Sport fishing column for May 2 to 9, 2011

This week in our series on Vancouver Sport fishing personalities; Whistler pioneers, Alex and Myrtle Philips.

If you don't know who these folks are, it is understandable; since they arrived in Vancouver from Brooksville, Maine, in 1910. Their intent was to find a location and build a fishing lodge.

They found their dream in tales of Texas born trapper and adventurer John Millar, who regaled them with his stories of a beautiful chain of lakes, in a small pristine valley, at the base of magnificent mountains and snow capped glaciers. Fascinated with Millar's tales, Alex and Myrtle made the trip by steam ship and pack horse in August of 1911, to the valley where they built Rainbow Lodge on Alta Lake, in 1912. Two years later the Pacific Great Eastern Railway was rolling past their lodge and soon provided enough guests to make Rainbow Lodge the western rival of Banff. Alex and Myrtle sold their interest in Rainbow lodge in 1948, but the story does not end there.

The valley became a very popular summer recreation destination during the 1950's. A decade later in 1962, a group of visiting Vancouver businessmen envisioned the valley as a ski destination to be known as Whistler Mountain and location for the Olympic Winter Games. Forty two years later Whistler hosted the Olympic Winter Games.

From a dream of a successful fishing lodge, in the hearts of two visionaries, to a world class four season resort; what a story and what a province to live in. It is stories like this that set British Columbia apart from all other destinations.


The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good. Concentrate your fish on the north east area of your favorite lake from late morning through mid afternoon with. For rainbow and cutthroat try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Black Gnat, Royal Coachman, Coachman, American Coachman, Professor, Woolly Bugger, Micro Leach, Sixpack, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback, Doc Spratley, Baggy shrimp, or Zulu.

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, 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 closed to all fishing above the crossing bridge as of May 1st. Fly fishing remains open below the crossing for steelhead, dolly varden and rainbow. For steelhead try: big Black, Popsicle, Steelhead Nightmare, Polar shrimp, GP, Thor, Squamish Poacher, Kaufmann Stone, Purple Peril, or Eggo. For rainbow try: Eggo, Kaufmann Stone (black or tan), Zulu, Sixpack, Tom Thumb, Irresistible, Chez Nymph, Big Black, or Renegade.

The Stave River is good for rainbow and cutthroat.

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

I will be teaching my fly fishing class again at Hatch Matcher's Fly & Tackle, in Maple Ridge. The dates are Saturday May 28 and June 4. Call 604-467-7118 or 1-604-820-4099 for further details.

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