Fraser River British Columbia fishing report from Cascade Charters call 1-87-STURGEON</FONT>

Contest Winner

Congratulations to Blair Schellenberg, of Vancouver, British Columbia. Blair has won the Abu-Garcia SportPak which includes a T-shirt, ball cap and sport towel by Abu-Garcia and Pure Fishing. Drop us a line, Blair, with an address to which we can send your package.

Its easy to enter our draw! Just click on www.BCsturgeon.com/Contest.htm, and type in your e-mail address and name in the form provided. Your name will then be entered to win our monthly prize of an Abu-Garcia SportPak worth over $50, and at the end of the year, a chance to win a Morrum reel or a day of sturgeon fishing with us on the Fraser river! Plus, you will receive the Fraser River Undercurrents report each month in your mailbox.

Please note: We respect our reader's privacy and will not sell or give away your addresses.

Sturgeon

We are into the last month of decent sturgeon fishing. November brings on the big boys, but the uncertain weather goes with them. Water temperatures will hover around the 3.5 degree Celcius mark, with average air temperatures around 8 - 10 degrees Celcius (45-50 degrees F). The odd day will be very warm and sunny, the next day, rainy. And, we can't forget the outflow winds that spring up once in a while that give the air a chilly bite, but bring the bluest of skies. The sturgeon know whats around the corner (cold weather) and will be actively feeding.

Sturgeon also know there are chum salmon in the system, and will probably help themselves to the odd chum and chinook carcass. Some of the fish will still be laden with eggs which provide the sturgeon with a very rich and healthy meal! Using chum or chinook eggs in small sacks will get sturgeon of all sizes to bite. The egg sacks don't need to be much larger than a dollar coin in size, and only one egg sack is needed. We frequently use the Mustad "Big Gun" hook in a barbless 7/0 with the roe sacks. These hooks are strong enough to stop a train. This combination will be responsible for taking very large fish. It might sound incredible to hook fish to 700 pounds (and larger!!) on such a small bait, but its not the quantity of bait that counts, but instead the quality of bait. And salmon eggs provide quality feed.

Once December arrives, the temperatures cool off, making a day in the boat quite chilly. The water temperatures will drop later in the month to near freezing. That will almost "deactivate" most sturgeon. They will bite infrequently, and not put up the fight that they are famous for. Sturgeon fishing will be called on a "day to day" basis.

"....perfect..."

Another day at the Vedder canal

Salmon

There are a few Thompson river steelhead in the lower Fraser, still lots of coho going through to the Chehalis via the Fraser/Harrison river route, and more chums than you can shake a fishing rod at. Many of these Fraser chums are in excellent condition. Fishing for these is a must-do. Not only will you catch a lot of fish, but they are great eating too. In fact, I prefer to smoke them, and I believe they are better than coho caught at this time of year. You'll have to sort through the odd mature fish, but there are plenty of fresh fish to make a chum trip worthwhile. Chum will bite just about anything, including spoons, spinners, wool, spin'n'glos, and roe while barfishing, bottom bouncing or my favorite method - float fishing. A good piece of advice is to leave the light gear at home. These fish can reach weights of 20 pounds or more and are well-known for their "snarly" and tenacious disposition.

Did You Know...

...that not all sturgeon fishermen were created normal? "Rodeo" Russ (L) and the Clive -omatic, prove this to be true. Another thing proven is that sturgeon anglers know how to have fun while fishing, and thats what its all about! And, they "locked horns" with over 50 sturgeon during their stay with the largest sturgeon weighing 225# !! Giddy-up!

Contest Winner

Congratulations to Don Stangel of Lebanon, Oregon, USA! Don has won the Abu-Garcia SportPak which includes a T-shirt, ball cap and sport towel by Abu-Garcia and Pure Fishing. Give us a reply, Don, with an address to which we can send your package.

Please note: We respect our reader's privacy and will not sell or give away your addresses.

Wood Tech 2000 Show Prize Draw

Cascade Fishing Charters was pleased to provide support to the WoodTech 2000 show held in Vancouver at BC Place on the 20th - 22nd of September. We provided a fishing package as a prize for the show. The winner of the prize goes to Gabe Pangindian of Nanaimo, BC. Congratulations, Gabe. Drop us a line so we can line up your trip for you. And thank-you to all of you who took the time out to enter.

Sturgeon

Sturgeon fishing is getting into prime time. Larger fish can begin to feel the colder months approaching quickly, and will begin to feed vigorously. They need to fatten up so they can make it through the winter, where the water temperatures of the Fraser will plummet to barely above freezing ( 2 degrees Celcius). Many baits work at this time of the year. But, with lower water temperatures, and lower river flows, some tactics change. In many instances during cooler temperatures, big baits are unnecessary to catch large fish. In fact, during the fall, we catch many fish on very small roe bags! We also lighten up our lead weights since the currents are not that strong. Less weight makes it that much more difficult for the sturgeon to detect something wrong with the tasty morsel you've casted out.

A British guest takes the honors for the largest fish of September. Steve's fish tops out at over 300 pounds! After he landed his fish in approximately 75 minutes, we re-anchored and casted. In less than 10 minutes, his fishing partner Paul hooks and lands a fish in excess of 200 pounds. Those were the only two bites we got all day, and they happened at the very end of it! That's fishing!

Steve and his very first sturgeon!

Salmon

The Fraser will continue to be closed to salmon fishing. It is expected to open around the 16th or 18th of October. Until then, fish for trout, steelhead and sturgeon. If fishing for steelhead, ensure you have a valid steelhead stamp on your licence.

Coho have been in the Vedder/Chilliwack since the early part of September. Any time now they will get pushed out by the more aggressive chinook that will be pouring into the system. These are white fleshed chinooks, and they can attain weights of up to 50 lbs. Strong tackle is a necessity if you expect to land them.

The Harrison has a few chum and coho salmon in right now. From here on, fly fishing will improve for coho as more fish start to move into the system. Using 6/7 weight rods as a minimum with slow, 10 foot sink tips or floating lines with long leaders is all one needs. Simple fly patterns such as the rolled or muddler minnow either retrieved by stripping or on the dead drift will do the trick. Many of these fish head into the Chehalis, a Harrison tributary. However, they slow down and hold up in the Harrison backwaters waiting for the Chehalis to rise. Those feisty chum salmon will be in soon too, creating all kinds of havoc for fishermen. Thats where an 8 weight rod comes in handy. This is the time to be in the Harrison.

Did You Know...

that you can't identify or differentiate between a male or female sturgeon by external characteristics? Unlike salmon, which during their spawning migrations begin to change colors, and in the males, develop large, hooked jaws, sturgeon do not change at all, except get much thicker and fatter in the abdominal region. However, no other changes take place to separate a male from a female.

Sturgeon

August started out with excellent fishing! Sturgeon fishing was extremely good as they were actively keying in on the returning sockeye salmon. Sockeye roe was the most productive of the baits. We managed to land several fish in the 200 pound class, with the largest of the fish reaching 250 -270 pounds. Even better, we've also managed to hook into 2 fish in excess of 300 pounds. However, both of these fish managed to reach the safety of a snag forcing us to break off. It is disappointing to see that happen, especially for Dave, who fought one extremely large fish for over an hour before losing it! The last 2 weeks saw us work very hard for fish, as most of the larger fish were filled up with sockeye, and were most likely laying at the bottom trying to digest a full belly. This is when it became advantageous to use different baits in an effort to entice them to bite. The last few days of August saw the activity levels of the sturgeon increase with more fish rolling on the surface. Fishing success has improved somewhat as well.

For September, we expect excellent sturgeon fishing opportunities to go with the beautiful weather we usually get at this time of year.

Here's one that didn't get away without having it's picture taken first!

Salmon

The sockeye season we had this year was terrific. Salmon limits were easily had on many days, with very good opportunities to also catch a chinook salmon. The Fraser river is now closed to salmon fishing from September 5 to October 18th, 2000. Angling for steelhead, trout and sturgeon is still permitted. Salmon angling remains open on the Vedder/Chilliwack river, Harrison river and Chehalis river.

Archie and Chuck with their limit of sockeye salmon, first week of August.

Did You Know...

that some salmon return back to the river a full year or two earlier than normal? This is particularly noticeable in coho and chinook salmon. Coho salmon for instance are usually 3 or 4 years old when they normally return to their rivers to spawn. However, some male fish mature and return as 2 year old fish. These precocious male fish are commonly called "jacks" and are much smaller in size compared to the adult fish they return with since the "jacks" have spent much less time feeding in the nutrient-rich ocean. Jacks are Mother Nature's way of ensuring all female fish that spawn have their eggs fertilized and in case their is a shortage of adult male fish, the "jacks" will ensure spawning success. Fisheries biologists also use the number of jacks that return in a river as a method of predicting the strength of the "jacks" adult cohorts which will normally occur a year of two later.

If you know of a friend who would appreciate this information, please feel free to forward this on...

Sturgeon

Sturgeon fishing has been very good, and will continue to be good to excellent for the rest of the season (well into November). Our largest fish for the month of July according to length and weight charts was nearly 270 pounds, however, experience with these fish figured it to weigh more in the 225 pound category. Still a very good fish, and a great battle on the end of light sturgeon tackle. Using custom built 9 foot one-piece glass rods with Ambassadeur's Morrum 7700CL not only makes the fishing a challenge, but also provides the opportunity for everyone, regardless of ability, to land a large fish. The lighter gear is simply less demanding on the angler, while still providing plenty of power to adequately and quickly land a large fish.

In July, we had the opportunity to take several trips out with young anglers in the 8 to 12 year old range, both boys and girls, with their parents. Everyone always has a great time! You can see this by the smile on Jesse's face. We think he's pretty proud of his catch and he should be. Nice fish, Jesse! And, you should've seen the brute he lost!

Salmon

Sometimes, good things happen to those who wait. The recent opening on July 26th for Fraser river sockeye is nothing short of miraculous. Arriving in large numbers en route to tributaries further north, these feisty fish provide furious action and are nothing short of excellence on the dinner table! There is no end date for the sockeye fishery, but I would expect the opening to remain in effect until the end of August (here's hoping). If you've never caught a salmon, this is one of the best opportunities to do so. Again, the level of expertise required is to be able to cast a hook into the river and retrieve it at the end of a drift. Its that simple! Most of the sockeye showing up are in the 5 or 6 pound range, but there are little groups of sockeye moving through in excess of 10 pounds. These fish are incredibly fast and strong, and pound for pound, they would put a steelhead to shame.....

Did You Know...

...that kokanee, (the fish and not the beverage), is really a "landlocked" version of the sockeye salmon. Sockeye often spawn in tributaries of lakes. When the eggs hatch, the fry eventually wind up in the lake, feeding on plankton-like material, until they reach the smolt stage - a time when they would normally migrate out to the ocean. However, some smolts do not migrate out, but prefer to live in the lake. Because the lake is not nearly as productive as the ocean in terms of feed, the kokanee do not attain the sizes of their ocean cohorts, and rarely exceed 18 inches and over a pound. The kokanee will live in the lake for 3 years, where they will eventually spawn and then die, just like their ocean counterparts.

If you know of a friend who would appreciate this information, please feel free to forward this on....

Sturgeon

Sturgeon fishing for the month of June wasn't too bad. Quite often, June is spotty, and while there were times it was off and on, we found decent fishing more often than not. River conditions have been variable this month, and are presently variable. However, it won't be long before the gradual decline in water levels becomes apparent and excellent sturgeon fishing will follow for the remainder of the year. Our guests for the month of July can expect great sturgeon fishing. Baits to use right now include lamprey eels and fresh uncured roe.

Our largest fish for June was a 220# sturgeon angled by a tag team effort on the part of Don and Greg. This sturgeon hooked up and then attempted to "get out of Dodge" in a hurry. By the time a good hour had passed we were able to gently lift him up for a photograph before Greg and my new "deckhand" Ron (who is a guest on our boat but knows the ropes and is very helpful) let the fish go. Would you believe the fish took us over 5 km (3 miles) downstream before we could get the hook out!!? Thats the power of a white sturgeon on the Fraser. Greg and Don's arms and shoulders should be just about getting back into shape right now...

Ron (L), Greg (M), and Marc show the catch of the month, a 220# white sturgeon on the Fraser at Chilliwack, BC.

Salmon

River conditions haven't been that kind to us for chinook salmon. Its been hit and miss since the opening, and this is partly due to lower numbers of fish in the river. They will show up eventually, and when they do, it should be in time for excellent water conditions and make for great fishing.

Some sockeye have started showing up in the Fraser. These are the early Stuart run sockeye, and are highly prized by everyone as an excellent eating fish. We may get an opening for these fish later in the month, or in the beginning of August. If we do, it will be great fishing for everyone, regardless of one's fishing ability and method of fishing.

By the way, the sturgeon know when the sockeye are in the river, and I expect the bigger sturgeon are happily feeding on sockeye that are moving through the Fraser system.

Interesting Information

How did we collect those sturgeon eggs in the Fraser river during the spawning studies in '98 and '99? By using mats covered in furnace filter and anchoring those mats in likely looking places where sturgeon would spawn. The mats would be left in the water for three days before they were inspected. If no eggs were found, the mats were re-deployed. This routine lasted sometimes for as long as 6 weeks in one area, with constant checking.

Sturgeon eggs, once fertilized, become very adhesive and can attach themselves to sticks and rocks on the bottom of the river. If our mats were in the right spot, they would land on our filters, which is exactly what happened on many occasions. In some instances, we'd find as many as 30 eggs on a mat!

Pulling these mats, which were often weighted and anchored, was a dangerous job in the fast currents and snaggy bottom of the Fraser river. Sinking the boat could be easily accomplished if attention to detail was not given it's due.

Did You Know...

that sturgeon can be aged? By clipping a small portion of the first ray in the pectoral (front) fin, and shaving a thin slice off this section, one can "read" the slice under a microscope and age the sturgeon by counting the rings, just like a tree!

And what does a day of sturgeon fishing look like...?

Just relaxing and enjoying the sun. These folks landed 6 sturgeon, two of them over 200 lbs! What a day!

Your Fraser River Guides - Marc and Alexis

Marc Laynes
Cascade Fishing Charters
www.cyberpage.com/cascade
Toll Free 1-87-STURGEON

Did You Know? A sturgeon feeds primarily by using its sense of smell,
which can sniff 'odors' in the parts per million. Once the sturgeon
catches an attractive scent, it will trace the scent trail to the food,
where feel becomes the next sense. Those little whiskers are called
barbels, and they feel the object. When it smells good, and the feel is
right, the vaccuum mouth swoops down and inhales the object, which becomes
dinner!

Did you know? The plates on sturgeon, called scutes, and the small, white,
starlike spots that cover their backs, are remnants of the dinosaur era
when fish had armour!

DID YOU KNOW? Sturgeon have the same number of scutes (barbs) all their
life. The scutes just grow further apart, starting at the anterior (front)
end.

If you need more information on the Fraser or local area, please contact
Marc or Alexis at: cascade@dowco.com or check out their website at:

Good luck and we'll keep you posted next week!
Marc and Alexis
Cascade Fishing Charters