Fraser Valley Outlook for October, 2001

A look back into August

The Fraser River is truly an amazing river system. Local and visiting anglers enjoyed some of the finest Chinook and sockeye fishing ever seen on the Fraser. I really can't imagine any place in the world that offer's better fishing.

Group Salmon Fishing on the Fraser River

Unfortunately this great fishing came to an abrupt end when DFO decided to close the river once again. I normally don't complain when river closes in the name of conservation but in this case I could hardly say it was closed for conservation concerns. Why I say this is that shortly after the river closed the Department of fisheries and oceans announced a 21-day native commercial seine fishery. How can you close a river in the name of conservation then turn around and open it to commercial seine nets?

It's clear to me that politics at it's worst is being played out in the name of conservation. It's high time we as sport anglers unite, make those people making these poor decisions accountable. Put your method of angling aside and speak up for your fishery. As long as we sit silent, we will continue to see the same kind abuse of our fishery. Take a few minutes and write a letter to:

Hon. Herb Dhaliwal PC MP
Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
House of Commons, Ottawa Ontario, K1A 0E6

The good news is, although the Fraser River is closed for a few more weeks, there is plenty of good salmon fishing in other rivers. Once the Fraser River re-opens in early October we should be in for weeks of good fishing for salmon and steelhead.

Sturgeon fishing in August and the first part of September had been very good for the most part. Good numbers of medium to large fish have been caught with the best fishing still to come. The Fraser river sturgeon fishery is just heating up, October and November are the two best months so don't wait too long to book your adventure of a lifetime.

STS Guiding is offering for the first time a special discount offer for those who would like to try fishing for Sturgeon during one of the best times of the year. After all the salmon have spawned, sturgeon lurk the river bottom looking for food before winter sets in. November is one of our favourite times of the year to fish for sturgeon, most anglers are gone off the river and fishing is hot, hot, hot. Last year, some of our best days were in November with many 30 fish days recorded. Mention this paragraph and receive $50.00 off your next guided sturgeon adventure.

Vic Carrao of STS Guiding Service with a Chinook caught on the Fraser River

Rick Hansen (Man in Motion tour) of Rick Hansen Institute has put together a very exciting fundraiser for spinal cord research. Rick Hansen Sturgeon Classic is the first of it's kind. Rick has brought together some of the top guides in the Fraser Valley who will be guiding participants in search of that winning trophy sturgeon.

Rick Hansen Sturgeon Classic will take place on Friday October 19th, 2001. Entry Fee is $1000.00 for individuals or $3700.00 for corporate (4 persons).

Entry includes fully guided tournament fishing (4 to a boat), all fishing gear, bait and tackle, light breakfast at check in, lunch on the water, buffet dinner, great gifts and a chance at fantastic prizes. To register call: 604-822-9079 or e-mail mreid@rick-hansen.ubc.ca

What to expect in October/November
As mentioned above the Fraser River will remain closed until mid October. Fortunately there are still plenty of good fishing opportunities available. The Harrison River remains open for retention of Pink, Coho and Chum salmon. So far the fishing has been very good for pink salmon with the odd coho and chum getting caught. It's still a bit early for Coho and Chum, by late September we should begin to see good numbers for the usual great October fishing. The Harrison provides some of the best fly-fishing opportunities in the Fraser Valley.

The Vedder River is seeing some good returns of Coho. The returns of Coho, fall Chinook and Chum salmon are predicted to be high this year but so far the water levels remain very low keeping most of these fish in the Fraser. These fish will trickle into the Vedder while some will remain in the Fraser until we see some significant rains to entice them to move up the river. Most anglers are finding the conditions challenging, using light leaders and small presentations will produce the best results. Trolling and casting lures in the lower canal area can be very productive during low water. Access is limited to those with a boat, best fishing is 2 hours before and 2 hours after high tide.

The Chehalis River is Ultra low and clear. As usual this river needs a substantial rainfall to bring any numbers of fish into the river. Until this happens, small numbers of fish will trickle in working their way up into the canyon where there is plenty of water in those deep canyon pools. Once the rainfalls of October arrive, the larger schools of fish will enter providing anglers with some great late October fishing.

The Stave River offers anglers and families some great fishing opportunities for both Chum and Coho salmon. By early October Chum salmon will begin to dominate the river bottom, Coho can be found laying in the slots and deeper waters of the Stave and some of the back channels. The tide can play an important role when targeting Coho. An incoming tide can bring in as many as 50 or more Coho during a short period so timing can be crucial. Fishing 2 hours before and 2 hours after high tide is usually a good bet.

I would like to thank all those anglers who have followed along on our site over the 2001 season. Over the next few months we will be adding some new resources, revamping our fishing report pages and begin planning for our 2002 season. We would welcome any comments or suggestions that would help improve www.guidebc.com

Please feel free to contact us for more information:
Web: www.GuideBC.com	Tel: (604) 671-FISH