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[Thompson.Man]

Hey boys I'm new to this site and I'm loving it so far! I have one question that is very important to me in many ways. I'm moving up to the Thompson River a little bit upstream of Walachin and I'm get up there on may 20th. I live right on the river. I am very interested in bar fishing, drift and definitely fly-fishing. I have all the gear and I'm only 15 so i do not need a license. I was wondering when main runs of salmon come in were i could fish from shore and what to use and how to fish for the salmon and trout. Definitely wanna know about the jack spring and how to catch them and when about they will be in. I'm also aware of all the pinks and how to catch them?

Thanks Boys

[younggun]

All right, here we go. Ok i've fished the thompson for about 7 years now and i hit it like 10 times a season. I mainly float fish, and use just plain roe. The springs largest i've seen landed(by best fising buddy ever) 56lbs the main run comes in around early august to mid august, its when i've had my best success. The jacks have been a little later with september 15 being my best day with 22 jacks.  In the deeper runs and pools i also bottom bounce. (not floss!) The trout get quite big and are really agressive to roe and stone fly patterns. They are usually higher up in the water colum and are in the quieter water. I havne't barfished the thompson but on some of the long deep runs it would probably work. The thompson is a huge river so learn 1 piece of the river well, and then expand. I haven't fished for steelies on the thompson yet but it's always been a life dream, good luck dude. U are gonna have a blast!

[younggun]

Reel angler is smart!     I was roped up to my dad till i was like 11 years old! I was so stuborn back then, i wouldn't let go of the rod if i hooked a spring. 

[Rodney]

Thompson.Man, Chris would be able to answer your jack spring questions, as he does the occasional trips up there in late summer. If you do a search on the forum by using the search engine, you will find some of the past fishing reports on Thompson chinook jacks.

The rainbow trout fishing is good from July until September, depending on the water condition. You can flyfish for them, either by nymphing or dry flyfishing. Before you head up, stop by Reaction Fly and Tackle in Abbotsford, talk to Daryl and pike up some of the stonefly nymphs, dry flies that are available at the store.



The fish are between 14 and 20 inches in length. A 4 - 6wt is ideal, depending on the type of fishing you are doing. They are pretty fish, take a look at these photos, which are mostly rainbow trout from last year around the Thompson.

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fishing_photos/index.html

You can also spincast for the rainbow trout if you want, which is even easier. Here is a video:

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/video/0704.html

Please do check the regulations before you go up. The salmon regulations may change during the season once DFO has a better estimate on the escapement, so please be aware of that. Wear a pair of wading boots even if you are wet wading. Watch out for snakes on the rocks.

Good luck.

[Thompson.Man]

I heard there was salmon in the river in the begining of june to is that true?

[BladeKid]

what are jack fish and what is bar fishing ...it would be much appreciated if anyone could help me out Thanks!

[scuntor]

Michael T,
Bar fishing...http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=14513.0
Jacks...http://fishingwithrod.com/articles/2001/1201_01.html

[duff]

Hey Michaelt!  When people refer to "jacks" they are usually talking about pike!  Although the term Jack is commonly used when describing a small Spring Salmon that has not completed his cycle before returning to the spawning grounds, or is simply just small.

If you check out www.gosalmonfishing.com they have lot's of useful info there in the species section as well as here on fishing with rod.

Cheers.

[duff]

Thompson man!  You'll be one of the lucky guys to be living in the Thompson river area for sure!  The winter run Steelheading is world renouned and they get to be huge!  It's really slowed down the last 10 years as the returns have been poor, but they're still out there!  I caught my first Steely there a few years ago and it was about 20lbs and I posted it right here on FISHING WITH ROD!!!

If you want to bottom bounce, there are a few good runs, but if you go to Spences bridge, there is a really good bar there with lots of little rocks and a decent moving piece of water you could try for Springs (or jack springs).  Thomposon is still quite young and there is allot of big jagged rocks that havn't been weathered yet, which can increase your chance of a snag and lot's of lost gear.  You might want to try a spin-n-glow or floating some gear. www.gosalmonfishing.com has some good stuff too in the tips and techniques section.

[Gooey]

As noted, the Thompson is a BIG river...covering water is key.  I would say that 60-65% of my thompson steelies have come on big 65 Kitimat or coho spoons.  Hardware is a great way of covering these large runs and pools.

Oh one more note, I retained some trout on my first trip up there and was very disappointed.  Now, I don't know if they are still open, so check your regs AND consider the table value of these fish is very low once the salmon have spawned and died off.  In the bellies of the 2 fish I killed, were chunks of salmon skin, bones, etc.  I assume they gourge on the dead salmon body parts that wash down river.  This gave them a HORRIBLE rotten fish smell and taste.  The stench permiated the entire fish, reminded me of a ditch full of dead chum 

[Thompson.Man]

Thanks for all the replies dudes I have one more question.. I went down to the mouth of the Bonaparte river last year on June 2nd when the water was quite high and there was a white man down there fishing with a float with 6 foot leader in the faster current about 100 yards downstream, he was using a spoon. Every 5 minutes the man would haul out fish anywere from 5 to 15 pounds and wow did they fight. I have no idea what there were. Does anybody now?

[Fish Assassin]

If it was in June I would think it would be chinooks.

[Thompson.Man]

o there in there that early? and if im all the way upstream of Walachin how would i catch them and do u think they would still be fresh.. same with the sockeye and the pink?

[younggun]

The springs are in there from june yes, but the monsters 40lb+ come around mid august. Ok the sockeye get coloured up, but there are still a lot of clean ones. Pinks are just there for fun. The jack chinooks stay silver for a while and the springs some get coloured up right from when they enter the fraser and others are crome all the way up to where u are. There are coho aswell, but it is total catch and release and i sudgest you dont fish for them. I fish mostly roe for springs and jacks. With sockeye i get creative and float fish a spuamish poacher fly pattern, they seem to like it. And with pinks anything that has pink or a bright orange will work.

U get to fish, in my mind the one of the nicest rivers in B.C.

[Rodney]

Again, please do check the regulations before you go up.

The only salmon species that has openings designated prior to the season is chinook salmon. You need to check the regulations before you intend to target the other species (ie. sockeye, pinks). Coho salmon do not enter the Thompson until September, and there is a salmon fishing closure starting sometimes in the middle of September, because these coho salmon are endangered and should not be targeted (not even catch and release). Also check to see if bait ban exists in the area that you are fishing in.

General freshwater fishing regulations of Thompson River: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/pdf/fish-synopsis_2007-08_region3.pdf

Salmon regulations of Thompson River: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/Freshwater/region3_e.htm