Sport fishing column for May 21 to 28, 2012

One of the things I like about fishing is the life skill lessons I find hidden in each trip.

Back in December, an acquaintance, Donna, asked me if I could give her husband, Rob, some fly fishing lessons. This was to be her Christmas gift to him. I was hesitant, believing that people can feel pressured in small groups. In the end I agreed understanding that Rob seldom has the time to attend one of our formal classes.

A month ago Rob called to say he had two weekends free, if one fit my schedule. We agreed on Saturday May 19. I opted for two locations, Area 51 or the Trout Park. My preference was the Trout Park, since I thought teaching a first timer, fly rod skills might be bit to risky in a boat. As plan go some times go the Trout Park had a full booking leaving no room for us. A few moments of desperation brought the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery to mind. I had known about their catch and release ponds for ten years, and had been invited to their facility many times, but had never bothered to follow up.

The positive response to my phone call was refreshing, and so was the price; $10 per person for three hours of catch and release fishing. Rob landed fifteen fish in our first hour, which works out to a catch ratio of a fish every four minutes. With five of those fish in the twenty four inch range, I would give the fishing a Class A Rating. After that tremendous start Rob asked for a less productive fly, so he could focus more of his casting. At the end of our day, Rob had landed twenty fish (eight in the lunker range) and had a good grounding in the art of fly fishing. I on the other hand had found a new teaching facility and learned that teaching one on one private fly fishing lessons was not as hard as I thought it would be.

How was your long weekend?

The Report

Our lower mainland lakes fair to good. For wet (sinking) fly trout fishing try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Red Spratley, Coachman, Zulu, American Coachman, Professor, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Dragonfly Nymph, Sixpack, 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.

Fishing on our interior lakes is good. For wet fly fishing try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Halfback, 52 Buick, Pumpkinhead, Big Black, Micro Leach, Coachman, Green Spratley, Carey Special, Souboo, or Baggy Shrimp. For Dry fly fishing on those warm afternoons, try: Lady McConnel, Black Gnat, Double Hackled Peacock, Griffith Gnat, Elk Haired Caddis, Irresistible, Sofa Pillow, or Tom Thumb.

Due to our river levels rising to the point where bank angling is no longer safe, we are discontinuing our river reports until lower water levels return.