Fishing report for June 16 to 23, 2008


The era of the 1920's ushered in the golden age of our BC trout fishery. The prospering world economy, luxury resort and fishing lodges, first class rail service, and an unrivaled rainbow trout fishery, all worked together to make BC a vacationers mecca.

Of the many lodges that have been turned back to dust and forgotten, Echo Lodge on Paul Lake stands head and shoulders above the rest. Although opened in 1922 by J Arthur Scott, Echo Lodge did not get its world acclaim until 1927 when Arthur William Nations (Bill Nations) made it the permanent location for guiding business.

Nations was a guide extraordinary and well ahead of his time; understanding the correlation between barometric pressure and fish feeding behavior. He was also a student of entomology (the science of insects) and spent much of his time developing flies to match the prolific insect hatches of our interior lakes. 80 years have passed since their development, but the "Nations" family of fly patterns still produce as well as they did when Bill Nations brought guests from around the world to Kamloops.

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is back on track, thanks to the improvement in weather. Mornings and evenings are the ticket to success. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try chironomid, Bloodworm, Micro Leach, Wooly worm, Pheasant Tail nymph, Doc Spratley, Green Spratley, Dragonfly Nymph, Coachman, Cased Caddis, Carey Special, Zulu, or Baggy Shrimp. If dry (floating) fly is your fancy try: Tom Thumb, Renegade, Lady McConnel, Elk Hair Caddis, Griffith Gnat, Royal Coachman, or Brayshaw's Fancy.

Our interior lakes are fishing well also, with reports of rainbows to 10 pounds. For wet fly fishing try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Big Black, Wooly Bugger, Nations Silver Tip Sedge, Halfback, Souboo, Sixpack, Butlers Bug, 52 Buick, olive Matuka, or Baggy Shrimp. For dry fly, try: Lady McConnel, Irresistible, Double Hackled Peacock, Goddard Sedge, Tom Thumb, Royal Wulff, or Black Gnat. For kokanee, try: Bloodworm, Red Spratley, Red Abbis, Royal Coachman, Royal Wulff, or Royal Trude.

Many of our rivers while still high are fishable again.

The Fraser River is open for springs. For better success concentrate on the color changes around its many feeder streams. Try large (#1 or #2) Eggo, Popsicle, GP, Flat Black, Big Black, or Kaufman Stone.

The Harrison is fair for cutthroat. Try Rolled Muddler, Tied Down Minnow, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Bucktail, Stonefly Nymph, Cased caddis, Coachman, American Coachman, Zulu, Black Gnat, Souboo, or Sixpack.

The Chehalis River is fair to good for rainbow. Try Stonefly Nymph, Cased Caddis, Royal Coachman, Zulu, Black Gant, Sixpack, Souboo, Irresistible, or Stimulator.

Registrations for the 5th Annual Tyee Kayak Fishing Derby, August 30 - 31, are now being accepted at www.canadiankayakanglers.com. As with the previous kayak derbies this one will also be held at Moutcha Bay, Vancouver Island. New this year will be a specific fly fishing division. The gantlet is down!

Until the next time, "Keep your fly in the water".