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 offers better fishing. If you would like to see some recent catches of Chinook salmon, just have a look through our salmon photo gallery.

Unfortunately this great fishing came to an abrupt end when DFO decided to close the Fraser River once again. I normally don’t complain when rivers close 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 reopens 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.

One time Special Discount Offer
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.

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 $1,000.00 for individuals or $3,700.00 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

Last issue we reported on our new website www.bcflyfisher.net. After much deliberation we have decided to close bcflyfisher.net, and move its contents to www.guidebc.com. You can now find over 100 fly patterns in our fly-fishing pages, plus other useful fly-fishing information.

Winner:
Hub Sports fly rod combo giveaway winner is Dan Koshman of Langley. Congratulations Dan!

Thanks to Hub Sports for the kind donation of last month's prize draw of a fly rod and reel combo.

This month Gills Tackle in Langley has generously donated a Columbia Fishing Rain Jacket. Gills Tackle is a family owned tackle business specializing in friendly and knowledgeable service. Gills have the largest selection of Loomis Rods in the valley and offers low competitive pricing. To enter the draw for a Columbia Fishing Rain Jacket, just send us an e-mail with Columbia Fishing Rain Jacket Draw in the title.

New Product Reviews coming soon
Over the past few months we have been testing some of the newer fishing products that are on the market, and some that are not yet available. Coming soon will be a page dedicated to product reviews, where you the angler can find out more about the product before you buy. We will also add a section where you can add your own comments on products that you have recently used or purchased.

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.

Fly Fishing for Salmon Seminar
STS Guiding Service is once again offering a 1-day fly fishing for Salmon seminar for those who would like to improve on their knowledge of fly fishing the Valley for Salmon, or for those who have fly fished for trout but would like to try Salmon for the first time. We welcome all levels of experience.

The 1-day seminar will be 2 hours of instruction and 4 hours of fishing for Coho and Chum Salmon on the Harrison River, Fraser or Stave River. We will be talking about rods, reels, lines, flies, methods, reading water for Coho, backwater fishing, plus some secrets on fishing the Harrison and other Fraser Valley streams and sloughs. November is a great month for fly-fishing the Valley, so we should have some great action and lots of fun.

The cost of the seminar is $125.00, and includes 2 hours of instruction and 4 hours of guided fishing with Vic Carrao, plus a STS ball cap valued at $25.00.

Seminar dates available:	Saturday,	November 10
	Sunday,	November 11

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.

Vic Carrao

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