Sport fishing column for May 31 to June 7, 2010

For the last few weeks I have been covering the subject of Father's Fishing with their children. I expected to be done with this, but more has come up.

The question was asked again; how old should my kids be before I start taking them fishing? How about conception? All joking aside, there is no set age. I know I started both my girls when I was confident they were able to hold on to their fishing rods, at age two. My friend Brad started taking his son along while his son was still in his cuddle seat. My mentor Phil Genova started teaching his son about fly tying at eighteen months. Another friend of mine, Claude, had his daughter float fishing at three. The only determining factor that I can think of is safety; when you can take them along with you safely, it's time. If you truly want your children to follow you in your endeavors, heed the proverb: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."


The second annual Alouette Fish Derby will be held on Sunday, June 13, 2010. Tickets are available at the Maple Ridge Chamber of Commerce, 604-463-3366.

The third annual Greg Clark Memorial Family Fishing Derby will be held during the BC Free Family Fishing Weekend, on Saturday, June 19, 2010. Tickets are available from Fred's Custom Tackle, 604-8585-7344.

We hope to see you there.

The report

Our lower mainland lakes are not fishing well due to the unsettled weather. For better success try to time your fishing around the sunny breaks. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Big Black, Nation's Black, Red Spratley, Baggy Shrimp, Coachman, Cased Caddis, Halfback, Dragon Nymph, Carey Special, Zulu, or Doc Spratley. For dry (floating) fly fishing try: Tom Thumb, Renegade, Black Gnat, Foam Ant, 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.

Local bass and crappie are slow also. Try: Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Blood Leach, Matuka, Popin Bugs, Chernobyl Ants, Crayfish, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Epoxy Minnow, Deceiver, Dolly Whacker, Bucktail, Hair Frog, Irresistible, or Tom Thumb.

The fishing on our interior lakes is slow for the above reasons as well. For wet fly fishing try: Chironomid, Pumpkinhead, 52 Buick, Bloodworm, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, olive Matuka, Butler's Bug, Halfback, Baggy Shrimp, Sooboo, or Green Spratley, For dry fly fishing try: Lady McConnel, Irresistible, Big Ugly, Double Hackled Peacock, Tom Thumb, Royal Wulff, or Elk Hair Caddis.

The Fraser River is in freshet. For better success, focus on the cleaner water in and around its feeder streams. For cutthroat and rainbow try: Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Tied Down Minnow, Professor, Lioness, Kaufmann Stone, Coachman, Zulu, Chez Nymph, Black Gnat, Sooboo, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, or Stimulator. For dolly varden try: large (#4 to #2) Rolled Muddler, Zonker, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Dolly Whacker, black Popsicle, or Big Black.

The Stave River is fare to good for cutthroat and rainbow.

The Harrison River is high but still fishable.


Wild pacific salmon are part of our heritage; say no to the foreign national
companies and their farmed fish.