British Columbia’s mighty Fraser River twists its way down from the highest Rocky Mountains to the sea near Vancouver. Named by early explorers seeking new trade routes in the 19th century, it was called “Elhdaqox” by Athabaskan tribes, which in the Tsilhqot'in language means “sturgeon.”
Where the Fraser Valley opens into a wide canyon before dumping into the Pacific Ocean, fishing guides like Kevin Estrada capitalize on this still-pristine river’s robust population of prehistoric bottom feeders. The name of the Chilliwack-based operation he runs, Sturgeon Slayers, is misleading, because Estrada, 42, a former NHL draftee, is bent on conservation, tagging the fish he catches for recreation and then releasing them.
