a jet boat or is thinking about purchasing one. Vic will show you how to navigate the Fraser River, run whitewater, surf a jet boat in big water, read shallow water, anchoring techniques, jet boat control and much much more.

Cost – $195.00 per person

2 dates – Saturday April 2 or Sunday April 3 ( we sell out every year so book early to get a seat.)

To register – email us at sts

Salmon Fishing

Salmon fishing has been fair to good on most of our local rivers, the Harrison, Stave and Dewdney Slough all get late runs of Coho and Chum and can be good well into December. These fish can be caught on the fly or Spin fishing with spoons, float fishing with salmon eggs or wool ties also work well. My favorite is fly or spoon, for spoons we use Gibbs/Delta lures, there are many that work , picking the right lure for the water conditions is the key, if your fishing less than 6 feet of water the Ironhead, Crocs or Ultra lure series works best, if your fishing deeper water the Koho Killer or Croc series work well. The key is to keep the retrieve slow and steady. If you find yourself retrieving quickly, slow it down and you will find success.

Best Regards

Vic Carrao

STS Guiding Service

604-671-3474

e-mail – sts@guidebc.com

It’s been a great week for sturgeon and salmon fishing, good numbers of Chum and Coho being caught on most local rivers as well as some great sturgeon fishing. October through to middle/end of November is peak season so great time to get out and enjoy the incredible fishing opportunities the Fraser valley has to offer. See below for detailed report.

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Fraser River Salmon

The Fraser River has been fishing very well for both salmon and sturgeon, the test fishery is showing excellent numbers of migrating Chum which is expected for this time of year. We have been targeting both Chum and Coho with good success using Gibbs Crocs spoons on light spin tackle, and float fishing with purple maribou jigs and Gibbs Colorado Blades. The key to fishing jigs or colorado blades under a float is to ensure that your jig or spinner is close to bottom and that a dead drift presentation is achieved. When dead drifting try adding a small twitch every 4 or 5 feet, this adds action to the jig or blade enticing salmon to bite the lure. Using this technique can greatly increase your hook ups. Over the next 3 weeks salmon fishing for Chum and Coho is at it’s peak, great time to get out and enjoy a day on the water.

Fraser River Sturgeon

It’s been a great week for catching sturgeon on the Fraser and we expect this to continue through until middle to end of November. Although we don’t fish much in December for sturgeon, there is still some great fishing to be enjoyed. This past week most of our fish are being caught using fresh Chum roe but we are also getting some fish on Chinook roe and Lamprey eel. Both the middle and lower Fraser has been fishing excellent as well as the Harrison River. Speaking of the Harrison River, Sturgeon fishing on the Harrison has been better than average with some great catches being experienced by our guests.

Late Fall Special( Bring 2 guests for FREE )

We are currently offering a special discounted rate for last minute sturgeon and salmon charters, book any 6 or 8 hour charter for 2 people and bring an additional 2 guests for no charge. Please ensure you let us know at the time of booking that you have read this report and ask for the special discount. It is not offered automatically so you must let us know. Call us 604-671-3474 e-mail sts@guidebc.com

Harrison River Salmon and Sturgeon

As mentioned above, the Harrison River has been producing some excellent results so far this season. We offer guided fishing for both salmon and sturgeon, fly fishing and Bald Eagle Tours through the months of November to February. Trips depart daily from Harrison Hot Springs, Kilby Park and Mission Harbour. For anglers looking to catcfh a few salmon while the wife is bird watching, there is no better place than the Harrison River in October/November. Please feel free to call or e-mail us to book your next guided adventure.

Eagle Watching Tour

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 or $289 for groups of up to 6 people (plus tax)

Vedder River Salmon

Lots of Coho, Chinook and Chum Salmon are being caught daily on the Vedder, most anglers are float fishing with cured salmon eggs or short floating with jigs or Gibbs Colorado Blades. The first light bite has always been an important part of fishing the Vedder, not only to get your favorite spot but also the best time to get those Coho to bite. More often than not, Coho will move out of the thick schools of Chinook and Chum and lie in the softer water closer to shore. Always begin your casts close to shore and work your way out into deeper water for best results.

More Rivers less crowds

October/November offers anglers some amazing fishing opportunities, there are so many smaller rivers in the region, anglers don’t need to stand shoulder to shoulder on the Vedder to catch and salmon. The Stave River, Dewdney Slough, Norish Creek, Chehalis River are just a few. All of these rivers have returning Chum and Coho Salmon which will last well into December. With the milder weather forecasted for this weekend, great time to get out and wet a line.

Have a great weekend

Vic Carrao

So far this season we have been experiencing some great salmon and sturgeon fishing. Last week we spent considerable time bar fishing for Harrison and Fraser run Chinook as well as the last bit of Pink Salmon Fishing. Now that the pink salmon run is over we are now in a transition to Coho, Chum and Fall Chinook. Please read on for a more detailed report.

Here is a 9ft Sturgeon caught & released by Paul Hunt while fishing with STS Guide Vic Carrao last week. Paul is the owner of Canadian Carpin Holidays based on the St Lawrence river.

Fraser River Sturgeon Fishing

The Fraser River has been fishing incredibly well for sturgeon, many larger fish in the 7 to 9ft range have been caught this season as well as many fish between 4 to 7 foot. As long as we continue to handle these fish with extreme care this fishery will only get better and anglers will see some great catches like the one above in this picture. This past week fishing has been slightly slower than the past weeks but that is expected as these fish need to digest all those Pink Salmon that were eaten over the past month. We are still catching large fish but just have to work a bit harder for them.

The first week to 10 days is a transitional period for both sturgeon and salmon, sturgeon are now switching from Pink Salmon Baits to Chum and Chinook as these salmon are now entering the Fraser. For most of September our baits were large and bites were aggressive, it is now time to scale down the size of baits to accommodate those fish that are full and are not looking to bulk up. It is also a good strategy to pay closer attention to the bites and be ready to strike the rod sooner as these fish will not be as aggressive as they were a few weeks ago. This doesn’t mean you won’t get some of those crazy aggressive bites, they will just be fewer.

Best baits for the next month will be Chum Salmon Eggs, Chinook eggs and of course our favorite, stink bait ( rotten salmon parts).

Fraser River Salmon

Salmon fishing on the Fraser has slowed slightly from last week but that will not last long. Like I mentioned above we are in a transition from Pink to Chum, Coho and late run Chinook. Bar fishing for Chinook was impressive the last few weeks but many of those fish have now moved into the Harrison River. Some anglers are still out there bar fishing and doing well for Coho and odd Chinook, the Chum run seems to be down so far but we should see a more fish in the Harrison area by end of next week.

Harrison River Salmon & Sturgeon

The Harrison has been fishing well for sturgeon, some nice fish being caught throughout the river from Harrison lake all the way down to the confluence with the Fraser. Coho and Chum fishing has been slow so far but that should change soon enough. I spent 2 hours castings Gibbs Spoons at the confluence as few days ago and out of 10 boats we only saw 1 coho and a few chum salmon caught. I would expect with each high tide a fresh push of salmon will enter the river so just keep an eye on this area as it will heat up very soon. If your after Coho, keep reading down the report.

7ft 5 inch Sturgeon caught at the confluence of the Harrison River a few days ago, congratulations to Rui Carrao on his largest Sturgeon landed.

Vedder River Salmon Fishing

The Vedder River is producing some great Coho fishing from confluence right up to boundary. Yesterday morning there was a good school of Coho moving up the canal with some larger hatchery and wild fish mixed together. These fish will move up the river fairly quickly so the lower peach road area should produce some great results over the next few days. This 11lb hatchery was caught by Mission resident Dale Adams yesterday morning while fishing the low tide near the Vedder Canal, there was also some larger wild fish caught and released in this same area.

Some of the best Fall fishing is yet to come, the Vedder, Chehalis, Dewdney, Harrison and Fraser will all see a large migration of salmon over the next week to 10 days. Sturgeon fishing will only improve until we reach our next peak season which is Oct 15 to Nov 15. If you are looking for a salmon or sturgeon fishing adventure, please feel free to call or e-mail us. Looking for a an event for your company, give us a call, we still have some great dates available.

Speaking of events, the Harrison Sturgeon Challenge is taking place November 4 to 6, 2015 at Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa. The Challenge will be limited to 15 boats, fishing the Harrison River

and a portion of the Fraser River.

Prizes include:

Longest Fish, 2nd Longest Fish, Most Combined CM (team) : CASH

Smallest Fish: Adoption of your fish

Largest Fish – Daily: $200 Settler Bucks each day

And more!

Packages include: 3 days of guided fishing, 4 nights’ accommodation at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa, buffet breakfasts each morning, lunches on the boat each day,tournament entry and activities. The event kicks off with a welcome reception at the Resort for all participants. Pick up your swag bags, and meet your fellow anglers. Fishing starts at 8am sharp the following morning, followed by daily prize announcements each evening. On the final evening, join us for the awards banquet dinner.

Last but not least, STS Fraser Canyon Adventure is nothing like any other trip available on the Fraser. The Fraser Canyon begins at Yale and ends at Boston Bar. Our full day canyon adventure departs at Hope but the canyon experience begins at Yale where Vic Carrao is one of the only guides working this area of the canyon. We spend the full day fishing for sturgeon, navigating some of the biggest rapids on the Fraser and if weather permits we even try a bit of Skeet shooting in the canyon. We still have a few dates available for 2015, cost is $275 p/p based on 6 or more.

Have a great weekend

Vic Carrao.