Sport fishing column for August 9 to 16, 2010

With another drowning in the Vedder River this past week, I feel some safe wading tips are in order.

Neoprene waders fill with water and all others fill with air, when an angler takes a tumble. This makes regaining stability difficult. Always seal off your waders at the waist with a belt.

Swimming and or maneuvering in the flow of a stream, is often difficult due to the weight of wading boots and equipment in most fishing vest. For this reason an inflatable collar should be worn while wading.

Never over estimate your ability to wade safely.

Never under estimate the force of the water. The water you want to cross may only be knee deep but if the water is moving at high speed, the force on your legs could be that of a truck. You can multiply this if the bottom is unstable or rocks are undermined.


The report

Our lower mainland lake fishing (trout and kokanee) remains good. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Big Black, Nation's Black, 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 fishing is good with lots of 50+ days reported. For bass try: Size #4 to #1 Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Blood Leach, Matuka, Popin Bugs, Chernobyl Ants, Turks Tarantula, Crayfish, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Epoxy Minnow, Deceiver, Muddler Minnow, Dolly Whacker, Bucktail, Hair Frog, Irresistible, or Tom Thumb. For crappie try: Black Gnat, Lady McConnel, Coachman, Royal Coachman, Ant, chartreuse Boobie, Wooly Bugger, Trico, Griffith Gnat, or Irresistible.

Fishing on our interior lakes has improved due to the rain and cooler temperatures. Mornings and evening are the ticket. For wet fly fishing try: Chironomid, Pumpkinhead, 52 Buick, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, olive Matuka, Butler's Bug, Halfback, Baggy Shrimp, Sooboo, Sixpack, or Green Spratley. For dry fly fishing try: Lady McConnel, Irresistible, Big Ugly, Double Hackled Peacock, Tom Thumb, Royal Wulff, Goddard Sedge, Sofa Pillow, or Elk Hair Caddis.

The Fraser River is good for sockeye, spring, dolly varden, cutthroat, and rainbow. For sockeye try: (chartreuse) Dean River lanterns, Bunny Leach, Bucktail, Nitnook, Besure, Green Slime, or Caboose. For spring try: Kaufmann Stone, Eggo, Popsicle, Squamish Poacher, GP, Big Black or Flat Black. 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 Vedder River is good for spring and rainbow.

The Stave River is good for cutthroat and rainbow.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat, and Rainbow.

The Thompson and Nicola rivers are both fishing well for rainbow. Try Kaufmann Stone, Chez Nymph, Hairs Ear, Roller Muddler, Tom Thumb (standard or red bodied), Grass Hopper, Stimulator, Chernobyl Ant, Irresistible, or Elk Hair Caddis.

You can find more at "The Reel Life Press" by Jeff Weltz.