Hi and welcome to the GRFA fishing report updated on the 8th of February.
With one of the wettest January on records behind us we look forward to February and hopefully a little less rain. The weatherman has promised a few days of reprisal from the downpours and rivers will be on the hard drop exposing fishing grounds on their way down. This makes for some excellent conditions. Here’s what’s going on…
STEELHEAD:
Last week saw all the tributary rivers of the Fraser swollen over their banks and unfishable, however with the rains finally stopping and temps dropping slightly everything is in… or on its way to prime shape!!
The water levels have been yo-yoing up and down for the last few weeks and with this fluctuation the river has very healthy bump of fish in it at the moment. Even with the high water last week an outstanding number of fish were captured with many if not most being hatchery fish. With the water being high most of the fish have been blasting up stream and anglers are concentrating their efforts in the mid to upper portion of the river.
With water being up most steelheaders have been using large offerings such as rubber worms, large jigs and of course, bait in the form of roe or shrimp. As the water drops and becomes cleaner and cleaner look towards smaller offerings. Fly anglers really need to spend their time in shallower fish haunts like long tail outs and sloping runs where the fish have better visibility and can be reached with a heavy sink tip. Again, look towards big intruder style flies in darker colors to stick out better in the often murkier water and switch to smaller brighter flies as the river cleans up and gets cold.
On the north side of the Fraser reports from the Chehalis River have been decent of late however we are not hearing of many fish coming out of the Stave. Also, some of the lesser known tributaries should have a few fish starting to sniff around any time.
GRFA is offering float trips on the Vedder/Chilliwack River once again!! This is in an effort to enhance the fishing experience and open up water that is difficult to access any other way. Want to knock old square tail of the bucket list? This is your best opportunity…
Peak of the run is towards the end of February and into March. We will be primarily float and/or fly fishing for the chrome beauties and will use the raft primarily to offer ease of access to the water and most fishing will be still be done from shore. If this is something that interests you please drop Rick a quick email for more info. rstahl@greatriverfishing.com
STURGEON:
Even with all the rains the Frasers water levels have not moved much, if any. It’s still quite low so be vigilant when cruising the river, particularly upstream of the mouth of the Vedder river as there are many exposed and slightly submerged gravel bars that become hazards, especially for those that run prop driven motors on their boats.
Look for fish in the deeper wintering holes. Once you find them, stay close as they tend to stack up in the winter and often ones does not have to move much to get into consistent action. At this time of year a plethora of different baits can work on any given day and it is wise to have more of an assortment than during the salmon runs. Baits of choice are lamprey, coarse fish, single eggs, dew worms, eulachons and roe.
Fishing has actually been quite decent for these dinosaurs of the deep as of late. Good numbers of smaller fish are the norm through winter with the odd bigger fish still active. The lower river downstream of Mission has been producing huge numbers of fish but you are hard pressed to find any over 5 feet in length. From the Vedder River to Mission has also been very good for numbers but we have been seeing some decent fish as well, no 10 foot monsters but some decent 6 to 7 footers sprinkled in with the smaller fish.
What better way is there to spend a winter day than sitting in a comfortable covered jet boat waiting on another bite from the almighty sturgeon. With limited fishing pressure on the river this is a great time of year to get out and experience these dinosaurs of the deep. We offer half and full day outing’s via jet boat with nothing but the finest in guides and tackle. We pride ourselves in ensuring your day is as comfortable, safe and enjoyable as possible. Whatever your speed, we will cater to your needs. Call or email today. rstahl@greatriverfishing.com
LILLOOET RIVER TROUT & STEELHEAD:
With spring just around the corner our thoughts once again turn towards the new fishing opportunities that it will bring. The Lillooet River is a gem of a winter fishery for Bull Trout and a great opportunity at some steelhead, cutthroat and rainbow trout as well. This is one of our premier trips and when you get there you will see why. This is a remote fishery that gets very little pressure and requires a skilled jet boater to reach the best waters. The shear beauty and majestic scenery coupled with miles of perfect fishing water makes this one of those bucket list kind of rivers… want to get it out of your bucket? Contact Rick for more info rstahl@greatriverfishing.com
That’s it for now. Conserve our waters and here’s to great fishing, forever…
Comments
FEB