Hi and welcome to the GRFA fishing report updated on the 28th of August 2019.
This is the time of year that west coast sport anglers start to get excited about the upcoming bonanza of fishing opportunities in the rivers and streams of South West British Columbia. Here’s the gist…
Sturgeon:
GRFA proudly hosted the 2019 Jurassic Classic Sturgeon Fundraiser last weekend. Through the efforts of the The Wild Sheep Society of BC, Guide Outfitters Association of BC and the Wild Sheep Foundation, this incredible event raises awareness and much needed funding for the plight of the Wild Sheep here in BC. This year’s event was a smashing success and not only did we raise a substantial amount of money for a worthwhile cause but the fishing was spectacular. With an overall weight estimate of over 10,000 pounds of sturgeon brought to hand over 2 days in 13 boats. Simply Awesome!
GRFA Team Guide Chuck “Roeballz” Grant, along with Ben, Jordan, Mike and Chris with the winning fish of the 2019 Jurassic Classic. This dino taped out at 9′ 5″ with a 43″ girth and estimated weight of 547 LBs. Congrats guys!! Fabulous Fish
Water levels on the Fraser are dropping fast with approach of fall and the fishing has been fantastic. Water that was too fast to fish a few weeks ago is starting to slow down and become fishable. Also, on the other side of the coin, some fishing holes that where doing well are starting to slow down, literally, and the fish are moving into spots that have enough flow to provide them comfort and food. Keep in mind that with the dropping water many gravel bars are starting to appear above the mouth Vedder River and one needs to be more careful when running the river, especially with a prop propelled boat.
GRFA Team Guide Steve took this pic of the 2nd largest fish in the 2019 Jurassic Classic at 9′ 2″ with a 38″ girth and an estimated weight of 451 pound. Great job Cam, Dave, Steve and Jamie!!
Water temperatures continue to stay ideal and the fish are feeling active enough to hold in some strong currents. Heavier weights have been the key in some situations as often we are anchoring as close to the fast seams as possible and then chucking out into the heavy water. Lighter weights are often rolling and some fish could be missed as they dislodge the weight easier and everything moves on them before they can really eat the bait.
The river has an abundant number of salmon in it (but remains closed to sport-fishing for them) and Sturgeons have definitely switched gears and are actively searching out salmon now. There are some boats still reporting activity on other baits like lamprey and coarse fish but this seems to be a day to day phenomena rather than the norm. Having said that its still worth having a rod fishing something other than salmon meat, particularly pike minnows.
The Canyon portion of the river has been phenomenal over the last few weeks with numbers of fish coming to hand simply stunning. It’s dropping fast and the fishing is getting faster, with good numbers of above average fish coming on every charter. If you are thinking of running this special piece of water keep in mind that is very “heavy” water and not for the timid or unexperienced jet boater. Please be very careful!! The canyon is a high water fishery and the sturgeon haunts are not always obvious as the water levels tend to hide the really good spots. If you’re interested in trying your hand at biggest of the big in one of the most spectacular venue’s in the world drop Rick a line and he’ll be more than happy to help organize one of our Ultimate Fraser Canyon Sturgeon trips with you. rstahl@greatriverfishing.com
What better way is there to spend a warm late summer 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.
Salmon:
Even though we are experiencing high numbers of Chinook and the Pink returns are looking far better than expected, the Fraser River remains closed to salmon fishing and will most likely remain so for this season. Sockeye returns are in trouble and September finds the much depleted Thompson and Chilcotin steelhead entering the system and they will trigger a complete shutdown of salmon opportunities for the recreational angler on the Fraser River.
Other tributaries of the Fraser, such as the Vedder, Harrison, Stave and Nicomen Slough to name a few, most likely will remain open and offer the sport angler some decent opportunities as we move into late September. For quota regulations check out https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/fresh-douce/region2-eng.html
Days of old…
Most of the news on salmon numbers has been quite positive as we are seeing larger than expected numbers of Coho, Chinook and Pinks than first anticipated. In fact the Coho and Chinook numbers are better than what we’ve seen in a decade or more! This bodes well for those planning their Fall River fishing from late September through November but will not help us out much in the short term until salmon start moving out of the Fraser and into their natal streams. If you are at all interested in trying your hand for some salmon latter this season the time to book your excursion is now as dates are starting to fill up and space is limited. For more info on salmon fishing with GRFA please contact Rick at rstahl@greatriverfishing.com
Will he ever be able to catch another?
How can you Help?
We encourage everyone to write letters to ask for a recreational opening on the Fraser River. It is a shame that the largest user group, which has the least amount of impact on the fishery and brings the highest dollar value to the fish on a per piece basis, has to sit on the side line while other sectors are given opportunities. These are outdated policies that need to change and without a loud and unified voice we, the recreational angler, will always play second fiddle to political interests. Please write your concerns to:
- Hon Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Fisheries Jonathan.Wilkinson@parl.gc.ca
- Hon John Horgan Premier premier@gov.bc.ca
- Doug Donaldson Minister FLNR doug.donaldsonMLA@leg.bc.ca
- Sean Casey DFO Parliamentary Sec. Sean.Casey@parl.gc.ca
- Todd Doherty Conservative fisheries critic Doherty@parl.gc.ca
- Rebecca Reid RDG DFO rebeccareid@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
To all of those who have written letters, thank you so very much – the future of our Fraser River fishery depends on each of you and your efforts.
That’s it for now. Conserve our waters and here’s to great fishing, forever…
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