Vancouver Beaches

**Stuart** · April 3rd, 2010, 09:57 PM

Have just moved back to BC after living in London for a few years. Fly-fishing being exorbitant in the UK, my rods stayed here in storage. Not a pro by any means and after 6 years off I'm definitely rusty, but glad to be back in the game. For 3 years while I lived in Victoria at University we used to fish the beaches and estuaries up the West coast of the Island - Muir Creek, Jordan River, San Juan/Port Renfrew, with some success. Mostly sea-run cutthroats but some juvenile salmon and rainbows when we ventured further up river.

I'm living out at UBC now and thought I would 'wet some hooks' nearby when I get the time. Has anyone fished off Wreck beach at all? I tried a little on the incoming tide this morning but it was still pretty wild from the storm and too windy really. Some of the tidal flats along the SW Marine drive side look like they could be okay - not as rocky as the cutt beaches I've fished before but good strong tides and lots of weed/reed/flotsam that baitfish might hide in and around. Thought I might try some fry/minnow patterns and maybe a couple of others. Only drawback is there's no streams or creeks I can see flowing into the ocean that make an obvious starting point.

Any tips? Anyone had success/failure there? Better spots close by?

**CameronT120** · April 4th, 2010, 06:15 PM

All I can suggest is explore and look for the beaches that are more rocky than sandy and support mussels and oysters. Failing that try the beaches that have creeks emptying into them. I've had better luck on the incoming tides, but as far as I can gather each beach is different. For me, the fun is in exploring and studying each beach to learn as much as I can. I'm waiting for this wind to die down and for the water to clear so I can get back out. Fishing the beaches is a lot of fun and really addictive. I'm a transplant from the interior and am just learning about beach fishing, so take my words for what they may or may not be worth!

**bobert** · April 6th, 2010, 11:36 AM

Hey Stuart, I live in Kitsilano and go to UBC, but haven't tried fishing any of the beaches in the area. I've fished in the inter-tidal Fraser in Richmond (Steveston), and Delta though for Bull Trout with some success. I've spent a lot of time at wreck and kits beaches over the years and have never seen any sign of fish activity whatsoever, nor ever seen any anglers, but I have always been tempted by these waters. The only creek that drains in the area is on the pacific-spirit-highway between 41st and UBC and it is called "Trout Creek", a tiny little creek, and I've never checked out where it meets the ocean/Fraser. For what it's worth, I think your time is better spent heading to Richmond, or the Capilano if you're loking to get your hook wet in the Vancouver area.

**Stuart** · April 7th, 2010, 04:33 PM

Yeah that's pretty much what I figured. I could see a little bit off Wreck beach maybe, but not the most productive for sure. The fact that it's 5 minutes from my door and I can pop down in 5 minutes is definitely a factor though!!!

I was also considering spanish banks - totally sandy but has that stream that was restored a little while ago and which has hatchery fry put in every year so might still be respectable.

I will probably get round to Stanley Park or the North Shore soon but when you've only got a spare hour or two it's nice to look close to home.

**CameronT120** · April 7th, 2010, 07:10 PM

There's an awful lot of beach between Jericho and Wreck Beach that you could explore. I can think of worse ways to occupy one's free time.

**Stuart** · April 8th, 2010, 05:42 PM

Absolutely right Cameron!!! I popped down to Spanish Banks this afternoon. Far too rough and muddy really but I fancied an hour out of my home office and the sun was out so I figured I'd rather wet some hooks than go for a walk!!! No signs of activity but I didn't really expect any.

Might pop back down there on a calmer day if we get one soon. The recent rain has the creek flowing strongly and I had a look - still a reasonable number of fry in the creek (it's stocked with coho and chum) so presumably there's a bit of potential. Was trying with a coho fry pattern today, first in the surf near around the creek and then fishing the outflow in the same way you might fish a riffle from upstream. Drifting the fly a few feet and then stripping it back towards shore. No interest though.

Also scouted the area west from there - it's a bit rockier than I remembered - couple of the bights have some popping rack kelp and a few mussels. When you get to the end of Spanish banks the beach gets much rockier for one of the stretches (think it's called Arcadia beach???)

Also noticed from one of the interpretive maps that there's a creek called Cutthroat creek which flows south from the Endowment lands under SW Marine and through Shaughnessy golf course into the Fraser. Just a clever name or worth trying the outflow???

**CameronT120** · April 8th, 2010, 07:37 PM

I figure it's always worth a shot trying any outflow. Have you seen any bluebacks porpoising over there? I see them almost every outing now here on the North Shore. Something that you might try, if your not seeing any activity with your fry patterns is to give a dry fly a shot. I've had very good luck using a Tom Thumb. In fact I caught my first salt water cutthroat using one after a morning of no interest in my fry patterns. Another fly that I've been using lately that is getting some response is the Miyawaki beach popper, which is very popular down on the Puget Sound beaches in Washington. Interestingly, I've fished beaches where I've seen no sign of cutthroat activity at all and once I put on the deer hair or the popper, I started seeing some activity towards my flies. So, it might be worth try a dry fly every once in a while. It might be rewarding.

I'm hoping this wind disappears soon so that I can get back to the beaches. I've got a fly I want to try and see if I can fool a blueback into biting.

**Stuart** · April 8th, 2010, 08:33 PM

Interesting that they are hitting dry/freshwater flies. I was just trying a little coho fry pattern and a sort of green sculpin type after that. I guess if you're close to shore and to fresh water there's probably some good freshwater forage falling into/emerging from the river. I'm definitely going to try it again, it's probably the most promising spot nearby (5 minutes drive) and beyond that I'm looking at heading to Richmond or over to the North Shore at which point it becomes at least a half day trip.

Today was really a no hoper - far too windy and the water was really churned up so I wasn't expecting anything but I figured it was a good hour spent getting my cast back. Am still a bit rusty but getting there.

**Stuart** · April 8th, 2010, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by bobert

I've fished in the inter-tidal Fraser in Richmond (Steveston), and Delta though for Bull Trout with some success.

I'm interested - never fished for Bull Trout. What sort of approach works for these on the fly? Are they like browns that sit down on the bottom in holes or do they move about? I'm assuming they would feed on similar stuff to sea-run cutties if they're Fraser intertidal (fry at this time of year?). If they are in the Fraser estuary does that mean they tolerate murkier waters, hunt on smell a bit more?