Description:
You are probably as avid about fishing as I am. We have, on offer, fishing trips for rainbow, cutthroat and lake trout as well as land-locked salmon (kokanee) and we fish for all 5 Pacific salmon, here in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. We visit lakes, rivers and streams and use a variety of techniques including fly fishing, bait, spinners, trolling, and float fishing, depending on the time of year and the water levels.
Equipment and Tackle
We have a 16.5 foot Legend boat for trips on the lakes and rivers. It has a 40 horse power Mercury outboard, propeller-driven motor. The boat can accommodate a maximum of 4 people. There are 3 storage areas. Rod holders are used for trolling and there are separate rod holders for fly rods. A bilge pump has been installed. Anchors, ropes, chains and life jackets are supplied for every trip. Safety is emphasized.
A number of fly rods are available to handle various fishing techniques including 4- and 5-weight rods for delicate casting and trolling for kokanee having soft mouths, 6- and 7- weight rods, reels and lines are available for trout in the 3-7 pound range. Salmon fly rods in the 8- and 9- weight range are used in the late summer and autumn.
For non-fly fishing, we have heavy-duty salmon rods with both spinning and level-wind reels. These are used for sockeye and chum fishing as well as chinook.
We have smaller spinning reel/rod setups for bait fishing on lakes and rivers.
A range of flies are available for trout and salmon.
Nets and coolers are used.
Our supplier for tackle here in Maple Ridge is
Hatch Match’r Fly and Tackle
Randy Morgan and his staff are very helpful to all their customers and they have a large selection of flies, reels, lines, etc.
Fraser Valley Fish
Trout:
Rainbow trout are very common in both rivers and lakes. The provincial stocking program, through the Freshwater Fisheries Hatchery program, supplies over 1000 lakes each year. In the Fraser valley one can catch them with flies, lures and bait.
Cutthroat trout are also common in this area. We have residents in rivers, stocked species in the lakes and sea run (wild) cutthroat in some rivers.
Lake trout are found in some lakes in the valley. Specifically, they can be found in Alouette and Stave lakes, two of the larger lakes east of Vancouver.
Salmon:
Kokanee (pronounced Ko-can-eee), this fish is a land-locked sockeye salmon. Centuries ago, when the particular lake where the adult spawned was linked to the ocean, the salmon fry could venture out for a few years in the ocean and then return as an adult to spawn. When geological events blocked access to the ocean from the lake, and the fry were prevented from returning to the Pacific Ocean, they adapted to a freshwater existence on a permanent basis. Kokanee spawners now spawn near shores of the lake and can reach up to 10 pounds. The most common kokanee caught are less than two pounds, and are 10 to 16 inches long.
Chinook or Spring salmon return to the Fraser river from their ocean habitat in late summer and are in the river systems from mid summer to late autumn, depending on the location of the native river. On average, they have spent the previous 3 to 4 years in the ocean. Some remain in the ocean up to 8 years. They have silvery sides with black spots on the top half of the body. Size can range up to 36 inches, although I have seen chinook caught in the Fraser and Harrison rivers weighing 50 pounds! On the Harrison River, one frequently sees spawners in the 40 pound range. In the USA they are known as king salmon. Once in the river systems, chinook prefer to stay in deep, fast-running water and coarse-gravel river bottoms. This is quite different from the areas preferred by other Pacific salmon. Fry and smolts stay in fresh water from 1 to 18 months before travelling downstream to estuaries. They feed on terrestrial and aquatic insects as well as amphipods and other crustacean forms in streams and estuaries while young. When older, they feed on other fish. After remaining in estuaries for 6 months they migrate to the ocean.
Accommodations
We offer bed and breakfast for visitors. We can accomodate up to three people. We have a trundle bed for two in one room plus a single bed in a second room. The bathroom, with shower, is located on the same level. Hearty breakfasts are served upstairs. Getting out to the river early is advisable as the best fishing is often early in the day, or from late-afternoon to early evening. So, if you wish to stay overnight and rise early to catch ‘the big one’ next morning, then you can book a night with us.
The cost is $80 per night for two. Three people can stay for $100.
All figures are in Canadian Dollars.
We are affiliated with a lodge close to the Harrison and Fraser Rivers.
Sasquatch Crossing Eco Lodge is located close to the Harrison and Fraser rivers. It has excellent accommodation, tasty meals and welcoming hosts in Denny and Al.
Enjoy visiting our site and when you are ready, please use the contact page to book a trip. I look forward to meeting you. Cheers! John