The traditional waking fly method, which is used extensively on larger rivers like the Dean and the Bulkley, sometimes seems to spook fish on the smaller streams of Vancouver Island. Anglers on the mainland coast have an interesting menu to choose from through late summer and fall. From Vancouver, Dana Sturn advises that anglers should expect a good run of sockeye salmon in the Fraser River and its tributaries through August, with pink salmon joining them to provide good fishing through the month of September. Coho salmon return to the Fraser, Harrison, and Vedder rivers in September, and through late September and October big chum salmon are in the Harrison. The Dean River, north of Bella Coola, is arguably the best steelhead stream in British Columbia.
Access is possible but difficult and time- consuming, and water conditions are volatile.
Even in the prime month of August the river clouds up quickly from either hot weather or rain. Anglers considering fishing for B.C. salmon and steelhead are advised to keep a close watch on the ongoing dispute between Canadian and American commercial fishermen which could spill over onto the sportfishing side of the leger. Last-minute changes to sportfishing regulations would not be a complete surprise. From Kamloops, biologist and lake-fishing expert Brian Chan tells me August is traditionally the toughest month to fish lakes in the B.C. interior. Exceptions to this rule are the higher elevation lakes that stay cool through hot August weather.