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[dtgal]

Hi there,

Apologies if this is not the right place to post this question, but I know nothing about fishing and this seemed like an active and knowledgeable community.

I'm reuniting with my long distance SO from Utah next week (travel exemption approved by the Cdn government - yay!) and he will be staying here in Vancouver with me for a month. He loves to fish and he has never fished here before, and I am hoping to plan some fishing outings for us so that he can see what BC has to offer

We will be based in downtown Van but of course willing to travel 2-3 hours out as needed. We enjoy car camping and backpacking as well, so open to overnight trips that requires a bit more work to get to, but with nicer lakes and fishing. I was thinking of taking him out hiking/backpacking in Squamish/Whistler area, but have also heard Chilliwack is good for fishing?

And if you could please point me towards where I can go to pick up basic fishing gear, and what you would recommend we set ourselves up with that would be much appreciated. I don't want to spend a ton on equipment since he is only here for a short while, but also don't want anything that would be frustrating to use.

Thanks a bunch!
-J

[danielk]

What about booking a fishing charter.  For springs.    It’s cost a bit but I’m sure it will be a blast !!!! Might get a spring coho. And some spot prawns

[Blood_Orange]

What about booking a fishing charter.  For springs.    It’s cost a bit but I’m sure it will be a blast !!!! Might get a spring coho. And some spot prawns

Second the idea of a charter. They have the gear and the knowledge to make your outing productive and fun! I don't think springs are open around Vancouver until August though. You could always head over to the island and do a charter out of Ucluelet or Tofino. Not sure if/when their chinooks open but there's also halibut fishing in that area. Or get a guided freshwater trip somewhere... see where they recommend.

There's not much going on in the Chilliwack this time of year apart from a very small run of chinook. If you don't know what you're doing or where to fish you're likely to hook a bunch of 8" trout/smolts and walk away discouraged.

You could also try Tunkwa Lake. There's a campsite and cabin rentals there. Only a few hours' drive and the guys in the store will give you the intel you need. If not Tunkwa specifically there's a bunch of resort-type lakes with camping/cabins with opportunities to catch decent trout. The Fishing with Rod Youtube channel has a ton of videos about interior lake fishing. Good luck!

[Fish Assassin]

If you live downtown, I recommend you go to Pacific Angler and they will outfit you.

[spoiler]

call Jason at Bon Chovy!

[TNAngler]

Just playing devils' advocate here a little, exposing him to the blast of salmon fishing on what appears now to be a dying fishery might win his heart but leave him very disappointed if he were to move there.  I might almost recommend a camping trip at an interior lake with lots of trout.  Show him the wilderness, mountains, lakes, that sort of thing.  Exposing him to salmon might just be cruel.

However, halibut is also a great idea.  And a salmon charter would be the way to go if you wish to expose him to that as they would have the gear and the knowledge.

[clarki]

Lots of good suggestions here.

Another to add to the mix is beach fishing for salmon off the West Van waterfront in the Ambleside area. I throw it out there as it's very close to your place in downtown Vancouver and can be fished with entry level gear.

Indian River pinks will be showing up shortly, and, during the summer months, coho stack up waiting for the Capilano River to rise.

A fairly inexpensive spincasting outfit can be had from Pacific Angler along with some buzzbombs, spoons or spinners.

Probably won't need waders, and you can even fish from the rip rap at high tide and not get wet at all.

If you do go, just be careful wading the tidal islands at low tide in front of the Capilano River. The tide can rise faster than you think.

[milo]

Hi, there's no need for your SO to invest in new fishing gear for just a short month here.
Hit me up via PM and I can arrange for you guys to use my fishing gear, of which I have too much sitting idle. Some of my rods and reels could use a good dusting, LOL! We might need a few terminal tackle items, but that's about it.
Like mentioned above, pink salmon fishing is around the corner and I will be happy to point you to a couple of spots where he can enjoy his passion and you can soak in some sunshine and/or join in the fishing fun.
Does your darling fly-fish? In that case, a camping trip to a nice and productive interior lake is a must! If you have a fairly decent AWD or 4x4 vehicle, I can point you to some true gems in the interior (3-4-hour drives from Vancouver).
You are in the right place to ask for advice about anything fishing-related, so keep asking.
Cheers, Milo

[Every Day]

I'll second what Milo said.

Shoot me a private message on here if you can,  and if you can't, feel free to shoot me an email at steelheadfishing at hotmail dot com.

I'm not as savvy as others here on interior stuff, but I'm quite knowledgeable on mainland, and especially Vancouver island fisheries. I can give suggestions privately. I may even be able to meet up on a day or two if you two are up for it.

I also have a lot of extra gear, including waders and boots depending on size.

I hope you enjoy your trip and time together! I can't imagine being apart for that length of time with no certainty on when you'll see each other! Being long distance myself (pretty much full time), I can appreciate how you want to maximize on that time.

Cheers,
Dan