Sport fishing column for Dec 6 to 13, 2010

Christmas is three weeks away; making this the last week that a book finder would be able to chase down a book for you, before Christmas. Carrying on from our previously book suggestions we recommend:

For pleasure reading; A River Never Sleeps, Season Of A Fisherman, To Know A River, Fisherman's Fall, Fisherman's Winter, Fisherman's Spring, or Fisherman's Summer, by Roderick Haig-Brown. A River Runs Through It, by Norman McLean. My Father My Friend, by Arthur Mayse.

For Inspiration; First Light On The Water; by Al & Ron Linder. That's A Keeper or The Perfect Catch, By H Norman Wright. Hooked For Life or The Catch Of The Day, by Jimmy Houston. All I Need To Know about Ministry I Learned From fly Fishing, by Myrlene L J Hamilton. Pavov's Trout: The Incompleat Psychology Of Everyday Fishing, by Paul G Quinnett.

History of fishing in BC, Fly Patterns Of British Columbia, Thompson River Journal, Dean River Journal, or Famous British Columbia Fly Fishing Waters, by Art Lingren. Peetz, a Reel for All Time, by Douglas F W Pollard.

Fly casting; Fly Casting Techniques or Fly Casting Accuracy, by Joan Wulff. Lefty Krey's Principals Of Fly Casting, Lefty Krey's Longer Fly Casting, or Solving Fly Casting Problems, by Lefty Krey.

Fly tying; Tying Flies For Trophy Trout, by Jack Shaw. Tying Dry Flies or The Fly Tyers Nymph Manual, by Randall Kaufmann. A Compendium of Canadian Fly Patterns, by Robert H Jones and Paul C Marriner.

Instructional; Fly fishing The Trout Lakes, by Jack Shaw. The Master Angler, by Phil Rabideau. The Gilly, by various contributors, compiled by Alfred G Davy. Behind the Counter, by Neil Jennings. Steelhead Fly Fishing, by Trey Combs. The Freshman FlyFisher or the Freshman Fly Fisher's Insect Guide, byRick Passek. Fly fishing From a Women's Perspective, by Joan Wulff. The Estuary Flyfisher, by Steve Raymond.

All books recommended have been reviewed by yours truly and most reside in my personal library. We will be back next week with more practical gift suggestions.


The report

As I write this column our eastern lower mainland lakes are still under ice; as an alternate I suggest one our beaches or estuaries for sea-run cutthroat. Try: Epoxy Minnow, Tied Down Minnow, Muddler Minnow, Clouser's deep Minnow, Lioness, Grizzly King, Mickey Finn, Coachman, Knudson's Spider, Zulu, Purple Joe, or Borden Special.

The Fraser River is slow to fair for cutthroat and dolly varden. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Eggo, Tied Down Minnow, Epoxy Minnow, black, Flesh Fly, Stone, Professor, Lioness, Coachman, Zulu, Chez Nymph. For dolly Varden try: Large (#4 to #1) Eggo, Dolly Whacker, Bucktail, Epoxy Minnow, Big Black, Muddler, or Zunker.

The Vedder River is fair rainbow and dolly varden. For rainbow try: rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Eggo, Flesh Fly, Kaufmann Black Stone, Black Gnat, Zulu, Chez Nymph, Big Black, Sixpack, or Renegade.

The Stave River is fair for rainbow and cutthroat.

The Harrison River is fair for cutthroat, and rainbow.

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