Sport fishing column for Sept 20 to 27, 2010

"You like to tell true stories, don't you? He asked, and I answered, 'Yes, I like to tell stories that are true." Norman MacLean; A River Run Through It.

Telling the story; oh how we love to tell those tails. It has been a big part of fishing since time began. Endless volumes of literature, both hard and soft cover, have been written on this subject. Many of us from the gray haired crowd can recall our early days when warmed by a fire; we stared into the shadows of our imagination, as our mentors regaled us with tales of adventure. We listened intently as our personal prophets told of what was and could be ours, if we would take up our rods and believe.

Today, a concern is often raised, that not enough young people are entering into or taking up our sport. Perhaps the fault is ours for not looking past ourselves, and not following the directive of those who taught us, to inspire adventure in a new generation.

The report

Fall fishing is in progress and has our lower mainland lakes producing well. 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 fly fishing try: Tom Thumb, Renegade, Black Gnat, Foam Ant, Griffith Gnat, Royal Coachman, or Elk Hair Caddis.

Local bass and crappie fishing beginning to slow down. For bass try: Size #4 to #1 Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Blood Leach, Matuka, Popin Bugs, Chernobyl Ants, Crayfish, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Epoxy Minnow, Deceiver, Muddler Minnow, Dolly Whacker, Turk's Tarantula, 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 is very good. 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.

Our record sockeye fishery has come to it's end; time to gear up for coho, chum, and white spring. You can expect to see our fall salmon fishery in full swing within the next four weeks.

The Fraser River is fair to good for spring, 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.

The Vedder River is good for rainbow and cutthroat. Try Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Tied Down Minnow, Eggo, Professor, Lioness, Kaufmann Stone, Coachman, Zulu, Chez Nymph, Black Gnat, Souboo, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, or Stimulator.

The Stave River is good for rainbow and cutthroat.

The Harrison River is fair to good for cutthroat and rainbow.

The Thompson River is fair for rainbow.

The Nicola River is fair for rainbow. Try Kaufmann Stone, Chez Nymph, Hairs Ear Nymph, 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