Boxing day on the Squamish River was cool with the occasional sun peaking out. The snow level and the river levels had dropped significantly. With the drop in the freezing level from top of the mountains down to the river bottom, the glacier melt had stopped and the milky powder color of the river disappeared as it entered it's winter form.
The River had dropped 1 1/2 meters from a week ago and cleared considerably in the upper reaches past the Ashlu Creek Bridge. There were still some coho in the side channels with bull trout circling in amongst them but the dropping levels and high clarity made it tough to find what the trout wanted as the current would not drift the egg patterns quick enough. So we switched to a bright UV green streamer with fluorescent marabou which had worked at this time last year. After only a few casts with slow retrieve, Art tied into three of the fresher coho in about as many casts so the day started off well.
The River had dropped 1 1/2 meters from a week ago and cleared considerably in the upper reaches past the Ashlu Creek Bridge. There were still some coho in the side channels with bull trout circling in amongst them but the dropping levels and high clarity made it tough to find what the trout wanted as the current would not drift the egg patterns quick enough. So we switched to a bright UV green streamer with fluorescent marabou which had worked at this time last year. After only a few casts with slow retrieve, Art tied into three of the fresher coho in about as many casts so the day started off well.
Art has a nice tilt with a coho bending the rod in clear water. Click here to view video
The slower side channels had caused some of the trout to move into deeper water so this meant we had to explore more in the main flow. The eagles were in larger numbers but the salmon carcasses were still few.
Eventually some patient casting lead to a bend in the rod with coho that were still sporting some chrome colors!
So the day topped off with the chilly temperatures mixed with the part time sunshine, fresh snow pack on the peaks and an errant herd of elk which we heard crashing in the trees with some of the calves calling out however they evaded the camera.
In the end, most of the Christmas turkey dinner was worn off with good exercise wading in the river and it made for another fine December fishing day in the Squamish River Valley.
So the day topped off with the chilly temperatures mixed with the part time sunshine, fresh snow pack on the peaks and an errant herd of elk which we heard crashing in the trees with some of the calves calling out however they evaded the camera.
In the end, most of the Christmas turkey dinner was worn off with good exercise wading in the river and it made for another fine December fishing day in the Squamish River Valley.
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