Sport fishing column for Feb 15 to 22, 2010


As with all things there are seasons to an angler's life. It starts with a desire to catch a fish, which later becomes a wish to catch large numbers of fish. As time goes an angler's aspirations move toward catching larger and more challenging fish. Some never pass this point, while other progress to the place of giving back. Giving back to our sport can take many forms: Releasing fish for others to enjoy catching. Volunteering at a fish hatchery or with a group of stream keepers. Writing books or magazine articles on the subject. Sharing your skills with others one on one or with groups.

Teaching others was the opportunity I was given, staring with youth, fourteen years ago. It began on a spring afternoon at Terry Fox Secondary school, when Business Education Teacher Ken Miscisco invited me to assist him and Scott Parker in forming a Youth Fly Fishing Club in the coming fall. Little did I know that agreeing would put me on a road that would later lead to coordination two clubs with a joint membership of one hundred, teaching night school in four school districts, and writing a sport fishing column carried by three newspapers and two online magazines.

Giving back starts with putting aside your wants for the greater good of the whole. While doing this, rewards come in ways one would seldom consider and in forms rarely expected. Over the coming weeks I will be sharing some of the blessings I have seen, in my corner of sport fishing as a result of putting the wishes of others before my own.

The report

Our Lower mainland lakes are fishing well from mid morning to dusk. Concentrate on the warmer water in the northeastern sections of your favorite lake. 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 fair to 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 slow 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 fair to 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".