Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing Reports => Members' Fishing Reports => Topic started by: Steely on August 01, 2012, 02:55:00 PM

Title: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Steely on August 01, 2012, 02:55:00 PM
Geared with some newly acquired info on beach fishing I was eager to head out and try this fishery. Was in the parking lot at Ambleside at 5am and walked out to where I saw one angler setting up his gear, I nodded to him, walked down a bit and got my rod all put together. I used a small silver and blue spoon and saw only one fish in the first hour. A couple more anglers joined us and started casting away. A school of fish eventually moved in and there was a hookup by the fellow who was there before me. A nice coho around 4 pound was lost at his feet before it could be netted. In the next hour, there was nothing but small salmon caught, I landed a small hatchery coho no bigger then 12". Just before we left my buddy and I walked down closer towards the mouth as we saw a small school breaking the surface farther down the beach. The first couple casts were unsuccessful but not long after I was retrieving my spoon when it suddenly stopped moving, a small jerk on the rod sent a 5 pound Coho straight into the air and it took off. I was finally able to get the fish under control but just before it could be netted it decided to go into one last coho roll and spat the hook :P Nothing seemed to be showing itself anymore so we packed up and headed for the Cap.

This was my first time fishing the Cap and I was determined to get a coho on the fly. We walked into the cable pool first to have a look, to our surprise no one was there ;D As I was putting my rod together my buddy was already slowly drifting his colorado through the pool. Just as I was about to cast he hooked up. Unfortunately the fish was around 14" and too small for his liking so it was released. Now it was my turn, I put on a small rolled muddler in blue and had 3 coho follow the fly right to my feet. This happened several times before finally one committed and hammered it. It took off and I had my line wrapped around a rock at my feet so I heard a dreaded snap :( The next couple hours yielded 2 hits for me and one lost by my buddy. Just before we were about to pack it in I threw on an olive woolly bugger as it was one of the last flys I hadn't tried. As I was letting the fly sink I saw my line slowly moving upstream, I stripped the line hard and that set the hook into a fresh Coho around 3 pounds. This one I eased in, tailed and flipped up on the bank, my first Cap coho! ;D As I was cleaning the fish I heard my buddy yell, he had hooked into a nice fish and it took off way upstream, after about 5min he finally turned it and slowly slid it in to my waiting hands. This was also his first Cap coho, adult coho that is. His fish was around 6-7 pounds and just a bar, even still had sea lice which is odd considering the water was so low. He had a permanant smile on his face as we packed up and headed for home. He said it was because he caught dinner but I know the smile was because he had just outdone me, again :-[

All in all it was a great trip and we both really enjoyed it. The Cap is a beautiful river and to those of you who get to fish it regularly I am very envious. I will definatly try and get back before I go back to work on Tues. Tight lines and good luck :)
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: rhino on August 01, 2012, 03:20:36 PM
nice work and nice report. You guys did very well for the cap mouth and river. even in ideal conditions days like that can be difficult to come by.

thanks for the read.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Athezone on August 01, 2012, 03:29:36 PM
Excellent report Steely, and great to read as well. I guess that means you'll be returning in the near future.  ;) :D ;)
This used to be the time of year when I'd be fishing in the front of the mouth in my boat, sure have lot's of great memories of those times. Guess I should get out and buy another boat.

Thank's for the report Steely and congrat's on a very successful trip.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Fish Assassin on August 01, 2012, 04:37:28 PM
Just a reminder that a bait ban is now in effect
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: silver ghost on August 01, 2012, 09:11:28 PM
nice work and nice report. You guys did very well for the cap mouth and river. even in ideal conditions days like that can be difficult to come by.

thanks for the read.


X2
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Steely on August 01, 2012, 11:43:41 PM
Just a reminder that a bait ban is now in effect
Thats probably why it was so quite, never thought about that. Just a quick question for you guys. I noticed that all the early run fish are hatchery. Does the Cap have a wild coho? I'd assume they would be part of the fall run if they do?
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: 4TheKids on August 02, 2012, 08:02:44 AM
I think the low water has scared most people away. But even then it is rare to find no one at the cable pool. I think there are very few successful spawners in the river and nothing survives from above the damn. I have caught and released a few "wild" coho but I think these were mis-clips or at best lost fish. Good on you for getting a chaser to take. They ususally turn away.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: charles on August 02, 2012, 09:21:17 AM
There are wild coho there but very few in between.  I only caught 1 wild adult male coho there and that was 2  season ago.  everything else were hatchery.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: one more cast on August 02, 2012, 09:56:06 AM
There are wild coho there but very few in between.  I only caught 1 wild adult male coho there and that was 2  season ago.  everything else were hatchery.

I got quite a few wilds there last season. There's a few places  that hold more and they seem to go for blades more than wool.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Bandit420 on August 02, 2012, 12:05:13 PM
Thats probably why it was so quite, never thought about that. Just a quick question for you guys. I noticed that all the early run fish are hatchery. Does the Cap have a wild coho? I'd assume they would be part of the fall run if they do?
[/quote

 Yes the cap does have wilds, but rare. Its probably around 10-1 hatchery to wild. Thats wut I figure from fishing the cap. Im pretty sure the get most of the broodstock from the early runs but cannot confirm that.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: charles on August 02, 2012, 02:36:38 PM
I got mine on the blade as well.  Actually, I only fish there with blade :)
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: liketofish on August 02, 2012, 04:00:10 PM
Nice report. Thanks. About what time of the day you were in the Cable Pool? Usually there is a morning crowd at first light. Guys fish it at first light and then would go to work. So from 9AM and on, you will see fewer fishermen.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Steely on August 02, 2012, 04:21:36 PM
Let's see, I was done at the beach by about 7:30 so prob around 8. We did see one guy as we were walking in packing a couple fish back to his car but he was the only person we saw until about 11am. Just joggers and walkers till then. Just a heads up, the two fish we landed weren't actually from the cable pool, we walked down the trail a bit as a couple guys moved into the spot by noon.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: FreshyPT on August 03, 2012, 10:03:43 AM
Good read, good fishing! Thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Dogbreath on August 03, 2012, 11:21:31 AM
There are No Wild Coho in the Capilano just the occasional unmarked hatchery fish.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: cutthroat22 on August 03, 2012, 11:39:46 AM
There are No Wild Coho in the Capilano just the occasional unmarked hatchery fish.

You sure?  I've seen plenty of coho doing the wild thing in there. 
As well there are a couple tribs and mouths of tribs that fish they spawn in.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Nitroholic on August 03, 2012, 01:58:06 PM
There are No Wild Coho in the Capilano just the occasional unmarked hatchery fish.

So trucking adults from the hatchery into the reservoir to spawn in the upper capilano river is all for nothing?
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: 4TheKids on August 03, 2012, 03:12:15 PM
Yep. Try jumping off a 300 feet cliff. But something is likely having a few good meals.
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: Nitroholic on August 03, 2012, 03:37:41 PM
Yep. Try jumping off a 300 feet cliff. But something is likely having a few good meals.

http://www.metrovancouver.org/about/publications/Publications/ProtectingSalmonandTroutintheCapilanoRiver.pdf
Title: Re: Capilano River and West Vancouver Beaches, August 1st 2012
Post by: metalfisherman on August 03, 2012, 11:43:36 PM
I saw few looks wild coho in hatchery pool.
but I don't know miss unclipped or wild.