Perfect conditions and a whole lot of tight lines!
Steelhead green, overcast with a few showers is what we always hope for when we have clients on the river for Steelhead & Trout fly fishing. This is what you need to wish for. Please don’t wish for sunny skies and low clear water.
I had the pleasure of guiding Ed from Washigton state for 2 days(April 11-12) of Steelhead & Bull Troutfly fishing on the Squamish river. Ed has been chucking flies for some time but doesn’t know our area too well so like many other wise people he hired a guide to give him the advantage. Ed stayed at Sunwolf Cabins which is a quiet piece of paradise right on the banks of the Cheakamus river, a major tributary of the Squamish river. I met him each morning at 7:30AM. He was armed with his own Winston 8 wt fly rod. We supplied the Rio sink tips, Seaguar flourocarbon leaders and of course our own home made flies. These are flies carefully and artfully created. A lot of love goes into each fly and perhaps this is why they work so well.
Ed needs to fish the easy access locations so we end up spending lots of time covering the hot spots and a few other spots not so well known in the lower river. Walking is kept to a minimum. The runs are massive here and beautiful to fish. Fish are almost always present here.
Ed wants a Steelhead
No Steely love on day 1 but Ed does hook up with a couple of Bull trout. Day 2: Ed hooks into a Steely but after 2 thick and chunky head shakes the fly is free. Ed still needs a Steelhead. Ed insists that I fish. So I throw a few casts into the water he has already worked now and then. I love it when the line goes tight! Mine did in mid swing around 11 am. That fish hammered that fly. I yell at Ed to come and take the rod. There’s a lot of line peeling and surface thrashing going on here. Heart rates are on auto pilot at full speed!
Bull Trout are not shy today!
10 Bull trout landed on day 2 in the afternoon. They ranged in size from 1 to 5 lbs. These are sea run Bull trout and fight extremely well. One of the 5 pounders took me into my backing twice and actually had me thinking it was a Steelhead. Bull trout love to hit a olive sculpin or salmon fry pattern in the Spring. The action was so good that in a certain run we had 4 fish hooked and landed in 5 casts!
We can’t wait to hit the river again soon and swinging some nasty home tied Sculpins that work magic.