Canada salmon and sturgeon

Adventure on the river

Canada salmon and sturgeon

Chilliwack is located about an hour and a half from Vancouver in the heart of the Fraser Valley with the famous Fraser and Harrison River. In addition to these two main rivers, there are other smaller rivers and lakes that make fishing in this area a feast. It is pure nature and with a little luck you may encounter bears with beautiful views, mountains and untouched forests.

Here we target the mighty white sturgeon and various salmon species. Accompanied by very experienced guides with professional boats and equipment you are in the best hands here. Our local partner has more than 30 years of experience with local fishing and conditions and is therefore one of the absolute top providers in the region. Add to this the attractive price and you have a top fishing trip!

Chilliwack is located about an hour and a half from Vancouver in the heart of the Fraser Valley with the famous Fraser and Harrison River. These two main rivers are the heart of this region when it comes to fishing. There are also the Lilloet and Pitt rivers, Lake Chilliwack and the River and Lake Stave. All with their own peculiarities and diversity of fish species. At the beginning of the season (from the 1st of June), the region can get busy with the migration of the mighty Chinook salmon. Many anglers come to this plade for this spectacular fishery.

For those who want more peace and quiet there is the possibility to fish on the Pitt and Lilloet river. It is only half an hour by boat to the remote locations where you can fish undisturbed and in peace and quiet. So there are several possibilities to arrange your fishing trip in this overwhelming nature.

Fishing is done with professional and experienced guides. They know exactly which circumstances play an important role at which moments. That is why they can determine like no other where and which species can be fished best. All the guides are very well known and will do their utmost to make your holiday a success. The experience and service-mindedness of the guides has been one of the decisive points in choosing this partner.

Our partner has more than 30 years of experience in fishing the different types of pacific salmon such as pink, sockeye, chum, chinook, coho, but also steelhead, rainbow trout and of course the white sturgeon. The Canadian government recognized at the end of the 90's that the sturgeon stock declined drastically and issued a mandatory catch & release legislation. Caught sturgeons are chipped or if they have been caught before, only scanned and registered. Catch location, length and estimated weight are recorded and collected centrally. As a result of these measures, the sturgeon stock in this region is currently at a perfect level. The average length is over 1.5 metres and the average weight 100 to 200 lbs. However, colossal sturgeons of 700 lbs. and 3 metres in length have been caught as well. Our partner's record is an immense sturgeon of no less than 900 lbs!

There are several ways to go fishing. This depends entirely on the season and your wishes. Fly fishing for salmon, sea trout in the remote forests or sturgeon and salmon on the rivers by boat. There are several boats in different sizes available for groups of 2 to 4 persons so every time the fishing trip is perfect with enough space on the fishing boat. With the guide you discuss what you want to fish the next day so you do not only have to fish for 1 species but if desired you can switch between species.

You are staying at the Coast Hotel in Chilliwack. This hotel is comfortable and all 110 rooms offer a view of the private pond (not allowed to fish) or the mountains. All rooms are spacious and equipped with free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, 32 inch TV, safe, work table, coffee and tea, daily newspaper, hairdryer and iron.

The hotel also has a gym, sauna and swimming pool to relax after a day of fishing. Of course this is also possible at the cosy bar or the beautiful restaurant. The hotel is located at the edge of the centre of Chilliwack. It is located near the entertainment venues such as shopping malls, restaurants and bars in the city. The hotel has a personal touch and is characterized by the pleasant atmosphere and the good service that the staff provides. There is ample free parking in front of the hotel.

For every kind of fishing, material is available and included in the price. These are waders, rods for sturgeon or salmon, reels, bait, lures etc. The sturgeon rods are custom made and have braided lines on the reels. For the fly fishermen who want to use their own material, a list is available on request in order to be prepared. This special fishery is demanding and the guides leave nothing to chance and therefore only first class material is used.

A regular fishing day starts at 8 a.m. and you are not back before 5 p.m. so you make long fishing days of at least 8 hours. If you would like to leave at other times, this can be arranged on request. When you have booked a combination of sturgeon and salmon fishing, the guide will discuss with you which fishing will be done first, taking into account the circumstances, expectations and of course your wishes. The guide will also have lunch which you will enjoy that day together with non-alcoholic drinks. Lunch is included in the price. The guide also has your licenses for salmon and sturgeon fishing that have already been arranged for you.

The jet boats are specially built to sail on these rivers and lakes. With the 330 HP V8 engines these boats are appealing to all fishermen. There are several aluminium fishing boats of the highest quality. These fishing boats are equipped with jet propulsion to sail safely even on the shallowest parts of the river. They vary in size from 21 to 24 feet and have a front cabin where you can take shelter in less good weather and there is also a heater on board for that little extra comfort. The boats are transported with 4 wheel drive pick up trucks. Together with the guide you drive to the best location to launch the boats. And when the fish is further up or lower down the river, this gives you the opportunity to quickly get to other locations and not waste valuable sailing / fishing time. At the end of the day you will be dropped off at your hotel again.

You do not have to bring your own fishing gear but stuff you do need to bring yourself are: rain gear, sunglasses, fish cap, gloves (when the weather is colder), photo and/or film camera, electricity adapter, clothing in thin layers so you can easily take something off when it's warm.

The sturgeon fishing season runs from March to November with a peak from August to October. In this period there are no peaks and troughs but fishing for these beautiful fish offers equal opportunities during the whole period.

Salmon fishing starts on 1 June with the chinook. This is also the official start of the season. This species can grow up to 60 lbs. and is the ultimate salmon species. A strike from this species in the right size results in a beautiful fight that you will remember for a long time. Here, of course, the weather is also an important factor. The raincoat is definitely part of the equipment as well as the cap, sunlotion and sunglasses against the summer sun.

In the standard package you fish 6 days (8 hours a day) and stay 7 nights in a double room. Breakfast is included as well as all necessary fishing materials. The price for this fishing trip is at:

2 participants € 3.450,- per person
3 participants € 2.835,- per person
4 participants € 2.475,- per person

Additional costs are: flight, rental car, visa fees for Canada, costs for lunch, permits for salmon and/or sturgeon fishing, fuel for the rental car, dinners, tips (average 150 CAD pp) and extras such as sauna use etc. A sturgeon fishing permit costs 50 euros and a state permit 60 euros. A salmon permit costs 40 euros per person. If you let us know in advance which fishing you want to do, we will also take care of the necessary permits.

We help you with arranging the flights to Vancouver as well as the rental car that is cheaper than the local transfer, so you can also do something on the spot and have more freedom of movement.

Canada salmon and sturgeon