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Fishing Report for Chilliwack to Vancouver – March 7, 2019

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Fishing Report for Chilliwack to Vancouver – March 7, 2019

Hi and welcome to the GRFA fishing report updated on the 7th of March  2019.

Winter continues its icy hold on the Fraser Valley and after one of the coldest February’s on record we are ready for spring and promises of warmer weather. Even with the frigid temperatures we are fortunate enough to have some excellent open water fishing opportunity’s at our door step.

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STURGEON:
Fishing for sturgeon has remained very good as of late. In fact numbers to hand have been very impressive with multiple double headers happening on almost every outing. We’re seeing mostly smaller fish in the 4 to 6 foot range with the odd larger specimen thrown in the mix. The salt water designated portion of the river, downstream of Mission, has been producing huge numbers of fish however you are hard pressed to find any over 5 and a half  feet in length. From the Vedder River to Mission has also been very good for numbers and we have been seeing some decent fish as well, no 10 foot monsters but some decent 6 to 8 footers sprinkled in with the smaller fish.

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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. Take it slow and easy and if it’s really bad don’t risk the inevitable, these frigid waters are not for swimming in at this time of year :-)

With the water being very low and cold the fish have moved into their wintering holes and are quite stacked up when you find them. Keep moving around until you find them, once you start getting bites stay close as they tend to pack up in the winter and often ones does not have move much to get into consistent action. At this time of year a plethora of different baits can work on any given and it wise to have an assortment. Baits of choice are lamprey, coarse fish, single eggs, dew worms and roe. Keep your offering size down to the minimum as larger baits at this time year are often ignored or the sturg will often “lay” down it to save it for later; this results in foul hooked fish as the motion of the fish telepaths to the rod like a bite.

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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

 

STEELHEAD:
The Vedder River, along with most all other tributary’s are at the lowest levels that we’ve experienced in quite a few years. This incredibly low and gin clear water can make for challenging fishing but not impossible, in fact there are still quite a few fish being caught which bodes well for when we finally warm up a bit and the river bumps up.

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With the conditions being low, cold and clear don’t be afraid to fish shallower water, often 3’ or less during low light conditions, early mornings and late afternoon. Fish will often stage in this shallow water, found at the heads and tail outs of runs, soaking up what warmth the light can provide before moving on. As the sun rises concentrate your efforts to the deeper slots, bolder pools and cut banks where fish can rest comfortably in safety.

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Offerings for steelhead in low water are typically on the small side and often the successful angler has to “comb” the runs fairly tight to ensure that all willing takers were covered. For those drift fishing small jigs in pink and peach have been working along with smaller washed out pink rubber worms, trout beads and wool combo’s. Of course small bags of roe or skeined chunks always work. For the fly guy, bring the size of your intruder down and keep it bright, like the old adgae goes” bright day – bright fly’. Also do not be afraid to go small Popsicle style flies or even single egg patterns, especially during mid day. Keep in mind that you want to be running very heavy sink tips and if your not touching bottom every once in a while, your just practicing casting.

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GRFA will once again be offering float trips on the Vedder/Chilliwack River starting this Spring!! 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…

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Peak of the run is mid-March through most of April. 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 interest you please drop Rick a quick email for more info. rstahl@greatriverfishing.com

LILLOOET RIVER TROUT & STEELHEAD:
With winter upon us our thoughts 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 sheer 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

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NEW!

SALTWATER FISHING

Winter feeder chinook fishing has been quite productive again this year in the Vancouver harbour and Howe Sound.  We are anticipating this trend to stick around and even get better through late winter and spring. Last February through May we had some fantastic winter feeder chinook fishing in the harbour.  We are hooking up on some rather large fish lately with some chinook in the high teens.
Of course fishing close to the bottom is key this time of year with 3-3.5″ spoons and glow hoochies with flashers. There is a large volume of herring in the area again this winter which should keep the chinook around for a while. Crabbing is picking up from a slow December and January but late spring is usually very good.  We are having great success with prawn fishing on our full day charters.
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We are hoping the high winds and the heavy snow is behind us now and that we start to see some stable air stick around. Limits are 2 chinook a day per angler (62cm) so now is the time to get out and enjoy these limits as we anticipate it will drop to 1 chinook per angler a day in the late spring and summer.
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If your interested in getting out on the chuck for some winter springs we have partnered with some great guides with fantastic boats. Vancouver salmon fishing charters are a great way to entertain guests and family so get out there and enjoy the bounty Vancouver and area has to offer. Drop Rick a line at 604-997-3474 or rstahl@greatriverfishing.com and we’ll get you hooked up!

That’s it for now. Conserve our waters and here’s to great fishing, forever…

 

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