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Search:		"A guides Perspective" The Fraser River By Tony Nootebos of Harrison Bay Guided Services Every year thousands of people from all over the world come to British Columbia’s Fraser Valley for both its beautiful scenery, and fantastic fishing opportunities. Located only 1.3 hours from Vancouver, and 3 hours from Seattle are the towns of Chilliwack, and near by Harrison Hot Springs, smack in the middle of fishing paradise. The real heart of the Valley is the Fraser River, almost 1000 miles long it remains one of North America’s last untamed river systems. The Fraser River is also considered the largest salmon producing river in the world; offering anglers the opportunity to catch all 5 pacific salmon, as well as white sturgeon and a variety of trout including steelhead. The following is a 12 month breakdown of the great fishing opportunities on the Fraser River main stem. January-March The New Year typically marks the end of the salmon fishing season on the Fraser River. The River seems empty compared to the bountiful months leading up to it, but the river does have a lot to offer for those willing to battle the cooler weather and the often hard to find cutthroat trout! Winter trout fishing can be challenging until you find the feeding fish, but once you do it is very rewarding. Fly fishing with small nymphs, egg patterns, or stripping in minnow type attractor patterns in the back waters are usually the preferred methods, although some people prefer worms or single eggs fished under a float or on the bottom. Sturgeon fishing is another option for anglers wanting to do battle with a dinosaur! Although water conditions are much cooler than in the spring, summer, and fall months there are still fish willing to take bait and put up a strong fight before giving in for a quick photo and healthy release. Bottom fishing is the method of choice and baits vary depending on fishing location, but salmon eggs wrapped in stockings soaked in Mikes sturgeon scent is hard to beat. April-May By the time we reach April the strong hold of winter is usually making way for warmer temperatures and April showers, water temperatures begin to rise and the fish become more active. The Sturgeon begin actively feeding on a number of different baits, but really key in on the Eulachon run entering the lower river during this time. Some days if you do not have fresh Eulachon on board you are going home without so much as a good bite! The Cutthroat trout fishing will remain good until the River begins to rise with the spring run-off. Fly fishers should stick to any salmon fry pattern in sizes 10 down to 4 while spin fishers can do quite well on small spinners or spoons in silver or brass with a red stripe in hammered or flat finish. Most back waters and riffles from Mission to Hope with depths of 2 to 8 feet will produce Cutthroat to 20 inches. (Catch and release only on wild fish) April also marks the beginning of the salmon season, although not plentiful, the Chinook (king) salmon are there in fishable numbers (currently on a catch and release basis for April). Bar fishing or Plunking as it is sometimes called with a spin-glow and bar rig set up is the most popular method for these early run spring salmon. Make sure you have a variety of different color and size combinations with you as the water conditions can really change on a day to day basis. My personal favorite is the red top silver body in sizes 0 or 2 with Mylar wings. Try fishing along the many gravel bars on the main stem Fraser from Mission to Hope for best success. We normally get a Chinook opening May.1, so check with the local shops for confirmation on this early season fishery! June-July By June the Fraser River is up and the Cutthroat trout have moved out of the main stem and into the back waters and tributary rivers and streams along the Fraser system. Sturgeon fishing opportunities remain good for those who are willing to seek out the “Hot Spots of the Sturgeon during the high water season. Lamprey or Ditch eels are the best baits during the high water! Although the Chinook (king) salmon are in the system in fishable numbers from April on, the first real “peak season” begins around the second week of June. The numbers of returning fish can be awesome and if river conditions permit, the last 2 weeks of June can mark the best Chinook fishing of the year. The number of anglers on the river will really pick up as well depending on water conditions and success rates. If the river is high and muddy from spring run-off, fishing will be slow despite the large numbers of returning fish. But if there is 4 inches or more of visibility as is often the case, then both bar fishing with the above methods or bottom bouncing smaller spin-glows and wool combinations will produce good numbers of Chinook salmon. Learning the seams where the fish travel will be the key to success! By late June and into early July the Sockeye salmon will begin entering the Fraser River in small numbers before peaking in early August. By far the best method to catch Sockeye on the Fraser River is bottom bouncing wool, corkies, or small spin-glow combos on a 6 to 9 foot leader with 1 to 3 ounces of lead. There are times when sockeye are off limits, and gear restrictions apply, usually in the form of a maximum leader length regulation. August-September August is by far the busiest month on the Fraser River, and for good reason! Sockeye salmon return by the million, and Chinook (king) salmon are available in good numbers as well. “This is prime time” salmon fishing with thousands of people flocking to the Fraser Valley each day in search of those silver bullets. Bottom bouncing remains the most popular way to salmon fish on the Fraser River for the month of August. On odd numbered years the Pink (humpy) salmon begin entering the Fraser system by mid August providing fly and spoon fishers with some great entertainment on light tackle. September remains a good month for salmon fishing on the Fraser River, with late run Sockeye, fall Chinook, a few early Coho, and on odd numbered years millions of Pink salmon fishing opportunities are endless. For those wanting to catch a salmon on the fly the Pinks a great way to get started! Bar fishing and spoon fishing are the preferred ways to fish for fall Chinook and early Coho salmon. Keep in mind on even numbered years there are no Pink salmon in the river. Although Sturgeon fishing can be very good in August, September is the beginning of the “prime time” sturgeon season. With all of the salmon in the system the best sturgeon baits include salmon eggs, gills, salmon parts or a combination mix of all three. If you like sturgeon fishing September – December is as good as it gets! October-December Sturgeon fishing continues to produce great catches of fish up to 10 feet long weighing up to 800lbs and often jumping several times before being landed, photographed, tagged and finally released. The best area’s are from Hope down to Fort Langley in the many sturgeon holes along the way. The fall months are by far the best for those wanting to catch salmon on light gear or fly rods. The River begins to drop allowing for increased visibility and better access to the many riffles along the Fraser River. This is my favorite time of the year! Almost all of the River mouths along the Fraser system have salmon returning, and in many cases the fish are aggressive and willing to take just about any well presented lure or fly. Bar fishing for Chinook and Coho is still popular during this time, but many anglers prefer to change methods to spinner , spoon, or fly fishing the un crowded river while enjoying the awesome salmon fishing fall has to offer. The Fraser River will have Coho, Fall Chinook, late Sockeye, Pinks (odd numbered years only) and finally the hard fighting Chum salmon. Although Chum salmon are not considered the best table fare, they are definitely a great sport fish 2nd only to the Chinook salmon in size and brute strength. Gibb’s Ultra lures in Gold plate and Silver plate are my favorite spoons, and popular fly patterns include Murray’s Rolled Muddler Minnow, Coho blue, and many attractor patterns in a variety of different colors. Coho salmon prefer the slower (frog) water slow sink or clear mono lines work best here, while Chinook and Chum salmon prefer faster runs and riffles, heavy sink tip lines of 4 to 10 feet are more productive than slow sink or floating lines. Trout fishing starts to pick up by late fall and is in full swing again by early December. Single egg and small minnow patterns are best fished in the back channels of the Fraser River. Come and enjoy fishing British Columbia’s Fraser Valley! Good fishing Tony Nootebos @ www.harrisonbay.com Harrison Bay Guided Services 140 Esplanade Harrison Hot Springs B.C. V0M 1K0 E-mail: info@harrisonbay.com General Articles All Categories   Article Topics Date 1. Spring Fishery Updates 2013 Fishing Area Outlook Mar 2013 2. Fly Epoxy Chum Fry Flys Feb 2013 3. Best Fishing Story of 2012 Feb 2013 4. Salmon fishing outlook for 2013 Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon Jan 2013 5. Fly Tadpoles Flys Jan 2013 6. Fishing Outlook for 2013 Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon, Sturgeon Dec 2012 7. Fly Steelhead Muddler Flys, Steelhead Dec 2012 8. Fly Bacon n eggers Flyfishing, Salmon Dec 2012 9. Keeping a journal Technique Dec 2012 10. Fly Egg-sukin leech Flyfishing, Flys Oct 2012 11. Fly Steelhead Madness Flyfishing, Flys Oct 2012 12. White Lake Fishing Area Outlook Aug 2012 13. Fly Orangesicle Flyfishing, Flys Jul 2012 14. Fly Blue Morrison baitfish Flyfishing, Flys Jul 2012 15. Fly fishing the Estuary (Amundson Thompson Chaser Fly Rod Review) Flyfishing, Tackle Jul 2012 16. Sockeye Strategies Salmon Jul 2012 17. Ultimate Squid TUBE Flys Jun 2012 18. Roche Lake Flyfishing Jun 2012 19. Fly Coho Blue-zer Flys, Salmon Jun 2012 20. Flies Webflyzers Flys Jun 2012 21. Vancouver Island's Esperanza Inlet Halibut, Salmon, Vancouver Island May 2012 22. Fly Purple Peril Flys May 2012 23. Trolling for trout Trolling, Trout Apr 2012 24. Fly Blue Note Flyfishing, Flys Mar 2012 25. Fly Kalumlow Flyfishing, Flys Mar 2012 26. Fly Skeena Scar Flyfishing, Flys Mar 2012 27. Fly Polar Express Flyfishing, Flys Mar 2012 28. Sturgeon fishing in Vancouver British Columbia Sturgeon Mar 2012 29. Strategies for Catching Sturgeon Sturgeon Mar 2012 30. Fly Copper Gammarus Flys Mar 2012 31. Fly Alley Alevin Flys Mar 2012 32. Fly Hilton Boss Flys Mar 2012 33. A Guided Steelhead Trip on the River Steelhead Feb 2012 34. Fly Polar UV shrimp Flys Feb 2012 35. Egg-sukin Beaver Leech Flys Feb 2012 36. Fly Chardolas Bait Flys Feb 2012 37. Don't be afraid to try anything Steelhead Feb 2012 38. Best Fishing Story of 2011 Ryan Spannier Feb 2012 39. Best Fishing Story of 2011 by Bob Waldhaus Steelhead Feb 2012 40. Best Fishing Story of 2011 David Sandquist Kids, Salmon Feb 2012 41. Fly Reeds Spey Flyfishing Feb 2012 42. Jet Boat Maintenance Boats Dec 2011 43. Smoked Salmon Recipe BBQ and Honey Recipes, Salmon Dec 2011 44. Poached Italian Cod Recipes Dec 2011 45. Fly Blue Charmer Flys Nov 2011 46. Fly Muddy Waters Flys Nov 2011 47. Fly - The Excursion Leech Flyfishing Nov 2011 48. Herb and Garlic Crusted Halibut with oven roasted ratatouille Halibut, Recipes Oct 2011 49. The Banner Season Fishing Area Outlook Jun 2011 50. voteforsalmon Conservaton, Salmon Apr 2011 51. Votesalmon Conservaton, Salmon Apr 2011 52. Rivers Inlet Hatchery Program Conservaton, Salmon Apr 2011 53. Mayday for Wild Salmon Conservaton, Salmon Mar 2011 54. Contest 2011 Fishing Story David Sandquist Flyfishing, Steelhead Feb 2011 55. Contest 2011 Fishing Story Honourary mention Ron Gibson Feb 2011 56. Contest 2011 Fishing Story Bog Waldhaus Steelhead Feb 2011 57. Contest 2011 Fishing Story Brian Wong Salmon Feb 2011 58. Does Fish Cooking Techniques Matter Recipes Jan 2011 59. Mediterranean Fish Fillets Recipes Jan 2011 60. Virus Killing Fraser Sockeye Conservaton, Fish, Salmon Jan 2011 61. Halibut Fishery Conservaton, Hallibut Dec 2010 62. Salmon Virus watch Conservaton, Salmon Nov 2010 63. Disease Information Conservaton May 2010 64. Sea lice kept secret Conservaton May 2010 65. Catch the Dream Halibut, Salmon, Trolling May 2010 66. Oak Bay Marine Group Newsletter Salmon Mar 2010 67. Quesnel Lake Trout Jan 2010 68. Art of Curing and Smoking Fish Smoking Jan 2010 69. Bradley's Famous Hot Smoked Salmon Smoking Jan 2010 70. Salmon fishery action suit Salmon Nov 2009 71. Save B.C. Salmon Conservaton, Salmon Nov 2009 72. Winner of the Giver on the River Free Charter Fish Sep 2009 73. Oven bbq salmon Recipes, Salmon Aug 2009 74. Poached Italian Cod Recipes Aug 2009 75. Salmon Creole Recipes, Salmon Aug 2009 76. Australia Fishing Salmon Aug 2009 77. Horseradish and Dill Butter Salmon Steaks Recipes, Salmon Jul 2009 78. Navigating a boat purchase Boats Jul 2009 79. Salmon with a Homemade Grain Mustard Crust Recipes, Salmon Jul 2009 80. Halibut with Fennel Broth Halibut, Recipes Jul 2009 81. Cedar Plank Salmon Recipes, Salmon Jun 2009 82. Islander Winner 2009 Tackle Jun 2009 83. Just Get In the Water Technique Jun 2009 84. Saltwater Night Fishing for Salmon Salmon, Technique Jun 2009 85. Steelhead & Salmon Warfare Salmon, Steelhead Jun 2009 86. Deep Running Giant Salmon Salmon May 2009 87. Salmon Scampi Recipes Apr 2009 88. Dandelion Stuffed Chaunigan Trout Recipes, Trout Apr 2009 89. Living Rivers - Georgia Basin and Vancouver Island Conservaton Apr 2009 90. Salmon steak recipe Recipes, Salmon Mar 2009 91. Chaunigan Trout Recipe Recipes, Trout Mar 2009 92. Best catch of 2008 Flyfishing, Kids, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout Feb 2009 93. The Great Chilko Bear Adventure Bears Feb 2009 94. Seasonal Outlook for 2010 Salmon, Seasons, Steelhead, Sturgeon, Trout Jan 2009 95. A Fishing Trip with REEL OBSESSIONS Vancouver Island. Salmon, Trolling Jan 2009 96. Carp fishing from a different angle Carp Sep 2008 97. Fish British Columbia With a Timeshare Accommodation Apr 2008 98. Hurt by aquaculture industry Salmon Nov 2007 99. BC wild salmon endangered by failure to contain sea lice from salmon farms Conservaton Sep 2007 100. Go Fish Aug 2007 101. Studies show harmful impact of BC coast salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon Salmon Aug 2007 102. Lynn's Fishing Adventure Sturgeon, Trout Jul 2007 103. Chilliwack River Action Committee Conservaton Apr 2007 104. Indian Candy Recipe Recipes, Salmon, Smoking Mar 2007 105. Fishing Articles and archived fishing posts Mar 2007 106. Curing Eggs Salmon Mar 2007 107. Fishing for Chum Salmon Salmon Mar 2007 108. Salmon Eating - After They Change Colour Salmon Mar 2007 109. A guides Perspective - The Fraser River Salmon, Seasons, Sturgeon, Trout Aug 2005 110. Smoked Salmon Recipe Recipes, Salmon, Smoking Dec 2004 111. Fishing in Harrison Hot Springs Aug 2004 112. Jet vs. Outboard Boats Aug 2004 113. Helpful Hints, Tips and Tricks Tackle Mar 2004 114. Uncle Wes - Farewell Old Friend Dec 2003 115. Cow Paddy Pond Trout Oct 2003 116. 12 Seasons of Fishing the Kitimat Flyfishing, Salmon, Seasons, Trout Apr 2003 117. Sara, Guardian of the Lake Jul 2002 118. Portrait of a Mountain Man May 2002 119. Carving the Salmon Pie Salmon May 2001 120. Spoon Fishing Lakes From The Bank Tackle, Trout Mar 2001 121. Vedder River Fishing “Fall options” Salmon, Seasons Mar 2001 122. Slippery Spotted Owls Salmon Jul 1998
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