Update #1: The morning fishing off of the West Van shore line was slow to very slow but the sockeye fishing in the banana off the mouth of the Fraser was hot!  There were many 4 fish limits to be had.  Here's hoping it will keep up for the rest of the long weekend.

Update #2: Halibut - On July 31, 2014 the sport catch of Halibut was approx. 575,735 pounds of the recreational fishery's Total Allowable Catch (TAC)  of 1,057,500 pounds. Given the current management measures in effect and catch forecasts to December 31, 2014, DFO is proceeding with the following change: Effective September 1 through to December 31, the daily limit will be increased from 1 fish per day to two fish per day.   This should make it  interesting for the saltwater crowd.

Update #3: Sockeye catches off the banana on Saturday were slow till early afternoon but persistance paid off.  There seemed to be more boats on the water than fish.  However, the afternoon high slack still held promise and so will every day into the middle of next week.  In the marine approach areas test catches continue to be strong especially in the Johnstone Strait area which is on the inside of Vancouver Island but it continues to be well below on the outside of Vancouver Island.  The run size estimates are 1,900,000 early and back up to 7,000,000 for the summer run.  In the Johnstone Strait, 58% are now late summer run so numbers of sockeye will continue to approach the Fraser and early next week could see one of the large last big runs of the season as it would then taper off through September to come to an end in early October.  The last big bump will be the bulk of the Adams River sockeye which should enter the Fraser River around Sept. 8 to 11th. Here's hoping the marine and in river fishery will stay open to the middle of September.  Check the links on the Home Page to update your marine and general weather forecasts and safe fishing!

Today, August 29th should be one of the best days of the whole season for sport fishing for Sockeye and Chinook as the past three days have been the strongest runs of the summer.  First Nation gill net and drift net fisheries will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from the mouth of the Fraser to Yale.  This will put a heavy damper on the in river sport fishery for the Saturday and Sunday fishery.  Fishing off the mouth of the Fraser for sockeye and Chinook is your best bet after Saturday.

Hopefully the runs will continue into next week and perhaps the fishery will stay open to mid September however there might be a protective closure to protect early coho stocks.  So have a great long weekend and tight lines!

As predicted, this weeks and weekends Fraser River sockeye fishing opportunities will depend on the Commercial and First Nation Fishery.  The Sunday-Monday-Tuesday commercial fishery was a full on fishery with lots of commercial boats on the water.  The curious thing is that they pulled their nets by 08:00 on Tuesday morning instead of leaving them in till noon.   This may have been because they reached their allotted quota for the day.  This is good news for sports fisherman, as it allowed another 4 hours of fish to start filling the river so today the fishery upriver may not be as slim as it would have been.

The test fishery up river was very good for August 26th so some fish had escaped before the fishery started and the trend of fish entering the river from salt water is going up!  

However there is another 12 Hour fishery starting t 08:00 on Wed. August 27th which will put another big dent in the up river fishery.  This will undoubtedly be followed by a First Nations Only fishery on Thursday August 28th so the Friday and early Saturday up river sport fishery will likely be sluggish.  If there are no other commercial openings other than a First Nation food and ceremonial fishery, then Sunday and Monday of the Labour Day Weekend will look good as the trend of fish entering the river is still increasing.  This also bodes well for the saltwater sport fishery in the banana off the mouth of the Fraser. 

Chinook numbers are also very strong so both tidal and upriver sport fisheries should do well as lots of springs were caught on the gravel bars near Chilliwack on Monday and Tuesday.

Will do another update this evening.


Update #1: There will be a First Nation Commercial fishing opportunity from 18:00 hours Friday August 29, 2014 to 12:00 hours Tuesday September 2, 2014 on the entire length of the Harrison River from the Harrison Lake outlet downstream to the Railway Bridge.  If you are boating in that area, respect the nets and the fishermen and have a safe time for all parties involved.  So other commercial openings are likely over the coming long weekend.

Update #2:  The estimate of the number of summer run sockeye has been lowered from 7,000,000 to 6,000,000 fish but the total number making it up the Fraser River is good as fish condition has been good even with the warm river waters.

Update #3: The Squamish River was still running very high and milky.  The trout were hard to find but still out there.  The little guys were super aggressive since the bigger fish have trouble finding them in the murky water.

And by the way, look for an upcoming report "Death by 35 inch Spring".  It's a fish story you will likely be chatting about for a while.

Tight lines and Book a trip!

The most interesting tidbit is that chum salmon are starting to show up in the Fraser River which means the coho and white spring salmon can't be far behind.  Traditionally, the coho and  fall red and the Harrison white and Vedder River white Chinook follow close behind.  

This can result in some relaxing bar rig fishing on the gravel bars of the Fraser River. This is where you pound a rod holder into the gravel, attach a bar rig swivel and spin-n-glo spinner and 18 to 24 ounce weight and cast out into 8 to 15 feet deep water and then attach a bell or some flourescent surveyors tape to the top of your rod.  

Then you sit back in a nice lawn chair and wait for that rod to start pulsing with a chinook or coho at the end of the line.  If you are prone to napping in the warm sunshine, then best to attach a bell to the rod.  

The white springs can often reach 40 lbs or higher which results in some fierce reel ripping battles and races down the gravel bar to try and prevent your line from running out of backing.

The Harrison river already has the sockeye in the river and with chum and springs and coho on the way, it should be real fun.  The Vedder river will start to come into its own in about a month with its own runs of Chinook, coho and white spring salmon.

The commercial saltwater fleet has had its Sockeye Salmon quota upgraded to a total available catch of 5,600,000 fish and the troll fishery is permitted an increase to 4,000 fish per licence and the seine fishery is increased to 16,000 fish per licence.  The total up the Fraser River has hit 3,429,000 and the Summer Run estimate is 7,000,000 (this does not include the early  summer run at 1,015,000 and late summer run currently just starting at 351,000 fish.  So an estimate of 12,000,000 to 24,000,000 total sockeye run is still realistic but wouldn't push it too far past the 12,000,000 total run size just yet.  When the Adams River run enters Georgia Strait and the Fraser River (the peak is usually the first week of September) we will get a sense of what the total run size will be.

As can be seen by the chart, this last week the in river fishery took a chunk out of the runs but by Wednesday afternoon they had bounced back a bit.  Unfortunately it won't be promising for up river fisherman after this coming Monday.  On Sunday the first Nation fishery starts from 15:00 to 19:00 hours which won't affect Monday up at Chilliwack but will impact Tuesday afternoon.  The big hit will be the full commercial in river fishery starting 08:00 Monday to 08:00 Tuesday effectively wiping out much hope of a sport fishery up river for Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday evening and likely into Thursday.

Given the run size one could expect they would increase the sport catch to 4 per day as was done in the Skeena, however my money is on increased first Nation and Commercial fisheries getting more and longer opportunities.  So, up river, Saturday, Sunday and Monday should be good to great, Wednesday and Thursday will be a crap shoot for bottom bouncers.

If the weather holds good the tidal fishery off the Fraser Banana should be good as run sizes on the inside passage (Johnstone Strait) are still above normal and the the runs coming in from around southern Vancouver Island have been improving.  Check out the links on the Home Page to the Environment Canada Weather forecasts for local and marine areas.

Have a great day and book a trip.

Sockeye Fishing on the Fraser River is something that many British Columbia residents look forward to every year and often becomes a major family event.  Numerous gravel bars and islands are available to walk/drive/boat to.  The walk/drive gravel bars can be a testy place to fish as anglers use a bottom bouncing technique and the shoulder to shoulder casting and crossing of lines can often make tempers flare among the "uncourteous".  

For the rest who use fishing etiquette, the opportunity to limit out on 2 sockeye per day provides for familyadventures and feasts that are second to none!  An excellent way to get on the river, catch lots of salmon and have a scenic boat ride is to launch at Barrowtown Pump station.   

Access via the Barrowtown boat launch is a scenic but sometimes tricky endeavor for boat operators especially those with propellers.  There is usually reasonable parking at the launch and the overflow areas along the road.  To get there, take the #3 Road exit off the Trans Canada Hwy which lies between Watcom Rd and the Vedder River Crossing.  Head west to North Parallel Rd. and head north to the boat launch a few km north.

Launching in the pump house canal be aware of shallows and dead head logs.  The one in the picture is only one of many and this one is just at the junction of the Sumas Canal and the Vedder Canal.  The situation always becomes more severe in August and September as the Fraser River drops rapidly and all major tributaries drop as well.  Even though this section is 100 km upstream of salt water, the tidal surge still affects the river by up to a foot or more.  So an easy passage done in the morning during a high tide may suddenly be a foot or more lower 6 hours later and constant alertness by the boat operator is a must.  One of the most tricky spots is where the pump house canal meets the Vedder River Canal.  The channel is only a few meters wide and there is a constant changing of deadheads to hit with your prop.  Recommend slow and careful from the pumphouse till you get into the Vedder Canal.

The Vedder Canal is part of the famous Vedder River which heats up for salmon fishing in September-October-November.  Steelhead slide in from December to April.  The ride down the canal is scenic with blue green clear water some steep mountain slopes and a train bridge.  There are lots of dead heads along the way and when you see a gentle slope on the shore line move to the other side of the river so as not to ground out.

Where the Vedder meets the Fraser there is the line of blue green water that meets the muddy brown.  This spot is great for early June-July spring salmon fishing, sturgeon fishing almost year round and later fall coho-spring-chum-pink salmon fishing.  Sockeye salmon which enter the Vedder River to head up to Cultus or Chilliwack Lake are catch and release only.

A hard right takes you from 5 to 9 feet of water into 30 to 50 feet of water for about 1.0 km.  You may see fishing nets on the right and submerged or partially submerged (boat prop eating) gravel bars on the left.  The left center of the river is good only for jet boats over shallow gravel bars.  Proceed with extreme care as the gravel bars are only 1.0 to 6.0 feet below the surface and with tidal fluctuations of a foot or more have stranded many a boat and destroyed many propellers.  Once you make it into the main channel, there are many places to anchor and fish or pull the boat into shallows and stand on gravel bars.  The mountain/river vista is classic coastal British Columbia.  Wildlife sightings are frequent for eagles, California condors and seals and lots of geese and ducks and occasional for black bear, deer, river otters and mink.

Many families have their favourite gravel bars and here are some scenes from a typical day on the river. Today was girls day out on the river and they really wanted to show their stuff.  The fish were big and feisty and there were some royal tug of wars to be had!
Some good memories to be taken back to Alberta along with some very fine Sockeye Fillets!  For a video of Tillie's Tilt CLICK HERE

Of course this is summer fishing at its finest on the Fraser River and it's not all work and no chillin out.  Recess isn't just for kids.  You have to take time for a snack,perhaps a tall cool one and catch some rays!

The trip back is just as scenic and always keep a camera in hand as you just don't know what scenic opportunity may pop up while you are out here fishing in Beautiful British Columbia!

Saturday and Sunday (today) the in river fishery was smoking hot off the gravel bars near Chilliwack.  It was pretty common to limit out on your two sockeye in just a couple of casts as we did.  We switched to trying for Chinook, but still had to release upwards of 15 to 20 sockeye so we pulled the pin with a boatload of barbecue material.  Some people were tying into springs and it is better to switch over to bar rigs if you can find space between the bottom bouncers.  This results in targeting chinook (although I have seen sockeye and even the odd sturgeon take a bite).  A few people would switch from bottom bouncing to sturgeon after they caught their 2 sockeye limit.  This can still work out as all the salmon parts people are throwing into the river are certainly attracting the sturgeon.  As water temperatures moderated last week, there were no stressed sockeye carcasses floating in the river which is a good thing.

At the road access gravel bars it was shoulder to shoulder fishing and success was not as good just due to the crowds.   However, the awesome fishing will continue for the next two days, after that, things get sketchy.

DFO must have increasing confidence in the run size for the Fraser River Sockeye as virtually all the commercial fisheries are opening starting Sunday Aug. 17th.  All the coastal area troll and gill net fisheries from south of the Queen Charlottes, West Coast of Vancouver Island, Inside passage and mouth of the Fraser are seeing openings.  Some of the northern ones till the end of the month.  Perhaps the one that will be hardest on the in river sport fishery will be the August 19th opening for the the non-First Nation commercial fishery.

This fishery will start at 12:00 to 18:00 hours on Tuesday August 19th and may be extended.  So it will take a real bite out of the in river stock and it will be tough fishing in the Chilliwack area for 24 to 48 hours after it closes and we don't know when that will be.  So if you wanna do some in river fishing best to go before Wednesday noon or Friday and the weekend depending on the length of Tuesdays opening.

With all the sport and commercial boats in the water, it's a good time to keep alert and give the big boats and in river nets plenty of room.  Safe boating, then safe fishing!

The First Nations commercial fishery from Wed to Thurs appears to have had an impact on the numbers of sockeye in the test fishery at Langley but the reports from Chilliwack by Friday evening were that fishing was very good with the two fish limit reached by many in 45 minutes or less.  Drive to and walk on gravel bars were shoulder to shoulder fishing so it can be a time when courtesy is a good thing to practice.  Some etiquette to remember;
1) Wait for the person immediately downstream of you to cast first.
2) Don't cast too far upstream to cross lines.
3) If you are crossing the persons line downstream you are letting your drift go too far.
4) I you use a long leader be aware of where it is as piercing ears, arms, legs or the un-mention-able body parts of your neighbor is a surefire way to start an argument.
5) Dispatch your fish quickly ( a good fish bonker is a useful tool) 
6) Bleed out the fish quickly and get it on ice.  There may be many fish but wasting one is still a shame.

Openings for saltwater trips are still available, this coming week should be great fishing!

There is a saying, "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will have barbecue material and bait for his crab trap for a life time."  Manny gave his new rod and reel a workout today and is well on his way ensuring a good supply of sushi will be in his fridge this fall.  Not only that, he intends to reuse the heads as crab bait.

The fog was hanging on the horizon very early this morning as we decided to check out the status of the Fraser River Sockeye run.  I am pleased to say that the status was pretty good.  There were literally hundreds of boats off the North Arm of the Fraser River this morning as the rising tide brought in wave after wave of sockeye.  

The opportunities for double headers presented itself several times.  Gear was classic sockeye equipment, a dummy flasher off the down rigger ball and two flashers with red-pink hootchies or flies directly above it.  Early in the morning shallower depths around 40 to 50 feet produced and as the morning fog thinned and the light increased we dropped to 66 feet till the tide change was well developed.

There were wave after wave of schools of sockeye skimming the surface and  jumping that it almost seemed possible to hold out the net and scoop them up.  Therefore, since the First Nations Commercial Fishery closed Thursday noon then late Friday and Saturday should make for great fishing in the Fraser along the gravel bars near Chilliwack.  With the peak of the run heading here, this weekend should see lots of successful fishers enjoying one of natures greatest treats.

Trips are still available, send an e-mail and get out there!

Have you ever wondered when it might be a good day to go Sockeye Fishing???  Well I will be updating the stats every few days but it looks like the upcoming weekend could be some of the best days of the year.  It is obvious that this years run will not match the 2010 run in total numbers but the trends are amazing.  The pattern of fish entering the Fraser is virtually identical.  What this indicates is that the genetic brood stocks pick almost the exact same days of the year upon which to enter the river which is amazing as how God works things out in nature.  It's also an important factor in terms of allowing fisheries to occur.  Focus on a single day, and the impact on a run can be important.  So, stick to the rules, release foul hooked fish gently and enjoy your limit if you get it.

Tight lines,

With the Sockeye Run open on the Fraser River it was time to head up the Fraser Valley to our launch at the Barrow Town pump station.  The initial run down the Barrowtown channel is a little dicy as the water is dropping and the gravel shelves can jump up and hammer the bottom of your boat or rip off a prop.   The main channel is still good but the gravel bar at the junction with the Vedder River can really wreak havoc if you don't stay to the left bank but watch out for the submerged deadheads sticking out from the bank.

Swinging to the left you enter the Vedder River and under the railway bridge.  The dead heads lurk under the clearing water of the Vedder and the channel was at least 2.0 meters (7 feet) deep as the boat planes past the mountain and under the railway.  At the intersection of the Vedder and the Fraser the water changes from blue to the brown of the mighty Fraser.  

As soon as you enter the Fraser you can sense the energy and urgency of the world famous sockeye salmon run.  Boats are slicing V's in the water everywhere and the thundering jet boats send rooster tails into the air as everyone is racing for their favorite  spot on the river.  In this part of the river you can cross a 50 foot deep hole with sturgeon lurking on the bottom onto a gravel shelf that changes to 5 feet and then to 4 inches in the blink of an eye.   Snags, log booms and first nation fishing nets are ready to grab the props of the unwary.

Manny had just bought a brand new bait casting rod and reel and was very eager to try his hand at bottom bouncing for sockeye and maybe a feisty Chinook.  So we put a team together and headed out on the water.  First some casting practice which went pretty well.  He quickly learned how to find the snags and lose some gear.  Baptism by fire.  You wanna catch the fish, you gotta pay your dues.  Then the first fish was on the line!

The fast swimming sockeye are only two or at most three days out of the saltwater and many are still adorned with sea lice and very chrome.  They have high energy and when hooked will rocket out of the water and cartwheel like a steel head.  As Manny learned, when the reel starts to sing, it's time to hang on and let the drag do its work.

With the sun arching to the western horizon it was still necessary to put on the sunscreen but the water is at least 19 Celsius so shorts that dry fast, running shoes, a good hat and sunglasses is the classic attire they are all wearing on the river these days.  

You can get pretty tired casting and fighting these fish so by the end of the day, the sunshine, fresh air and scenery can make a guy hungry and sleepy.  As I write this, the incredible red meat fillets are simmering on the barbecue, the potatoes are almost roasted and fresh tomatoes have been picked from the garden vine to be mixed with garden salad, fresh mini carrots and some raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  This is summer living in British Columbia!  Nothing is finer, except maybe the apple cider to wash it all down.

Today the commercial and first nation commercial fisheries get underway in a big way. So far about 1,200,000 sockeye have made it past the Mission counting station but the counters now indicate that sockeye numbers dropped dramatically with the opening of the commercial fisheries.  These openings will be on going and it gets tricky to do the river fishing as when all the nets are out as it may take up to two days afterwards to re-stock the river.  On Monday, August 11th, there will be a three hour commercial opening in the Fraser.  While this won't sterilize the river it will be during the rising tide when most fish will be entering the river.  There after, if you are fishing the gravel bars near Chilliwack on Tuesday and Wednesday, it could be pretty slim pickins on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon when the currents slow due to the tidal surge and the few fish that escaped the nets try to swim my the bottom bouncers.....some days it can be tough to be a salmon.

Never-the-less, there's great weather and great fishing to be had and the sturgeon are really getting excited with all the salmon in the river and can be found sucking up all the parts the fisherman are throwing into the water as they clean their catches.

Tight Lines

Those who made out to the Banana earlier today did well to very well as some boats were coming in with happy faces as they limited out on Sockeye.  The evening was stunning on the water with flat calm, warm sun and there were several boils of schooling sockeye but after 7:00 pm the bite really fell off.  At one point we just held out the net to see if we could scoop them up!  

Most of the fish at the high slack tide were closer in as they scoot into the Fraser to make use of the slow to non-existent current.  So a good strategy is to follow the 130 to 150 foot contour depth and mix up the depths of your hootchies.  One in the upper 40 feet and another at 60 to 80 feet.  If you can spool out a third and fourth rod, set it up with a large spoon.  There were some good runs of Chinook coming in.  West Van shoreline produced some nice coho and the black and white hootchie did well.

Tight lines.