Salmon Fishing the Vedder River

I took the Bike (motorcycle) for a long ride one October when the weather around the lower mainland BC dried up, sky looked friendly so I took a chance and grabbed my fly rod and kit donned my leather and helmet and motored my way to Coquitlam in search of the vedder river and one of its 5 species of salmon.

Didn’t take me long to find the perfect spot, I already had an idea where I would wet my fly and lucky me it was abandoned. I won’t tell you more than that about the location, need to keep fishing spots secret, you understand!

Wouldn’t you know it, salmon were running thicker than I’ve ever seen. The pinks were coming back after their two-three year hiatus in the Pacific Ocean. I had to have one.

Using a fly that I was told would be effective for pinks by the fellas at pacific angler on broadway I began scouring the river with my fly, an hour went by and I was getting a little perplexed by my failure to even get a rise when so many salmon were moving. So I switched flies, tying on a flashier and heavier fly in hopes it would sink a little as the river was clicking along at an alarming pace.

Hell it wasn’t three casts before I got a strike, but the hook didn’t set much due to my lack if practice. Another three casts and another strike this time I set the hook but wasn’t prepared for the sheer power, as it leapt from the water it appeared to be a coho and a big one.

I dipped the rod in hopes the fish wouldn’t toss my hook, it worked but the salmon was a monster and took my line to the backing as it first crossed the river then tore away down it before I could act. My heart was pumping hard from the adrenaline and I was very concerned about some fallen trees that the salmon seemed destined to snag up in, so I panicked and tried to muscle the salmon under control. Clearly the wrong thing to do, no sooner had I increased the tension did the line go slack, I had lost another salmon.

It was getting late now and I didn’t want to ride back in the dark on bike mostly because I didn’t dress as warmly as I should have. But this fishing was too good to give up on, i continued fishing but it was looking bad. Twenty minutes passed painstakingly slow and the sun got lower and lower, just as I was about to call it quits I hooked another salmon, this time a pink and it was a beauty. I played this one perfectly, giving it line when it asked for it and keeping it in when I could, soon I had it in position to land and realized my small trout dip net would not help. Gingerly I coaxed the salmon up onto shore and quickly confirmed its ID and dispatched it mercifully.

I had no time to take it all in, I bagged my catch and got to my bike. It was brutally cold coming home, a light rain had started and night came in fast. My fingers were numbing and needed to be continuously warmed from the engine, it helped only a little but the adrenaline kept me going. I arrived home frozen, tired and soaked but nonetheless a very happy man.