The Harrison River
The Harrison River is one of the main tributaries
of the Fraser River. Although it is not a long river, exiting
Harrison Lake and flowing into the Fraser at the historic town
of Harrison Mills, it does have a large water flow and an estuarial
look to it. Since the Harrison has a large lake at its headwater
no amount of rain will muddy up the water, even though it will
rise and fall often in a season. This makes it a sure bet when
many of the other local rivers are flowing high and turbid.
The waters of the Harrison are hallowed as being some of the
best fly waters of the Fraser Valley. Its low gradient, clarity
and estuarial feel make it ideal for the fur and feather tosser.
Also, the inaccessibility and need for a jet boat give a fairly
remote feel even though it is within an hour of Vancouver.
The Harrison is the single largest salmon-producing tributary
of the Fraser River system. All five species of salmon enter
the Harrison to spawn and die and/or move up river to their
natal streams to propagate and fulfill their life cycle. This
often means that in-season, multiple species days can be had.
Sockeye are the first to move into the system in August. They
continue to enter until the end of September. The best fly fishing
for them is usually the middle of September as the fish enter
the upper portion of the river.
Pinks can found entering the system in huge numbers - in the
millions - on odd years… 2003, 2005, 2007… towards the end of
August, peaking towards the end of September. These are some
of the most aggressive salmon you will ever find. Although not
huge (3 to 7 lb average), they make up for their smaller size
in their sheer willingness to attack a fly and stunning numbers.
Chum are next entering towards the end of September and peaking
around the third week of October. These brutes are some of the
largest in the world often topping 20 pounds with a good average
of 13 pounds. They respond very well to the fly and proliferate
the river in the hundreds of thousands. Large number days and
exceptionally large fish are the norm when targeting this species.
Sometime in the beginning of October the long awaited return
of Coho begins to filter into the system. These fish represent
the pinnacle of success for the Harrison River fly fisher. The
spookiest and toughest to catch, the Coho is the “trophy” fish
of the river. When “in the mood” Coho can become reckless takers,
often chasing flies for some distance or making surface attacks
in plain view.
Chinook enter the river year round although the most fishable
time is usually October and early November. These are the biggest
of the big often-exceeding 30 pounds with a 17+ pound average.
Timing is everything with Chinook as most of these brutes use
the Harrison as traveling grounds and a “run” of fish can easily
push through in a few days.
Spring marks the time that new life begins for the salmon’s
offspring; this is usually sometime in March and peaking towards
the end of April. With this newfound birth comes a bonanza of
food in the form off salmon minnows. Thousands of gorgeous sea-run
cutthroat trout come in from the Pacific to lunch on these hapless
victims. Averaging around 14 inches these trout are known for
their aggressive takes and great fun on light tackle. Most fishing
is sight casting to boiling fish and surface film orientated.
- Prices:one person = $610 Canadian
two persons = $640 Canadian
three persons = $750 Canadian
four persons = $800 Canadian
- Includes: all fishing gear, 8+ hours fishing, jet boat,
and guide.
- Not Included 5% GST tax, fishing licenses, accomodations,
lunches or gratuities. Lunches can be arranged for an additional
$15.00
* Larger groups are not a problem, please inquire for pricing
and logistics*
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