Sport fishing column for April 23 to 30, 2012

Last week I wrote of Dame Juliana and her influence on usable angling instruction. As I meditated on that subject over this past week another name came to mind, Phil Genova. Phil did not become a household name in our neck of the woods, but I believe when it came to fly fishing instruction he was a giant.

I came to know Phil during my days as a youth fly fishing club coordinator and instructor. When the two clubs I was involved in jumped from eight members to fifty over one summer, I needed help. I had read many positive reviews of the "Fly Fishers Apprenticeship Program," and Phil's teaching manual "First Cast, Teaching Kids to Fly Fish;" so I got my hands on a copy of "First Cast." After reading it, I began corresponding with Phil, at his office in Ithaca, New York.

Phil had an amazing ability to both teach and inspire. In his own family, Phil began teaching his oldest son to tie flies at eighteen months. Although it is not documented for the record books; I believe Phil set a record when he taught a fly tying class to a group of two hundred individuals.

I never got to meet Phil face to face before he passed away in 2002, but the letters and phone calls are still fresh in my mind. He was a mentor to many and a giant in his field. If you want to teach kids to fish, and you haven't read his book yet; I think it is time you did.

The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good. 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 kokanee try: Red Ibis, Double Trued, Blood Worm, San Juan Worm, Red Spratley, or Red Carey. 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 is fishing well in and around its feeder streams. For cutthroat try: Eggo, Egg & Eye Alevin, Rolled Muddler, Tied Down Minnow, Mickey Finn, Stonefly Nymph, Czech Nymph, or American Coachman. For dolly varden try: large (Size 4 to 1) Zonker, Eggo, Big Black, Dolly Whacker, Mickey Finn, or Clouser's Deep Minnow.

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.