Sport fishing column for July 23 to 30, 2012

This past week I came across some interesting new science that is in keeping with our subject of the past three weeks. Salmonids (trout and salmon) use the principals in magnetism to navigate long distances.

Earth scientist, Michael Winklhofer, of Ludwig Maximilians University, in Germany, has discovered magnetic cells in the olfactory (nasal) tissue of Salmonids. In testing these cells it was found that they were up to one hundred times stronger than suspected. It is suggested that due to their strength of these magnetic cells make it possible for a fish to detect magnetic north, along with small differences in other magnetic fields, allowing fish to gain precise readings of longitude and latitude.

Now that we know fish can map vast expanses of water; I wonder how long it will take before tournament anglers start adding the principals of magnetics to their strategies.

The Report

With the recent unsettled weather pattern our lower mainland lakes have not been producing well. With a warm stable pattern in the forecast fishing should be good for the weekend. For wet (sinking) fly trout fishing try: Chironomid, Red Spratley, Coachman, Zulu, American Coachman, Professor, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Dragonfly Nymph, Sixpack, Doc Spratley, Pumpkinhead, or Baggy Shrimp. For evening 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, Foam Frog, Poppers, Chernobyl Ant, or Crayfish. For panfish try: Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Bucktail, Dolly Whacker, Bloodworm, Chironomid, Poppers, Turks Tarantula, Tom Thumb or Irresistible.

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 try: Lady McConnel, Black Gnat, Double Hackled Peacock, Griffith Gnat, Elk Haired Caddis, Irresistible, Sofa Pillow, or Tom Thumb.

The Fraser is fair fishing for cutthroat, Dolly Varden, and spring. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Proffesor, Anderson Stone, Zulu, American Coachman, Renegade, Tom Thumb, Black Gnat, Chez Nymph, and Irresistible. For dolly varden try all the above along with Zonker, Clouser's Minnow, and Dolly Whacker. For spring try: lead-heading with size 4 to 2, Eggo, Big Black, Flat Black, Wooly Bugger, Kaufmann Stone, Squamish Poacher, or red Spratley.

The Stave is fair for cutthroat and whitefish.

The Harrison is fair to good for cutthroat.

The Vedder is fair to good for rainbow, cutthroat, and spring. For rainbow try: Zulu, Kaufmann Golden Stone, Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Black Gnat, Renegade, Souboo, Tom Thumb, Royal Coachman, Chernobyl Ant, or Irresistible.

The Thompson is high, but fishing well for rainbow.