2013 British Columbia Sturgeon Fishing Trip Report

[pairofgreenhorns]

Every year or so my girlfriend Ashley and I take a trip with my parents somewhere. We were so grateful when my parents told us at Christmas that their gift to us was a family trip to the west coast. Vancouver, Squamish, Surrey, and Chilliwack B.C. would be our destinations and so the planning began.

 

When asked what I wanted to do on this trip my parents received my ever so predictable response, “eat at a high end or upscale restaurant and of course, wet some lines in a body of water.”

 

Flash forward 8 months to our departure at Pearson International Airport.

 

I had mentioned in passing to my parents that I was interested in Salmon fishing in the ocean as I had never been salmon fishing before. When we arrived at the airport and hit the lounge for a couple “pops,” my parents were very disappointed to inform me that my uncle we were visiting in Surrey had talked to two of his buddies (avid fishermen) and they had mentioned that salmon might not be ideal at this time. They heard however that sturgeon fishing was a possibility. Instantly my mind skipped back in time to a story my best friend had told me while we were out catching perch in a zodiac on Lake St. Clair. I couldn’t recall the stories specifics, as I was in grade 8, but I distinctly remembered him talking about sturgeon and how massive they grew. My parent’s faces looked like they had let me down. It seems they were concerned their son wouldn’t get to fish the ocean for salmon. I immediately clarified that I wasn’t trying to target a specific species, I just wanted to catch something different or larger than anything I had caught before. My dad passed me his phone with the number to a recommended charter for sturgeon. 5 minutes later we had our half day fishing adventure booked.

 

Keep in mind, fishing was not the purpose of this trip (not for everyone at least). The plan was to reunite with some family from Squamish in the north where we would zip line, head to the top of whistler, ride the peak to peak gondola ride, and hike a few beautiful trails. After a few days in the north we would head to my uncles in Surrey to relax, spend a couple days visiting restaurants, bars, the aquarium and the eventful streets of Vancouver British Columbia.

 

Finally the day Ashley and I had been waiting for arrived. Not that the trip so far hadn’t been better than we could have asked for. From the unbelievable zip lining experience to the limousine and hotel rental so we could spend the night in downtown Vancouver with my wonderful cousins (thanks Uncle Peter), we were having FUN!

 

http://s1009.photobucket.com/user/lambe25/slideshow/Van%20City%202013

 

It’s just that ever since I took Ashley out in Lake St Clair a couple years ago she really started to enjoy fishing. When I followed that up with a fly in outpost trip north of Cochrane, she was addicted. So needless to say our most anticipated day had arrived. The night before, I went online and got us all the proper licenses and tags we needed for a half day of sturgeon fishing. It was time to head to Chilliwack B.C. My mother, father, Ashley and I would make the trip. Fantasies were twirling around in my head of catching fish in the 30-40 pound range as that would be a PB for me (my biggest is around a 15 lb. Pike when I was 16 years old). Today would be a day to change all of that.

 

We were headed to the Fraser River, this would be our hunting ground for the half day we booked. The company we booked with was called the Great River Fishing Adventure (I highly recommend them). After a pit stop to Tim Horton’s residence we arrived at the parking lot where we met our guide John. A few handshakes and small talk, we boarded his prop less Alumaweld boat and off we went through the beautiful backdrop that is the scenery around the Fraser River.

 

We arrived at our first fishing spot after about a 20 minute boat ride. Anchor down, hooks baited, wet lines, sitting on bottom waiting… and waiting… and waiting. Don’t get me wrong there was great conversation and no one was bored. It was great to pick at the brain of a real life hero. John was someone who had taken a hobby of his, fishing, and turned it into a living. What I would do…… I digress. My brain began to wander and pictures of fish too big to hold with two hands swirled around my head. This brought me to the realization that when we caught a fish we may be in some trouble. Who was to jump at the rod and set the hook? Would we all take a turn? How long do they fight? Should we each pick a rod now and if your rod catches the fish you get to fight it? Should we pick which order we take the fish in? My mother decided that she would be the last to go. My father quickly spoke up and volunteered for 2^nd last. Immediately Ashley and I turned to each other with laser focus. Knowing that there was a strong possibility we only catch one fish, could I afford to let the chance of first fish go to anyone other than me. I quickly compared that to the thought of how my back would feel after sleeping on the couch for a year. Common sense/fear prevailed and I offered to go 2^nd. After all, I have a girlfriend who loves sports and fishing, and since she is new to all of this fishing, I get just as much joy from watching her excitement when she has a fish on, as I would if I was the one catching it. I liken that to the pride on a fathers face when their child hooks there first fish all by themselves.

 

Would this decision would come back to haunt me?

 

A couple hours had passed since we arrived at the river. John the guide was telling us about how salmon was closed off in the river because they were turning up dead. Apparently it had something to do with the water temperature being up a couple degrees. He told us that if we see a seagull on the water there is a good chance it’s eating a dead salmon and we should inform him. No sooner did that thought exit my mind when John yelled, FISH ON!” To this day I would bet that my Ashley may have set a world record for a 2 meter sprint. Today she will be known as, "Hussain Float." From her seat to grabbing the rod and setting the hook; she was there in the blink of an eye holding the rod like she had been out here catching sturgeon for 20 years (hmm… my kinda woman). The rod bend and the sound of the drag zipping out was a sign of good things to come. Quickly her belt was on and the butt end of the rod in place, as she struggled to reel in and gain even an inch of line. The fish nearly pulled her into the water, she stepped back and sat on the engine cover putting her feet up on the ledge of the boat to gain leverage. Over and over she pulled and reeled and pulled and reeled gaining every inch she could. I could tell this fight was taking its toll on her. Then out of nowhere she gained this second wind and took full control, “you wanted a big fish Ryan, I got you one,” she shouted. Even if that fish never made it in the boat, Ashley got to fight a fish most people dream about. This charade was the longest 20 mins of Ashley’s life. As the fish neared the surface, I was videotaping. Everything became quiet as the anticipation grew stronger. How big would it be?

 

And then it happened: the back of this “thing” broke the water showing us the length of its beautiful body for what seemed liked 2 minutes. Ashley backed off so that John could reach over the side and grab her…her “thing”. “Thing” was all that came to mind. What could you call such a specimen? It was the largest thing I had ever seen in my life. Fish, lunker, brute, hog. These were all names that fell way short of what we were all looking at. It was a……a…DINOSAUR. John reached down to grab this monster with all his strength, and John a big boy. He gripped it by the mouth and heaved this gem into the cradle he had hung across the width of the boat and quickly bailed in some water to keep the fish alive. I will never forget the look on Ashley’s face. Rightfully so, to this day it’s the most beautiful fish I have ever laid eyes on. From the gray back of the fish with its tiny white spots to the sharp spikes laden down the length of it perfectly symmetrical body, this catch was special.

 

We learned a lot from John that day. Sturgeon are protected and are being tracked. Many of the fish caught in that river have been tagged by the charters that caught them. I got to scan for a tag using a special device to see if this sturgeon was being tracked. It revealed the number of the tag this fish had previously been given. We did our duty and wrote down the number so that John could pass the info on to the MNR or whoever was tracking these fish. A minute or so of show and tell as we all starred in amazement of Ashley’s accomplishment, some learning about the anatomy of this Dino, and finally the moment we had all been waiting for. John broke out the pink measuring tape (fitting for Ashley) and measured the length and girth. It came in at a whopping 5’6” long with a 2’1” girth. Unbelievable. It wasn’t until we picked up Ashley’s trophy for a photo op that I realized I was holding my half of at least 100lbs.

 

This day was a success. Even though it wasn’t me I was thrilled for Ashley. Although as I mentioned, not choosing the first fish was now haunting me. This was something I knew we would never forget. I remember very clearly at that point the competitive side of my brain immediately regretted not taking the first fish, but my back and my couch I’m sure were very thankful. Immediately after all the commotion died down Ashley spotted a seagull landing nearby our boat. We all looked in the direction she was pointing as John had mentioned that if they land we have to watch to see if it starts pecking at the water. If it does, its very likely sitting on a salmon. The seagull pecked, and John instructed us to reel in our lines, we were headed over to have a look. John tied the anchor to a buoy, left it where we were fishing and off we went. As we approached, John asked that I grab the net to land this salmon floating down the river. He pulled up right beside and I netted our deceased friend. I couldn’t help but think that this might be the only fish I caught today, but not all was lost, at least I got my first salmon! John filleted this salmon quicker than I thought possible, pulled out a massive amount of roe, and baited two of the rods with a fresh filet (as fresh as a dead salmon with its eyeballs eaten out from birds can be).

 

I knew that I should have made Ashley compete with me to see who would get the first fish of the day. Maybe a contest like whoever has larger feet should get first fish, or possibly whoever is taller can go first. These were contests I was sure to win. Today was Ashley’s day, she was the lucky one. So lucky in fact that shortly before we were about to head in she walked by the rod she had caught her Dino on, placed her hand on the grip and said, “Go ahead, do your thing!”

 

May God strike me dead, and the fishing God’s provide me with nothing but skunks for the rest of my life if I’m lying. That rod bent down a little, then a little more, than a lot. “FISH ON,” wooo hoooo. Could it be? Is this really happening? When I thought all was lost is this…oh yeah…. I need to set the hook. Up I jumped like a gymnast off a trampoline, ripped the rod out of its holder and set the hook of a lifetime. John yelled to us that the line was rising and we better watch about 75-100 yards out. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for at first because Ashley’s fish never broke the water until the fight was over and it was boat side. All of a sudden there it was, this Dino came up and broke the surface in highlight reel fashion. It’s bleach white chest gleaming in the recently cleared sky. It must have been 4 feet out of the water and it didn’t even look like half the body of the sturgeon was showing. John warned that I was in for a battle, “that sucker is bigger than you,” he said. Bigger than me? I am no small man, in fact I am 6’3” tall and weigh a cool 250lbs. That thought was immediately interrupted by the zipping sound of line spewing out of my reel at a pace I had never witnessed. I mentioned to John that the line had changed color. That was his cue to kick the buoy attached to the anchor overboard, fire up the engine, and chase this fish down river before I was out of line and the rod ripped from my hands. It took every ounce of energy I had to fight this fish. On more than one occasion I remember thinking that my left arm was about to give out. I can’t attest to its truthfulness, but on Great River Fishing Adventures website it says catching a sturgeon is like fighting a mix between a black marlin and a freight train. This fish felt like only what I assume a 20 car freight train filled with black marlins would feel like at the end of a fishing rod. It was exhausting, painful, exciting, intense and worth every drop of sweat and the bruise I had on my forearm for 3 weeks from the reel. Everything I had hoped it would be and more. John made Ashley and my family put on waders as he explained this fish was too big for the boat. After I was done fighting we would tow this fish to the shoreline, they would get out and measure and scan the fish while I hopped into my waders to get in the water for a picture or two. Towards the end of this relentless struggle the sturgeon blew out all its air and sank. It felt like I was reeling in a human body from the depths of the river. Just as my parents and Ashley were almost geared up this creature broke the surface near the boat. Having seen Ashley just catch one of these Dino’s I figured I knew what to expect when I saw this fish boat side for the first time. Boy was I wrong. When this Dino surfaced in its entirety I gained an unbelievable respect for what had just occurred. John was right, this fish was bigger than me. I couldn’t do anything. I was frozen, frozen in a dead stare with this fish in all its size and beauty. We had come to the understanding that I had won this battle, that today I had triumphed over the Fraser River, that great battles were fought but none lost in the sense of the respect I gained for this creature.

 

As if this wasn’t enough already, upon scanning this Dino we found out that it had never been tagged. Ashley got to insert the tag via a needle behind what I would call the neck of this beast. Our fishing trip had turned into a mini science expedition.

 

Measurements were taken: 7’5” long with a 3’ girth and weighing in around 230 lbs.

We were all blown away. It took the four of us kneeling in the river to lift this beast up!

 

http://s1009.photobucket.com/user/lambe25/slideshow/Fraser%20River%20Fishing%20Time%202

 

It truly was the experience of a lifetime for Ashley and I. We are so grateful my parents planned this trip and will never forget the day we battled the Fraser River... and Won!!!

 

 

-Pairofgreenhorns

 

 

[davey buoy]

I just read a bit.Will save this for tomorrow mornings coffee.Sounds great!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Just finished reading your report,magnificent is all I can say. .

Edited January 1, 2014 by davey buoy

[bigugli]

Sounds like a great experience. Fine looking specimen you caught.

[leaf4]

wow what a monster that end picture wow!!! nice report! and nice catch!

[pidge]

Nice report mang! That sounds like a trip of a life time. One day I'd like to do the same thing hopefully. Very cool pictures.

[Big Cliff]

What a beautifully written report, I really enjoyed reading it!

 

Congratulations!

[Handlebarz]

looks like a great time thanks for sharing 5'6" and 7'5" fish sure do make a killer trip, the only thing I would change is the high end restaurants I like the little mom and pop shops usually they have killer food.

 

I wish I knew how good the fishing was out there when I lived there in the 90's as I was a 2 min bike ride from the river in Abbotsford but then again I might not have come home to Ontario had I started fishing the big river

[Joey]

Well that was a great morning read. thanks for sharing your adventure. I felt like I was right there with you. I also feel that you should never have to sleep on the couch again after that

 

Great pictures and an amazing trip, you lucky duck!

[landry]

That is an amazing family pic with that huge fish. What a treasure.

[vance]

A BC sturgeon trip has been on my list for years and I now I want to go even more,thanks for sharing..

 

vance

[DanD]

Oh man what a great report and pictures!!!!

I've been trying to talk my wife into a trip out there too visit her brother in Richmond; but so far she's said no?

To be truthful she knows I have no real interest in seeing him; but he's that close to the Fraser. LOL

Again loved the report.

​What's with the picture of you in the helmet; zip lining I guess?

​Sorry for this but it makes you look like you should be riding the short bus. LOL

​Only joking and I'm very envious of your family trip; it's only a dream for me.

 

Thanks again.

 

Dan.

 

[aplumma]

Well done thank you for taking the time to write it up for all of us to share.

 

 

Art

[spincast]

great report - fantastic fish, and a great fishing partner too - congrats man.

[cowanjo]

I responded recently to a post that said there is never good fishing reports anymore on OFC. Well this one is awesome and deserves to stay up the top for a while - what a great day - honourable thing to do by passing on the first fish and you get rewarded. Great time and fish - absolutely awesome report thanks !

[Skud]

Great write up of an awesome trip. Congrats on a beast of a fish. Thanks for sharing.

[Moosebunk]

Caught this the other day at work...

 

There's nothing quite like the subtle and gentle little tugs seen at the rod tip, then finding out a 100, 200, maybe even 500 to 1000 pound giant white sturgeon was just sniffing and rolling around a little piece of salmon flesh or ditch eel in it's gums.

 

Coolest thing mang! Great white sturgeon for ya dood!

[Musky or Specks]

This was a great report and those are some great fish. Thanks