It's a HOT summer sunny day with smoky skies from all the fires and the August B.C. long week end, so where can you find some fishing? Some have found it in the very highest lakes and the other consistent option is the Fraser River for sturgeon. (Unfortunatly the Fraser is temporarily closed to salmon fishing to protect the fragile sockey run)
This is more the season for floating in an inner tube than in a belly boat but the ardent fisher never gives up. It is the time when smaller, colder obscure rivers also give a chance for fishing, especially for trout and a few early salmon. We have been making the trip to Squamish as this is an odd year and the pink salmon started to show up about ten days ago. It was very sparse on some days, and on others if you hit an early run of fish, the casting might be profitable for a few minutes. However, now that we are officially in August, the run is finally starting to build to where you still have to invest in your casting time, but fish are visible when they are on their rush upstream. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Mamquam River was shut down about a week after it opened but the Squamish is open from the mouth up to the 9 mile power-line crossing.
There were virtually no fish visible until about this Wednesday this week, so erring on the side of caution was worth while and spending lots of time casting and changing sink rates and lures was the order of the day.
On Thursday, the patron saint of fishing finally smiled and the fish started to move in. With the double high tides the shore fishing in salt water near Furry Cr. and Britannia Beach was sparse but those that ventured from there up to the Squamish sometimes found what they were looking for.
At the river, the key was to stand back as close to shore as possible as the fish were cruising by sometimes in a foot to foot and a half of water. Eventually, my friends Paul and Steve each heard their reels sing while the soft mouths of the pinks and a broken leader kept the landed numbers down. The current early season regulation only allows one keeper per person per day. However, virtually all fish were feisty chrome bullets as they were barely an hour out of salt water.
This is more the season for floating in an inner tube than in a belly boat but the ardent fisher never gives up. It is the time when smaller, colder obscure rivers also give a chance for fishing, especially for trout and a few early salmon. We have been making the trip to Squamish as this is an odd year and the pink salmon started to show up about ten days ago. It was very sparse on some days, and on others if you hit an early run of fish, the casting might be profitable for a few minutes. However, now that we are officially in August, the run is finally starting to build to where you still have to invest in your casting time, but fish are visible when they are on their rush upstream. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Mamquam River was shut down about a week after it opened but the Squamish is open from the mouth up to the 9 mile power-line crossing.
There were virtually no fish visible until about this Wednesday this week, so erring on the side of caution was worth while and spending lots of time casting and changing sink rates and lures was the order of the day.
On Thursday, the patron saint of fishing finally smiled and the fish started to move in. With the double high tides the shore fishing in salt water near Furry Cr. and Britannia Beach was sparse but those that ventured from there up to the Squamish sometimes found what they were looking for.
At the river, the key was to stand back as close to shore as possible as the fish were cruising by sometimes in a foot to foot and a half of water. Eventually, my friends Paul and Steve each heard their reels sing while the soft mouths of the pinks and a broken leader kept the landed numbers down. The current early season regulation only allows one keeper per person per day. However, virtually all fish were feisty chrome bullets as they were barely an hour out of salt water.
Today, Tillie and Charlotte decided to add the female finesse to fishing and as the days tides consisted of a high high followed by a high low, the fish were relatively constant from daybreak till it was time to find a patio deck and look at all the photos. The fish being so chrome and firm of flesh will be headed straight for the barbecue tonight!
We decided to celebrate at the Watershed Grill thewatershedgrill.com/which is perched on the bank of the Squamish River a few km upstream. Given the smoky haze clouded up the view it also toned down the intensity of the sun so the breeze on the deck was perfect and while this may sound like a beer commercial, the Okanagen Springs 1516 German Pale Ale was on tap and went perfect with the burger and the view.
Actually the winds didn't come up as strong as they typically do in Squamish (which means big wind by the way) but we decided to take a side trip that is well worth it just to see fit men and women do some monstrous things with wind surfers and kite boards.
We followed the river to the mouth to the kite boarding spit and watched as some of the boarders put their gear through its paces. This day the wind vane was at the low to moderate, but on days when it hits extreme, you can watch boarders hit 20 feet of air! It's worth taking the camera for some colorful shots of athleticism. Anyways, as fishing days go, this was a pretty good one, and after all, enjoying the great outdoors and having a relaxing time is what it is all about......tight lines!
Actually the winds didn't come up as strong as they typically do in Squamish (which means big wind by the way) but we decided to take a side trip that is well worth it just to see fit men and women do some monstrous things with wind surfers and kite boards.
We followed the river to the mouth to the kite boarding spit and watched as some of the boarders put their gear through its paces. This day the wind vane was at the low to moderate, but on days when it hits extreme, you can watch boarders hit 20 feet of air! It's worth taking the camera for some colorful shots of athleticism. Anyways, as fishing days go, this was a pretty good one, and after all, enjoying the great outdoors and having a relaxing time is what it is all about......tight lines!
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