Well…hot on the heels of August, the Sockeye bite rolled right on through to about September 10. While it wasn’t quite as fast and furious as it was in August, as we got further into September the millions of Sockeye continued to hold but several weather and pressure changes and the long staging time of these fish frequently put these fish off the bite. However, in the early part of the month, while fishing for Sockeye, we continued to find near limits or limits for our guests on a reasonably consistent basis. Due to the density of the holding Sockeye Schools and the popularity of the Sockeye fishery with our guests (which only occurs every 3rd and 4th year), our guides largely missed out on trolling for the medium to extra large Chinook (20-50lbs) which appear every year off the mouth of the Fraser River. Fishing for mature Chinook or King Salmon (as our neighbours to the south call them) is an entirely different ball game. While the fishing technique still requires downrigging with 4 rods, the gear is spaced much further apart and natural bait presentations such as whole herring and Anchovies in teaser heads is our expert guides’ choice. Large spoons, hoochies and plugs also take a few of these fish off the mouth of the Fraser and Point Grey but they are usually less productive than bait presentations in most cirumstances. The summer Chinook fishery is a personal favorite of mine and as I told a few fellow guides, I spend 40 weeks of 52 waiting for it! It’s the main event as I say—bring on the heavy weights! There are confirmed reports of many 35 plus lb Chinook passing through this area and you need to be prepared for just about anything! As the Sockeye bite came to an end, our guides Eddie, Jason and myself shifted our efforts to the Point Grey Bellbuoy and the mouth of the Capilano River for the powerful Chinook which give our guests an experience not soon to be forgotten. This fishery offers our guests tremendous value as it is literally just 10 minutes from our dock—just 10 minutes to BIG Chinook. By mid-September, taking care of the fine details and rolling the perfect herring or Anchovy is absolutely key to our Capilano mouth fishery– not to mention having exactly the right tactical while trolling a small but highly productive area. Captain Eddie chalked up a couple of very impressive days at the Cap finding DOUBLE DIGITS of Chinook in the mid to high teens . However, most days we found ourselves doubled out with morning and afternoon charters and on most trips we guided our guests into 2 to 4 opportunities at Chinook with the odd Coho thrown in to keep the rods moving. This year the average size of Chinook in the Capilano fishery was down over past years and most were in the mid to high teens—- and just a few were legitimately into the high twenties. Our late September/October fishery is always scenic, relaxing, exciting and engaging experience nestled into a scenic odyssey with views of Stanley Park, the Lions Gate Bridge, the Vancouver skyline, our majestic North Shore Mountains, Ambleside and Cruise Ship Traffic. It’s an amazing experience on the marine doorstep to Vancouver! As September draws to a close, come and enjoy one of most popular fisheries of the year with the locals! It’s time for a a shift change with Eddie and he tells me has has a couple of low twenties in the box so I must get ready for the afternoon charter—see you here soon! I’ll leave you with a picture of what we’re fishing for right now! Tight Lines! Captain Andrew.
A 42 lb Vancouver Chinook!