1 of 4
Perry Mack
Fishing off Fraser Mouth
2 of 4
Perry Mack
Buntzen Lake
3 of 4
Sewell's Marina
4 of 4
David Wei
By Perry Mack
Reels spinning, people shouting, adrenalin pumping; there are multiple hits. You tell yourself, “Set the hook, just set the hook!” Below the sun-dappled, hammered-metallic ocean surface, something big rips off line. With bodies working three rods at once, it’s not a competition between men – but it sure feels like one.
We didn’t have to take a ferry or floatplane to get here. The setting sun at high slack bathes Vancouver’s skyscrapers in a golden glow, and as the sky darkens, the bright lights of the Cypress and Grouse Mountain ski resorts blaze a gleaming trail down the slopes.
Just a few minutes from a major metropolitan centre, the Vancouver, Coast and Mountain region is one of the few places on earth where almost every genre of fresh- and saltwater fishing is available to the enthusiastic angler. We find ourselves amidst the hungry fleet of sport fishing boats this evening, but tomorrow, it could be the quiet solitude of a trout-fishing stream, where bear-bells and bug spray will be more useful than your Über app.
Fraser River Valley and Coast Mountains
From casting for panfish in the meanderings of a serene stream to battling sturgeon over three metres long in the mighty Fraser River itself, this part of B.C. provides some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world. Its expansive watershed – larger than the state of Washington – generates salmon runs that number in the millions as well as steelhead, rainbow trout, searun cutthroat trout, largemouth bass, black crappie, and white sturgeon.
In its eastern portion, the Coquihalla River (running parallel to Highway 5) rewards anglers with rainbow and bull trout, along with some summer-run steelhead, and coho salmon in the fall. Just east of Hope, Kawkawa Lake is popular with kokanee lovers who, as a bonus, often reel in rainbow and cutthroat trout as well. Since the lake is closed to fishing from December to February, mark the March opening on your calendar.
A fly-fisher’s mecca, the Skagit River is only open for fishing from July through October, and restricted to catch-and-release fishing using single barbless hooks. While the river’s rainbows will strike readily on fly patterns, target the bull trout in deeper pools by casting spoons and spinners.
Where fertile farmland gives way to an alpine forest that blankets an expanse of hills rising to jagged peaks, you’ll find a greater diversity of your quarry at Chilliwack and Cultus lakes, on the southern side of the lower Fraser Valley. Both enjoy all the amenities of their respective provincial parks. These stillwaters yield not only rainbow, cutthroat, and steelhead trout, but also Dolly Varden char, whitefish, and kokanee.
Further west along this side of the valley, there is renowned winter steelhead fishing along the Chilliwack-Vedder River system. Anglers can fill their creels with rainbow, cutthroat, and bull trout along with hatchery-reared, summer-run steelhead, and mature salmon (coho, chum, or chinook) in the fall. More family-friendly fishing is found in the Sumas River (flowing north between Abbotsford and Chilliwack along Highway 1), where basic bottom-bouncing, or bait and bobber fishing, can make for a successful day.
For the full article of almost 4000+ words, and photos detailing the top techniques and hot spots for your favourite game fish, subscribe to the digital edition here;
http://suncruisermedia.com/the-sport-fishing-guide/Sport%20Fishing%20Guide%20Subscription
Or find it in print at your local newsstand.