Sport fishing column for Jan 24 to 31, 2011

It is my favorite week of our west coast winter; halfway to summer. While I do greatly enjoy our fall salmon fishery, summer is my favorite season. Long days, warm stable weather patterns, and abundant evening insect hatches; it makes my heart sing. It is time to block out time on the big twelve month wall calendar and plan.

In most people's busy world planning ones fishing activates is a must; if you don't want to run into conflict between what you want to and what you need to do. If you are a tournament angler there are registrations and accommodations that need to be taken care of well ahead of time. If you are an instructor, venues and advertising need to be negotiated with enough lead time to fill your classes. If you are a writer, leg work, or should we say water work, needs to be done to have transcripts ready before deadlines. If you are hoping for a fishing vacation at a popular resort, a date and reservations need to be confirmed; before all the good spots are gone. Then there is the preparation and maintenance of vehicles, trailers, boats, motors, and other assorted equipment before high season begins. All this while the non-fishing public thinks you just grab your rod with some lures and take off fishing. It's enough to make you want to take a holiday. Well as Red Green would say "we are all in this together. I'm pulling for ya."


Special Interest

There is a Ladies Only Fishing Club starting up in Maple Ridge as of February, call 604-467-7118 for details.


The report

Our lower mainland lakes are starting to come back to life again and should slowly improve, until spring puts things in full swing. Reports have come in that the ice is beginning to come off the eastern Fraser valley lakes. Try a slow retrieve or troll with: Big Black, Woolly Bugger, Micro Leach, Sixpack, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback, Doc Spratley, or Zulu.

Our lower mainland beach and estuary fisheries for sea-run cutthroat are likely your best bet until all the high water recedes. 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 and soughs are fair for cutthroat and dolly varden. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Eggo, Tied Down Minnow, Epoxy Minnow, Winter Stone, Flesh Fly, 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 Fair to good for steelhead, dolly varden and rainbow, by the weekend. For steelhead try: big Black, Popsicle, Steelhead Nightmare, Polar shrimp, GP, Thor, Squamish Poacher, Kaufmann Stone, Purple Peril, or Eggo. 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 Chehalis River is fair for steelhead and cutthroat.

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


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