Sport fishing column for Dec 21 to 28, 2009


This is it, last chance to buy that gift before Christmas and when is Christmas? Friday! That's right folks, if you haven?t bought that gift yet you have to get it before the stores close Thursday. To help you, this week we offer some great last minute suggestions.

Gift cards or certificates to your angler's favorite fishing store. While these items do not require much thought, they are a good idea for the advanced angler who can be extremely selective in his or her choices in equipment. If you wish to make this more personalized, make you own gift card stating a promise to take your angler to the store of his or her choice and personally pay for the item or items they choose. These items could include: specialized rods, reels, lines, fly tying tools, waders or boots. Fly fishing, fly tying, or fly casting classes for either novice or intermediate anglers are often an appreciated gift that these anglers would not buy for themselves. Most tackle shops either provide or can recommend these services. Fishing time is a great idea for the angler who has everything. A good chance of catching five or more 20 to 26 inch rainbow trout on a winter afternoon is a gift that is sure to bring a smile. The Sun Valley Trout Park, where I teach many of my classes offers just that, for $25: Three hours of catch and release fly fishing for large educated rainbow trout, with no license required. To reach the Trout park call 1-604-826-7818.

The Report

Ice still covers many of our Fraser Valley lakes, let's hope we do not get a repeat of last year when we saw a large portion of our lower mainland lakes iced over for four months.

The Fraser River back waters and sloughs are fishing well for cutthroat and rainbow. For cutthroat try: Flesh Fly, Eggo, Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Tied Down Minnow, Professor, Lioness, Winter Stone, Coachman, Zulu, Chez Nymph, or Souboo. For rainbow try the above along with red Spratley, red Carey, Kaufmann Stone, Royal Coachman or Black Gnat.

The Stave River is fair to good for cutthroat, rainbow, and coho. For coho try: Coho Blue, Christmas Tree, green or black Wooly Bugger, Bite Me, Blue Christmas, or Rolled Muddler.

The Harrison River is fair to good for coho and cutthroat.

The Chehalis River is fair for cutthroat and rainbow.

The Vedder River is fair to good for cutthroat, and rainbow.

The Squamish River is good for cutthroat, and dolly varden. For dolly varden try: large #4 to #2, Zonker, Eggo, Bucktail, Big Black, or Clouser's Deep Minnow.

The Thompson River is fair to good for rainbow and steelhead: Try: Steelhead Nightmare, Thor, Squamish Poacher, GP, Popsicle, Big Black, Flat Black, Polar Shrimp, Purple Peril, Eggo, Kaufmann Stone, or Steelhead Spratley. Remember this fishery closes Jan 1.

Last but not least, if you don't find the fishing stuff you wanted under the tree check out the Auction Shop on Boxing Day, December 26. The Sport Angler Network will be hosting a first of its kind in Canada, outdoor and angling related online auction. All details are available at www.auctionshop.ca

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