Sport fishing column for July 30 to Aug 6, 2012

To close our latest look at factors affecting fish feeding activity; I have decided to resurrect the topic of what fish see. In the past I have covered in detail a fish's cone and rod vision. (Cone vision enables a fish to see color and is use during daylight hours. A fishes rod vision is highly actuate in shades of black and white and used at night).

Beyond the basics of what fish see, an angler needs to consider the color of the water in which a fish is located. For instance anadromous species, such as salmon, steelhead, and sea run cutthroat, are attuned food items that are visible in shades of blue and green light while they are in the ocean. These same fish will become attuned to colors in shades of orange, pink, and red, after they enter shallow water and progress through their spawn. Shallow dwelling fresh water species, during the absence of a major hatch, tend to have an affinity for items in shade of red and orange; which explains the productivity of the Royal Coachman and Pumpkinhead flies. To gain a further understanding of this mind bending science pick up and study a copy of, doctor of optometry, Colin Kageyama's book; "What Fish See:"

The Report

Summer weather has returned (let's hope it stays awhile) putting fish on the bite for the long 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 fishing well 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 to good for cutthroat and rainbow.

The Harrison is good for cutthroat.

The Vedder is 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 good for rainbow.