Chilliwack to Vancouver Fishing Report - March 20, 2018

Great River Fishing Adventures

Spring is in the air and with the days getting longer and temperatures warming, it's time to shake the cabin fever and get out fishing. Currently it is prime time on the Chilliwack/Vedder River for the elusive steelhead. March and April are "the" months to knock steelhead out of your bucket list.

Remote wilderness fishing on the Lillooet River is currently doing very well. The river is full of trout (bull, cutts & rainbow) at the moment, feeding voraciously on the salmon fry which have already started their long migration to the salt water.

Also, not far away, starting the beginning of April and peeking the third week, we see some of the last returns of true spring-run chinook. These special fish will not spawn until October and hold over all summer. When we intercept them they are absolutely in their prime, pure chrome and supercharged biters. Most anglers target them with spey equipment, as they do rise freely for the fly, however one can also fish spoons and spinners for some incredibly jarring takes. This is a true trophy fishery and every fish caught is a blessing.

Sturgeon has also been very good. Most of our attention has been focused on the Chilliwack to Mission area on the Fraser River, and the success rate has been outstanding this winter. March through the first few weeks of May is some of the best sturgeon fishing of the season and often overlooked. Prior to the Fraser going into freshet, the fish tend to stack up in their wintering holes and are feeding aggressively with the rising water temperatures. This is typically the time of year that we see some of our biggest number days.

We also start offering Fraser Canyon Sturgeon Adventures in April, and these run through to September. This is arguably the finest sturgeon fishery in the world, with your best chance at a true monster of a fish. Last year, our first 10 foot-plus fish was taken on April 7 in the Canyon. This fishery is also in some of the most beautiful, and rugged terrain that BC has to offer.

News & Bits:

GRFA will once again be lending time and elbow grease to the Fraser Riverkeeper Clean Up Day scheduled for March 24 at the end of Gill Rd. Start time is 8 am and lunch will be served to all that participate, so please give back to the fishing community and come help keep our river pristine and debris free. With approximately 600 volunteers, this is the single largest river cleanup in all of BC and second in Canada.

Since 2007, Fraser Riverkeepers annual Fraser River clean-up, organized with the help of Woodtone, Rotz Disposal, and our partners in the Fraser Valley Illegal Dumping Alliance, has netted a whopping 100+ tonnes of illegally dumped garbage from wilderness areas and salmon habitat. Kevin Raffle, from Woodtone, has been instrumental in making this annual event come together and our hats go off to him and his crew for the incredible work he has done. Come celebrate with us at Clean-up HQ, located at the end of Gill Rd in Chillwack, BC, on March 24, while we roll up our sleeves together and give back to the beautiful rivers and backcountry where we all love to swim, drink, and fish.

Fraser Valley Salmon Society AGM

The Fraser Valley Salmon Society is having its 33nd annual AGM meeting on April 19 at the Evergreen Hall in Chilliwack, at 6:45 pm (doors open at 6). There will be many key speakers and the opportunity to rub shoulders with fellow anglers from all over. Non members welcome. Come voice your thoughts, continue your support, and have a chance to win one of the many door prizes, including a guided fishing adventure* for sturgeon. *Restrictions apply – you must be a FVSS member to win the guided sturgeon fishing adventure (all other door prizes are open to all attending).

You can check out Fraser Riverkeepers website at http://www.fraserriverkeeper.ca/ and check them out on face book at https://www.facebook.com/fraserrivkeeper/

For more information contact us - http://greatriverfishing.com

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