Sport fishing column for March 29 to April 5, 2010



The Fraser Valley Middle and High School Fly fishing Championships were always a favorite event of mine, during my time as a school based fly fishing club coordinator.

Each June members from the different clubs would join us at the Sun Valley Trout Park, hoping to prove their skill and take home one of the prizes donated by our local tackle shops. A maximum four fish weigh in, for an angler's gross weight, was designed to handicap the more advanced anglers. Often the anglers with the highest catches did not win 1st or 2nd at weight in, due to over estimating their ability to catch larger fish.

One record that was established during this time and has yet to be beaten, was set by a young man with the initials I D. In his first championship, competing as member of the Kwayhquit Fly Fishers, he placed 2nd over all. In the next two championships he placed 2nd again. This had him in the winners circle placing 2nd for three consecutive championships in a row. You would think he would have seen the accomplishment in this. Unfortunately he did not. Disillusioned with his inability to place first he quit fly fishing. Eight years later, his record of consistency remains unbeaten. Champions are not always the ones who place 1st; true champions are those who can hold a position in the winners circle consistently year after year.

Next week we will talk about three middle school students and what they did for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.


The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is fair to good, watch the barometer. 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. For kokanee try: Red Abbis, Red Spratley, Bloodworm, Royal Coachman, San Juan Worm, or red Micro Leach.

The ice has come off most of our low elevation interior lakes. Fishing has been spotty, but fish are being caught. Dress for the conditions and be safe.

The Fraser River back waters and sloughs are fishing well for cutthroat, rainbow, and dolly varden. For cutthroat and rainbow try: Eggo, Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Tied Down Minnow, Professor, Lioness, Kaufmann Stone Nymph, Royal Wulff Coachman, Zulu, Chez Nymph, Black Gnat, Souboo, irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, or Stimulator. 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".