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[Sea-Run Fly & Tackle]

Sea-Run’s Weekely River Report – December 21st, 2017

Steelhead

Steelhead season is well underway for a few systems in the local area. The general consensus thus far for most anglers would be a slower than average start for the Winter Steelhead season. With that being said, numbers fluctuate from year to year. Some years we see decent numbers of fish around in mid-December, and some years we do not see decent numbers until early January. We will have to wait and see what the next week will bring us fish wise. The weather forecast is calling for cooler temperatures and small amounts of snow, so if the forecast stands true, the river will continue to drop and clear over the days.

The main river system that will see earlier pushes of fish year after year is the Vedder-Chilliwack River system. With a mix of both wild and hatchery steelhead, run timings can vary early in the season. There aren’t any major areas to focus on this time of the year – The fish will be where they will be. “You cannot catch what is not there” is the common quote when it comes to steelhead fishing, and it could not stand more true. River levels on the Vedder-Chilliwack are currently sitting at a great “medium” level with excellent fish catching clarity.

Presentations and bait choices for early Winter Run Steelhead will not be as important as covering water. To some degree, having the right thing at the end of your line can be a deciding factor on whether or not you will elicit a bite, but earlier Winter fish tend to be quite aggressive. Sizes of your baits or flies should often match the current water level and clarity. With that being said, carrying a good variety of presentation selections can be the difference of getting fish and not getting fish on any given day. Check out our “Fishing Reports” Section on our website for more detailed early season Winter steelhead bait or fly selections ~ http://www.sea-run.com/river-fishing-report/ ~

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Guided Steelhead Trips and Steelhead Classes

If this is the year you want to learn how to catch Steelhead, this is your opportunity to learn from some of the best.

Guided Winter Steelhead Trips

Sea-Run will once again be offering Guided Walk and Wader Winter Steelhead trips for the 2017/2018 Season. During your guided trips, our main objective is to put you on fish. You will be shown typical steelhead traveling and holding water, adjusting your gear to proper depths, bait and lure choices, covering water, and much more. See our Guided Trips page for more information: ~ http://www.sea-run.com/guided-trips/ ~

Winter Steelhead Fishing Classes

We will cover water types, gear setups, artificial and natural baits, steelhead habits, depths and much more. See our Winter Steelhead Fishing Classes page for more information: ~ http://www.sea-run.com/winter-steelhead-gear-fishing-class/ ~

Bull Trout

It's generally Bull Trout season 12 months of the year, but the Winter months are often some of the most productive for these char. Bull Trout will be actively feeding on salmon eggs and salmon flesh in any salmon bearing streams this time of the year. Fishing egg imitations such as Troutbeads, glo bugs, gormans egg, and wool presentations all imitate eggs well, but Troutbeads will probably be your best bet  . Flesh patterns in colours of white, tan, and salmon pink are ideal as well.

Cutthroat Trout

An underrated fishery over the Winter months, our local cutthroat fishery is not one to forget. There are many opportunities to get a taste of this fishery from the Lower Mainland to the Fraser Valley. Both resident and anadromous (sea-run) cutthroat trout are available depending on the area or watershed you are fishing. Resident and anadromous fish can be found in most small streams and bigger bodies of water throughout the Winter as they either wait or search for food. A main staple to a cutthroat’s diet in the early Winter months are salmon eggs. These fish will also specifically target smaller fish such as salmon fry or stickleback.

Most Fraser River tributaries will see populations of both resident and anadromous fish year round, so finding good water heights and clarity will often be your only deciding factor on where to fish. Once we get further into the Winter months, the mainstem Fraser itself and its backwaters can produce extraordinary results once water levels drop to their lowest of the season. Like Steelheading in a way, this fishery often requires anglers to cover a lot of water in a day in order for success. Cutthroat can often be quite transient, meaning they tend to move around to different locations quickly in search of their next meal.

In situations where salmon or salmon eggs are present, egg imitations will be your best bet. This means the use of Troutbeads or glow bugs are necessary. In areas of stagnant water, try stripping attractor patterns such as woolly buggers and sparkle buggers or minnow patterns such as stickleback imitations or fry imitations.


Cheers and Tight Lines,
Sea-Run