Sport fishing column for Feb 13 to 02, 2012

By the 1890's anglers were growing weary of the silliness surrounding the trout and salmon fisheries of the east. Anglers were reading about the exploits of; John Keast Lord, Henry E Croasdaile, Sir William Robert Kennedy, W H Murray and others. With mesmerizing tales of adventure coming from the land further afield, eyes were now looking to vast untracked reaches of the north and west.

For centuries the colony of British Columbia had been vastly unsettled, except for a few scattered Hudson Bay Posts. When tails of gold were leaked to the outside world in the 1880's, B C became the land of plenty and vast exploration began. Many of the unmapped regions became peopled and towns evolved. Then as the gold played out and many of the miners moved on, those who stayed spread the word of a new fishing mecca like no other.

Many anglers of the day believed that due to their fighting ability, the rainbow trout of the Thompson River basin were a different genus of the popular trout. To prove this, specimens from Kamloops lake were sent to Stanford University for examination by Dr David Starr Jordan in 1892. The Dr documented that while the trout were similar in size and shape to their American cousins, there were marked differences. Believing these differences constituted a different species; Dr Jordan named his new find Salmo Kamloops; the Kamloops Trout. Soon the fame of this fish would spread far and wide, and for the better part of the next century, anglers would travel from around the globe, to match wits with this BC king of the trout.

The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good. Try the early season trick of fishing close to shore along the north to north east sections of your favorite lake. Under these early season conditions, the shallower water in the areas which receive the most sunlight hold greater amounts of oxygen. In these areas of higher oxygen trout can be found congregating in as little as two feet of water. Recommended flies: Chironomid, bloodworm, Coachman, Zulu, American Coachman, Professor, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Sixpack, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback, Doc Spratley or Baggy Shrimp.

The Fraser River back waters are fishing to good for cutthroat. For cutthroat try: Eggo, Egg & Eye Alevin, Rolled Muddler, Tied Down Minnow, Mickey Finn, Stonefly Nymph, Chez Nymph, or American Coachman.

The Stave River is good for steelhead and cutthroat. For steelhead try: Polar Shrimp, Squamish Poacher, Big Black, Flat Black, Popsicle, Kaufmann Black Stone, Eggo, Thor, or Steelhead Spratley.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat.

The Chehalis River is good for steelhead and cutthroat.

The Vedder is good for steelhead.