Fishing Report – Vancouver & Fraser Valley 11-29-13
As things start to wind down for the Fall Salmon fishing season with mainly Chumand Coho Salmon still migrating we are looking forward to Steelhead fishing coming soon.
The Fall Season has been another amazing one with so many highlights for Salmon fishing, I personally can’t remember seeing this many Coho (Silver) Salmon ever. We offered our clients many different styles of fishing for these chrome energetic bullets, fly fishing – single haned and double handed Spey, spoon fishing, jig fishing, float fishing and of course Bar Fishing ( the style that Pioneered the Fraser River). Our Interior Coho run is coming back in good numbers and our team at GRFA sure hopes this continues well in to the future years. One reason for the success in the last few years is that DFO – Department of Fisheries and Oceans – has been implementing a red zone in early September each year on the mainstem Fraser and protecting these fish during peak migration timing. A huge step in the right direction for conservation of Salmon and for a healthy strong future of fishing opportunity for all anglers.
We have witnessed many bar fishing days on the mainstem Fraser this past month that yielded over 50 coho caught and released by 3 team guides in 1 day of fishing. Happy clients and “Raving Fans” are easily attained on fishing days that you can have that type of a result. The Fishing for Coho Salmon will continue on through the month of December, with the numbers dwindling each week, but not to say you should not be fishing as these fish are loads of fun on light tackle in the Harrison River and mainstem Fraser River.
The Chum Salmon have been still coming in great numbers and some of the best area’s have been on Queen’s Bar on the Fraser River and also at the mouth of the Harrison River. I don’t remember seeing so many big Chum like this season, these fish are large and aggressive and could be one of the most fun to hook up with 
using numerous methods of fishing. Float fishing jigs is a super successful way to hooking up these fish. They really seem to love that Pink and Purple Maribou and watching that float go down numerous times on an outing is never boring. We have the late Chums coming in now and we call them “Blackheads” these are usually smaller fish between 4 and 10 pounds, full of energy as well and take offerings of all sorts but are chrome silver bars. Truly these fish are hard to tell the difference from the Coho. So get out and enjoy these fish while they last which should be until the 1st week in December.
The Trout Fishing on the Fraser River in the Chilliwack to Hope area and including the Harrison River will be ramping up as we have most of the salmon spawned now. These Trout will be getting hungry and fly fishing offerings like egg and an eye and egg sucking leaches can give you some remarkable hook ups. Never overlook sculpin patterns or wooly buggers as they too will produce in the winter months.
Steelhead will be making there way up the Fraser River to numerous locations over the winter months and enjoying a uncrowded day virtually alone on the Fraser River can yield some calming days with potential hook ups. My favorite is getting out on the water to swing my double handed Spey Rod. Even a remote chance at hooking up a Steelie gives me a rush and although it is surely not everyday you get pulls, the peace and tranquility really goes a long way to relax a person.
Looking forward to 2014 season we are taking bookings for all adventures and by the looks of the Fall months we are getting full with returning clients and new ones as well.
The Sturgeon fishing has stayed incredible right through the Fall months and we are expecting the winter months to be the same and or even better than last year. We are not like most other guiding companies that shut the doors on Sturgeon fishing and go back to their regular jobs – Fishing is our life and we keep fishing through and have usually 3 guides and boats ready most days. Most ask are the fish still biting, they sure area. Although they are not leaping like crazy from the river like the warm summer water temperatures bring, they are active and can yield tons of hook ups and fun. They still pull like a cross between a freight train and greyhound bus.
We still base all trips on conservation and give all the efforts as usual to give you all you expect on the river, yes slightly cool temperatures for the angling but if you gave our team guides a choice to be Sturgeon fishing or sitting on the couch, you know what we all would choose. These days in the winter are sometimes even more consistent then many other times of the year. Most trips hook up anywhere from 5 to 15 fish if the fish are biting and the tides are working in your favor.
The 2013 Sturgeon season was another incredible and amazing one, I am personally sure that we caught more Sturgeon then ever before in the history of the company in a 12 month period. We are waiting for the tally and hope to have it sometime in the early Spring of 2014 but we are confident that our GRFA team guides have recorded, tagged and released more White Sturgeon than any other company. More big fish over 2 meters than ever before and what that translates to is great data and information coupled by excited and happy clients. “Raving Fans” as our guide team refers to it.
Thanks to each and everyone of our clients and friends for another incredible memorable year of fishing adventure experiences. Your business is appreciated and even more the friendships we have built over the past 25 years in business are heart warming.
We strive to be the very best to ensure that your fishing adventures here in and around Chilliwack, British Columbia are the all that they can be for you!
We offer gift certificates for those hard to purchase family members and or just for the thought of giving a very unique Christmas gift. Remember that a “family that plays and fishes together stays together”.
“Always considering cleaning the river area before you leave for the day, take out more than you brought in and our Rivers, lakes and Streams will continue to reward us with years of great fishing”.
Cheers and great fishing, forever, Dean <”)))><
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