Sport fishing column for Oct 31 to Nov 7, 2011

My last column generated a bit of a stir, due to my referencing steelhead with their longest running name, Salmo gairdneri, rather than their current name Oncorhynchus mykiss. Originally steelhead were believed to be of the Salmo (Atlantic salmon) genus because their ability to survive spawning and return to spawn again up to three times. To the best of my knowledge, the name change to Oncorhynchus (Pacific salmon) was made by the American Fisheries Society's Committee on Names of Fish in 1989. This change was not without controversy, which continues to this day. The greatly revered sport fishing and steelhead authority Trey Combs, had these words to say on name the change.

"My steelhead, Salmo gairdneri, a name fixed in Northwest history, became the incomprehensible and largely unpronounceable Oncorhynchus mykiss.

I greeted this with disbelief and consternation. Pacific salmon died after spawning. The United States and British Columbia managed salmon as a food fish. A steelhead and an Atlantic salmon were closely related in literature. I saw them as cousins, a romantic notion doubtless imbued by the crosspollination of fly dressings and methods of presentation invited by the two gamefish. Mt favorite resident trout rainbow and brown, lived together in angling harmony in rivers far from their native origins. To link a Golden trout with a Chinook salmon seemed hopelessly misguided. Of course, none of this mattered to the taxonomists."

The steelhead; it is a fish of controversy and a fish of legend. The mystery and the politics that surround this fish are astounding. Have you been out to catch yours yet? The Thompson is open!

Next week we cover some of the classic flies used for catching these amazing fish.


The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is fair. Try a slow troll or retrieve with: Coachman, American Coachman, Professor, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Sixpack, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback, Doc Spratley, Baggy Shrimp, or Zulu.


Fishing on our interior lakes is still fair to good. Try: Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Egg Sucking Leach, Pumpkinhead, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback Nymph, 52 Buick, Doc Spratley, Green Spratley, Souboo, or Baggy Shrimp.

The Fraser River is fishing well for spring, chum, and cutthroat. For spring try: Popsicle, Big Black, Flat Black, Stonefly Nymph, Squamish Poacher, or Eggo. For chum try: Christmas Tree, pink & purple Wooly Bugger, Met Green, Holliman, Popsicle, or Flat Black. For cutthroat try: Eggo, Rolled Muddler, Tied Down Minnow, Mickey Finn, Stonefly Nymph, or American Coachman.

The Stave River is fair to good for chum, coho and cutthroat. For coho try: Christmas Tree, Rolled Muddler, olive Wooly Bugger, Bite Me, or Coho Blue.

The Vedder River is fair coho.

The Harrison River is good for chum, spring, coho, and spring.

The Thompson River is open for steelhead and rainbow. Don't forget to buy classified waters and steelhead stamps. Try: Squamish Poacher, Big Black, Flat Black, Popsicle, Kaufmann Stone, Steelhead Spratley, or polar Shrimp.