Pacific Angler's Friday Fishing Report: Feb 14th, 2014

[Urban Angler]

VALENTINES FISHING REPORT!!

(just thought throwing "valentines" at the front of "fishing report" may save a few fishing relationships)

Do not miss the amazing review Jordan did this week on how to choose proper sunglasses for your different fishing destinations! River fishing is waiting for rain but still producing for the die-hard frostbite chasing fishers and next week we have our intruder tying (Taught by Dimitri R.) course + JT teaches his float fishing for steelhead! Still room to sign up! Updates on Harrison, Stave, Squamish and other favorite destinations.

http://pacificangler.ca/blog/friday-fishing-report-february-14th-2014/



Happy Valentines Day,

Bryce Franks
Pacific Angler
www.pacificangler.ca
Facebook

 

[hotrod]

Is it possible for you guys to make the squam and tribs anymore of a gongshow? Disgusting what you have turned that system into and a for a buck!! Pathetic

agree totally

 

[mikep]

There once was a time not so long ago when I could drive from horseshoe bay and fish the check all day in the spring and see no one......that was like 10 years ago. Now fast forword to today and there are multiple people in most runs during the same time. Just pimp those rivers out to up pink worm and gooeybob sales......Every year the freshwater scene gets more lame.....

 

[fishin_magician]

Is it possible for you guys to make the squam and tribs anymore of a gongshow? Disgusting what you have turned that system into and a for a buck!! Pathetic

You are pointing the finger the wrong direction. There are 3 other firms I can think of... and particular websites I would point the finger at first.

 

[Urban Angler]

Steelheader1, Hotrod, Mike P:

I don't see how this is "pimping" the river out. Did you read the report? It says the river is low and clear and nobody caught anything and 4 other people were talked to and they didn't catch anything either. Then it says to keep an eye on the river levels and go if the water bumps up because it could get good. That is basic knowledge for any river... I think that is a pretty fair and modest report. I am not sure how old you guys are, if you have fished the river for a long time (more than 20 years) or know of the history of this river. There is less pressure now than there was in the 70's and 80's because there are far, far, fewer steelhead. The reality of life is this: There are hundreds of thousands of people that live between Vancouver and Whistler, and they fish. You have 5 major fishing stores in the GVRD and they all sell tackle 8-10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Stop and think about that for a moment. How many rods have been sold in the past year? Well over a thousand. People aren't just buying tackle and putting it in their closet. They go fishing. There are thousands and thousands of people moving here, every year for the past how many years, 10, 20, 30, 40? Where are these people going to fish? People can basically river fish the Chillwack area and the Squamish area if they want to river fish within an hour and half from home. When I fished the Island, the Vedder, the Squamish, 20 years ago, yes there were less people. This is to be expected. But to expect it to remain the same is not realistic. With the density that is forecast for the Howe Sound Corridor over the next 10 years, as well as Vancouver and S. Vancouver, you will be talking about the good old days in 2014 when you went to the river and saw 4 people.

If you are so passionate about this topic and the Squamish Watershed, I work at Pacific Angler and can be reached by calling 604-872-2204 and you can voice your concerns and suggestions to me directly if you so wish, or you can post on a forum where nobody knows who you are. I would be glad to hear from you and can suggest a variety of organizations that work hard to protect this area and its fish. Organizations that we donate money and time to and perhaps you would be interested in doing the same if you aren't already.

Regards,

Jason Tonelli

Squamish/Cheakamus River:

I was out on Wednesday after the heavy rains from Tuesday evening all through the night. Although the river bumped up a little bit the rivers were super low and clear. Even the regular deep pools were not a pool anymore. I did not hook anything and saw four other fisherman and they had not touched a fish. If you really want to head out in this around this area I would choose Squamish over Cheakamus. With rain in the forecast the river should bump up and it could get good. Keep your eye on the river levels.

The Squamish and Cheakamus systems are a 100% catch and release – no bait/scent – barbless fishery, so play by the rules, give other anglers space and have fun!

 

[mikep]

I grew up fishing the check an sqamish systems. Its has almost been 20 years since I first hit the shores of those rivers. Maybe I should refrase what I was trying to say. I am sorry if you took that post as personal attack jason I just feel that fishing reports on the internet can be read by too many. Used to be that you had to go into a store to get current updates on the river. Now everyone just gets it all at the click of a mouse. There are many other forums that create this problem as well, one that is really bad in perticular. Just my opinion....


Mike Panz

 

[Beekslayer]

The pimping out of river's and fisheries for money is disgusting. Most tackle store owners have lost touch with why they decided to ever work in the fishing industry. Then again why would any Vancouver tackle store owner's care about local pressure when they can fly to any 5 star fishing destination like the Dean, or Cuba on daddy's dollar.

 

[fishin_magician]

Been on those rivers for 30+yrs..seen the fall of them...Jason you are 40 or 41? The increase in pressure on these rivers over the past couple of years is rediculous. Not even gonna go into the damage that FWR does to the lower mainland. Your reports of the squamish and tribs is truly sad. Not too mention the guideing which should not even be allowed on that wild system. Your reports every week just more and more pressure on a sensitive system. When there is 5/6 boats on the upper squamish in the spring plus all the vehicles it is truly sad. After your reports cpl yrs ago the pressure on the cheak skyrocketed, now it is a SHITSHOW. Alot of us understand you need to make a buck, but please keep the reports to the hatchery enhanced systems that can handle the pressure not the wild systems that are at risk and sensitive. Just some of our opinions......

Rick Forrester

Rick, that's a load of crap!

There are 4 other tackle stores or guide firms reports out there which mention the same streams and rivers you're going off about right now. Many of those tackle stores have been posting reports on their own websites and doling out information for years...many more than his shop.

You're only ticked because he has a post on here. You should blame 6 other lower mainland shops as well...many who have been in business a lot longer than he has.


You own fishing tackle, you fish, you bought them from someone, a tackle store. You get your information from somewhere---that's how you came to fish that River.

Many wild systems have guides on them. Not just those rivers.

Social Media and the conveyance of information can have a massive effect on fishing pressure. You're blaming an internet post or fishing report for causing the fishing pressure. Well, I can make a Facebook post and send 3 text messages and put 50-100 boats on a 2 square mile patch of water 5 Kms offshore in less than 3 hours. I can make a radio report and put 40 boats on a location where there was 5 in 30 minutes. What's the damn difference? Are you flipping out at Facebook? Are you flipping out at individual anglers who text their friends of their fishing success? No. You're flipping out at a simple fishing report.

I don't happen to fish freshwater much but I can tell you exactly the same thing happens out on the Saltchuck, and the effect is much more immediate than a tackle store report or post....and the tackle stores are not to blame.

Heaven forbid someone wants to fish the same River you do!!!

 

[fishin_magician]

The pimping out of river's and fisheries for money is disgusting. Most tackle store owners have lost touch with why they decided to ever work in the fishing industry. Then again why would any Vancouver tackle store owner's care about local pressure when they can fly to any 5 star fishing destination like the Dean, or Cuba on daddy's dollar.

Ridiculous post Beekslayer...fisheries are pimped out by EVERYONE. We have countless lodges, tackle shops, transportation companies, tourism and recreation companies, conservation and enhancement firms operating across the world. Everyone is pimping out fisheries...including you and me....we're on here doing just that....

Let's talk pimping....How about Sewell's in Horseshoe Bay? One could argue that firm pimped Howe Sound into a barren fishless shadow of what it was 70-60-50-40-30 years ago. No one is freaking out about that?????

Pimping out fisheries....that's EVERY shop in the Lower Mainland each time they share a report.

 

[fishin_magician]

Fm, I am sorry you shop at pacific angler and disagree with my post. Do you fish freshwater.? Are you out there daily? Do you have any first hand experience on this subject matter ? Or are you sticking up for your tackle store friends?

I do fish freshwater, not as much as salt. Mainly because of convenience. For every $5 a freshwater angler spends on fishing, I spend a minimum of 10-20 times as much.

I will say, I have shopped at Pacific Angler. I have shopped at all Lower Mainland tackle shops. I can walk into Highwater Tackle, berry's Bait and Tackle, Michael and Young, Sea-Run, Fred's and/or check out any of their reports and they'll offer up any information anyone wants to know. I have spent little at his shop nor do I work for him.

I have plenty of first hand experience of productive fishing areas being published and the resulting increase in fishing pressure. I've gotten on forums and told everyone where to go fishing, when, how, etc. etc. I'm as guilty as everyone else is. I also have more hours invested in fishing in the last 20 years than most do on these forums. I have done my part in exploiting the resource, but I have also done my part in promoting the enhancement and preservation of the resource too.

All firms do it.

Kinda funny how the freshwater forums are though....freshwater folks get all bent out of shape because someone said what Rock there was to stand on and that there were fish swimming by and what fly to chuck at 'em. Well, the Saltchuck isn't like that all all, we go into all the details, down to the nitty gritty...and no one gets bent out of shape and spouts off like the freshwater guys.

Lots of Squamish Resident Guides, Whistler Guides et al, fishing that system with their clients, and you're singling out 1 firm, the firm who happened to post a report about "no good fishing" .

GMAFB!

 

[fishin_magician]

whoring out a small creek with a few fish....hmmmm...last I checked the great big ocean makes for a difficult game of hide and go seek.....but freshwater anglers sit on a rock and sneak up on pools where fish finally managed to escape the massive ocean ecosystem....

Well, if fishing pressure is such a big factor, then a fisheries management action can be taken by authorities...and NO ACTIONS have been taken thus far...no rotating closures...no limited hours, C&R of a few Steelhead and Trout .....hardly a management issue as far as I can tell. Lobby the government agencies to stop it before it's too late....if that's the real issue here.

 

[fishin_magician]

I have fished those rivers. Not in 2013, but I remember seeing 30 rods on each occasion in February and March that I have fished it in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Weekends are busy times on that entire system.

Highwater Tackle, Berry's and Sea Run have been talking that entire system up for years!

Did you go up to those anglers and ask them how they came to fish that River?

 

[Hookin'up]

Fm, I am sorry you shop at pacific angler and disagree with my post. Do you fish freshwater.? Are you out there daily? Do you have any first hand experience on this subject matter ? Or are you sticking up for your tackle store friends?

Sorry guys I was reading thru this and couldnt help but notice,
SH1 are you really out there daily?

 

[mikep]

The internet has changed fishing......you must drive longer, hike further, invest more $$$, think outside the box to access fishing which was closer before. All this being said if you do manage to find some of the last gems keep your trap f@#$ing shut about them.....we all hate seeing tonnes of people on the flow but lets face it 90% are pylons. I just miss hiking the check and seeing like one other dude.......maybe I am just selfish????

 

[Old Blue]

Stealheader1 quit being a troll and pull your head out of your A$$. JT has done more to help preserve steelhead habitat than 99.9% of the fisherman out there,
Signed a loyal Pacific Angler customer.

 

[J-GLOBAL]

In general, an internet forum is for the exchange of information and ideas, and discussion of.

From this forum's ruls:
General Conduct
SportfishingBC.com strives to allow as much free flow and exchange of ideas in its forum as possible. To help this process stay on track and not turn into a community torn apart by personal attacks, arguments, and name calling, respect and decorum are required by all users. A couple of old school edicts come to mind in this regard. “Do unto others as you would have done to you” and, as our Mothers often reminded us, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Beekslayer = 2 posts in 4 years, both negative.

SH1 = 25 posts in 2 years, pretty much all negative/critical

Why would you participate in forum, to say that no one should post information in a forum?

Maybe you should boycott the forum.

 

[calmsea]

I cannot understand this mentality of "get off my river , I want it for myself like 40 years ago". To have a flourishing sport fishery on a river is not only a good thing for the local economy but also for the river as its needs and problems come to the forefront and many more will be interested to help addressing. To believe a river so near Vancouver could remain pristine and untouched forever is childish. These rivers need to be properly managed including their growing fishery potential. That needs money and interested parties and that does not come from "hush hush" and "get off this river"!

 

[tiller]

Well said calmsea!

 

[Beekslayer]

First of all, the angling pressure on the Squamish and Cheakamus river has blown up 10x in the last FEW years, around the same time stores like PA started writing reports and sending people there. Coincidence? I seriously doubt it. Just like how the Vedder was pretty damn quiet up until Boxing Day with the bulk of the crowds dying out by February.... Until Freds fired up a facebook account and started posting pictures about 4 years ago, which in turn has the river filled to capacity from the first week in December until the last week of April. The population of the GVRD has not multiplied 10x in the last 5 years.... The bump in pressure is a direct result of social media. Sites like fwr started the internet craze and boosted pressure but tackle stores really put the nail in the coffin. Anyone who thinks otherwise is in denial, is completely ignorant to their surroundings or is trying to sell something.

People like Calmsea, and Old Blue are so far lost to the reality of the situation it's not even funny. Guess what, there's more fishing pressure everywhere but there isn't any extra money being thrown around to compensate for the extra pressure. These changes have happened VERY recently, not slowly over 40 years like Calmsea seems to think. Only because people are too lazy to figure **** out for themselves and now tackle stores are dishing out free information, making it easier then ever to be a "top rod" Because people don't even need to leave their bedroom to find out where the fish are biting. More and more budget cuts are happening every year, the end result is more stressed fish, more grumpy fisherman and the quality of the fishery going to total ****. The only reason people disagree with this is because the tackle stores tricked them into thinking they were there friend by giving them 10% off on some ****** gooey bobs and stupid overpriced pink worms and told them where they should fish so they will develop some sense of loyalty and come back and spend more money on the overpriced **** in their stores.

J-Global I actually have about 10 posts in the last 4 years but I guess the other 8 got deleted because they were negative too.

 

[fishin_magician]

Well anyways, we're on the road to ruin...because more people are choosing to pick up a fishing rod and learn new areas and improve their fishing techniques by...heaven forbid....fishing.

Great report from the Local Rivers around The Lower Mainland today, if this clear cool weather keeps up every nook, cranny, honey hole, will round into shape and there will be loads of fish to catch, fish what ya brung and get ready...fish every ditch, culvert, stream, and mark the spot you intend to fish with an X and your name because there are so many anglers out there you better stake your claim and there won't be a spot to put an X the next time you go out. Beekslayer and Steelheader1 have claimed their rivers...but you can fish next to them because they can't be everywhere at once...have at it.

While you're at it, check out all the reports from every tackle shop and put the store managers on speed dial because they'll tell you the exact spot and time the last fish was caught from every last drop, ditch, stream, trickle and creek in the lower mainland.

By the way there are no fishing reports and you may as well sell all your gear because I hear there is water on. Mars and the last place to go fishing is Mars, guaranteed if you fish it, the fish will come and no one will be there!