Sport fishing column for Feb 1 to 8, 2010


A very good question was asked this past week, so I have decided to answer it in this week's column: Why do I recommend fishing in the northeast sections of a lake?

All fish species spend their lives in a constant pursuit of their comfort zone. Their comfort zone like all things in their lives is governed by water temperature. The list of things in a fishes life regulated by water temperature consist of: hatching from an egg to an Alevin, available food sources, available oxygen, spawning time, and the speed of the fishes metabolism.

In lakes, from fall through winter, and into spring, the water tends to be cold to freezing, which is lower in oxygen and uncomfortable to fish. Areas of a lake that receive the strongest concentration of sunlight tend to be warmer and better oxygenated, as a result the warming rays of the sun and photo synthesis. In our northern hemisphere the sun shines in a northward direction, rising in the east and setting in the west. This trajectory of the suns focuses the strongest and warmest consecration of the rays on the northeast sections of a lake, from noon through sundown. Depth of the water also plays a role in the warming process, making the areas closer to shore more desirable to fish in the late fall through early spring. During summer months this strategy is reversed when fish look for cooler water, which can generally found in the southwestern regions of a lake.

This strategy holds true in the majority of lake fishing application, but one does need to be aware that the location of other temperature regulators such as inlet steams and underwater springs, can offset the warming effects of the sun.

The Report

Our lower mainland lakes are fishing well from mid morning to dusk. Concentrate on the warmer water, close to shore, in the northeastern sections of your favorite lake, with a slow retrieve or troll. 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, Egg & Eye Alevin, 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 good for cutthroat, rainbow, and whitefish. For whitefish try: small (#14 to#20) Eggo, Flesh Fly, Griffith Gnat, Stone Nymph, Chironomid, or Caddis Nymph.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat.

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, Purple Peril, Holliman, Kaufmann Stone, or Steelhead Spratley.

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

The Squamish River is slow for cutthroat, and dolly varden. 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".