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[Rodney]

Although the Tidal Fraser River pink salmon fishery is coming to an end in 2011, it does not mean that salmon fishing season is over. Between late September and early December, you have the opportunity to find several salmonid species in the Tidal Fraser River. These include chinook salmon, coho salmon, chum salmon, coastal cutthroat trout and bull trout.

Regulations

Please note that coho salmon fishing is closed and a bait ban for salmon fishing is in effect until October 7th.

Starting on October 8th, coho salmon fishing opens and bait ban will be lifted. The daily quota for hatchery marked coho salmon is two fish per day during this opening. Please make sure you identify your fish correctly in the water first. All wild coho salmon have to be released.

For trout and char, the daily quota is two hatchery marked fish. You will find some hatchery marked cutthroat trout. All bull trout are wild. Please release all wild cutthroat and bull trout carefully.

Articles

Here are some articles to get you started for those who have not tried fishing during this period.

• Tidal Fraser River fall salmon fishery
• Tidal Fraser River light spincasting
• Triple spectacular Tidal Fraser outings on Thanksgiving
• A spectacular ending
• Followers and ambushers
• Stare at the water
• The magic hour
• Shallow chasers
• A very wet battle

Videos

Here are some video clips related to this fishery.

• Curing salmon roe
• Tidal Fraser bull trout
• An extraordinary bite
• A big silver surprise (subscribers only, please see preview)
• Spincasting for bull trout (subscribers only, please see preview)
• Urban salmon fishing (subscribers only, please see preview)

This thread is started so everyone can post updates throughout the season.

Good luck!

[mistermongz]

time to chase down some bull trout...

[liketofish]

Pinks & Chums are good biters in Vedder. Pinks are also very willing to bite lures in tidal Fraser. Coho also bite lure & roe (if allowed) in tidal section. How about chum? Have not heard much about fishing chum as a fishery in tidal Fraser.  What do they bite down there or do they bite at all? They should be much nicer shape down river than in the tributaries.

[Rodney]

Most people think chum salmon are easy to catch. That maybe true in small tributaries where they are holding and guarding aggressively. In the tidal portion of the Fraser River, I put them in the same group as sockeye salmon. Chum salmon in the Tidal Fraser River rarely bite, but you can't keep them off the line when they do. Too many occasions during the incoming tides, I see them rolling in like pink salmon, finning and porpoising. They only have one thing on their mind, heading upstream as fast as possible. We've cast spoons at them repeatedly without much success, beside the odd ones that get accidentally foul hooked.

Occasionally, for some unknown reason, they will come on the bites. When that happens, you will have more than just one hook-up. Looking back at my diary since 2000, there have been two days when we experienced this. Both days were extremely rainy with a very high tide. Most likely it is just a coincidence, but I just might give it another go when it pours in October during a high tide.

I've also caught a few when bottom fishing with roe for coho salmon.

[Rodney]

The river seems a bit dirtier in the last couple of days. I checked it yesterday and found visibility is down to 1ft again. This is most likely due to the heavy down pour up North. Not that it'll matter for bait fishing when it opens. For lure and fly fishing, it'll be a challenge again.

[1stlite]

About 6-7 years ago I saw some people who caught Chums bar fishing under the Puttullo Bridge. I tried casting spinner spinners to try and catch them but was not having much luck. This was until I started casting closer to where they were bar fishing. I was casting next to someone barfishing and retreiving the spinner as close to the bottom of the river as I could without getting caught up. I did manage to land 2 that day and as I remember, they were strong fighters that never stopped pulling. They seem to be stronger fighters in the tidal Fraser than in the tributaries. Summer fishing is over and the Fall season is just starting.

[jizza]

was out this morning at the north arm..... the visibility is a few inches. All mud. Does anyone know or have experience fishing chum/chinook/coho at the north arm? Approx what dates?thanks

[Rodney]

Usually it is good starting on opening day and can be consistent for a couple of weeks before slowly tapering off.

[jizza]

I was out in lower fraser and the visibility is very poor.

[Rodney]

Bringing this back to the top for opening day. Water visibility has improved significantly, good enough for spincasting lures and fly fishing once again.

Lots of coho jacks caught today at where I was fishing during the incoming tide.

[lots2learn]

Skunked both saturday and sunday in the port man area. Lots of others trying their luck but i didnt see a fish caught. Still the odd pink rolling around. I might give roe or worms a try today instead of lures. Anyone had any luck catching coho with worms? Ive heard it mentioned, just seems a bit weird that salmon would go for it.

[firstlight]

Dew worms are deadly for Coho Jacks.
The adults prefer roe.

[poper]

I was out today, with my son and wife and it was on fire,we managed to catch 6 adult coho with 1 being a hatchery marked, and im not joking but also caught 11 jacks, so if you can get out there. We caught them all on roe. Went through 5 lbs.

[Animal Chin]

I'm starting to feel bad, because I don't get so much as a bite on the Fraser. Nothing with spinners,  or a spoon. Then I rigged my first bottom/roe rig ever (thanks to youtube and per Rod's suggestions), tossed it out there, a salvage hydrofoil (see below) whips by just as I toss it out, not a great cast. Of course it snags.. somehow end up snapping the tip of my rod being a spaz.

Aaargh!!!

Is it me, or does the North Arm along River Road, just eat lures and tackle. Everytime I go there, I sacrifice something. I'm starting to feel bad for polluting. I used an ounce or two of pencil lead and surgical tubing as the weight. Should I use a round weight or something else to prevent snags.

At least my outing was interesting though, you see the strangest things fishing. I was on the North Arm today around 3:30-4 pm, about 1 km west of Westminister Hwy end of River Rd, I'm casting my spinner when mid-cast I see this silver pickup scream off the road 200 yards in front of my eyes, and launch itself into the river.

It was kinda surreal.

Saw the driver climbing out of the passenger window as the truck was sinking and swim to shore. Good thing no one was fishing in that section. Talk about chucking things into the Fraser.

Weird.

[jizza]

I was out today, with my son and wife and it was on fire,we managed to catch 6 adult coho with 1 being a hatchery marked, and im not joking but also caught 11 jacks, so if you can get out there. We caught them all on roe. Went through 5 lbs.

Great to hear some good reports! Hopefully there are some tomorrow as I am planning to go. Where abouts did you catch them? Not looking for a particular spot just general area? Richmond, New West, etc... thanks