Rainbow trout such as this beautiful specimen are rare when fishing in the winter in Southwestern BC (Photo: Carlo Ng).

The hype of winter steelheading in the Lower Mainland usually starts around early December and lasts until the end of April. Many anglers tend to forget or neglect about other fisheries that are widely available at the same time. Their size may be dwarfed by a winter steelhead, but fishing for coastal trout and char can be just as exciting!

Peaceful fishing. Being mobile is essential when hunting for trout and char. This means most of the time you are fishing alone or with a friend, a pleasant contrast to the busy salmon season (Photo: Nina Manique).

Four species are available in our coastal streams, they are coastal cutthroat trou, rainbow trout, bull trout and dolly varden. Occasionally anglers will also by-catch mountain whitefish, northern pikeminnow and other predatory species that have a diet similar to coastal trout and char.

A deadly combination. A small partially transparent gooey bob, which immitates a cluster of salmon eggs, has been proven to be irresistable to trout and char when drifted with a small strand of white wool (Photo: Rodney Hsu).

Throughout the winter months, their diet consists of salmon eggs and flesh of salmon carcasses. As spring approaches, fry will emerge from the redds and the diet of trout and char will switch to these juvenile salmonids.

A good selection. Having a wide selection of small floats to suit different water conditions can be advantageous. These Drennan floats are designed for rivers with moderate to slow flows (Photo: Rodney Hsu).

Outfitted with a light spinning or drift rod, you can have many entertaining outings by seeking out these highly migratory fish and matching your offerings to their feed. Small tributaries and sloughs along the Fraser River from Surrey to Hope offer these exciting fishing opportunities. Make sure you check the Region 2 regulations of the BC Freshwater Fishing Regulation Synopsis to make sure that fishing is permitted at the stream that you intend to fish.

Handle with care. A small to medium catch and release net allows you to handle the fish with care. All wild trout and char are required to be released in Southern BC to ensure the survival of their population (Photo: Rodney Hsu).