Sport fishing column for April 19 to 26, 2010

On occasion I hear the question, why should I pay for lessons when there is so much free information out there? I believe the question is a valid one, but it is never a one you here from the pros. Pros know from experience that it takes time to separate the wheat from the chaff (the useful from the non useful). The best in any sport know, study and training are both time and money well spent.
Reading is a must but so is the hands on training and coaching.

In times past, it took some of us decades to master what can be achieved in a couple of years with good teaching today. Building on the wisdom and knowledge of the old masters, the pros of today are far ahead of where anglers were twenty years ago. Twenty years from now who knows what it will take to be one of the best. If you desire high catch ratios, big fish, prize money, and gold metals from your sport fishing, you need training. In the end it all comes down to a game of chance, but even so, you don't get to the winners circle on luck alone.

The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes are fishing well. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Big Black, Wooly bugger, Micro Leach, Baggy Shrimp, Coachman, Pumpkin head, Cased Caddis, Halfback, Dragon Nymph, olive Matuka, Zulu, or Doc Spratley. For dry (floating) fly fishing 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.

Our local bass and crappie are awake too. To succeed with these warm water species try: Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Matuka, Crayfish, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Deceiver, Dolly Whacker, or Bucktail.

Many of our interior lakes are open, check before you before you go. Reports have been good.

The Fraser River back waters and sloughs remain good 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, Sooboo, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, or Stimulator. For dolly varden try: large (#4 to #20 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 Vedder River is fair to good for steelhead, cutthroat, and rainbow.

We are teaching our fly fishing classes at Hatch Match'r Fly & Tackle this year. Our first session will run on two consecutive Saturdays, May 8 & 15. If you want a primer for the long weekend, this is it. We have limited seating to 12, so call 1-604-820-4099 or 604-467-7118 today.

Wild pacific salmon or part of our heritage, say no the foreign national companies and their farmed fish.