Sport fishing column for Feb 14 to 21, 2011

Last week I asked the question, do you want to do something out of the ordinary. Some may think this is an odd question to be asked in the context of sport fishing, but actually it's not. Success can be taught and achieved in any endeavor, be it sport, business, entertainment, etc. The person, with required talent, who seeks success, and the monetary rewards, in professional hockey or football is rarely questioned. Yet the person, who seeks those rewards in professional angling, though it is possible, can often be regarded as eccentric, or dare I say out of the ordinary.

One very inspiring out of the ordinary angler is a fellow named Clay Dyer. Despite the fact that professional bass fishing does not have a large following here in BC; Clay is an angler worthy of our respect and the respect of anglers around the world. If deciding on professional angling career while in high school and then he stepping into it upon graduation was not enough; he did this without hands, legs, and only a partial right arm. Refusing prosthetics, Clay ties knots with his tongue, release fish with his teeth, and he accepts no limitations in striving to be at the top of his game. If Clay can get off the couch and achieve his goals; so can we. Personally, after reading about Clay, www.claydyerfishing.com, I have no more excuses.


The report

Our lower mainland lakes are fishing well. Try a slow retrieve or troll with: Big Black, Woolly Bugger, Micro Leach, Bloodworm, Chironomid, Sixpack, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback, Doc Spratley, Buggy shrimp, or Zulu.

Our lower mainland beach and estuary fisheries are good for sea-run cutthroat. Watch for a shift in this fishery over the next two to six weeks, as the larger predators of this genus migrate in search of prime feeding lanes in our local rivers and streams. 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 good 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 Zonker.

The Vedder River is 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 to good for steelhead, rainbow and cutthroat.

The Chehalis River is good for steelhead and cutthroat.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat, and rainbow.

Hatch Match'r Fly and tackle is offering cutthroat & sturgeon fishing seminars during Feb and March; call 604-467-7118 for details and registration.


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