Monthly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column and Over View

Jeff?s Monthly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column and Report for August 2016


This month I have chosen to cover, micropterus salmonids. Largemouth bass, or as I like to call them, swamp trout.

These fish, though often maligned by BC anglers, are one of North America?s most popular game fish. About twenty years ago these fish started getting negative front page press, in BC magazines. This negative press drew a battle line between a small contingent of devoted BC bass anglers and the status quo of BC anglers. Many claims have been made by what are termed, backyard biologists; that bass will decimate out resident salmonids stocks. Though many tests have been done, these claims have yet to be confirmed. It has also claimed that bass have been illegally transported and planted, by the so called bucket brigade. Again these claims have yet to be verified. Bass anglers claim that BC fisheries planted bass selectively in the early 1900?s. BC Fisheries denied claims that they have planted bass in the past and give credence to claims that bass are a threat to resident salmonids. As I said, many tests have been done and this treat remains unproven. Unlike many BC anglers I have fished a good portion of southern Ontario where bass and oncorhynchus mykiss kamloops, the famed Kamloops substrain of rainbow trout, coexist very effectively. So I do not buy into the bass or trout prejudice.

The documented truth is; that small mouth bass were established here in BC, in 1901, and large mouth in 1919, as recorded by Professor John Richard Dymon, in his book ?Trout and other Game Fish of British Columbia,? published in 1932, by Fisheries Canada. While records show many barren lakes in the BC interior, were not stocked with trout until the 1920?s. As I stated earlier, legally planted bass and trout have been here in BC, longer than any of us reading this column, and after 100 years of coexisting together neither has wiped the other out. I like and fish them both; perhaps you should too.


The Report


Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is fair to good. Stable weather has finally arrived; along with the heat. This mixed blessing makes thing a bit more challenging but not impossible. Working the cooler more oxygenated water around underground springs, inlet streams, the south western regions of your favorite lake, in the early morning and evening, usually helps improve the catch ratio. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Chironomid, black or green Wooly Bugger, Doc Spratley, Sixpack, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Dragon Nymph, Micro Leach, Pumpkinhead, or Baggy Shrimp. For dry (floating) fly fishing try: Lady McConnel, Tom Thumb, Elk Hair Caddis, Double Hackled Peacock, Black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, or Irresistible. For Kokanee try: Red Ibis, San Juan Worm, Red Spratley, or red Zonker.


Our lower mainland bass and panfish waters are in prime shape. Waters are still up but beginning to drop and the weeds are growing, so don?t leave this one too long. For bass try: Popping Bug, Chernobyl Ant, adult Dragon and Damsel, Joe?s hopper, Stimulator, Foam Frog, Tom thumb, Big Black, black or green Wooly bugger, Dolly Whacker, Lefty?s Deceiver, Clouser?s Deep Minnow, or Pumpkinhead. For panfish try: Popping Bug, Damsel Nymph, Dragon Nymph, Souboo, Micro Leach, Wooly Bugger, Tied Down Minnow, Dolly Whacker, Pumpkinhead, Black Gnat, Adams, Tom Thumb, Trico, Griffith Gnat.


Our interior lakes are in still fishing fairly well. Again, early morning and evening are the key. For wet fly fishing try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Red Spratley, Halfback, Big Black, black or green Wooly Bugger, Dragon Nymph, Butler?s Bug, Damsel Nymph, Pumpkinhead, or Baggy shrimp. For dry fly fishing try: Tom Thumb, Renegade, Lady McConnel, Goddard Sedge, Elk Hair Caddis, Black Gnat, Double Trued, Adams, or Irresistible.


It?s my favorite time of year! That?s right, the Stonefly hatch is on! Time to hit the rivers, once a year event, ?Big Flies, Big Fish.?

Salmon fishing on the Fraser is closed again!

The Chehalis River is slow to fair for rainbow and cutthroat. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Professor, Silver Doctor. For rainbow try Kaufman stone, Stimulator, California Blond, Adams, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, Tom Thumb, Zulu, Black Gnat, Czech, Cased Caddis, Straw Man, Joe?s Hopper, or Goddard Caddis.

The Thompson River is very good for its famous rainbows: The bad news of the low sockeye return, is good news for those wishing to land one of the famous trophy Thompson River rainbows. Many years of experience has taught me that if you want to enjoy the peak of the remarkable stone fly hatch, on the Thom, you need to fish the river hard during the hottest two weeks of summer, from the BC Day long weekend, until the sockeye flood the river at Spence Bridge. Once the sockeye, bully the big bows out of all the prime holding water, the prospects of consistently finding those legendary big bows is over for another year; but not this year. We are pushing into the third week, and those 50cm plus rainbows are still persistently slamming size #2 and #4 Stimulators and Stone Nymphs.