2018 Sport Fishing Guide

Vancouver Coast & Mountains
anchovy in a teaser head at depths of 25 to 35 metres (80 to 115 feet).
Be sure to check Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s website (http://www.
dfo-mpo.gc.ca) for the locations of any rockfish conservation areas in
Howe Sound, which are closed to all fishing.
In the summer, freshwater fishing for coho, steelhead, the occasional
searun cutthroat trout, and chinook is found on the North Shore
along the Capilano, Seymour, and Lynn rivers. More efforts can be
made for coho, searun cutthroat trout, and bottomfish by casting
from the beach at Cates Park, Furry Creek, or the mouths of the rivers
previously mentioned.
Some of the key fishing spots are Vancouver Harbour, and in
front of the Fraser River estuary. There’s continuous action from late
July to October, when mature coho and chinook return to the Capilano
River and the rivers of Burrard Inlet.
About an hour from Burrard Inlet, off the shores of Richmond
or Delta, coho, chinook, pink, chum, and sockeye hold offshore as
they wait for the first heavy autumn rains to bring cooler water
temperatures and higher water levels before heading up the Fraser
River and its tributaries.
The lure of choice here is an anchovy in a glow teaser head two
metres (about six feet) behind a full-sized flasher (such as Gibbs-
Delta Bon Chovy, O’Ki Gold Betsy, or Hot Spot UV Purple). Spoons
(custom-bendable Sea Four lures, Tomic, Gibbs-Delta G-Force, Skinny
G, Coho Killer, Razorback, Pesca, O’Ki Titan, or Luhr Jensen Coyote)
in green-and-glow, “kinetic,” “Bon Chovy,” “Trailhead,” army truck,
“Real Anchovy Image,” “Outfitter,” or “Gut Bomb” colours, and white
octopus (#OAL 12R) or double-glow hoochies (OG208R or OG140R)
will work well, too.
A couple of other great spots to cast for pink salmon are at the
head of Burrard Inlet, as the fish make their way to the Indian River,
or at all the previously mentioned beach fishing spots as they travel
to rivers at the head of Howe Sound. Small pink lures such as Buzz
Bombs, Mepps Aglia, Gibbs-Delta Sil-Vex spinners, or flies can be used
to catch this highly popular species.
Sockeye salmon are also a prime catch among anglers for their
deep, red-coloured flesh and excellent flavour. In efforts to net one,
use the same bright red or pink hoochies you would for pink salmon
behind similarly coloured flashers, but you should add more flash with
dummy (also called teaser) flashers – like the Tomic Sonic or Gibbs-
Delta Flashlines – off downrigger weights to simulate a school of
feeding sockeye. As there have been closures for conservation reasons,
always be sure to check Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s website
(http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca) before going fishing for sockeye salmon.
Vancouver Harbour and the mouth of the Fraser River hold large
hatchery-reared white chinook, which are popular among anglers
throughout the Lower Mainland. Try using a jumbo whole herring in
a Rhys Davis teaser head, or an anchovy in a green-scale Rhys Davis or
O’Ki JDF teaser head and a flasher, at depths from 20 metres (65 feet)
to the bottom inside the harbour. At the mouth of the Fraser River,
fish at depths of between 15 and 35 metres (50 to 115 feet).
Further north, the Squamish and Cheakamus rivers are noted
for their excellent autumn salmon fishery and winter steelhead. The
Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC also stocks a number of lakes
with rainbow and cutthroat trout in the Squamish, Whistler, and
Pemberton region, while other lakes have healthy populations of Dolly
Varden and kokanee.
If you take Highway 99 north from Vancouver you’ll have access
to many lakes, including Browning, Brohm, Alice, Edith, and Stump
near Squamish. In the resort town of Whistler, try hitting Alpha, Alta,
and Green lakes. Just north of Pemberton, more lakes include Ivey,
Blackwater, Gates, Anderson, and Birkenhead.
If you’re the adventurous type, it’s worth the trip to Garibaldi
Provincial Park to hike to beautiful lakes like Garibaldi, Cheakamus,
and Mamquam. Hire a floatplane and fly to other stunningly scenic
mountain lakes including Widgeon, Fire, Thomas, and Lovely Water for
wild rainbows.
In the suburb of Surrey, the Nicomekl, Serpentine, and Campbell
rivers attract angling crowds, especially during autumn for mature coho
or chinook. Resident rainbow, cutthroat, and steelhead trout are also
game. Many anglers just use a worm bounced off the bottom or drifted
beneath a small bobber. In the spring, try whipping a fly or two in the
mouths of these small rivers (where they drain into Boundary Bay)
when migrating salmon smolts are the target of searun cutthroat trout.
To fill your fishing fix during the week, urban lakes such as Green
Timbers in Surrey or Sanctuary Pond in Vancouver are good bets, as
the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC stocks these lakes with healthy
numbers of catchable-sized rainbows.
What’s nice about this area is that, after an outing of fishing (and
a quick clean-up), Vancouver and its surrounding cities of the Lower
Mainland await with the cool vibes of city life. If you’re a sports fan, the
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club plays from March to October, while
the B.C. Lions of the CFL is in its prime from June to November at B.C.
Place. Nearby is Rogers Arena, where the Vancouver Canucks vie for
supremacy, albeit rather poorly, in the NHL from October to April.
All the while, Vancouver’s downtown bustles with activity. There
are museums and art galleries, and the shopping on Robson Street is
second to none. Nearby is Granville Island with its popular fresh food
36 The SPORT FISHING Guide 2018