Playing Tag in British Columbia

Before heading out on a road trip to British Columbia, I reviewed the B.C. fishing regulations in some depth.

For visitors from other countries, the license fees in B.C. are significant, especially if you are going to fish their "classified" waters, which require $20 or $40 per day in addition to the basic license fee.

After carefully reviewing the regulations, it seemed clear that "playing tag" would not constitute angling and would not require any license at all. So I tied some FEB October Caddis, cut the hooks off, and packed my gear.

As luck would have it, a side trip into the mountains ended at a lodge owned by a fellow who had lived and fished in that area for over 40 years. Just in the course of conversation, he volunteered that using flies without hooks was not considered fishing and did not require a license in B.C. He had discussed this issue a number of times with both B.C. fisheries reps and with B.C. enforcement officers.

So if you head off to British Columbia and would like to do some non-fishing, consider cutting the hooks off your flies and playing tag.

John

P.S. The FEB O.C. flies were definitely popular with some backcountry westslope cutthroat trout.

Last time we were in Spokane visiting kids, we were planning on going to Fernie, BC, but were put off by the "classified" waters fees, so didn't. Wish we had thought of playing tag then.