  Mission, British Columbia Adventures with STS Guiding Service Fraser Valley report for the week of January 2 /2002 Christmas Draw Keith Brodt of Coquitlam was our monthly winner of the STS Fleece Vest. Keith, I have lost your phone number/e-mail, please contact us to claim your vest. Fraser River Cutthroat fishing has been fair to good throughout the upper river above Chilliwack and slow in the lower river below Chilliwack. The weather has been unpredictable, high winds have made fly fishing difficult but when it stops the bite turns on and we manage to hook a few fish. Single eggs have also worked well in the main channel where salmon have spawned in the shallower water. Some of the harder to reach tributaries have been excellent fishing for RainbowTrout, Cutthroat and Dolly Varden Char. If you’re planning a trip into our area and would like to experience some great trout fishing just ask us about our backcountry-guided tours. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing continues to be good, today we hooked 20 landed 14, largest was just over 7 feet caught by our guest Kent Larson from Oregon. Sturgeon fishing will continue to be good as long as this mild weather stays with us. I was quite surprised to see how aggressive theses fish have been, we had 2 jumpers and one fish nearly spooled us. Vedder Water conditions January 2 – Upper River – dropping and crystal clear, Lower River – dropping, clear visibility. Good reports continue to come in from the lower river with the odd fish reported from the mid and upper river. Good numbers of hatchery and wild fish are being caught in both areas. Be sure to identify whether it’s hatchery or wild before landing your fish. Dragging a wild fish onto shore will greatly reduce its chances of survival even if you quickly get it back into the water. We have just released a new article on Early Season Tactics for Steelhead on our website. You can view this article at www.guidebc.com/articles/earlyseasonsteelheadtactics.asp Steelhead seminar selling out fast. This season will we once again be offering our annual steelhead/river fishing seminar. This seminar is a 3- day seminar. The first 2 days are 2 hours in a classroom where you will learn the how’s, where’s and when’s of river fishing plus how to make your own tackle and save tones of $$$$. The 3rd day is a 6-hour fish out on the Vedder River. There are some great prizes to give away and you will receive a FREE STS Ball cap. You will also go home with tackle that you make during the classroom sessions. Seminar Dates: Hub Sports- January 14,16 & 19 5 spots remaining Gills tackle- January 8, 10 & 13 Sold Out January 15,17,& 20 3 spots remaining Chehalis Low clear water conditions Each day we get reports of a few Winter Steelhead being caught but it’s still mostly dark Coho and the odd summer run Steelhead. We fished the canyon area recently and found that most of the productive water still had good numbers of Coho trying to spawn. I prefer to move on down the river and try to find new water to fish when I come across spawning Coho. If you continually hook spawning Coho it will eventually affect its ability to spawn. Soon the Coho will be gone and the Steelhead will dominate the more productive water. If you hook a spawning Coho, please handle it with care. Harrison The Harrison River has been difficult to fish the past few weeks due to heavy winds. If you manage to find an area with no wind you will probably find a few fish. We did manage to spend a few hours on the Harrison this week with limited results. I would still recommend fishing the Fraser over the Harrison. Gibbs Nortac announces Kids Story Winners WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Congratulations to Nathan from Nanaimo! Below is our Winning Story as well as the Runner-Up. The Winning Story is also in this edition of the BC Outdoors Sport Fishing Magazine. THE WINNER "I was awake at 4:30 in the morning. I fell asleep in the truck. When we arrived at the Stamp River, was saw a black bear. I started to get bored of fishing. My dad called me. He gave me his rod. I ran downriver and got my foot stuck between two rocks. When I reeled in the fish, my dad said it was a coho. I took out all the guts. My dad said "I never caught a coho that big." It was 20 pounds and my dad took a picture of me and my coho. I printed it on my T-shirt. I love you, Dad, for teaching me fishing." Nathan Age 10 Nanaimo THE RUNNER-UP On our vacation in July, I caught something funny. I was jigging the bottom using a two-ounce Gibbs jigging spoon with my mom, stepdad and Uncle Brodie. I had a little nibble and started reeling it up. After a couple turns of my reel handle the fish felt a lot BIGGER! My mom helped me reel it in. It was a four-pound dogfish. My stepdad was taking it off the hook and started laughing. "Look at this," he said. There was a small flounder on the hook first, then the dogfish ate him and was hooked. My stepdad unhooked both and put them back in the water. That was one of the weird things I ever caught. Sadie Age 8 North Vancouver Remember to conserve your catch Tight Lines and we will see you on the water Fraser Valley report for the week of December 14 /2001 Christmas Draw STS Guiding is giving away a beautiful STS Guiding fleece vest valued at $80.00. The draw will take place before December 25th so get your entry in ASAP. Just send us an e-mail with Fleece Vest in the subject line. Fraser River Winter Cutthroat fishing is spotty but that would be normal for this time of year. Over the next few weeks fishing will improve in the main channel and back waters of the Fraser. Fishing with single eggs, roe bags and spinners are all effective. Fly fishers should use flesh fies, single eggs, and leech patterns. Watch for winter stone fly activity in the early afternoon. Be prepared to switch to the dry fly, the hatches are short but worthy of rod ready to go. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing has slowed considerably the past week. If you work hard, cover lots of water you should be able to pick up a few fish. This week we had one boat hook a 7footer so larger fish are still feeding and available for anglers to catch. Great Christmas Gift idea We are extending our $50.00 discount until Christmas. If you book an 8 hr guided sturgeon trip or a gift certificate you will receive $50.00 off the regular price if you mention this ad. Vedder Water conditions Dec 14 – Upper River – High and Tea Color, Lower River – High - chocolate brown The Steelhead fishing on the Vedder has picked up a bit, it’ still early but I have heard of several good catches by local anglers. After the heavy rains last night the lower river is blown out and the upper river is tea colored. If the rain lets up it will take a couple days to get the river back into shape. We have just released a new article on Early Season Tactics for Steelhead on our website. You can view this article at www.guidebc.com/articles/earlyseasonsteelheadtactics.asp Great Christmas Gift idea Steelhead season is just around the corner. This season will we once again be offering our annual steelhead/river fishing seminar. This seminar is a 3- day seminar. The first 2 days are 2 hours in a classroom where you will learn the how’s, where’s and when’s of river fishing plus how to make your own tackle and save tones of $$$$. The 3rd day is a 6-hour fish out on the Vedder River. There are some great prizes to give away and you will receive a FREE STS Ball cap. You will also go home with tackle that you make during the classroom sessions. Seminar Dates: Hub Sports- January 14,16 & 19 5 spots remaining Gills tackle- January 8, 10 & 13 3 spots remaining January 15,17,& 20 This is what one of our students had to say! "Hi Vic, I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your Steelhead Seminar. I admire your patience, your excellent people skills and your superb knowledge on all aspects of the fishing industry. It's really enjoyable to watch a pro work at what they do best. My confidence is high, my lines are always tight and my turn will come. I look forward to seeing you on the river again." Thanks Again." Don Clarke Class of Jan 99 Chehalis High water conditions. A few colored Coho still around and the odd summer run steelhead kelt is being caught. This river will be slow fishing for the next month or so while Steelhead slowly trickle in. I would concentrate my efforts more on the Vedder over the Christmas Holidays. Harrison We have had no reports on the Harrison River the past few weeks. Harrison Lake beach fishing has been fair as well as some of the smaller tributaries. Don’t expect too much from the Harrison over the next 3 to 5 weeks as fishing will be slow. If you’re after trout you would be better off fishing the back channels of the Fraser. Updates and New Stuff on Guidebc.com We have been working hard the past week on some new resources and upgrades to our website. We now have a What’s New Page that will contain updates and changes to our site. Checkout our NEW Product Review Page where you will find useful field test reports on rods, reels, line, waders and other fishing related items. Please feel free to comment on our changes, we appreciate feedback, good or bad. Remember to conserve your catch Fraser Valley report for the week of November 29 /2001 Christmas Draw STS Guiding is giving away a beautiful STS Guiding fleece vest valued at $80.00. The draw will take place before December 25th so get your entry in ASAP. Just send us an e-mail with Fleece Vest in the subject line. Fraser River The Salmon season is pretty much over for the Fraser River. Some of the tributaries are still producing results but that won’t last much longer. Winter Cutthroat fishing will begin to pick up over the next few weeks so keep an eye on your local backwaters for actively feeding fish. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing continues to be good. The wind has been a bit of a pain but well worth the rewards if you withstand the colder mornings. Great Christmas Gift idea We are extending our $50.00 discount until Christmas. If you book an 8 hr guided sturgeon trip or a gift certificate you will receive $50.00 off the regular price if you mention this ad. Vedder The Vedder is pretty much over for salmon fishing for this year. A few Steelhead have been caught but it’s still too early to have a realistic opportunity to catch one. If you’re like me and don’t fish the Vedder for salmon, this is a good time to walk the river and look for good steelhead water. Of course you would carry your rod and fish along the way. Great Christmas Gift idea Steelhead season is just around the corner. This season will we once again be offering our annual steelhead/river fishing seminar. This seminar is a 3- day seminar. The first 2 days are 2 hours in a classroom where you will learn the how’s, where’s and when’s of river fishing plus how to make your own tackle and save tones of $$$$. The 3rd day is a 6-hour fish out on the Vedder River. There are some great prizes to give away and you will receive a FREE STS Ball cap. You will also go home with tackle that you make during the classroom sessions. Seminar Dates: Hub Sports- January 14,16 & 19 Gills tackle- January 8, 10 & 13 January 15,17,& 20 This is what one of our students had to say! "Hi Vic, I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your Steelhead Seminar. I admire your patience, your excellent people skills and your superb knowledge on all aspects of the fishing industry. It's really enjoyable to watch a pro work at what they do best. My confidence is high, my lines are always tight and my turn will come. I look forward to seeing you on the river again." Thanks Again." Don Clarke Class of Jan 99 Chehalis The Chehalis river salmon season is winding down quickly. There are still a few clean Coho being caught but most of the fish are dark and getting ready to spawn. People intentionally trying to snag fish have been reported by several anglers. This is our resource to use but abuse can result in limited and reduced opportunities. We have seen this with scale bar in Hope and we will see it again if we don’t speak out against those who use illegal methods. Speak out against snaggers or people who abuse our resources. Harrison Like most other rivers the salmon season is pretty much over on the Harrison. There is still the odd Coho and Chum around but these fish are getting tired. The odd clean Coho and chum is still being caught at the mouth but you really have to work for them. Local Sloughs Norish /Dewdney is one of the last places to catch clean Coho. Although there are still some good numbers of fish in the system these fish have seen just about all the gear you could imagin. Several of the larger pools are stacked with coho but again these fish are tight lipped. Updates and New Stuff on Guidebc.com We have been working hard the past week on some new resources and upgrades to our website. We now have a What’s New Page that will contain updates and changes to our site. Checkout our NEW Product Review Page where you will find useful field test reports on rods, reels, line, waders and other fishing related items. Please feel free to comment on our changes, we appreciate feedback, good or bad. Remember to conserve your catch Tight Lines and we will see you on the water Fraser Valley report for the week of November 6 /2001 Fraser River Salmon Most anglers are now concentrating their efforts in the tributary rivers. Most of the bar fishing is occurring below Mission Bridge with anglers reporting best fishing during the incoming tides. The upper Fraser (above Mission) still offers good opportunities for salmon along the many Bars. The Sumas canal area (below Chilliwack Mountain) is one of the better areas to fish at this time of year. Bowman’s Bar, Updown Bar and Henderson’s are 3 of the more productive bars to fish in November. Sturgeon Our top guides report Sturgeon fishing to be very good throughout the Fraser River. Most of the popular areas near Mission are producing good results as well as in the Chilliwack and Agassiz area. A variety of baits will work at this time of year but on most days salmon roe will be your best producer. Our biggest fish this week was just over 7 feet with lots of catches between 4 and 6 feet. This is primetime sturgeon fishing; it doesn’t get much better than this. Now is the time to get the boys together and make that trip of a lifetime. We offer 1 day or multiple days of guided sturgeon fishing. We are also extending our $50.00 discount until Christmas. If you book an 8 hr guided sturgeon trip you will receive $50.00 off the regular price if you mention this ad. Vedder The Vedder River is still fishing very well for this late in the season. Our guide Greg Wolf was just out the other day, he hooked several clean Coho, a couple Chinook and lots of chum. The water flow is good with excellent visibility above the clay banks with good visibility below. Steelhead season is just around the corner. We have had several reports of Steelhead being caught on both the Vedder and Fraser River. As the salmon season begins to wind down the steelhead season begins to heat up. Although November is still a bit early, December can be excellent fishing. Once again we will be offering our Annual Steelhead Seminar. This 3-day seminar will be held in late January and early February. As of right now we will be holding classes at Gills tackle in Langley. Next week we will have the dates nailed down so keep an eye out on our site. Harrison The Harrison River is still producing good catches of Coho and chum salmon. Both spin and fly anglers are catches good numbers of fish above and below the railway bridge. We have a couple spots left for our fly seminar for Sunday Nov 11. If you are interested please call us at 604-671-FISH Dewdney Slough, Stave River and other tributaries Most of the tributaries on the north side of the Fraser begin to get Coho and chum a few weeks later than tributaries on the south side. This means that just when the Vedder begins to slow down, rivers such as the Harrison, Chehalis, Stave and Dewdney begin to heat up. Fishing has been quite good on the rivers mentioned above. Most of these rivers (excluding the Harrison) are tidal influenced so best fishing is on or near high tide. Remember to conserve your catch Tight Lines and we will see you on the water Vic Carrao Fraser Valley report for the week of October 22 /2001 The fishing in the Fraser Valley continues to be spectacular. Being that most of our salmon species have returned to area rivers a few weeks late, the great fishing should continue well into November. Fraser River The Fraser River is now open to salmon fishing. You may retain hatchery Coho, chum and pink salmon. Please check your regulations for updates, limits and spot closures. The fishing has been fantastic for chum, coho and Chinook salmon. Most bars along the Fraser are now fishing well for both spin fisherman and bar fisherman. Casting Colorado or Vibrax spinners had been effective as well as bar fishing with spin n glo’s and bait. This week we hooked a nice 14 lb hatchery coho while casting spinners on the Fraser. Fishing the tides is best at this time of year, add 4 hours to Point Atkinson and you have your high tide timetable for the Fraser Valley. You can find a link on our site to the tide table website. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing continues to be very good throughout the Fraser River. The last couple of days the fishing has really turned on. Our largest fish this week was just under 8 feet weight approx 250 lbs. This great fishing should continue through October lasting well into November. We are offering for the first time a $50.00 discount for sturgeon trips booked before October 31 for the month of November. To receive the $50.00 discount you must take the trip after November 1st but before December 31. Vedder The Vedder River continues to produce some nice coho, chum and Chinook. Over the next week or so the Coho fishing will slow down while the Chinook fishing will improve. The Vedder is usually done with good coho fishing by now but because most of our salmon runs are late we should get another week or so of good fishing. Harrison The Harrison River is fishing well for both coho and chum. There are still plenty of fresh pinks in the lower river but that will soon change. The chum salmon are pouring in and will soon take over most of the river. Finding coho will become more difficult as most of the prime water will be taken over by the chum. We are once again offering our annual fly-fishing seminar on the Harrison River. This is a great way to learn to fly fish for salmon at a reasonable cost. We will be fishing for Coho and Chum salmon for approx 6 hours with 2 hours of instructional angling by either Vic Carrao or Erik Skaaning of STS Guiding Service Dewdney Slough, Stave River and other tributaries Most of the tributaries on the north side of the Fraser begin to get coho and chum a few weeks later than tributaries on the south side. This means that just when the Vedder begins to slow down, rivers such as the Harrison, Chehalis, Stave and Dewdney begin to heat up. Fishing has been quite good on the rivers mentioned above. Most of these rivers (excluding the Harrison) are tidal influenced so best fishing is on or near high tide. Fraser Valley report for the week of October 11 /2001 The fishing in the Fraser Valley is at it's peak, every river, stream and creek is now beginning to fill up with salmon. Fishing is hot all over and will last until the first week in November. We are averaging 30 to 60 salmon per day with more salmon entering each day. The Coho fishing is just getting going with Chum salmon beging to get good. We have had a few cancellations due to the tragic events in New York, that opens some opportunities for those of you able to fish on short notice. We have availablity from October 20 - November 3, if you would like to join us for some unbelievable fishing, please call Vic at 604-671-FISH or E-mail us at sts@guidebc.com Fraser River The Fraser River will open for salmon fishing on October 19th above the Mission Bridge. Between Mission and Harrison River confluence you will be able to retain hatchery coho, chum salmon, pink salmon and Chinook jacks. Above the Harrison confluence only chum and Chinook jacks may be retained. Please check with your local tackle store for updates and limits on this opening. Fishing on the Fraser has been fair to great; we have spent several days fishing for Thompson steelhead in the Chilliwack area. Bar fishing for steelhead is a great way to spend the day out on the water with the family. Although we haven’t had much luck for steelhead we have had some great action catch and releasing Chinook, chum and pink salmon. Remember that you can only target trout, steelhead and sturgeon until October 19th when the Fraser re-opens for salmon fishing. Fishing the tides is best at this time of year, add 4 hours to Point Atkinson and you have your high tide timetable for the Fraser Valley. You can find a link on our site to the tide table website. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing continues to be very good throughout the Fraser River. Our guides are averaging 5 to 7 fish per day with some 12 to 15 fish days. As the month progresses these numbers generally increase substantially. We are offering for the first time a $50.00 discount for sturgeon trips booked before October 31 for the month of November. To receive the $50.00 discount you must take the trip after November 1st but before December 31. Vedder The Vedder River is Hot Hot Hot for Coho. Yesterday was incredible; most anglers that I talked to had their limits in minutes and spent the rest of the day Catch and releasing Coho up to 15 lbs. Tip of the week The Vedder River is at its peak for Coho salmon. Coho are spread throughout the River from top to bottom. Anglers will have an opportunity to experience this great fishing for just a short period until the river fills up with chum and fall Chinook that will then push the Coho out of prime water. This great Coho fishing should last another 10 to 14 days then the best fishing will switch over the north side of the Fraser. The Stave, Dewdney, Harrison, Norish and other tributaries are just beginning to see a few Coho, by the time the Vedder begins to slow these rivers will just begin to heat up. Chehalis The Chehalis still desperately needs water; until we get some serious rainfall fishing will continue to be difficult. First light and late evening is your best bet with small presentations of bait or wool combo’s working best. Harrison The Harrison River continues to be good fishing for Pink, Chum and Coho. Although the majority of fish caught are still pink salmon more chum and Coho are being caught each day. Chum salmon are beginning to enter in great numbers so just a few more days and we will be in for some great action. We are once again offering our annual fly-fishing seminar on the Harrison River. This is a great way to learn to fly fish for salmon at a reasonable cost. We will be fishing for Coho and Chum salmon for approx 6 hours with 2 hours of instructional angling by either Vic Carrao or Erik Skaaning of STS Guiding Service Fraser Valley report for the week of October 7 /2001 Fraser River The Fraser River continues to be closed for salmon fishing. The river should re-open sometime in mid October. Anglers are still permitted to fish for steelhead, trout and sturgeon. If you’re planning on fishing for steelhead be sure to purchase a steelhead tag before you head out onto the water. Thompson Steelhead are beginning their migration through the Fraser, anglers who put in the time can intercept these fish. One of the more effective methods used to catch Thompson steelhead is bar fishing with spin n glo’s and bait. The lower river near Chilliwack is one of the more productive areas to target these fish. To find out more about bar fishing steelhead just have a look through some of our articles on fishing the Fraser. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing is incredible to say the least, the great fishing will continue well into November so don’t wait too long to take advantage of our monthly special. This week our largest fish was just under 8 feet but we hooked many fish between 6 and 7 feet. We are offering for the first time a $50.00 discount for sturgeon trips booked before October 31 for the month of November. To receive the $50.00 discount you must take the trip after November 1st but before December 31. Vedder The Vedder is still very low and clear. The River is chalked full of Pink salmon which is providing anglers with some great action. Chum, Coho and Chinook salmon are all entering the river is small numbers but until we get some significant rain it will be first light action then slow fishing the rest of the day. Chehalis The Chehalis desperately needs water; until we get some serious rainfall fishing will continue to be slow. First light and late evening is your best bet with small presentations of bait or wool combo’s working best. Harrison The Harrison River continues to be good fishing for Pink salmon with more Coho and chum entering each day. Water levels are low and clear so we could really use some rain to help encourage more Coho to enter the system. We are once again offering our annual fly-fishing seminar on the Harrison River. This is a great way to learn to fly fish for salmon at a reasonable cost. We will be fishing for Coho and Chum salmon for approx 6 hours with 2 hours of instructional angling by either Vic Carrao or Erik Skaaning of STS Guiding Service Fraser Valley report for the week of September 27/2001 Fraser River Same as last week The Fraser River remains closed until further notice. There are still plenty of fishing opportunities on the Fraser for trout, steelhead and sturgeon. Fly anglers are reporting good fishing for trout using Pink streamers, minnow and single egg patterns. Thompson Steelhead are beginning their migration through the Fraser, anglers who put in the time can intercept these fish. One of the more effective methods used to catch Thompson steelhead is bar fishing with spin n glo’s and bait. The lower river near Chilliwack is one of the more productive areas to target these fish. To find out more about bar fishing steelhead just have a look through some of our articles on fishing the Fraser. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing continues to be excellent throughout the Fraser River system. This week STS guides hooked and landed 30 sturgeon over 5 feet, our largest fish was over 8 feet. This great fishing should continue until late November and often lasts well into December. We are offering for the first time a $50.00 discount for sturgeon trips booked before October 31 for the month of November. To receive the $50.00 discount you must take the trip after November 1st but before December 31. Vedder The Vedder is still very low and clear. Anglers are reporting good catches of Coho and Pink salmon with the odd Chum and fall Chinook beginning to show. We had a good rainfall yesterday but we still need a few more days like it to really bring up the water levels. Good numbers of Coho will continue to enter the river over the next few weeks, if we get a heavy rainfall the Vedder River will be hot fishing. Chehalis We fished the Chehalis yesterday; the water is still very low and ultra clear. There is some Coho beginning to stack up in the canyon with the odd summer run steelhead and Chinook. You’re going to need small floats, light leader and tiny presentations to get any results. This will be the order of the day until the water levels rise. Once they do, look out because fishing is going to be hot. Harrison The Harrison River continues to be good fishing for Pinks salmon with the odd Coho being caught. The majority of the salmon fishing is below the rail bridge just east of Kilby Park. The retention limits are 2 Pink salmon per day but there is no retention above the rail bridge. The trout fishing has really slowed down for the time being. Once the salmon begin to spawn in early to late November the trout fishing will pick right up. November and December are great months for Cutthroat fishing on the Harrison and Fraser River systems. Remember to conserve your catch Tight Lines and we will see you on the water Vic Carrao Fraser Valley report for the week of September 21/2001 Fraser River The Fraser River remains closed until further notice. There are still plenty of fishing opportunities on the Fraser for trout, steelhead and sturgeon. Fly anglers are reporting good fishing for trout using Pink streamers, minnow and single egg patterns. Thompson Steelhead are beginning their migration through the Fraser, these fish can be intercepted by anglers who put in the time. One of the more effective methods used to catch Thompson steelhead is bar fishing with spin n glo’s and bait. The lower river near Chilliwack is one of the more productive areas to target these fish. To find out more about bar fishing steelhead just have a look through some of our articles on fishing the Fraser. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing has been excellent this week. Fish are beginning to key onto the salmon roe witch can provide anglers with some of the best fishing of the season. Each year around this time salmon begin to spawn, once the salmon spawn they begin to die. Sturgeon begin to feed heavily on both salmon roe and salmon carcases as they decompose. Anglers should concintrate on using roe, salmon belly’s, gills and other salmon related baits. We are offering for the first time a $50.00 discount for sturgeon trips booked before October 31 for the month of November. To receive the $50.00 discount you must take the trip after November 1st but before December 31. Vedder The Vedder is still very low and clear. Good numbers of Coho and Pink salmon are spread throughout the river with the lower canal area fishing the best. Anglers casting and trolling lures in the Sumas Canal report good success during the tide change. Casting or trolling Gibbs crocs is still one of my favorite methods for fishing this area. Chehalis Same as last week We have few reports on the Chehalis River this season, the few that we have had told of crowded shores and few fish. This river will begin to produce good catches of Coho and chum a little later than the Vedder River system. Once the Vedder peaks in late September then switch over the Chehalis. Harrison The Harrison River is producing good catches of Pink salmon with the odd chum and Coho being caught. Our Guest Tom Hogan of Astubula Ohio hooked into a nice 10lb Coho today. Most anglers are fishing below the bridge as that is the only section that allows retention of 2 pinks per day. The trout fishing has been fair to good but please remember to release all wild trout. The best bites have come early morning or late evening, best flies have been small stickleback patterns and attractor patterns. Fraser Valley report for the week of September 4/2001 Fraser River The past 6 weeks will be remembered for sometime, especially this years run of Chinook salmon. We hooked and landed over 200 Chinook with an average size of 18 - 20 lbs, our largest fish weighed in at 42lbs. The Fraser River provided anglers with some incredible fishing. Many of our guests were fortunate to take home limits of both sockeye and Chinook salmon. The sockeye fishing was much better than fisheries predicted, we hooked and landed hundreds of fish. The past week we have seen the numbers of Pink salmon increase substantially in both the Fraser and Harrison River. Catch rates of pink salmon have increased daily and should be at its peak by mid September. For the next 5 weeks the Fraser will be closed for salmon fishing, you may however fish for sturgeon, trout or steelhead. The methods used for steelhead are much the same as Chinook; bar fishing with spin n glo’s or bottom bouncing is quite effective. My favorite spin n glo is the chartreuse clown or the famous ½ & ½. For more information on bar fishing for Steelhead refer to our articles section. (See early Chinook fishing) Fly-fishing for trout has been quite good as of late; we have caught some nice Cutthroat in the 12 to 18 inch range in some of the backwaters of the Fraser. When targeting Cutthroat you might encounter Pink salmon incidentally, remember they must be released unharmed. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing has been off and on, one day it’s great the next day you can’t buy a fish. This inconsistency will probably continue until late September when the river begins to fill up with spawning salmon. Sturgeon fishing is at it’s best between early October and November, that’s when the big boys come out to play. Hub Sports fly rod combo give away winner is Dan Koshman of Langley, congratulations! Dan. Dan, please contact Vic at 604-671-3474 or E-mail me at sts@guidebc.com Vedder The Vedder river is beginning to produce some nice catches of early Coho, these early fish are generally small but offer some great action for both fly anglers and drift fisherman. The lower canal area is beginning to fish well for those who enjoy trolling or casting spoons and spinners. Yesterday was a good day for the few anglers who put in the effort. Fishing the tides is your best bet when targeting salmon in the lower canal area. 2 hours before and 2 hours after high tide is best. Chehalis We have few reports on the Chehalis River this season, the few that we have had told of crowded shores and few fish. This river will begin to produce good catches of Coho and chum a little later than the Vedder River system. Once the Vedder peaks in late September then switch over the Chehalis. Harrison The Harrison River has had a slow start this season, not many sockeye or pink salmon. Over the next few weeks more pink salmon will enter the system, which will offer anglers some great catch & release fishing. This season there will be NO retention of sockeye or pink salmon on the Harrison so please release these fish unharmed. The trout fishing has been fair to good but please remember to release all wild trout. The best bites have come early morning or late evening, best flies have been small stickleback patterns and attractor patterns. Fraser Valley report for the week of August 16 /01 Fraser River The Fraser River is hot fishing right now for both Sockeye and Chinook salmon. Retention limits are 1 Chinook per day, 0 sockeye, 2 Pink salmon. We have been averaging 1 pink salmon per day so it won’t be long before the river is full of pink salmon. There are still plenty of Chinook salmon in the river with some excellent catches being had by many anglers Our best day this week was 20 Chinook, our largest landed was 38 lbs by our guest Jeff Portman of Ohio. Our group from Texas has had one great fishing holiday; in 3 days of fishing they have hook into more than 40 Chinook and 100’s of sockeye. Water conditions have been excellent; the water is dropping 4 to 6 inches a day so be careful if your taking back channels up the river. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing has excellent this week; we hooked into some monsters this week that were just a bit too strong for us to land. The average size has increased as some of the big boys have come out to feed on salmon. We managed to land some nice fish in the 6 to 8 feet range but all fish over that got away. Some days you win some days you lose. New fly rod combo giveaway Hub sports have generously donated a fly rod combo for us to give away this month. Just go to Hub sports page on www.guidebc.com and answer the question on sockeye salmon runs. We will announce the winner in the next few weeks. Vedder A few Coho have been reported this week but overall the fishing has been slow. The Chinook are mostly dark and trying to spawn so please target Coho. Chehalis Sorry No report Harrison Closed to retention of Sockeye. Trout fishing has been fair but water levels are dropping fast so be careful when navigating. Fraser Valley report for the week of July 17 /01 Fraser River The Fraser River has produced good to excellent results the past week. Our largest fish this week was 25 lbs but we had some larger fish that did the long line release. There are some sockeye being caught but not as many as you would expect for mid July. The river is in good shape with water levels moderately high and slowly dropping. Remember, fishing is now from Dawn to Dusk on the Fraser, no night fishing permitted. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing remains the same as last week, one day it’s hot the next day it’s not. Trying various baits will increase success, lamprey, ditch eels, salmon roe and dew worms all produce results. New fly rod combo giveaway Hub sports has generously donated a fly rod combo for us to give away this month. Just go to Hub sports page on www.guidebc.com and answer the question on sockeye salmon runs. We will announce the winner in the next few weeks. Vedder Water conditions are good with excellent visibility, anglers are reporting good catches of sockeye with the odd Chinook being caught. For those who want to C&R sockeye, try using cured sand shrimp or Krill for best results. Chehalis River Harrison Bay Store reports fair to good fishing for both Chinook and summer run steelhead. Water levels are low and clear with fish being very spooky during day light hours. Try fishing first light or again late evening for best bite times. Small wool presentations and cured salmon roe both produce good results. Harrison Bay store has a new owner, Les Sandar is now operating Harrison bay Store and camp ground. Les is not an avid angler but is enthusiastic about learning the ropes and talking with local anglers. Les will keep a good selection of terminal tackle for those of you heading up to the Chehalis and Harrison Vancouver Ocean The Vancouver area ocean fishing continues to be very good with lots of Coho and some good Chinook. Dave at Preditor charters has been slaying fish day in and day out so if you are looking for some offshore action Dave is your man. Give us an e-mail if you would like to book a trip on the chuck. Good fishing and see you on the water Fraser Valley report for the week of July 9 /01 Fraser River The Fraser River has produced good results for both Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon during the past week. We hooked and landed 18 Chinook in the past 10 days with the largest landed fish weighing in at 31 lbs. Want to meet a diehard angler? Juanita Kerik of Maple Ridge hooked, played, chased and landed one of the strongest fish so far this season. Juanita’s fish weighed in at 24.3 lbs but put up a fight of a fish over 40 lb. This fish hit hard and began spooling line immediately, Juanita almost ran out of line before jumping into the boat. We chased this fish well over ½ mile before getting this chrome beauty to the net. Congratulations Juanita for a job well done. Sockeye salmon is not open for retention but rumors have it that it may not be long before it is. As of today the Fraser River is closed for night fishing, the river is now open each day from dawn to dusk. Coho on the way We are receiving some fantastic reports of abundant Coho runs from along the coast. Anglers are complaining because they can’t get their bait down deep enough to catch the Chinooks. Wow, I really feel sorry for them, LOL. This means we should be in for another banner September and October like last year when we had many 20 fish days on the fly. Peak weeks for coho is Sept 21 to Oct 14. Don’t wait too long as we have limited space available. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing has been great one day and poor the next. We had one trip this week that in 5 hours our clients landed 11 fish which were all over 4 feet with the largest measuring at 8 ½ feet. The next day we fished 8 hours and only hooked one fish. I guess that’s why they call it fishing not catching. Congratulations to Mike Lambert Drift rod winner is Mike Lambert of Bellingham Washington New fly rod combo giveaway Hub sports has generously donated a fly rod combo for us to give away this month. Just go to Hub sports page on www.guidebc.com and answer the question on sockeye salmon runs. We will announce the winner in the next few weeks. Vedder Water conditions are good with excellent visibility, anglers are reporting good catches of sockeye with the odd Chinook being caught in the lower river. Chehalis River HBS reports fair to good fishing for both Chinook and summer run steelhead. The lower canyon and the runs below the hatchery are both producing results early in the morning or late evening. Cured salmon roe or small egg imitations work great on summer runs. The water is low and clear so be sure to go light leaders and small hooks. Harrison Bay store has a new owner, Les Sandar is now operating Harrison bay Store and camp ground. Les is not an avid angler but is enthusiastic about learning the ropes and talking with local anglers. Les will keep a good selection of terminal tackle for those of you heading up to the Chehalis and Harrison Vancouver Ocean The Vancouver area ocean fishing has been fair to good as of late. Fraser river Chinook are migrating along the coast with anglers catching both under size and some good keepers in the 15 to 20 lb range. Coho fishing has been fair to good near and around the Capilano River. Fraser Valley report for the week of June 25 /01 Fraser River The Fraser River fishing has finally picked up, the fishing has been fair to very good on most of the popular bars. Bar fishing and bottom bouncing have both produced good results. Our largest fish for the week was a chrome 31 lb Chinook but many of our fish have been under 20 lbs. Our guests Lorne, Kerry and their sons had a great day hooking 7 fish with one of the boys landing a nice 12 lb Chinook by himself, memories that last a lifetime. The fishing should continue to improve over the next few weeks until the early run peaks sometime in early July. The water levels are moderately high and slowly dropping with 12 to 14 inches of visibility. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing has off and on. We have been averaging 3 to 5 fish per day with no real large fish. If you plan on going, be prepared to fish hard. Move around to various locations but don’t wait too long, 20 to 40 minutes per location should be enough to find a fish if their willing. Outdoor writer Dave Kimble was out with us last weekend for his very first sturgeon encounter. We are happy to announce that Dave is no longer a sturgeon virgin. Dave managed to land 3 nice fish in just a few hours of fishing, Dave’s largest was a nice 62 inch sturgeon followed by a 55 and 52. Vedder The Vedder river open for retention of Chinook salmon on Sunday July 1st. The run is not large but there is usually a good number of fish caught on opening day. I prefer to fish the deeper holes where fish have been resting the past month with no harassment from anglers. These fish are fresh and usually hit the first lure presented. Water conditions are good with excellent visibility, these conditions should remain unless we get heavy rains between now and then. Chehalis River A few fish are being caught each day but little pressure for this time of year. Summer steelhead and Chinook will begin entering in good numbers towards the end of the month. Float fishing with cured roe is best but wool patterns and small single eggs work as well. Harrison Bay store has a new owner, Les Sandar is now operating Harrison bay Store and camp ground. Les is not an avid angler but is enthusiastic about learning the ropes and talking with local anglers. Les will keep a good selection of terminal tackle for those of you heading up to the Chehalis and Harrison. STS Guiding Service has leased a camp spot for the summer so we will be keeping Les informed on the best lures and tackle for summer and fall fishing. Vancouver Ocean The Vancouver area ocean fishing has been fair to good as of late. Fraser river Chinook are migrating along the coast with anglers catching both under size and some good keepers in the 15 to 20 lb range. Coho fishing has been fair to good near and around the Capilano River. Good fishing and see you on the water Vic Carrao Fraser Valley report for the week of May 23 /01 Fraser River The Fraser rivers water levels pretty much stayed the same as last week. The heavy rain on Monday did bring it up a bit but by Thursday she had dropped back down. Fishing was much the same for both salmon and sturgeon although a few more salmon were caught off the bars. All week we have been fishing sturgeon, with a limited effort on Chinook. The past few days we have been seeing good numbers of Chinook rolling and jumping between Agassiz and Chilliwack. Anglers are reporting catches of Chinook to 25 lbs at the creek mouths but most fish are less than 20 lbs. A few fishermen are trying their luck at bar fishing with limited results. As long as the river stays in good shape the bars should begin producing consistent catches, as prime season is only a few weeks away. This holiday long weekend should bring out the anglers which will give us a really good feel for the numbers of fish moving through the river. If you would like to learn more about bar fishing the Fraser please see our article Early Chinook Fishing on the Fraser. What to expect in the coming weeks The river conditions during the next few weeks will dictate where to fish, when to fish, what methods to use and success to greater degree than any other time of year. Once river levels are at its peak and begin to drop we will then begin to see more consistent catches for both Chinook salmon and sturgeon. Sturgeon Sturgeon fishing has been fair to good the past week, we have had to work hard for every fish but the efforts have been well worth the results. Alain Cossette and party visiting from Quebec landed a beauty 7’8 “ weighing a estimated 250 lbs. Larry Jackson, last months news letter winner, came out for his free guided trip. Larry went home with memories of his first ever sturgeon, a nice fish of 5 feet approx 60-80 lbs Congratulations Larry. Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Interior lakes Reports for the interior have improved but the weather conditions at this time of year can be unpredictable. The Merritt/ kamloops area will be your best bet for this weekend as the caribou area is still too cold. Chronomids are still your best bet but watch for water boatman’s on the water as this can be a good time to fish them along with dragon fly nymphs. Local lakes Most of the local lakes continue to produce good action for Kokanee, Dolly Varden and Cutthroat trout. Allouette Lake and Jones Lake are probably the best two. Trolling with Willow Leaf and wedding bands is one of the more popular methods. If you prefer to troll with lures only, try the Gibbs Glen Stewart in Brass, Hammered Brass or Copper. Fly fishers can do well trolling or casting fly’s near some of the drop offs and shoals. Vedder/Chehalis River Vedder closes May 31 and re-opens July 1 Chehalis is closed May 1 and re-opens June 1 Vancouver Ocean Same as last week The Vancouver area ocean fishing has been fair to good as of late. Fraser river Chinook are migrating along the coast with anglers catching both under size and some good keepers in the 15 to 20 lb range. Good fishing and see you on the water Fraser Valley report for the week of May 5 /01 Fraser River The Fraser River continues to rise but not as quickly as the end of last week. The freshet has begun but like past years the amount of snowmelt depends on air temperature. A slow snowmelt occurs when the temperature reaches above 0 during the day but drops below 0 at night. A fast snowmelt occurs when temperatures at high elevation stay above freezing throughout the night. The low snow pack this year could cause some trouble for migrating salmon, we are beginning to hear all kinds of scenarios for the early and late summer run of Sockeye. Don’t put too much into these rumors, as it’s clear that nobody really knows what’s going to happen, just like last year and the previous 20 years. The speed of which the river will rise and drop will depend on the weather, the best scenario for this season is that we have a good mix of warm and cool days and cooler nights. This would cause a slow snowmelt with river conditions staying high enough for salmon to migrate but clear enough for anglers to have a good chance to catch some nice fish. Chinook salmon have begun their migration up the Fraser, although the numbers are not large those willing to put in the time will be rewarded with some nice catches. Although the Fraser has risen a few feet this week it’s still not enough for good fishing at some of the smaller creek mouths. Some of the larger confluences such as the Sumas and Harrison will be your best bet until water levels increase another 4 or 5 feet. The Sumas/Fraser confluence fished well this week with 2 to 5 fish being caught at the peak tide change each day. Although 2 to 5 fish is not much considering there has been 6 to 10 boats each day it’s still pretty good considering it’s only the first week in May. This fishery has never been over productive but it will produce a few fish each day. Some anglers are trying their luck at bar fishing but it’s still a bit early in the season. The river has poor visibility at this time but is already beginning to clear due to the colder weather we had on Wed/Thurs/Fri of this week. Sturgeon With all the doom and gloom we hear at this time every year it’s good to hear some positive news. The Eulachon have almost completed their annual journey up the Fraser River with what will be one of the best years in recent memory. Those who have ventured out onto the Fraser to dip their net for the first time in years should have been rewarded with some great catches. On most years the run of Eulachon won’t migrate much past Mission, this year because of the large numbers they have been reported as far up as Laidlaw. If you plan on going out remember you need to stay below the Mission bridge and your limit is 5 KG per person. Sturgeon fishing was good last weekend but has slowed since. I’m not sure if it’s due to the rise in water levels, too much feed or a combination of both. The fish we have been catching have gained some serious weight the past week as they are gorging on Eulachon. Some of the Sturgeon we caught were so full of food they looked more like Bass then Sturgeon. Those who plan on going will be successful if they cover lots of water but be a bit more patient than normal is needed. Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Interior lakes Reports for the interior are somewhat mixed, it really depends on where you plan on fishing. Some winterkill has occurred so it would be wise to check with a local interior tackle store before you head out. Some of the more accurate reports you’ll find on the net is at www.fishbc.com . Local lakes We are hearing there is some great fishing occurring on some of the local lakes. Dolly Varden, Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout are all available species in most of the larger lakes. Allouette Lake, Stave Lake, Pitt Lake and others are all fishing well with anglers trolling Gang trolls and wedding bands or trolling flys. If you head out on the larger lakes be sure that your boat has been equipped with the appropriate safety equipment. Each boat length category is required to meet coast guard standards and carry various safety items. I would recommend checking the boating regulations before you head out on the water or call 1-800-267-6687 for more information. Local Rivers Local rivers like the Vedder and Chehalis are winding down for Steelhead. Although there is still some good angling opportunities Steelhead are now beginning to spawn and are getting a bit colored and sluggish. Both of these rivers do offer some good fly-fishing for Trout at this time of year. Mostly Cutthroat trout are found in the Vedder and Chehalis but the odd Dolly Varden or Rainbow can also be caught. Try fishing the lower section of either of these rivers, as that is where most of these trout will congregate. If you would like to report on your home river please e-mail us for details Good fishing and see you on the water Fraser Valley report for the week of April 28th /01 Fraser River The warm weather this past week has put the Fraser River into full freshet, the water level has risen over 4 feet. If the warm trend continues the river will continue to rise over the next 4 to 6 weeks. It’s difficult to predict river conditions at this time of year, just about anything can happen. The sooner the river crests the sooner we will be into some good salmon action. Chinook Salmon are beginning their annual migration up the Fraser, as a general rule, once freshet is over the Chinook fishing is at it’s best. This usually happens sometime in June. Between now and then the river will have it’s up’s and down’s with best fishing on it’s down cycle. Along with the rising water comes logs, branches and hidden debree. For those running smaller Aluminum or fiberglass boats with props this can be very dangerous. Use extreme caution over the next few weeks, keep a close eye on the water especially if you’re anchored. Sturgeon fishing was excellent this week, our clients had some great days battling large sturgeon to 250 lbs. Joe Morrissey of North Carolina couldn’t believe the power of this magnificent fish. Joe warmed up the week with a 14 fish day landing 2 fish over 100 lbs then ended his trip with a nice sturgeon over 8 feet approx 250 lbs. Although the River is on the rise sturgeon fishing will continue to produce good results. The Eulichans (smelt) are in the river and the sturgeon are feeding heavily on them. This past week 2 fish over 10 feet were caught and many fish between 5 – 8 feet. Anglers can expect good fishing opportunities until the smelts are gone then fishing will slow a bit until the salmon are in. Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Interior lakes May 1st is just a few days away, this is when the majority of lakes in the Merritt and Kamloops region open for fishing for Kamloops trout. These Trout are some of the hardest fighting trout in the world and offer excellent fly fishing opportunities for the novice to expert fly- fisher. Vedder River Steelhead The Vedder has risen substantially the past few days and should continue to rise as long as the warm weather stays with us. The river closes on Tuesday May 1st for any fishing above the Vedder Crossing but remains open to fly-fishing only below the crossing. Please check your regulations before heading to any water to fish. Chehalis/Harrison I have not received a report for the Chehalis but would expect the water to have risen like many of the other Fraser Valley Rivers. I was up on the Harrison today and couldn’t believe how quickly the water had come up. Last week I could barely launch my boat, this week the beach was half under water. The Harrison must have come up 4 feet in 48 hours. The fishing was slow today, I’m not sure if the rising water had something to do with it but we didn’t see any rising fish all day. Our guest Mike King still managed to hook ½ a dozen Cutthroat but most were pretty small. I’m not really sure what to expect over the next couple of weeks. I guess it will really depend on the water levels and weather conditions. I will try to keep you posted as river conditions change. If you would like to report on your home river please e-mail us for details Good fishing and see you on the water Vic Carrao Fraser Valley report for the week of April 15th /01 Fraser River Cutthroat Cutthroat fishing has been good throughout the Fraser Valley. Salmon fry and May fly’s are the main food source at this time of year. On the Fraser you will find the salmon fry patterns work the best. The fry have been around for a few weeks now and are quite large. Try using patterns that are 1 to 1 ½ inches in size. Short quick retrieves which imitate a injured fry can be very productive. Although most of the fish are between 10 – 14 inches, we have managed to hook into a few larger sea-runs. Sturgeon. Sturgeon fishing this past week has been fair to excellent. The river has risen slightly the past few days with the water clarity decreasing to a few inches of visibility. Water clarity doesn’t really effect sturgeon feeding habbits so it shouldn’t play a role in your success. Our next peak Sturgeon season is just around the corner, April to mid May is best. We are offering some great deals on Spring Sturgeon fishing; just send us an email for more information and how to book an experience you’ll never forget. Have a look at our new Sturgeon Video; you’ll find it at www.guidebc.com/video Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Vedder River Steelhead The Vedder is in good condition and producing good catches of steelhead for drift fisherman and fly anglers. Many of the fish in the mid to upper river are now sporting their spring spawning colors. There are still some bright Steelhead being caught in the lower river with the odd early Chinook. The Vedder closes for fishing on May 1st and becomes fly only from Vedder crossing down stream to the boundry. The area above Vedder crossing is closed to all fishing. Chehalis River The Chehalis River has had a pretty good run of Steelhead this season, although the run is beginning to wind down there is still some good fishing to be had. The Chehalis is less prone to blow out, during the heavy rains of April when other rivers are high and dirty try fishing the Chehalis. Stave River The Stave River has been fishing well for Cutts to 14 inches. Salmon fry patterns are the best choice for fly fishers while spinners or small bait presentations work well for the kids or non- fly fishers. Fraser Valley report for the week of April 4th /01 Fraser River Cutthroat Cutthroat fishing has been fair throughout the Fraser Valley; soon the salmon fry will be the main food source for trout, white fish and other native species. Many of the local rivers and sloughs contain good populations Cutthroat. These fish are not large but still offer a good fishery and often are challenging to catch. Sturgeon. Sturgeon fishing has slowed for most of the anglers who frequent the Hatzic hole. These fish have seen their fair share of hooks lately and we are beginning to see the effects. It’s time to move around and find some new spots that will produce fish. This will quickly separate the average angler to those who have put in the time to learn the many locations that sturgeon frequent on the river. Our next peak Sturgeon season is just around the corner, April to mid May is best. We are offering some great deals on Spring Sturgeon fishing; just send us an email for more information and how to book an experience you’ll never forget. Have a look at our new Sturgeon Video; you’ll find it at www.guidebc.com/video Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Vedder River Steelhead The Vedder is in good condition and still producing good catches of steelhead for drift fisherman but the fly-fishing has been a tough go for most. As the water temperatures continue to warm the fly –fishing should pickup, remember to use bright flies on cloudy days and dark flies on bright days. Many of the diehard Vedder steelheaders prefer to use sand shrimp at this time of year. Fish are more aggressive and will travel further for a good-presented bait, lure or fly. Remember to cover the water thoroughly before moving on and don’t forget to fish the tailouts as that is where you will find many of the fish holding. Chehalis River The Chehalis River has been producing a few fish each morning as usual. This river should be producing more fish than it has been over the past few weeks. It’s peak time for steelhead in most of the Valleys Rivers so fishing should be at it’s best. We drifted a good portion of the Chehalis recently and were disappointed with the number of fish we saw; hopefully we get a good push of late fish soon. Stave River We have had a few reports of some nice Cutthroat trout being caught this week but over all it’s still pretty slow fishing. The whitefish have been aggressive taking minnow patterns and single egg patterns. Steelhead should begin to show in this river system soon, although I have not heard of any yet I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few in the system now. Late March and the entire month of April is best for Steelhead on the Stave. Fly-fishing is my favorite but spoon fishing can also be very productive. Harrison River I must apologize to those who have responded to last weeks report on our Harrison fish out. I should have mentioned that the fish out was part of a 3-day fly-casting seminar. Because of the response we may consider offering a one-day fish out for those wanting to try their luck on the Harrison. If you are one of those who contacted us and are interested in a one-day fish out please send us another e-mail and we will try to put something together. If you didn’t contact us but are interested in participating, just send us e-mail. Good fishing and see you on the water Vic Carrao Fraser Valley report for the week of March 23 /01 Fraser River Cutthroat We didn’t manage to get out for Cutthroat this week but we did get a few reports of good fishing on the main stem Fraser. Some of the better back channels of the Fraser in the Agassiz area also fished well. There had been some good hatches of Stoneflies and Blue Dunn in the early to mid afternoon. We did hear of a couple nice 20-inch fish but most are still in the 9 to 12 inch range. Cutthroat tactics on the fly Once the salmon fry begin to emerge, Cutthroat will chase them down and become aggressive feeders. Usually the first minnow imitation that passes by them is quickly taken by feeding trout, after a few fish are caught these aggressive but sometimes elusive fish will reject that fly. More often than not a new fly presented properly will produce a few more fish. Change you presentation I prefer to start with a down and across presentation with a hang down and slow retrieve. Usually you can entice a few fish on the hang down or retrieve but like your fly, once they have seen it a few times they become tight lipped. I like to use a trick that I also use when fly-fishing for Coho. Changing you presentation is usually worth a few more fish; try casting passed the fish and bringing the fly from behind on a quick or erratic strip. You may be surprised on how well it works. Sturgeon. Sturgeon fishing continues to be good in the Mission area and reports of some good angling in the Chilliwack and Hope area are beginning to come in. Anglers who are fishing from Chilliwack up to Hope should carry a variety of baits, Lamprey, Ditch eels, roe bags, etc. Those who are fishing from Chilliwack down should be using a variety as well but Eulachon will soon be your best bait. Fishing new water When sounding an area to fish try to find the top of the hole where it begins to deepen, then find the back end of the hole where it begins to shallow out. Start by anchoring above the hole so that your anchor is not in the deepest section, fish your way through the hole dropping your anchor every 50 yds or so. I use a 20-minute rule when fishing new or unfamiliar water, if you haven’t had a bite within 20 minutes, pickup and move down. This allows you to fish new water quickly and effectively. Our next peak Sturgeon season is just around the corner, April to mid May is best. We are offering some great deals on Spring Sturgeon fishing; just send us an email for more information and how to book an experience you’ll never forget. Have a look at our new Sturgeon Video; you’ll find it at www.guidebc.com/video Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Fly casting seminar It’s that time of year again; we are once again offering our 3-day fly-casting seminar in April. This seminar consists of 2 – 2 hour casting lessons in a park setting with a 1-day fish out on the Harrison River with Vic Carrao and Erik Skaanning of STS Guiding. There is limited space available, you can register on-line or call us at 604-671-FISH Next Available Seminar - April 7, 14 & 21, 2001 Vedder River Steelhead The Vedder is in perfect condition, the upper river has good flows with clear water and the lower river has 2 to 3 feet of visibility coloring up a bit in the afternoon on the warmer days. Wednesday was a good day on the river with lots of fish being caught in the lower river. Thursday wasn’t bad but slowed a bit from Wednesday. The good fishing should continue for several more weeks or until the water begins to rise and color from local mountains run off. Chehalis River There have been reports of good fishing in the lower river below the hatchery and the hatchery run. Be sure to stick with light leader and small presentations for your best chances at hooking one of these marvelous fish. Stave River We have had a few reports of some nice Cutthroat trout being caught this week but over all it’s still pretty slow fishing. The whitefish have been aggressive taking minnow patterns and single egg patterns. Steelhead should begin to show in this river system soon, although I have not heard of any yet I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few in the system now. Late March and the entire month of April is best for Steelhead on the Stave. Fly-fishing is my favorite but spoon fishing can also be very productive. Harrison River We will be conducting our annual April Harrison River fish out once again this year, this is a great way to come out and learn tips and tricks from the guides without having the costs of a guide trip. You can sign up through by e-mail or by calling us. Fraser Valley report for the week of March 15 /01 Fraser River The freshet has begun Cutthroat We spent a few days this week in search of that elusive Cutthroat, although fishing was spotty, there are some nice fish to be caught in the Fraser and tributaries. One of the days we couldn’t buy a fish, which was a bit surprising due to the fact the fishing had been pretty good the last 2 months. The Fraser is starting to color up and looks to be on the rise. Small amounts of debris are beginning to fill the river, which is a sure sign of the beginning of Freshet. This could explain our lack of success on the last outing. Finding Cutthroat As freshet begins Cutthroat begin to move into the side channels and tributaries of the Fraser in search of salmon fry. The temperatures of the Fraser have increased a few degrees the past week. This will trigger the emergence of salmon fry by the thousands. Although we saw little sign of fry it won’t be long before the emergence begins. Try fishing some of the more popular tributaries like Johnston slough, Maria slough, Stave River, Dewdney slough, Harrison, Sumas Canal, Jones Creek and so on. Sturgeon. Sturgeon fishing continues to be very good; the lower river in around Barnston Island is beginning to produce some good results, as is the area near the Pitt River. As the Eulachon migration gets nearer some of the bigger sturgeon will migrate to the lower river in search of this important annual feast. Some of the best fishing will occur in the lower river were the majority of the feed will be. Try exploring the area between the Stave River and Pitt River, look for some of the deeper back channels or where a side channel meets the main stem Fraser. Sounding Sturgeon Over the years we have spent numerous days looking for new areas to fish for sturgeon. A good depth sounder can be of great assistance when the water is unfamiliar. There are many sounders available on the market today but few are worth the money. I have used some of the name brands but was quickly disappointed with the performance. Most of the avid sturgeon anglers and guides including myself use Marinetek sounders. These sounders show structure on the river bottom clearer than any other sounder I have used. The Marinetek sells for around $500.00 for the black and white and $1200.00 for the color monitor. The Black and White is all you need. Fishing new water When sounding an area to fish try to find the top of the hole where it begins to deepen, then find the back end of the hole where it begins to shallow out. Start by anchoring above the hole so that your anchor is not in the deepest section, fish your way through the hole dropping your anchor every 50 yds or so. I use a 20-minute rule when fishing new or unfamiliar water, if you haven’t had a bite within 20 minutes, pickup and move down. This allows you to fish new water quickly and effectively. Our next peak Sturgeon season is just around the corner, April to mid May is best. We are offering some great deals on Spring Sturgeon fishing; just send us an email for more information and how to book an experience you’ll never forget. Did you know? For many years it was believed that most sturgeon spent the majority of their lives in the same area of the river. As the tagging program goes into its second year we are discovering that this just isn’t so. We have caught many fish that have been recaptured in other areas of the river. We fished the Pitt River recently for Sturgeon, after fishing hard for 6 hours we finally caught our first fish, this fish was hooked near Pitt Lake and guess what? This fish was originally tagged in the Fraser way up in Chilliwack, that means this fish traveled over 60 km and is now spending some time an entirely different river system. Have a look at our new Sturgeon Video, you’ll find it at www.guidebc.com/video Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Fly casting seminar It’s that time of year again; we are once again offering our 3-day fly-casting seminar in April. This seminar consists of 2 – 2 hour casting lessons in a park setting with a 1-day fish out on the Harrison River with Vic Carrao and Erik Skaanning of STS Guiding. There is limited space available, you can register on-line or call us at 604-671-FISH Next Available Seminar - April 7, 14 & 21, 2001 Next Available Seminar -April 8, 15 & 22, 2001 Vedder River Steelhead The Vedder has fished well this week, the water has risen 8 inches or so with just enough color to make it perfect for hook’n Steelhead. As I write this report the rain is coming down heavy. This should bring water levels up a bit more which should make it perfect for this weekend. The upper and lower river has fished well and seems to have good numbers of fish. The mid river area is probably the lowest section of river with the least amount of fish. Did you know? During the telemetry study on the Vedder the past 2 years the crew of volunteers learned a great deal on migration patterns and how it relates to water levels. Although it is not an exact science you do begin to see some patterns that are worth noting. During long dry spells fish would tend to hold up in some of the larger runs holding in various types of water. They would sometimes hold for weeks before moving up river. The trigger that sent these fish on the move was rain, once we had a good rainfall bringing the water levels up, these holding fish would be on the move covering many miles of river in one day. Chehalis River The Chehalis River is still low but has just enough color to make a few steelhead feel comfortable. There have been reports of good fishing in the lower river below the hatchery and the hatchery run. Be sure to stick with light leader and small presentations for your best chances at hooking one of these marvelous fish. Harrison River Cutthroat fishing was slow this week, we were out yesterday on the Harrison and seen no sign of Cutthroat. It’s still a bit early for this system but once the water warms and the fry begin to emerge the fishing will pick up quickly. We will be conducting our annual April Harrison River fish out once again this year, this is a great way to come out and learn tips and tricks from the guides without having the costs of a guide trip. You can sign up through by e-mail or by calling us. Good fishing and see you on the water Fraser Valley report for the week of March 9 /01 Fraser River The freshet has begun Cutthroat As the weather and water temperatures continue to warm the Cutthroat fishing will continue to improve. The salmon fry are beginning to emerge is some of the smaller tributaries and should begin to emerge in the Fraser soon. The water temperatures of the Fraser are on a slow but steady inlcine, this week we went from 39 to 41F. Prince George reported the beginning of some run off so we should begin to see water levels slowly rise with visibility being reduced. Sturgeon. This week we fished for Sturgeon 4 day’s, we had some great fishing on 3 of those days landing 60 fish. The Sturgeon fishing will continue to be good for several more months as the Eulichan migration is only weeks away. Our next peak Sturgeon season is just around the corner, April to mid May is best. We are offering some great deals on Spring Sturgeon fishing; just send us an email for more information and how to book an experience you’ll never forget. Did you know? For many years it was believed that most sturgeon spent the majority of their lives in the same area of the river. As the tagging program goes into its second year we are discovering that this just isn’t so. We have caught many fish that have been recaptured in other areas of the river. We fished the Pitt River recently for Sturgeon, after fishing hard for 6 hours we finally caught our first fish, this fish was hooked near Pitt Lake and guess what? This fish was originally tagged in the Fraser way up in Chilliwack, that means this fish traveled over 60 km and is now spending some time an entirely different river system. Have a look at our new Sturgeon Video, you’ll find it at www.guidebc.com/video Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Fly casting seminar It’s that time of year again; we are once again offering our 3-day fly-casting seminar in April. This seminar consists of 2 – 2 hour casting lessons in a park setting with a 1-day fish out on the Harrison River with Vic Carrao and Erik Skaanning of STS Guiding. There is limited space available, you can register on-line or call us at 604-671-FISH Next Available Seminar - April 7, 14 & 21, 2001 Next Available Seminar -April 8, 15 & 22, 2001 Vedder River Steelhead the rain yesterday was a blessing, I only wish it had rained longer as we could still use more water in the Vedder. The water colored up a little and came up about 2 inches, just enough to make for a good day of fishing. Good reports came in yesterday from quite a few anglers who had either hooked a fish or seen fish hooked. If we get a bit more rain we should be in for a good weekend of fishing. Chehalis River The Chehalis is still low and clear, there’s not much sign of things to change much over the next week. On a recent float count done by fisheries staff, good numbers of Steelhead were seen throughout the canyon and lower river. Most of these fish are keeping a low profile hiding under logs, branches and behind rocks. Fish the skinny water you may be surprised on what you find. Harrison River Cutthroat fishing was slow this week, we were out yesterday on the Harrison and seen no sign of Cutthroat. It’s still a bit early for this system but once the water warms and the fry begin to emerge the fishing will pick up quickly. We will be conducting our annual April Harrison River fish out once again this year, this is a great way to come out and learn tips and tricks from the guides without having the costs of a guide trip. You can sign up through by e-mail or by calling us. Good fishing and see you on the water Fraser Valley report for the week of March 6 /01 During winter month’s river conditions can change daily. Our weekly report can be out dated quickly due to heavy rains or a warm spell. Please feel free to email us for an updated report before you head out on the river. Fraser River Cutthroat fishing has continued to be good in the mainstream and back channels of the Fraser. Good numbers of small cutthroat (8 to 12 in) are being hooked with the odd larger fish in the 12 to 16 inch range. There has been few reports of salmon fry beginning to emerge on some of the smaller tributaries. Although it’s still a few weeks too early for a large emergence, fishing with fry patterns can be very productive at this time of year. Sturgeon fishing has been fair to good this week. The spring Eulachon migration is just around the corner; this is when Sturgeon become very aggressive feeders. During the winter months most Sturgeon once hooked will stay down in the water column. The screaming reels and tail walking leaps just don’t happen very often. As water temperatures begin to warm, Sturgeon become much more active. Last week we had our first Sturgeon in several months that tail walked clear out of the water, it was a beauty, measuring over 7 feet. This is a good sign of water temperatures beginning to warm, Sturgeon becoming more active and Eulachon fishing just around the corner. Our next peak Sturgeon season is just around the corner, April to mid May is best. We are offering some great deals on Spring Sturgeon fishing; just send us an email for more information and how to book an experience you’ll never forget. Have a look at our new Sturgeon Video, you’ll find it at www.guidebc.com/video Fraser Valley report for the week of February 9 /01 During winter month’s river conditions can change daily. Our weekly report can be out dated quickly due to heavy rains or a warm spell. Please feel free to email us for an updated report before you head out on the river. Fraser River Cutthroat fishing has been excellent in the mainstream and back channels of the Fraser. Good numbers of small cutthroat (8 to 12 in) are being hooked on every trip with the odd larger fish in the 12 to 16 inch range. Searching patterns and egg patterns are producing good results as well as worms fished under a float and casting spinners. Sturgeon fishing was very good early in the week with several large fish caught. We have not had any reports the last couple of days but we will be out this weekend and will update the report if anything changes. Tip of the week Be sure to try a variety of baits during winter Sturgeon fishing. These fish can be fussy during colder water temperatures and become selective feeders. Sometimes mixing your baits together can produce some good results so don’t be afraid of experimenting. Fishing the tide The tides are looking poor for early morning fishing this week with an incoming tide all morning. Once the tide turns in the early to mid afternoon the bite should get a bit better. By Wednesday the tide is looking better for early morning angling with next weekend tides looking best overall for an all day fish out. February 9 Friday/ 0655 High/ 1235 Low/ 10 Saturday / 0730 High/ 1330 Low/ 11 Sunday 0805 High/ 1420 Low/ 12 Monday 0840 High/ 1515 Low/ 13 Tuesday 0915 High / 1605 Low 14 Wednesday / 0950 High 1700 Low Attention Anglers: You can now view Hub Sports in-store specials every month on our site at www.guidebc.com/hubsports.html or just visit our home page for a link to Hub Sports Vedder River During Steelhead season I have always tried to give as accurate of report as possible, often I find myself reducing reports of excellent fishing, down to fair or good fishing, even when I know it’s great. The reason is, as most steelheaders know, one day it’s hot the day it’s not. I hate to tell everyone that fishing is great to have them plan a day out only to come home empty handed, then say my reports are exaggerated. Well I can’t hold back any longer, Wow is fishing HOT. I have had one of my best weeks in many years and so have a lot of other anglers. I keep waiting for a reality check (a couple weeks of slow fishing) but it’s not happening. I have seen more fished hooked the past 3 weeks than all of last year and last year was a pretty good year. So I suggest you get out there and give it a go while the going is good. Water levels have been dropping all week, the visibility is clear to very clear, depending on where on the river you fish and what time of day it is. The late morning or early afternoon mid river begins to color up a bit but not enough to worry about. Steelhead tip of the week As some of you may know, the Vedder crossing area has become the new Brown rd for this season. Below the Vedder crossing, anglers are standing shoulder to shoulder in the hopes of hooking into that elusive Steelhead. These fish must swim from the lower river to get to that location. So, instead of standing shoulder to shoulder, why not target them in the runs below the crossing? This has never made much sense to me, why people would fish for steelhead in such a hostile environment. There is plenty of beautiful productive water below the crossing; access is easily attained through Peach rd, lickman rd, mailbox run and the dyke on the Chilliwack side of the Vedder. Spread out and enjoy your day on the water. Chehalis River The Chehalis is low and clear with the water levels continuing to drop even more this week. The best runs have been the hatchery run and below with the canyon and lower canyon producing good results in the deeper water. This river could use some serious rain, until then, most fish will just trickle in a few at a time. Harrison River Cutthroat fishing has been fair to good on the Harrison this week. The water is low and clear so be very careful if you’re using a prop driven boat. Fishing has been consistent in the main stem and backwaters with fly-fishing being the most productive method. Stave River We have had a few reports of fair fishing for Cutthroat and White fish in the back channels of the Stave. I have heard of 1 Steelhead but it’s still early for this small river system. Traditionally the Stave river gets a small run of Steelhead beginning in late January but the main run is mid to late February. Good fishing Vic Carrao 1-26-01 During winter month’s river conditions can change daily. Our weekly report can be out dated quickly due to heavy rains or a warm spell. Please feel free to email us for an updated report before you head out on the river. Fraser River Cutthroat fishing has continued to be very good in the Fraser’s backwaters. We have had many productive days over the past 3 weeks, we have done well fly fishing attractor patterns and Stone fly’s patterns. The best fishing has come in the mid-day once the temperature warms up a bit. Sturgeon fishing has been fair to good this week. Good numbers of fish are being caught throughout the river basin. Reports of good angling are also coming from the lower river below Alex Fraser Bridge. The tides play an even greater importance in the lower river as the flow is much stronger than in the higher reaches like Mission or Chilliwack. Fishing the tide The tides this week is looking good for afternoon angling. For the high tide in Mission and Chilliwack add 4 hours to the tides below, for fishing in the lower river use the tide guide below. 27 Saturday/ 0050 Low/ 0805 High/ 1355 Low/ 1830 High/ 28 Sunday/ 0120 Low/ 0830 High/ 1440 Low/ 1920 High/ 29 Monday/ 0150 Low/ 0855 High/ 1520 Low/ 2015 High/ 30 Tuesday/0225 Low/ 0920 High/ 1610 Low/ 2125 High/ 31 Wednesday/ 0305 Low/ 0950 High/ 1700 Low/ 2255 High/ Vedder River The Vedder has had a fair number of fish caught this week with Monday being the best day. The fishing has slowed some since then but still good numbers of fish being hooked. The lower and upper river is low and clear with the mid river, low with some color due to the clay banks. The water is dropping fast so a good rainfall wouldn’t hurt, in fact we could really use a couple of days of rain. The forecast for the weekend is sun Saturday with 90% chance of rain for Sunday, 80% Monday and Tuesday and sun with 40% rain on Wednesday. It depends on how much rain we get but it looks as though Tuesday and Wednesday might be a good bet. Chehalis River The Chehalis is low and clear with the odd fish being caught. The early part of January was very good but fishing has slowed in the last few weeks. A good rain is needed to bring a good school of fish in, until then the fishing will continue to be sporadic. The best bet is near the hatchery first light or late in the day. Good fishing Vic Carrao |
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