Sport fishing column for April 15 to 23, 2012

As student of angling and angling instruction, I have read many books in my quest to improve at my craft. The better ones follow a format first published in a text by Dame Juliana Berners, in 1486.

"If you want to be crafty in angling, you must first learn to make your tackle, that is, your rod, your lines of different colors. After that you must know how you should angle, in what place of the water, how deep, and what time of day.

For what manner of fish, in what weather; how many impediments there are in the fishing that is called angling. And especially with what baits for each different fish in each month of the year."

Some would argue against the merits of making ones own rod, leaders, and floats, along with flies, but I am not one of them. I suggest that it is in a person's own interest to at least understand the fundamental processes, of equipment design and manufacture. If one can grasp the skills needed to build or repair their own equipment; then one should have no great challenge in making that same equipment perform effectively.

There is much more to becoming a well rounded angler than just catching fish. There is a process; consisting of a series of steps, where each step brings its own reward. It starts with a wish that becomes a vision. The vision motivates action and the action mixed with persistence, nets the reward.



The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good, thank to finally getting some consistent sunshine. Kokanee are moving, try for them with: Red Ibis, Double Trued, Blood Worm, San Juan Worm, Red Spratley, or Red Carey. For wet (sinking) fly trout fishing try: Chironomid, bloodworm, Red Spratley, Coachman, Zulu, American Coachman, Professor, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Dragonfly Nymph, Sixpack, Halfback, Doc Spratley, Pumpkinhead, or Baggy Shrimp. For dry (floating) fly trout fishing try: Tom Thumb, irresistible, Royal Coachman, Renegade, Elk hair Caddis, Black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, or Lady McConnel. For bass try: Zonker, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Lefty's Deceiver, Dolly Whacker, Big Black, Wooly bugger, or Crayfish. For panfish try: Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Bucktail, Dolly Whacker, Bloodworm, Chironomid.

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

The Stave River is good for cutthroat.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat and rainbow. For rainbow try: Big black, Kaufmann Stone, Sixpack, Irresistible, Czech Nymph, Zulu, olive Wooly Bugger, Souboo, or Renegade.

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

The Vedder is good for steelhead and cuttthroat.