Weekly Sport Fishing column for Jan 11 to 18, 2010

Here we are in the winter doldrums for sport fishing; the in-between season. If you are a winter steelheader, fortunate enough to have antifreeze in your arteries, you are all fired up waiting for a big push of fish to come in, while the rest of us dream of summer on the beach. This is not a bad place, just slower than we would like it.

Not wanting to encourage you in the melancholyness of what some have coined dump month, I would encourage you to take this time for some introspection on where you want sport fishing to take you this year.

How's your equipment look, does any of it need to be repaired or replaced? What about that outboard, when was the last time you changed the plugs, or the oil in the leg. When was the last time you cleaned and greased your reels?

Have you slotted fishing time into your calendar? Many don't think of planning fishing time, but like anything else in our day and age without planning it can be put off to ad nauseam.

We have many fish species in this province, each one is different from the other, having their own preferences in water temperature, oxygen content, and food. These factors change month to month and season to season. An understanding of these changing factors can be achieved through study. Study requires time and time is a commodity we all have in between the seasons. Accent the positive, spring will be here before you know it.

The Report:

Our lower mainland lakes are in good shape and offer good winters fishing. Focus your efforts close to shore on the north east sections of you favorite lake, from mid morning through mid afternoon. Try: Big Black, Wooly Bugger, Micro leach, Baggy Shrimp,Coachman, Bloodworm, Chironomid Cased Caddis, Zulu, or Doc Spratley.

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 any off the above along with: Red Spratley, Red Carey, Kaufmann Stone, Royal Coachman, or Black Gnat.

The Stave River is good for cutthroat,rainbow, and whitefish. For whitefish try: small (#14 to #20) Eggo, Souboo, Fleshfly, Griffith Gnat, Stone Nymph, Chironomide, or Caddis Nymph.
The Harrison River is good for cutthroat and rainbow.

The Chehalis River is fair for steelhead, cutthroat, and rainbow. For steelhead try: Squamish Poacher, Thor, GP, Popsicle, Big Black, Flat Black, Polar Shrimp, Eggo, Steelhead Nightmare, Purpil Peril, Kaufmann Stone, or Steelhead Spratley.

The Vedder River is good for steelhead, cutthroat and rainbow.

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

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