Fishing Tips
By Mike Gass
Sportfishing Development Coordinator, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC
In many coastal rivers of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, October offers some of the best salmon fishing of the year. With the majority of fish on or near their spawning grounds, fishing for pink salmon is beginning to wind down, but it’s just peaking for coho, chinook (spring), and chum. These salmon begin to enter the rivers in late September, and their spawning runs continue through November. Top salmon fishing waters to try this fall include the Chilliwack/Vedder, Chehalis, Harrison, Stave, Squamish, and Capilano rivers, along with Norrish Creek and Nicomen Slough.
The potential to catch multiple species in one day is one of the most exciting aspects of salmon fishing in autumn. Coho are great-tasting, and renowned for their acrobatic fights. Chinook can attain trophy sizes; fish that weigh over 30 pounds (13.6 kg) are not uncommon. And pound-for-pound, chum are the hardest-fighting salmon.
Float-fishing (also known as drift-fishing) is one of the most productive methods for catching coho, chinook, and chum in rivers. Anglers can have success float-fishing for salmon any time of day; however, the low light conditions of early morning or late afternoon produce the most fish.
Below is a list of gear and tackle you will need:
- Rod: 9- to 12- foot (3- to 4-metre) medium action rod, rated for 8- to 20-lb test line
- Reel: levelwind, centrepin, or spinning
- Mainline: 15-lb test monofilament
- Floats: 3/8 to 3/4 of an ounce (10 to 20 grams) in hollow plastic, foam, or balsa wood
- Weight: pencil lead, split shot, or sliding weights on the mainline above a barrel swivel
- Leader: 6- to 12-lb test fluorocarbon or monofilament
- Hooks: size 4 to 1/0 octopus hooks
- Bait/Lures: cured roe, Colorado spinner blades, lead-head jigs, wool yarn
When float-fishing, it is very important to properly balance your float with enough weight so that only the top 1/2 inch (one cm) of the float sits above the water. This greatly improves the detection of subtle strikes, something especially important when targeting coho, which can bite very softly. A sliding weight, which allows the mainline to pass freely through it, gives you added sensitivity for detecting strikes.
Without question, cured roe (attached to your hook with a bait loop) is one of the best baits for coho and chinook. When float-fishing roe or other bait, you want your presentation to drift naturally down the river. Leadhead jigs, and small wool yarn ties, can also be very effective. When using Colorado spinner blades, pull back on your line to increase the tension; this allows the blade’s resistance to the current to give more spinning action.
After deciding what lure to use, you must consider how deep you should be fishing. If you fish too shallow, you run the risk of drifting your offering over salmon without them seeing it. Fish too deep, and you will get hung up frequently, as well as possibly foul-hook salmon. Adjust the distance from your float to your weight so you are fishing one to two feet (30 to 60 cm) off the bottom. The depth you run your lure will depend upon the speed of the current and the colour of the water, so it may take a few trial-and-error casts to get the float adjustment right. Have your leader length set at about 18 inches (45 cm) to keep your lure in the zone where the fish can see it; a mistake of many new anglers is to use too long a leader.
More aggressive chinook and chum are generally found in a river’s larger pools with deeper runs. These bigger fish drive coho into the long tailouts and smaller riffles with slower currents. An exciting way to explore new fishing spots, and to get away from the crowds, is to look for backwaters and slow-moving sloughs connected to the lower Fraser River, which coho prefer. Target fish in slower currents by casting and retrieving medium-sized spinners or spoons weighing from 3/8 to 3/4 of an ounce (10 to 20 grams) – you won’t need a float or added weight. My go-to coho lures are a #45 Gibbs-Delta Koho spoon in silver with blue or green scale, gold with orange, or copper finishes; or silver #3 Blue Fox spinners.
Fly-fishing is also extremely effective in slow or still water. Use at least a 6-weight fly rod (heavier if you anticipate hooking a chum) with an intermediate sinking line. You can also try a floating line with a long leader, and weighted flies that will get down to the fish. Smaller flies usually work the best. One of my most productive coho flies is an olive crystal flash Woolly Bugger, tied on a size 8 nymph hook with a gold bead head.
Remember, if you fish for salmon in freshwater, and plan to retain your catch, you will require a Non-Tidal Salmon Conservation Surcharge Stamp in addition to your Freshwater Fishing Licence. You can conveniently purchase both on-line at: http://www.fishing.gov.bc.ca/ Since freshwater salmon fishing regulations vary from river to river almost every year, be sure to check also for notices of in-season openings and closures before heading out at: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/fwmap-carte-eng.asp