Clint Goyette's Squamish Fly Fishing Blog

Team Canada Named for the 31st World Fly Fishing Championships in Bolzano Italy

2011-05-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Fly Fishing Canada is pleased to announce Canada's team for the 31st
FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship and Conservation Symposium to
be held in Italy from August 27 to September 3, 2011:

John Nishi (Captain)
Terence Courtoreille
Sorin Comsa
Byron Shepherd
Arron Varga
Clint Goyette

The event will take place on waters surrounding Bolzano, Italy and will consist of 4 river sessions and one lake session that will be fished Loch-Style.

More information on the event visit: http://www.sfwc2011.it/eng/index.html

Family Fishing Vacation Accommodation in Whistler

2011-04-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a great place to have a family fishing vacation try Greystone Lodge in Whistler.

End your great day of fishing around the outdoor pool and two hot tubs! Use the barbecue on the pool deck for your meals if you like! What a great way to end a hot Summer day in Whistler!

Greystone Lodge is located on Blackcomb Mountain just 2 minutes from the Whistler Farmer's Market in the Summer months as well as the Blackcomb Adventure Zone!

Lost lake is just a 15 minute walk from the Greystone Lodge and is stocked with rainbow trout annually. Other local lakes include Alta Lake, Alpha Lake, Nita Lake, Green Lake, and Loggers Lake. Note that Alta Lake and Green Lake are strictly catch and release!

Other local activities include golf, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, sailing, Ziptrek and loads more!

Mention Valley Fishing Guides and get 20% off the regular rate! There is also a summer special at Greystone Lodge for 35% off the regular rate for a week long stay!

Squamish / Whistler Fishing Report - March 21, 2011

2011-03-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Updated Mar 21, 2011

Whistler/Squamish Area Lakes: Brohm lake is ice free as is Browning lake (Murrin Park). Whistler lakes are still frozen!
Whistler/Squamish Area Rivers: Fishing over the weekend was slow most likely due to the cold water temperatures. Peak activity was in the afternoon for both steelhead and char. Flies that worked were black and natural sculpin patterns and size #8 fry patterns (sparce). Chum fry were visible on the river edges and lots of merganser activity also indicates that the fry migration is in full swing. Watch for slashing fish! Using an intermediate clear line is advantagious in low clear conditions.

Check out one of the char caught this weekend here: http://www.facebook.com/valleyfishing

Upper Squamish Valley Rd.: Snowcovered with large ruts. A 4x4 with a high clearance is recommended if you plan to travel up there! I give it at least another week or two before the snow is gone.

Tight lines,

Clint Goyette

Supermoon Causes Super High Tides in Squamish

2011-03-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Something interesting is happening this weekend, a Supermoon! With this phenomenon comes super high tides in Squamish - on the order of 15.4ft on Saturday through to Tuesday March 22. I would expect that his would entice more steelhead into our local rivers for the first full weekend of spring steelhead season. Good luck out there and remember to share the river and practice proper river etiquette as it will be busy!

Tight lines,

Clint Goyette

Squamish / Whistler Fishing Report - March 13, 2011

2011-03-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Updated Mar 13, 2011

Whistler/Squamish Area Lakes: Frozen!
Whistler/Squamish Area Rivers: Fishing has been intermittent with the wacky weather we've been having. Rivers levels are increasing due to the rain and the higher freezing levels. A warm stretch of weather is coming later in the week which will increase bug and fry activity. We should see a dramatic increase in this seasonal event towards the end of the week. Slender flies with flash are key in low and clear conditions with increasing size as water colour diminishes. Flies in the size #8 stripped slowly or swung are producing fish in 1-3ft of water. Olive, black, white and naturals are go to colours - add silver flash. Be sure to bring small dry flies for the days that get see a change of 10+ degrees in air temperature. The bugs will hatch at Noon to 2pm! As for the steelhead front a few fish are around now. The full moon, high tides, increase in precipitation and warmer air temperatures this week should bring more fish into the lower river thus kicking off the real beginning of our winter steelhead return.

Upper Squamish Valley Rd.: Snowcovered but melting....I give it at least another week.

http://www.valleyfishing.com/fishingreport.htm

Tight Lines,

Clint Goyette

Squamish / Whistler Fishing Report - March 5, 2011

2011-03-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

Whistler/Squamish Area Lakes: Frozen!

Whistler/Squamish Area Rivers: Fishing has been intermittent with the wacky weather we've been having. Rivers are running very low, cold and clear right now. A mix of rain and snow is in the forecast so clarity will most likely stay the same for part of this week. As daytime air temperatures increase towards the end of the week and precipitation falls as rain expect water colour to change and catch rates to increase. Fry have begun to emerge and within the next few weeks we should see a dramatic increase in this seasonal event. Once daytime river temperatures reach 4C on a regular basis we will see many more fry. Slender flies with flash are key in low and clear conditions with increasing size as water colour diminishes. Smaller flies and use of erratic presentation is the key for targeting resident rainbows and bull trout - Remember to Pause! Flies in the size #8 stripped slowly or swung are producing fish in 1-3ft of water. Olive, black, white and naturals are go to colours - add silver flash. Still nothing to report on the steelhead front as they are not here in any great numbers yet.

Upper Squamish Valley Rd.: Snowcovered. More snow on the way.

Cheers,

Clint

Illegal Harvest of Vegetation in Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area

2010-11-23T07:57:00.001-08:00

There have been recent incidents of people harvesting vegetation commercially in the Wildlife Management Area at the Squamish Estuary. This is an illegal activity as there have been no permits issued. The area is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and falls into BC Parks legislative areas.

Recently truck loads of an important native shrub were removed with total disregard for the law and the intrinsic values of the plants. Much of this vegetation is being sold to the florist industry in the Lower Mainland. Please report it to the RAPP line. Take pictures and record licence plates to pass on to the Conservation Officer. We need everyone to be vigilant and be the eyes and the ears for the preservation of this crucial piece of habitat that we fought hard to protect. It is important to the entire ecosystem of the estuary and therefor affects our salmon, eagles, and other wildlife.

Please call 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP) if you witness any environmental violations or poaching within the WMA. To report other violations like illegal campers or garbage issues please call BC Parks @ 604-898-3678 or District of Squamish.

More Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area WMA Information
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/wma/skwelwil_em/

http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/pubdocs/bcdocs/430854/skelwil_em__wma_mp.pdf

Squamish Chum and Coho Return 2010

2010-10-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

October 21, 2010
Chum have been entering the Squamish since the end of September, however, the run size is very small to date. Anglers who are hooking up with fish are finding pockets of chum that are holding, most likely waiting for a bump of rain. Thankfully there is some rain coming this weekend which should draw in more salmon from Howe Sound.

Coho numbers seem to be good in all of the local rivers with gear proving to be the most effective due to the high turbidity. The last few days the rivers have cleared up offering better visibility and catch rates on the fly are up.

Immediate Future - Rain in the Forecast
Rain is on the way this weekend, a necessary evil required to fill the rivers with fish! Unfortunately this will change clarity and river levels as the freezing level is expected to hover around 1600m. Snow will blanket the tops of the peaks making for great scenery when the clouds clear, however, rivers may not be fish-able for the weekend.

Long Term Squamish Chum Forecast
Unfortunately the forecast for chum entering the Squamish system this year is poor. The assessments done by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) indicate a very low return to Lower Mainland streams. This is also the case on most Vancouver Island streams and was also the case on Northern rivers this year. It is doubtful at this point that a chum retention will happen on the Squamish system during the 2010 return.

About the Fraser River Chum Return and Closures to Retention of Chum in Region 2

Johnson Straight chum numbers are dismal for 2010 and the Fraser River run has also been determined to be at critical levels, contrary to the mammoth sockeye return this past summer. The poor chum return has forced the closure of Fraser River chum to retention and there is no commercial fishery for Johnson Straight.

It should be noted that the 2010 chum adults entered the ocean the same year that the sockeye from 2009 entered the ocean. The sockeye return in 2009 was a devastating 1.7 million fish; the expected return was 13 million. The Government of Canada has ordered an inquiry into the terrible return. Perhaps some information will help diagnose what has happened to the chum in 2010.

Cohen Commission on Missing Sockeye: http://www.cohencommission.ca/en/

Positive Outlook
Keeping a positive outlook, the chum that are going to return in 2011 entered the ocean at the same time that the sockeye juveniles entered for the 2010 sockeye return....the best in almost a Century; 30+ Million fish! Let's hope the chum follow suit.

For now please remember: No retention of chum salmon on the Squamish, Cheakamus, or Mamquam Rivers.

Tight lines,

CG

More Data Links.

Fraser River Chum Closure:
http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=128673&ID=recreational

Albion Test Fishery for Chum Salmon
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/commercial/commercialalbionchum_e.htm

DFO published a graph showing that the numbers are below the 800K estimate which warrants the closure.

Graphs Showing Chum Numbers:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/commercial/albionchumdaily.htm

Albion Chum Numbers:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/commercial/albionchumcum.htm

Enforcement is Up - Know Your Regulations

2010-09-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

Please adhere to the regulations as enforcement is up. I personally have been checked more this year than any other year in my guiding career! Good to see officers out there.

There is ZERO retention of ANY wild fish in the Squamish/Cheakamus River systems.

To be clear on this, if the water is moving ie a river/stream in Region 2 you can not keep any trout or char PERIOD!!!! Most rivers/streams have bait bans so no worms, no powerbait, no scents. Barbless hooks are also a must!

So to be safe and enjoy your angling in our Squamish & Whistler Rivers and Streams follow these simple rules:
1. De-barb your single hooks (pinch them down tight with pliers)
2. NO TREBLE HOOKS
3. Use only one hook
4. Don't use bait or anything that is scented. If it comes in a plastic baggie or jar you probably can't use it - leave it at WALMART / Canadian Tire / Home Harware
5. Don't keep anything!!
6. Above all know your regulations (I re-read them every year!)

For those looking for the Region 2 Provincial Freshwater Regulations check here:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/1011/fish-synopsis_2010-11_region2.pdf

More Regulations:

Fishing For Salmon in Freshwater: DFO General Freshwater Salmon Fishing Regulations
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/fresh-douce/region2-eng.htm

Entire BC Freshwater Angling Synopsis (Freshwater Fishing Regulations):
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/synopsis/

Tight lines!

Clint Goyette

WFFC Poland 2010 Photos

2010-06-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

Clint Goyette Competing on River San Sector III Beat 22 WFFC Poland 2010

Brown Trout on PT Hot Spot Nymph - Solinka River Poland

My First European Grayling on the River Solinka

View some photos taken by John Nishi of Team Canada here: http://www.acdseeonline.com/album/JSNishi/56897/

Photos by Clint Goyette and Kristy Hughes:
http://picasaweb.google.ca/ValleyFishing.Com/WFFC2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCMCRr6qLj8bGDA&feat=directlink

For results and added video please visit: http://www.worldflyfishing2010.pzw.org.pl/

More to come in the next week!

Tight lines!

Clint

Islander Reels Sponsors Team Canada for World Fly Fishing Championships

2010-03-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Barry Stokes and Islander Reels for supporting Team Canada in their quest for Gold at the 30th World Fly Fishing Championships in Poland, June 2010.

For more information on the 30th World Fly Fishing Championships visit:
http://www.worldflyfishing2010.pzw.org.pl/

For information on World Class Fly Fishing Reels made by Islander visit:
http://www.islander.com/

Team Canada Picked for 2010 World Fly Fishing Championships

2010-03-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Valley Fishing Guides own Clint Goyette was chosen as one of five competitive fly fishers selected to be part of Team Canada at the 30th FIPS-Mouche World Fly-Fishing Championship in Poland June 14-21, 2010.

Team Canada headed for the River San are:

John Beaven - Team Captain and Alternate
Sorin Comsa
Clint Goyette
Tom Irvine
John Nishi
Byron Shepherd

For more information about the competiton please visit the Official Website at: http://www.worldflyfishing2010.pzw.org.pl/

Now the fundraising begins!

Important Fish and Wildlife Habitat Secured in the Sea to Sky Corridor

2010-01-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2010

Important Fish and Wildlife Habitat Secured in the Sea to Sky Corridor

SQUAMISH, B.C. – The Land Conservancy of BC and the District of Squamish are pleased to announce the protection of over seven hectares of fish and wildlife habitat in the heart of the District of Squamish.

Known as the Squamish Mamquam Blind Channel and located in the traditional territory of the Squamish Nation, the property is on the shared floodplain of the Squamish and Mamquam rivers and is surrounded by a tidal slough and drainage channels. These water sources are key rearing and overwintering habitat for young salmon, and areas for adult salmon to migrate and spawn.

Since 2006, TLC has been working in close partnership with the Squamish River Watershed Society (SRWS) to acquire the site that is bisected by the Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99) and north of the Squamish Adventure Centre.

Besides the waterways, the upland area of the property includes a marsh meadow but is mostly forested with Sitka Spruce, Red Alder, Western Red Cedar and Black Cottonwood. The variety of habitats on the site provides refuge for many species, including various species-at-risk and nesting songbirds. The species-at-risk include the endangered Pacific Water Shrew and the threatened Red-Legged Frog.

In addition to the site’s wildlife values, its proximity to the Tourism Centre and to the urban area of Squamish, gives the property an exciting potential for future educational opportunities. The expansion of the nearby trail system may also increase recreational access to the property.

TLC gratefully acknowledges the generous assistance of BCR Properties Ltd., District of Squamish, BC Hydro Bridge Coastal Restoration Fund, CN Cheakamus Ecosystem Recovery Fund, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project and BC Trust for Public Lands.

Partnerships were vital in the conservation of this important site. “Congratulations to the TLC and to all the partners that worked together to make preservation of this important wetland area in central Squamish a reality. This is an example of implementing one of our primary objectives in our draft Official Community Plan of preserving, protecting and enhancing the natural environment and environmentally sensitive areas,” says District of Squamish Mayor Greg Gardner.

“Protecting or enhancing sensitive areas is a key interest of CN and we are pleased to support this project,” says Normand Pellerin, CN Assistant Vice-President Environment. “In line with our previous commitments such as assisting with protecting a portion of the Squamish Estuary, CN continues to work with the community to ensure the ongoing recovery of the Cheakamus ecosystem as evidenced by our partnership with TLC.”

Angela Buckingham, Chief Environmental Officer with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says: “The Ministry, through the Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project, is pleased to provide financial support to protect this valuable habitat. We are proud to partner with the TLC and other contributors in preserving this property for future generations.”

The land was purchased from BCR Properties Ltd. in December 2008 and the final step of transferring the ownership of the site from TLC to the District of Squamish will occur by February 2010. TLC will hold a conservation covenant which will permanently protect the natural features of the area. Future management of the site will be in partnership with TLC, the District of Squamish and the SRWS.

Since 1997, TLC has been saving special places throughout our beautiful province for today and future generations. As B.C.’s leading charitable land trust, we have protected more than 300 properties or 125,000 acres of fast disappearing natural areas, historic sites, farms and ranches, and places of community and recreational importance. TLC is proud to work on behalf of over 7,000 Members worldwide. Become a Member today at www.conservancy.bc.ca.

-30-

For more information:
Tamsin Baker - TLC (604) 733-2313
Edith Tobe – Squamish River Watershed Society (604) 898-9171
Kim Muller – District of Squamish (604) 815-5025

Squamish River Chum Retention Opportunity

2009-11-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - Salmon

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0923-RECREATIONAL - Salmon - Region 2 - Squamish River Chum Retention Opportunity

Returns of chum salmon to the Squamish River in 2009 are sufficient to provide
a retention opportunity on the Squamish River.

Effective 00:01 hours November 11, 2009 until 23:59 hours November 29, 2009 in
the mainstem of the Squamish River downstream of the powerline crossing located
approximately one and a half (1.5) kilometres upstream of the Cheakamus River
you may retain:

- one (1) chum per day.

You may also retain one (1) hatchery marked coho per day on the mainstem
Squamish River downstream of the powerline crossing until December 31, 2009.

The Cheakamus River and Mamquam River as well as all tributaries to the
Squamish River downstream of the powerline crossing remain closed to the
retention of chum. The opportunities on the Cheakamus and Mamquam Rivers remain
at:

- one (1) hatchery marked coho per day.

V.O.# 2009-430

Anglers are reminded that a hatchery marked coho means a coho salmon that has a
healed scar in place of the adipose fin.

Anglers are reminded that the use of bait is not permitted on the Squamish
River and tributaries and that single, barbless hooks are required when fishing
for salmon and when angling in all streams of Region 2.

For more information regarding salmon fisheries please contact the Squamish DFO
office at 604-892-3230, or call our salmon information line at 604-666-2828.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is very concerned about illegal fishing activity
and asks for assistance from the general public in reporting activities of this
nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and Regulations. Anyone with
information can call the 24-hour toll-free Observe, Record, Report line at 1-
800-465-4336.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0923
Sent November 10, 2009 at 14:40
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Squamish River Steelhead Survey

2009-11-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

It has been rumoured and pretty much verified that the Ministry of Environment (MoE) is taking the funding away from managing steelhead in the Lower Mainland. There will remain a steelhead biologist on staff, however, none of the time that this person spends will be on enhancing or managing steelhead. That would mean that all of us that purchase a steelhead tag, hoping that the money goes back into the area are in for a shock! None of the money will go into the Squamish River watershed with this change.

In an effort to gain momentum on increasing the Steelhead productivity in the Squamish system I am interested in getting some feedback on the readerships steelhead experiences on the Squamish River.

If and only if you spend time on the Squamish River Watershed - including the Mamquam, Squamish, Cheakamus, Elaho, and Ashlu Rivers specifically targeting Steelhead, please take the time to fill out the Survey. The results will be brought to the attention of our various local stakeholder groups to which I attend meetings of. If you have comments, please include them on the survey as well.

Click Here to take survey

The survey is anonymous by the way unless you put your name down!

Tight lines!

Clint

Squamish Salmon Return 2009 - Coho and Chum Salmon

2009-10-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Mountain peaks are white once more with the onset of the Fall weather this week and the salmon are here. The Squamish, Mamquam and Cheakamus rivers are all running low and clear, however, within a few days we should see an increase in flow. When the weather stays below zero up in the mountains, the rivers generally stay in good shape for fly fishing. In fact, a bit of colour wouldn't hurt right now not to mention that the additional flow will draw in more of those feisty chum salmon hanging out in the Howe Sound.

Coho have been coming in regularly with seals having fun hunting them down throughout the lower part of the Squamish river below the Cheakamus confluence. Targeting these coho on the fly with the low water requires smaller flies and perseverance. Look for slower water with signs of happy fish! Happy fish are the ones that jump out and give you a wave with their pectoral fin every 15 minutes or so. If you don't see any, move faster through that section of water! keep your leaders short and your retrieves fairly steady...stay above the fish. If you are hitting the bottom your are not fishing your fly fast enough!

As far as targeting chum this early, they tend not to be very aggressive until there are a lot of fish in the system or there is more water. Stay with smaller flies in the skinnier water conditions and use purple, chartreuse and orange with some flash.

Good luck out there and see you on the water!

This fly was tied on a Knapek Size 8 Streamer Hook - Great Hooks!

-Tight lines,

Clint

Squamish Pink Salmon Return 2009 - Update 2

2009-07-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Summer of 2009 continues to prove to be a challenging one. Local rivers continue to run high due to the 34+ degree weather we have experienced over the past week. The thunderstorms that occurred on July 25th raised water levels to freshet levels and melt caused by the hot weather has maintained those levels.

Squamish River levels are available online here

The Mamquam continues to carry glacial till from Ring Creek making visibility marginal at best, however, the Mamquam remains at a fishable level.

A debris flow from the Cheekye river caused by the heavy rains during the July 25th storm has partially blocked the Cheakamus River causing concern for the small village of Cheekye. There is a great photo of the debris flow in the Squamish Chief newspaper article that you can read further here. The Cheakamus River continues to add glacial till to the Squamish River from Culliton Creek.

The photo above is of the Squamish River July 30th with Mount Garibaldi in the distance. The thunderstorm clouds that caused the Blackcomb Mountain Fire are also visible behind Mount Garibaldi.

With all this gloom and doom, there is hope. I have seen seals actively working the river searching for salmon and I do not believe they would be there for fun. When the water does recede, fish will be present and we will be there to catch them! Maybe Squamish Days Loggers Sports is the thing to do this long weekend!

Tight lines,

-CG

Underwater view of a pink fly in the current water conditions (the fly is a few inches from the camera lens...)

Squamish Pink Salmon Return 2009

2009-07-21T09:23:00.001-07:00

I got up at the ridiculous hour of 4:15am yesterday to go try the estuary and beach of one of the local rivers for some staging pink and chinook salmon. Sitting on the beach for two hours waiting for a fish to show seemed like forever. Patience is a virtue. Finally at around 6:30am I saw my first salmon of the year jump clean out of the water, a Chinook. A jolt of energy got me up off the log I was sitting on and down to the water I went. Cast after cast I attempted to offer the fly to the area I thought the fish might be. Nothing. Then, like clockwork, salmon started to show about every half an hour until I left at 8:45...but alas none were interested in my flies. Two other fly anglers also showed up but not one of us bent a rod. Nest time I'll get 'em.

Later in the evening I went to the Squamish river to see what I could see...and fish of course. The only excitement to be had was watching the helicopters working to put out a forest fire at Alice Lake. Although we saw no fish, the one seal we did see makes me think there is a trickle of fish heading into the river and today the fish might arrive in some better numbers. Optimism is a fly fishers best friend.

Remember that there is ZERO retention of pink salmon for 2009 in the Squamish river. For the official DFO Fisheries notice visit this link.

Also Note that there is a daily limit of 2 pink salmon in the tidal waters. For the official DFO notice visit this link.

Tight lines
-CG

Spring Wrap Up

2009-06-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Spring Wrap Up

Spring 2009 has been a time of volunteering and reconnaissance. Volunteering with the Squamish Streamkeepers at the Meighan Creek fish fence once a week counting coho smolts heading to sea was great. On one occasion I had my 5 year old son and my 7 year old daughter come along to see what is was all about. I could see the excitement in their eyes when we were climbing down to the trap to see what bounty was inside the box. Fortunately there were a few coho smolts for us to count and release. The smolts were dubbed "Rainbow" and "Goldy" by the kids just before being released back into Meighan creek to continue their journey to the ocean. Good luck Rainbow and Goldy....see you in a few years!

Meighan Creek Fish Fence - Squamish BC (Brackendale)

Catching steelhead on the Cheakamus River for telemetry studies proved interesting as well. Watching how the fish were tagged and transponders inserted was very exciting and educational. The information that will be gained from this will be extremely valuable.

Stump Lake, Edith Lake, Brohm Lake, and Cat Lake all produced some nice rainbow and cutthroat trout fishing this spring. Of the lakes in the Squamish area, Brohm lake and Cat lake are probably some of the easiest to access with kids and produce the best on most occasions. Remember that with kids it is more important to find fish to tug on the line as they generally lose interest very quickly....unlike us die hards! For fly fishers, try leech patterns in the #12 to #8 sizes in black, brown, orange (for tannin lakes like Edith and Stump), and green especially when fish are feeding on daphnia and copepods. Finally, remember that it is best to go to these lakes on weekdays rather than weekends as most lakes are very busy with swimmers and other fishers on the weekends.

VFG Guide Ryan Treneer with a nice Edith Lake rainbow!

Rainbow Food! An assortment of Daphnia, Copepods, Glassworms, and Chironomids....that trout was eating well! - Ryan Treneer Photo

Using worms or powerbait is a sure way to get your kids into fish, however, be prepared to take home what you hook regardless of size. The surface temperatures of the lakes in Squamish right now are in the high 60's and low 70's due to the hot weather we received in late May and early June. Temperatures greater than 65F are lethal to trout if they spend any length of time there. A fight on the end of the line for even a short period will surely mean their demise. Make sure wherever you are fishing that you have read the current regulations regarding use of bait and catch and release: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/#Synopsis There is no fishing with bait in rivers or streams in our area! If it is moving water there is a bait ban and barbless hooks are manditory.

Future Guides in Training!

Looking Ahead

Summer solstice is upon us. Not much snow pack remains up in the Coastal Mountain range meaning we should be back on the rivers within a few weeks. Salmon should be returning to the river in mid to late July with the peak of the return occuring mid to late August. July and August should prove to be great months for dry fly fishing on the Birkenhead River, north of Whistler and the Upper Cheakamus and Mamquam rivers in the Sea to Sky corridor.

Upper Squamish Snow Pack June 11th, 2009 - Mount Cayley

The Chilko river is expecting a fantastic sockeye return of approximately 4,175,000 sockeye according to DFO estimates. Fishing in mid to late August through September 15th should be fantastic for both rainbows and bull trout with egg patterns. Mid July through August is the best time to go for the stonefly hatch! Dry fly fishing for wild rainbows is spectacular especially on the Chilko!

Chilcotin Mountains with Chilko Lake in the Distance June 11, 2009

We look forward to a great Summer of fly fishing in the Squamish area on Beautiful BC! And if it weren't beautiful enough, you could always take a flight into the Chilcotins!

Tight lines!

Clint

Flying in the Coast and Chilcotin Mountains June 11th, 2009

Try Stump Lake in Squamish

2009-05-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Finally the ice is off our local lakes and the fish are hungry! May 3rd marked the first day trip for fun to a local lake in Alice Lake Provincial Park called Stump Lake. Stump lake is easy to get to with a short 5 minute hike in from the paid parking lot in the Park. It is the first lake you come to when walking the Four Lakes Loop. Once you reach the lake you can fish from shore, however, the lake is much better fished from a float tube or pontoon boat.

Stump lake is stocked with nice little cutthroat trout as a measure to try and control the pumkinseed (sunfish) that were illegally introduced to the lake years ago. Although we did not see any pumkinseed, we did catch quite a few cutthroat in the 8-12 inch range. The day started a little slow with not much action while trolling to the north end of the lake. One of us hooked the first fish just as we reached the far end of the lake from the put-in. Fishing remained fairly slow between takes until I stripped in quickly to re-cast and wham I hooked a fish! So I remarked to my partners that the fish took the fly on a fast retrieve. From that point forward the fishing was great!

We actually caught most of the little guys on micro leeches and a great Bob Sheedy pattern first shown to me at the 5th National Fly Fishing Championships in Grande Prairie Alberta back in September of 2007. The fly is basically a leech pattern with a bright orange head and a slightly darker orange body. It was tied specifically for a tannin-coloured lake. Stump Lake is tannin stained. Anyway, the fly worked with a very quick strip 3 strip 2 strip 3 pause presentation.

We ended up retaining two of the fish due to a deep hookset. The stomach contents showed that the trout had been eating leeches, chironomids, and black ants. Daphnia were collected from a throat sample from another fish. Unfortunately, there were no pumpkinseed in these fish but they may be just too small to have been feeding on them.

Stump lake is a great place to get slightly remote and catch a few when you only have a few hours to fish! Good luck out there!

Tight lines

-Clint

FRESHWATER ANGLERS WON'T NEED A LICENCE UNTIL APRIL 18

2009-04-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release 2009

ENV0028-000815

April 8, 2009

Ministry of Environment FRESHWATER ANGLERS WON'T NEED A LICENCE UNTIL APRIL 18 VICTORIA –

Anglers who want to fish in British Columbia’s lakes, rivers and streams during the next nine days won’t have to worry about buying a new fishing licence, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced today.

Penner signed an order earlier today exempting sports fishers from having a fishing licence between April 8 and April 17. This will allow enough time for the Ministry of Environment to deliver paper licence stock to vendors throughout the province and fix some bugs currently affecting the new e-licensing system.

The temporary exemption applies to basic licences, classified waters licences, white sturgeon licences and conservation surcharge stamps for all non-tidal waters in British Columbia. The exemption applies to all anglers, regardless of residence status, with the exception of individuals whose angling licences have been suspended or cancelled, or are prohibited from fishing under the Wildlife Act.

All existing freshwater fishing regulations, including quotas and gear restrictions will continue to be in force during the licence exemption period.

The Province eliminated paper licences and implemented a fully Internet-based e-licensing system on April 1 after several months of successful trials in which both paper and e-licences were available. The heavy volume of anglers attempting to purchase 2009-2010 licences last week caused the system to malfunction and repairs are underway.

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Contact: Kate Thompson Media Relations 250 953-4577 For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.

No Fishing for Chinook in the Lower Lillooet River

2009-04-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

RECREATIONAL - Salmon

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0253-Salmon: Birkenhead River Chinook - Birkenhead River and Lower Lillooet River in Region 2 - Recreational Management Actions

In 2008, the spawning escapement of Birkenhead River Chinook declined to a very
low level. The 2009 returns are expected to be low as well and the Department
is implementing additional measures to reduce impacts.

Effective 00:01 hrs Thursday April 2, 2009 and until 23:59 hrs Friday July 31,
2009 additional recreational fishery restrictions on salmon will be in effect
on the lower Lillooet River from the confluence of Harrison Lake upstream to
the headwaters of Lillooet Lake and the waters of the Birkenhead River upstream
to Birkenhead Lake in order to protect Chinook salmon.

In these waters for this time period there is no fishing for salmon.

Variation Order No. 2009-206

This action is supported by the Squamish – Lillooet Sport Fishing Advisory
Committee.

Notes:

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal
waters of British Columbia. This includes all species of fish in the Fraser
River.

Anglers are requested to release any hatchery marked sockeye. These fish are
hatchery raised sockeye and part of a recovery program designed to increase the
numbers of Cultus Lake sockeye.

The term "hatchery marked" means a fish that has a healed scar in place of the
adipose fin.

Sport anglers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Salmon Sport Head
Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from adipose fin-clipped
chinook and coho salmon. Recovery of coded-wire tags provides critical
information for coast-wide stock assessment. Contact the Salmon Sport Head
Recovery Program at (866) 483-9994 for further information.

Rockfish Conservation Areas that are currently in effect and are closed to all
fin fishing. Descriptions of these closures, and other recreational fishing
information, can be found on the Internet at:

www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation? If so, please call
the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line
at (800) 465-4336.

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at
(866) 431-FISH.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact the local DFO office in your area for further information.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0253
Sent April 2, 2009 at 14:54
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Freshwater Angling Guide Career Profile Posted

2009-03-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Go2Hr.ca has posted a new article on a career as a Freshwater Angling Guide on the Go2 website. If you are interested in becoming an Angling Guide in BC there is some information located in another one of my articles here. That's all I have time to post for now. I'm off to get ready for my trip in the morning. Finally the rain has arrived and the fishing should be great!

Tight lines,

Clint

Squamish River Update March 02, 2009

2009-03-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Yeah! Finally some rain has fallen and the rivers have risen to great fishing levels. Visibility is around 2 to 3 ft in the Squamish and there is a nice tinge of colour. The Mamquam is running high and brown but should drop fairly quickly as should the Squamish. Water temperatures are still quite low; in fact there were chunks of ice floating down the Squamish River today probably coming down from the upper Squamish. Little rain is expected for the next few days allowing water temperatures to increase slightly thoughout the mid afternoons. All this considered there should be some decent opportunities for char and rainbows over the next few days. See you on the water!

Tight lines,

Clint

Bute Inlet Hydroelectric Project Community Open House

2009-02-09T09:17:00.001-08:00

BC is under fire with many many hydro-electric projects and here is a chance for you to hear about one of the largest attacking the wild rivers of Bute Inlet. Some of the rivers under fire are: Homathko River, Southgate River, and Orford River.

Southgate River

The Environmental Assessment Office held 3 open houses in the small communities closest to Bute Inlet earlier this year: Campbell River, Powell River, and Sechelt. Like most people in the Lower Mainland, I did not have the chance to go to these remote communities to attend the open houses.

To combat this issue the B.C. Creek Protection Society and the Watershed Watch Salmon Society are holding their own un-official open house titled: “Bute Inlet Hydroelectric Project Open House”, at the UBC Robson Square Campus (Room C150) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on February 10, 2009.

The Upper Pitt River hydroelectric project was held up because thousands of people attended the open houses. The BC government had to listen. Please take the time to get informed about the attack on the pristine wilderness that is Bute Inlet and its many wild rivers. A multitude of wildlife including the grizzly bears, the mountain goats, marbled murrelet, and fish including the bull trout, cutthroat trout, coho, pink, chinook, chum salmon and steelhead that inhabit these waters need your help.

Some Photos of the Southgate River and surrounding peaks: