Sport fishing column for March 8 to 15, 2010
Another extraordinary student I had under my charge in my time as a youth fly fishing coach was B H, who was a special needs student who came to Terry Fox club in its fourth year. I had often suggested to our members that they should be using some of our activities as content for assignments in their academic studies such as science or english. Try as I might my suggestions fell on deaf ears, until B H joined our ranks.

B H took heed of my suggestion and used a salmon fishing trip our club made to the Stave River, as her subject for a public speaking assignment. I was so pleased, that I made arrangements for all the club members to be present when she spoke. Later, at the next meeting we presented her with an award for the leadership she displayed to our club. An annual (sport fishing) writing contest for our two clubs was also initiated in her honor.

I believe successful sport fishing has a valid educational component to it, and can be used in conjunction with convectional education. B H helped me unveil a small portion of that vision.

The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is AAA the second week of March. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Big Black, Wooly bugger, Micro Leach, Baggy Shrimp, Coachman, Cased caddis, Zulu, or Doc Spratley. For dry (floating) fly fishing on sunny afternoons, try: Tom Thumb, Lady McConnel, Irresistible, Renegade, Black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, Royal Coachman, or Elk Hair Caddis. Kokanee are on the bite as well, try: Red Abbis, Red Spratley, Bloodworm, Royal Coachman, San Juan Worm, or red Micro Leach.

Reports from our interior lakes; state the ice is coming of all the low elevation lakes and the sedge and stoneflies are already hatching.

The Fraser River back waters and sloughs are fishing well for cutthroat, rainbow, and dolly varden. For cutthroat try: Flesh Fly, Eggo, Egg & Eye Alevin, Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Tied Down Minnow, Professor, Lioness, Stone Nymph, Coachman, Zulu, Chez Nymph, or Souboo. For rainbow try the above along with red Spratley, red Carey, Kaufmann Stone, Royal Coachman or Black Gnat. For dolly varden try: large (#4 to #2) Eggo, Flesh Fly, Rolled Muddler, Zonker, Clouser's Deep Minnow, black Popsicle, or Big Black.

The Stave River is good for cutthroat, rainbow, steelhead, and whitefish. For whitefish try: small (#14 to#20) Eggo, Flesh Fly, Griffith Gnat, Stone Nymph, Chironomid, or Caddis Nymph. For steelhead try: Squamish Poacher, Thor, GP, Popsicle, Big Black, Flat Black, Poplar Shrimp, Eggo, Purple Peril, Holliman, Steelhead Spratley, Steelhead Nightmare, or Kaufmann Stone.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat, and rainbow.

The Chehalis River is good for steelhead, cutthroat, dolly varden, and rainbow.

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

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