Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column and Report
Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column for March 7to 14, 2016
Pharmacist Arthur William (Bill) Nations was another British fly fishing master that was drawn to British Columbia during the 1920?s. Soon after his arrival he started a guiding business at little River, which he moved to Echo Lodge on Paul lake in 1927. It was from Paul Lake that Bill?s fame spread far and wide. His keen eye as pharmacist along with an analytical mind served him well as he spent many hours studying Kamloops trout and their feeding habits. From these studies and observations, Bill developed a series of fly patterns that were unmatched well into the 1950?s. His skills as a guide were as legendary, as the promise of, ?at least one hundred trout a week,? on his advertising brochures. In later years Haig-Brown would write of his friend Bill Nations.
?He brought to Kamloops trout fishing the most original mind it has yet known.?
After Bill Nations, Haig-Brown came to British Columbia in 1927. Although he had caught his first steelhead in Washington?s Deer creek, it was the rivers of Vancouver Island that captured Haig-Brown?s heart. Work as a logging surveyor that brought him to the Nimpkish River in 1927, but it was the fish runs that kept him there. Like the fish he pursued for the rest of his life, his writing career was spawned on the rivers of Vancouver Island, starting with articles for the Fishing Gazette. While best known for his many books and influence as a conservationist, Haig-Brown was also a great encourager and mentor to many other aspiring writers. Of all the things Haig-Brown was; his wish, was that he first be recognized as writer.
?I am (an) author, pure and simple and anything else I do in this life is merely done in pursuit of that profession.?
The Report
Our lower mainland lakes are fishing slow to fair. Unsettled weather is always brings challenging fishing conditions. For better success try to focus you fishing around the upward swings in barometric pressure, with: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Wooly Bugger, Doc Spratley, Halfback, Micro Leach, Pumpkinhead, or Baggy Shrimp.
The Fraser River along with its backwaters and sloughs are fishing fair to good for cutthroat, rainbow, dolly Varden, and steelhead. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Flesh Fly, Eggo, Professor, Silver Doctor, Borden Special, Zulu, or small black Stone Nymph. For dolly varden try: large Clouser?s Deep Minnow. Zonker, Eggo, Flesh Fly, Dolly Whacker, or Kauffman Stone. For rainbow try: Czech nymph, Cased Caddis, Coachman, Rolled Muddler, Mico Leach, or Zulu. For steelhead try: Big Black, Flat Black, Squamish Poacher, Polar Shrimp, Popsicle, GP, Steelhead Nightmare, or Kauffman Stone.
The Harrison River is good for cutthroat and rainbow.
The Vedder River is good for rainbow and steelhead.
