Deans Dino Blog

Fishing Report for Chilliwack to Vancouver – August 26, 2017

Posted by:

Fishing Report for Chilliwack to Vancouver – August 26, 2017

Hi and welcome to the GRFA fishing report updated on the  26th ofAugust 2017.

Sturgeon:2017.08.26 e
GRFA proudly hosted the 2017 Jurassic Classic Sturgeon Fundraiser last weekend. Through the efforts of the BC Wildlife Federation and The Wild Sheep Society of BC, 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 much better than the previous year… to the tune of a 46% increase over last year with the same amount of boats participating!! Awesome!

Part of the success in this year’s fishing was due to this being a Pink salmon year and the river is already seeing lots of them. Sturgeon have definitely switched gears and are actively searching out salmon pieces and roe now. There are some 2017.08.26 Cboats 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.

The Fraser River is in prime shape at the moment. Water that was too fast to fish a few weeks ago is starting to slow down and become fishable. 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.

2017.08.26 AThe Canyon continues to produce both numbers and size.  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 inexperienced 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

2017.08.26 DWhat better way is there to spend a warm 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:

Currently the Fraser River system and it’s tributarie’s remain closed to sportfishing for salmon. This is due to the continued decline in Sockeye stocks in both the marine approach and also the Fraser River itself. Summer Sockeye stocks have been downgraded to 1.25 million – not good news for the sport fisher…

Although the river has a healthy number of Pinks in it, especially for this time of year, they are seeing dwindling numbers in the test sets and also in the marine testing….they have given a new interim run size of 3.96 million. This is very early for DFO to be overly accurate with their counts or reports and we should see this number change as the run progresses.

So how does this impact our sport fishery??

The recreational angler will probably not see an opening for Salmon until we see a larger number of Pinks enter the system. The next few weeks will be the telltale how our salmon season will unfold. If numbers bump up we could see an opening as early as the 10th of September. However, if numbers remain low we could see an opening as late as October 10th after the Coho closure window.

Keep in mind that it is unlikely that First Nations will get anywhere close to their food, social and ceremonial required fish from Sockeye – so they will likely fill their quota with Chinook – the DFO is approving these fisheries, however will reduced fishing times each weekend and have written into the license that all attempts must be made to release non target species unharmed (i.e. Sockeye, Steelhead and Sturgeon) and only when all attempts have been made to revive these non-target fish can they be taken – we applaud DFO for showing responsibility to the conservation of the fish in this manner.

We encourage everyone to write letters to ask for a recreational opening. 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:

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.

 

 

 

Comments

comments

0
              Social Chat Live NOW! Subscribe Send us a note
 
Thank you for subscribing!
 
Thank you! Your message has been submitted to us.