VANCOUVER FISHING GUIDES
MEET OUR TEAM OF THE CITY’S TOP GUIDES
Nothing beats local experience. Our Vancouver fishing guide staff comprised of the region’s most experienced anglers, a fun hard-working group that loves what they do. You want to fish with guides who are on the water 12 months a year and that’s who you’ll be with when you book with us. Having great guides is something we’ve always prided ourselves on. This level of expertise gives clients the best possible experiences. Below you’ll meet our team of Vancouver fishing guides, and a few of the fellows in Squamish & Whistler.
YOS GLADSTONE
Owner & Operator
Yos has been a 20+ year fishing guide in British Columbia, guiding province wide. In 2006 at the age of 26 he started Chromer Sport Fishing a guide service offering trips in Vancouver, Squamish & Whistler. You can find Yos guiding local trips, answering emails and enjoying time with his growing family. Yos also guides at Langara Island Lodge in the Summer months, an exclusive salmon fishing lodge on BC’s north coast.
What the best part about being the boss?
“Bossing every one around of course! Just kidding, it’s having an absolutely awesome staff that gets along great and who are always hustling to make trips the best they can be. I’m super lucky to have such a great crew and an operation we can all be proud of.”
GREG JEANES
OFFICE GUY EXTRAORDINAIRE
Looking after our guest services is book manager Greg Jeanes. Greg has been with us for five years now and makes sure all our trips go off without a hiccup. Greg grew up fishing around British Columbia and knows all the details of our trips like the back of his hand. When you call our toll-free number or send us an inquiry Greg will be there to answer all your questions and get you set up with the perfect Vancouver fishing trip.
Where’s your favourite fishing spot?
“Probably the Squamish River north of Vancouver. I’ve fly fished all over BC and grew up in the Okanagan where there’s some great fishing too. But to get out for a day on the Squamish is probably my favourite, you never know what you’ll catch or what wildlife you’ll see!”
PAT BEAHEN
SQUAMISH FLY FISHING GUIDE
Pat and Yos have guided together nearly two decades, both getting their start with Whistler Fly Fishing in the late 90’s. Pat has a wealth of Whister/Squamish/Vancouver fly fishing knowledge that is simply unsurpassed. That experience combined with unbridled passion for fly fishing in the Sea to Sky corridor makes Pat as good as they come! Non stop energy and enthusiasm is all part of his program. Pat is based in Squamish BC and guides for us out of Vancouver and Whistler. When not guiding (which isn’t much) Pat enjoys petting his kitty, having a cold beer and going shed hunting in the bush.
Best place for a frosty pint after fishing?
“Can’t beat the Watershed Grill in Squamish. Sitting around with the boys having an après fish pint watching the sun dip behind the Tantalus Mountains, that’s as good as it gets.”
JAY ASSONITIS
SALMON FISHING CAPTAIN
You won’t find a more experienced salmon fishing guide in Vancouver than Jay Assonitis. Jay has guided for us since 2006 and runs a fleet of Grady White boats out of Granville Island. When it comes to local salmon fishing knowledge Jay has a skill set that is unmatched, a wealth of Vancouver fishing knowledge and a fun guy to fish with.
When is your favourite time to be salmon fishing?
“Most people don’t know we can be salmon fishing in Vancouver 365 days a year. So it’s a really long season and I like all of it but Winter chinook fishing has always been my overall favourite. I love being able to run up Howe Sound with the mountains covered in snow and find some fish and drop some prawn traps.”
TOM MCHUGH
VANCOUVER FLY FISHING GUIDE
Heading up our Vancouver fly fishing trips is pro fly fishing guide Tom McHugh. Tom has a lifetime of experience fishing the rivers of southern British Columbia and offers guests a wealth of knowledge when it comes to fly angling in the Pacific Northwest. He guides for us full time, 12 months of the year and is certainly one of the most well-round and experienced fly fishing guides in the area. His friendly guiding style and good energy is why he’s one of our most requested guides.
What do you do when you’re not guiding?
“I go fishing. Really, I love going fishing locally, sometimes in my kayak or just a drive somewhere to check out a spot I haven’t been to for a while. I also like picking mushrooms, there’s some good picking to be had that not too many people know about. I also tie lots of flies, that’s my wind down time, to sit at the vise and whip up some bugs.”
KEVIN ESTRADA
STURGEON FISHING GUIDE
The best sturgeon fishing in the world is 90 minutes from Vancouver and heading up our fishing on the Fraser River is Kevin Estrada. Always on the biggest fish is how our head sturgeon guide Kevin Estrada has made a name for himself. From appearing on international fishing shows to consistently putting our guests on monster sturgeon, Kevin is the fishing guide you’ll want to be with while on the might Fraser.
What should one know about sturgeon fishing?
“The program I run is as much about the fishing as it is about the conservation of these beautiful fish. I’ve been a proud member of the sturgeon tagging program on the Fraser River for many years and really enjoy introducing guests to these fish and this area. As part of the research team we can enjoy great fishing but also make a difference in the fishery and guests really love that aspect of their trip.”
JON MacARTHUR
VANCOUVER FLY FISHING GUIDE
The latest addition to the team is Jon MacArthur who joined us as one of our Vancouver fly fishing guides. Jon brings with him a wealth of fly fishing and casting knowledge. He’s fast become a guest favourite, his easy going style and love of local fishing shine through on all his trips. When not guiding Jon enjoys hanging with his wife, getting cool tattoos and tying flies.
What’s the best part about being a guide?
“I never realized how many interesting people like fly fishing and it’s pretty amazing to be able to introduce them to the fishing we have here. Nobody can believe that we can be in the wilderness within an hour of me picking them up, that’s a highlight to see people enjoy the area as much as I do.”
“I have been fishing in BC for 30 years. Sadly, I hadn’t ever really been fishing until I met Yos Gladstone and the team at Chromer Sport Fishing. They offer a true BC fishing experience. Their knowledge and feel for the lakes, rivers and oceans of British Columbia make them a truly amazing experience. Chromer Sport Fishing is what fishing in BC is all about!”
MIKE S – KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
AUSTIN HEFFELFINGER
VANCOUVER FLY FISHING GUIDE
One of senior fly fishing guides with a wealth of fishing knowledge from around British Columbia is Austin Heffelfinger. Austin lives and guides out of Vancouver and also works closely with Fishing BC as one of their premier photographers. There’s a lot to learn when fishing with The Heff, he has a strong background in instruction, especially when it comes to local trout and salmon fishing on our local rivers. Mountain biking, skiing and getting chased by grizzly bears are all close seconds after fishing for this guy.
What makes a good fishing photo?
“The backdrop and the light always create the mood but making sure there is some movement is what brings a photo to life. Whether it’s someone taking a step in the river or a drip of water coming off a fish, having that little bit of action is what I think makes one photo pop over another.”
PAULY D
VANCOUVER FISHING GUIDE
With over 20 years of guiding experience in British Columbia, Paul is one of our most experienced fishing guides and works year round for us. In the Spring and Fall months he guides our Vancouver fly fishing trips while in the Summer and Winter months he guides our saltwater salmon fishing charters. Paul’s laid back guiding style and diverse knowledge of the local Vancouver fishing scene lets him put clients on fish with ease. Paul also takes the lead on our many safety protocols we have implemented in our guide business, something we all take very seriously while on the water.
Saltwater or freshwater?
“I don’t know how to answer that! Which one do I like more? Depends how the fishing is I guess. When salmon fishing on the ocean is going off it’s pretty hard to beat, I still get all amped up even after all these years when the bite comes on.”
DIMITRI ROUSANIDIS
VANCOUVER FISHING GUIDE
One of the most well round fishing guides in Vancouver is Dimitri Rousanidis who brings with him a wealth of freshwater and saltwater fishing experience. Running our Vancouver salmon charters Dimitri is always hustling to find fish and loves to talk fishing. An avid steelhead angler and fly tyer he also loves his freshwater fishing and spends his Fall months guiding on the famed Bulkley River.
Best part about salmon fishing in Vancouver?
“In Vancouver we get to meet so many people from around the world and everyone is blown away by the fishing we have here. It’s pretty cool to be able to introduce people to fishing so close to a big city and get them out into the wilderness. If we see whales or eagles it makes for an even more spectacular experience for our guests.”
DYLAN MARCHE
WHISTLER FLY FISHING GUIDE
Originally from Canada’s east coast Dylan has been guiding for us in Whistler for the past six years. He’s one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to fish with, a great sense of humour and loves spending his time in the wild outdoors of the Whistler area. Dyl is definitely a guest favourite and when’s he’s not guiding he enjoys hunting and snowboarding.
What’s you favourite spot to go fishing near Whistler?
“I kinda like all the spots we can fish close to town but when there’s good trout fishing on the Birkenhead River that’s probably my favourite. It’s a really fun little river to go fly fishing on and there’s some big rainbows and bull trout.”
