Chinook Salmon are still hanging around in Vancouver Harbor and around the southern side of Bowen Island to the hump (the rise in the sea floor just south of Bowen Island)
This April there is the odd Steelhead still hanging in the Capilano River as I just tied into one this evening above the Upper Levels Highway bridge. This week was a good week for anglers on the Upper Squamish as some very large Bull Trout and Steelhead were reported. The early run of Coho have begun to appear in the Capilano River in North Vancouver.
This year has some promising predictions of another good year based on good water conditions that have existed off our west coast. The earliest bonus could well be in Prince Rupert with northern Chinook stocks predicted to be 25% higher than last year which was a good year. The Alaskan regulations have increased their daily Chinook retention from 1 to 2 per day so it could be that the seasons are indeed looking promising.
The west coast of Vancouver Island could have another bonus year for Coho and Chinook as a back up to the incredible year last season.
The lower coast and Georgia Strait and Fraser River runs are looking forward to what could be perhaps a year that even beats the 1989 and 2010 Sockeye runs. Things will get clearer when the test fisheries are held in Johnstone Strait.
Here's hoping there will be many family scenes like this one!