Sport fishing column for Feb 27 to March 5, 2012

Recently I met a fellow, Todd, who is beginning his sojourn as a sport fishing writer. In discussing the craft with him, he expressed that there seemed a plethora (there's a word for you; learned that one from Kevin Longard) of fly fishing literature on the market, with a marked shortage of material on other fishing methods. Later as I thought about what he had said, it occurred to me that we of the fly fishing community have done a great job of selling the joys of fly fishing. In fact we have done such a great job that our own efforts have come full circle to bite us in our own behinds. Case in point can anyone honestly tell me what justifies the 230% increase in the price of performance rods over the last seventeen years. We are not talking greater Vancouver real-estate here, and even those price increases are not honestly justified.

As an old school fly fisherman, introduced to the way of yarn and feathers forty three years ago; I have decided, over the next few columns, to lift the vale on some of the pompousness I have found skulking in my chosen sport.

Let me start, by stating, I do not hold with much of the present popular precepts, of the elitist conventions of fly fishing. In short I hold with the adages; "What works, works period!" "Fishing is about catching fish, not about how much you spent on your equipment." "Anyone can talk a good game, but at the end of the day the fish are the true judge."

So let's talk terms:

What is a tippet? It is the last section of your leader. As you change flies, the thin end of you leader gets shorter and shorter. Eventually you need to attach a new thin diameter leader to the end of your line, so you can continue tying on flies. Conventional anglers, would call this fine diameter leader that you tie on the end of your line, a leader. Fly fisherman call it a tippet. Why the difference in names? Why is tippet generally more expensive than leader? Is there a marked difference between these two items, other than name and price? Not from what my experience has shown me.

Interested yet, I will share more next week.

The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes has slowed due to the return of winter; expect things to improve when warmer weather returns. Try fishing close to shore along the north to north east sections of your favorite lake with; 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.