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[fishseeker]

In a previous post I asked about the appropriate outfit for Chum fishing and you were all very helpful.  With luck I might just be able to purchase what I need within budget thanks to the answers in my previous post.

If I get all this gear and don't catch anything I will never live it down with my wife who is convinced that I should have listened to the guy who suggested I stick with my 6wt. (If any of you are married you may understand my dilemna).

Any ideas on what I need to be doing to maximise my chances?  Some specific questions spring to mind:


Where  - I live in Burnaby and I would like to find somewhere as close as possible (I am limited to one day outings most of the time).

When - Does time of day matter? (I know it can make a significant difference for some fish. Don't know about Chum)

Tides - I have found chub fishing on the fraser appears to work best at high tide (its the one thing I have been relatively succesful at thanks to info on this site).   Does it matter with Chum?

Floating versus sinking - Is it better to use a floating or a sinking line?

Fly size / color - What fly size and color works best?

Season :  I believe the season for Chum is just beginning - when does it end?

Note:  I understand that you may want to keep specific hot spots and information about specific fly patterns to yourself.  Some of these things are hard earned secrets I know.  Hopefully these questions are not asking more than common knowledge.

[dereke]

 hey fshseeker,

Where - The Squamish river + Tributaries

When - During the start of the run tide can help for sure but once they are in in large numbers it should not matter, i have gone down to the squamish and landed fish  till my arms were burnt out during a whole day.  the squamish at times seem like its boiling with dogs.

for the water i like to fish i use a heavier sink tip in faster flowing water, i find that most of the fresher fish are here. cast upstream a bit with a mend and let your fly or wool drift as natural as possible.

as for flies - you can go out and buy a bunch of expensive flies if you want but if money is an issue just use wool in Chartreuse or pink + a little red, once the bite is on they go crazy and become extremely aggressive. if you want to use flies, common salmon flies like popsicles in pink/purple, chartreuse/pink with some flash work excellent, some green with that too can work well....

season - i have gotten a decent chum by accident actually as late as early december fishing coho on the cheakamus but around mid to the end of november there are alot of boots kicking around the whole squamish river system.

its not so much about spots i dont think as more do you want to fish around alot of people. some spots are better than others of course  but if you are out on the bar by the mamquam river confluence you should do fine. get there early and its never an issue to get a good spot..

these fish can be very large and are a blast to fish for.....they never seem to give up and some will put on quite aerial performance.

this is just the basics and im not saying this is the only way to fish for them by any means but when i started this how i went about it.

hope this helps
derek

if you come out to the squamish arount the middle to late october i can pretty much guarantee you will catch some fish.

[dereke]

sorry for hook size anything from a #1 to a #4 is what i generally use.

[kellya]

Heres a pic of a few flies i tied the last couple days. These are my first attempts so they are pretty rough but you get the picture. My favourite is the purple ones in the middle. Purple egg sucking leech and big purple wolly bugger work well for chum although they take anything at times. Some coho/chinook flies in there to

[fishseeker]

Thanks much guys.  I think I have enough info to take a crack at this.

Kellya, I have a number of commercial flies similar to the ones you have shown so I think am good there. (I am not tying my own, at least not yet.  Still got a lot to learn).

Derek, thanks much for your response. I will have a go on the squamish first like you suggested.

I will keep you posted on how I do.   I assume this month is a pretty good time to get up there right?

[fishseeker]

Oops sorry Derek, I see from your reply that mid october is about the best time. 

Forget about that question in my previous post.

[bbronswyk2000]

End of October on the Squamish and you WONT get skunked.

[fishseeker]

Thank you bbronswyk2000, it sounds like the season gets better as October progresses.  I will bear that in mind if I decide to take a day off for this.

[Britguy]

fishseeker don't need to go crazy on lots of fancy flies for Chum
last year i used red wool tied to a hook and slayed them all day on most trips
sure is hard on the arms though
have fun out there maybe see you on the water
just need to get my reel fixed

[Ed]

If i'm not mistaken Chums in the Squamish are keepable?

[Fish Assassin]

2 per day

[dereke]

 they arent the best tablefair for bbq's and baking but they are really good smoked. i have had some bb'd and they werent aweful but not as good as the other species.

[fishseeker]

I see there are more replies on here so, if it's OK, I will put out some more questions on this topic.

a) Palming the reel.

I picked up a nice Fenwick 9wt with a  Locmore-S 200 from one of the subscribers on this site (Chromie).  The only small downside was the drag on the reel is not that great anymore but at the price I got it for that was OK.   I have palmed reels with fish before but, with these Chum, being as strong as they reportedly are, is palming the reel doable? (One good thing is it does have some drag so it won't overwind if a fish shoots off at speed).

Fortunately the rod has a butt section on the end so I ought to be able to support the rod with my left hand and abdomen while palming the reel with my right - a technique i have used before but not on anything as large as a Chum.  I figure I will wear some tough fingerless gloves just so the reel doesn't burn my hand in the lucky event that I do hook into something.

b) What are my chances next weekend? (Saturday 13th).  I am thinking of it giving it a go then, is it better if I hold off and wait till later?

c) Place.

Derek advised me to fish at the confluence of the Squamish and Mamquam river but I am not sure exactly where this is.  I have looked for it on google and I think it is somewhere in or near Brackendale Eagles National Park but I have not been able to find an exact location map.  Is there easy road access? Do I need to hike any distance to get there.  Info on how to get there would be much appreciated.

c) Retaining fish.

My non-tidal angling license is not validated with a conservation surcharge so I cannot keep any fish that I catch.  If I am only catching chum that's OK - I don't plan to keep them.  However, if there was a decent chance of catching anything else in the Squamish during October I might consider it just in case that did happen.   Is there a good chance that I might accidentally catch springs or some other more edible species at this time?

Thanks for the info Britguy - I think I will look into the red wool option and, with luck I will see you on the water, it's always good to meet others who share my passion for chucking out a line.

Sorry to push out yet another pile of questions.  I am learning (slowly) that it really pays to get as much info as possible before rushing off to places.

[bbronswyk2000]

Yes the Squamish has coho nad you can retain one hatchery. Personally I dont think palming the reel is going to be a good idea. For chum you want a reel with a good drag. If you fish a system where springs are present and you hook one you are in for a world of hurt. Their are some decent reels out there that wont break the bank. I have an Okuma Integrity on my 8wt and its drag is great for chums and coho. You can usually pick one up on EBAY for about $60. Also the Pflueger Supreme's are another good real. I have one on my 9/10 and the drag will stop a freight train.

[kellya]

palmin the reel works though if you dont wanna buy a new reel.