Fraser Valley report for the week of July 2, 2009.


Salmon forecast for 2009 - the 2009 salmon season is shaping up to be one of the better runs in many years. Large runs of summer and late summer sockeye are expected and 2009 is another Pink run with 15 to 20 million extra salmon in the river.

August is expected to be a great month with large returns of sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser. Those of you who have fished with us in the past but have been disappointed the past two seasons, you will once again experience the great sockeye fishing the Fraser can offer. If all goes according to plan, August 5 to 20 should be peak for this incredible fishery.

The 2009 Pink Salmon run is expected to be in the 10's of millions with peak fishing between Sept 5 to 25. The late run Chinook Salmon co-inside with the Pink run so you can potentially fish for both in the same day. The Chum salmon are just starting to show up in the Harrison in late September with peak fishing between Oct 5 & 25. There is also a late run of Chum that enter the Fraser in early November which offers what I think is some of the best fishing for Chum.

Fraser Valley Report

Fraser River


Salmon ? Fishing this week has been fair to good for Chinook Salmon. Most of the fish have been between 12- 20 lbs with several over 30lbs. Water clarity is beginning to shape up nicely. The Fraser dropped a good meter in the past two days witch is a good sign for those of us who like to bar fish for Chinook.

Over the next two weeks we will see some inconsistent water conditions as we are expecting some hot weather witch may bring the river up again. If it does it won?t last for long as the majority of the snow pack is already melted.

If you prefer to bar fish for Chinook Salmon, upper and lower Wellington Bar are beginning to produce results. Queens Bar, Harrison Bar, Upper Peg Leg and Middle Bar are also seeing some good results.

If you?re just new at fishing the Fraser, Bar Fishing is a method developed many years ago. It is widely used on larger rivers like the Fraser and Skeena for Chinook, Coho and Chum Salmon. When water clarity is better than 8 inches, Bar Fishing with Spin n glos is very productive.

Learn about Bar Fishing - http://www.guidebc.com/articles/chin...ngonfraser.asp

Sturgeon

Sturgeon fishing has picked up considerably this past week. Some larger being caught in the Mission, Chilliwack and Agassiz area. The lower River will begin producing good results once again as water levels drop. Best baits have been Eulichons, Lamprey and a few fish on salmon eggs. We have been experimenting a bit with scents and have had some good success with Gulp Alive. The three scents we have been using are Garlic, Shrimp and Nightcrawler.

Peak Sturgeon Fishing Dates
Our next peak sturgeon season is in August when we begin our Fraser Canyon Sturgeon Adventures. The Fraser Canyon offers spectacular scenery with some excellent fishing opportunities. Not only that we have the safest boat on the water for taming those infamous rapids like Saddle Rock, Sailor Bar and Little Hells Gate but we also have the most experience fishing this area.

Late August through to mid November is peak fishing for sturgeon in the mid and lower area of the Fraser. This is because of the large runs of salmon that migrate the Fraser in this time period. Once the salmon spawn and die, their carcuses begin to drift downstream. The Mission area offers some of the best fishing because of it?s large deposits of salmon carcuses. From the confluence of the Sumas to the confluence of the Stave River, sturgeon fishing it at it?s best. Our boats are moored in Mission Harbour where we have quick and easy access to some of the best fishing on the Fraser. Come join us this Fall and see why STS is #1 in the valley.





Vedder River

The Vedder River is clearing and dropping rapidly. Although water clarity is still a bit off, it won?t be long before we see prime conditions. As a general rule, opening week produces some nice Chinook. Most of these fish are taken from the larger deeper runs where these fish have been holding since arriving into the river. The lower River will begin producing better results once water levels have dropped. There is some good trout fishing available in the Vedder in July so crab the fly rod and give it a try. This fishery is also great for the kids using spinners or worms and a float.

Trout fishing in the Valley

Trout fishing has been fair to excellent this past week, we have caught some nice fish on several rivers in the valley. Our largest fish this week was just under 7 lbs with good numbers of fish in the 2-4 lb range. If your looking for a fly fishing experience of a lifetime, now?s the time. I still have a few dates for next week if your wanting to get out.

Harrison River
The Harrison River is producing some excellent cutthroat fishing. Most of the fish we have been finding are in the side channels and still waters off the main flow. Flashy patterns like minnow imitations are working best or for those of you that don?t fly fish, trolling a small spoon like a Gibbs Gypsy has worked great.

STS Guiding Service is committed to providing current and future clients with the highest level of service and quality angling experiences at the lowest price possible. We pride ourselves on our personal and friendly service, our ability to catch fish on 95% of our guided charters. We are fishing the area 12 months of the year. For us fishing is a year round commitment, not just a summer job.

The West Vancouver coho fishery is in full swing right now. Excellent numbers of coho salmon have been actively feeding off the flats of West Vancouver. We have had some really good success fishing anchovies and white hootchies from 15-30 feet on the downriggers. These fish are not huge, but they are great for the bbq. The beauty of this fishery is it is located only 10 minutes from our dock location. The bigger chinook salmon have been found in decent numbers off the Fraser River Mouth, the Gulf Islands, and Howe Sound. Crabbing is starting to slow down with the recent opening of the commercial fishery.

Vancouver Saltwater Report


Join our team of 8 professional guides for the 2009 season and see why STS is considered #1 in the valley.
To Book Your next guided adventure, call us Toll Free 1-866-771-3474



To Book Your next guided adventure, call us Toll Free 1-866-771-3474

Remember to conserve your catch
Tight Lines and we will see you on the water
Vic Carrao
www.guidebc.com
sts@guidebc.com