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[Every Day]

1) Probably your best best for all types of fishing is a levelwind combo. That way you can float fish and chuck metal, and if you really wanted probably chuck jigs as well. I'd recommend an Abu/Ambassadeur reel. Great reels for the price, and the 2 I have had have lasted me at least 3 years each. Rods, I like more whippy/noodly rods. I'd get something rated 8-12 or the likes. I find rods that are faster action and sensitive are easier to find in the states, Cabela's has some good ones. I also like St Croix rods. 

2) The best opportunity in the lower mainland is for salmon and steelhead. Almost every river around will hold some limited winter run fisheries. You can use habitat wizard to search stream names and see if they contain steelhead. If they do, go have a look. Salmon are also in most places as well. Trout will be in most rivers around as well, and char have really taken off in the past few years (I have found), and can be fun to target and a great way to save the day (especially when out steelheading early season). I'll leave the finding flows up to you, as most people work hard to find their areas (plus it's not the greatest idea to post about most flows unless it's the Vedder or some already over exposed, heavily pressured system that can sustain itself). Never under estimate talking to locals or old timers, especially on less known rivers you have chosen to explore on your own, you'd be surprised what people will tell you when they see you out there on those little flows!

3) I like the way that Easywater broke it down so here's what I fish month by month the most:

January: Winter steelhead on a number of flows, Bull trout
February: Winter steelhead again
March: Winter steelhead, Bulls, Cutties
April: Winter steelhead, Bulls, Cutties
May: Summer steelhead, Cutties, interior rainbows, carp
June: Summer steelhead, cutties, interior rainbows, carp, pikeminnow
July: Summer steelhead, bulls and bows
August: Summer steelhead, bulls and bows, chinook
September: Summer steelhead, pinks, coho, chinook, cutties
October: Pretty much all summer steelhead and coho, some chinook and chrome chum fishing, cutties
November: Fall run steelhead, early winters, late coho, cutties
December: All steelhead fishing

A side note here... don't just stick to the mainland, see if you can plan some trips to the island, especially during October. The summer run steelhead, stream cutthroat fishing and coho fishing can be absolutely fantastic (we're talking days of 50-60 coho to the beach, 10+ steelhead to the beach if you hit it right). Not to mention, the scenery and seclusion (never seeing anyone) is what it's all about!

Good luck with the search! It's super rewarding once you start figuring it out. I found the more I figured things out by myself, the more rewarding it was rather than taking hand outs. Fish hard, talk with old timers a lot, and get out and explore. The more you go out exploring and not expecting to catch anything - the more you'll be rewarded with catching down the road.

Cheers,
Dan

[fishmonk]

Dan is right. I started by walking the rivers and talking to old timers and also trying out each pool that I came across. If I caught a fish there, I recorded what I caught it on and the conditions. Pretty soon, I had a whole book full of useful info. I also checked all the places that were listed in fishing books and sites. Another good tip is to look up a river or stream and use Bing to look at it in Aerial view, you will see places along the river that you can try out and it will be away from everybody else. Good luck and you can try fishing for cutthroats and bull trout right now but they will be way more active in a month from now when the fry starts to emerge.

[Animal Chin]

My 2 cents. Read Rod's articles. IMO you can catch fish with a $80 combo and go from there (I paid $50 for mine when it was on sale):

Google: Abu Garcia® Black Max™/Cabela's Pro Guide® Salmon/Steelhead Casting Combo

And you may just stop there. Depends on your personality. With the above combo you have the tools you "need" for $80.   

I"d say spend as much money as you can on a good rod. I prefer rods on the lighter side of medium. I like my St. Croix Avid Med-Light a lot ($250). It's fast action (bend is at the top) so it actually seems stiffer. I prefer lighter rods (weight and action), just more fun and user friendly, but I can bring a fish in fast too (search "side control"). Overplaying a fish is just form.

You gotta think you drive a long way, spend a bunch of money on tackle and really don't get into that many fish so enjoy it when you do. I find a good rod is important for that.

For level wind reels, if I were you, I'd just get a Abu Garcia Black Max for $40 (new). I honestly don't think it matters that much with level wind reels. You can move onto a Daiwa Luna or Calcutta etc later if you decide to stick with level wind and "want" something smoother etc, or go with centerpin or spey or whatever later on once you know what you like.

I agree with others that level wind is better for float/river fishing. If you do go with a spinning reel though, go with the best Shimano your money can buy. I find for spinning, good reels are key.

And don't skimp on fishing line. Mainline (Stren, Ultragreen..etc), or flurocarbon (Seaguar Blue). Learn a knot you trust. I like the trilene knot myself. Go get yourself a $20 vice from Searun Fly and Tackle and learn to tie jigs too.

[Sandman]

Here's my fishing schedule, month to month:

January to March - steelhead
April - nothing (Prime Cuttie and steelhead time on a certain north side flow)
May to July - still water / trout
August - if you are lucky, there will be a Sockeye opening this year
September - Pinks in the odd years
October & November - salmon in the rivers
December - nothing (I was getting lots of chrome coho right up to Christmas)

You can still fish for steelhead in April - fly only (May is the fly only closure on the Vedder)
Trout fishing starts to slow down by the middle of July for me

I sometimes fit in another still water trip or two in the fall