Vic Carrao
Steelheader Contributor

Fly-fishing has been one of the fastest growing sectors of the sport fishing industry for several years now , it continues to grow at a rapid rate. We are very fortunate living where we do; the Fraser Valley offers some great opportunities for catching salmon on the fly. I remember when we use to travel back roads and dykes’ looking for our next honey hole. Still to this day many of those areas we fished are left untouched. The Valley has plenty of sloughs, creeks, side channels and backwaters to explore which provide excellent salmon and trout fishing for those willing to spend the time to find them.

October and November are the two best months for fishing these bodies of water for salmon. The salmon migrations are in full swing and it looks to be a great year for Coho. Most of the water we fish for Coho and Chum salmon are shallow, often less than 10 feet. Along Hwy. 7 there are many back roads that lead to sloughs and ponds that contain salmon. Harris Road in Abbotsford also has some sloughs that offer decent angling if you’re there at the right time. The only way to find these small fisheries is by going back time after time until you have found the right timing and conditions for the species your after.

For example: There is one small slough that looks more like a ditch that holds good numbers of Coho. I have already been there 3 times just watching and waiting until the time is right. The water is too low right now but with the first heavy rain, levels will rise 3 ft and the Coho will move in. This small fishery will produce fish for several weeks; the incoming tide is a sure bet. If I’m lucky I’ll hook 10 to 20 Coho this year on the fly in this small slough. 10 to 20 fish doesn’t sound like much but there are 4 or 5 of these small fisheries that I fish in one outing.

These small sloughs and larger rivers are easily fished with the fly. Most of the time we use floating line and adjust leader length to suit desirable depths. Often we use bead headed flies to help get the fly down to the fish. The larger bodies of water like the Harrison, Stave, and Dewdney can be fished with slow sink tips or floating

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