Sport fishing column for Aug 7 to 13, 2012

Salmon season is in full swing. Most people associate salmon season with fall, but it actually begins during spring when the first Chinook (spring) salmon start migrating up our coastal streams. With that in mind, I wish to share a humorous account of salmon fishing, from the book, "The Angler's Coast," by author Russell Chatham.

He was an older man who had for years haunted the legendary Rogue. As he tied on a big fly and waded in, I noticed his fine old split-cane rod and classic English reel and thought to myself that it was an ill-advised? choice of tackle.

Fishing had been slow so I was surprised to see his rod immediately double against a salmon?

"It's just like I thought," he remarked to me impatiently. "Might as well hook an old boot."

An hour later the fish? about thirty pounds, still sawed easily in the current?

"How long does it take to get them in?" the old man asked.

"Who knows?" I answered, "Yours doesn't even know it's hooked yet."

With a sigh the fisherman? pulled somewhat harder. In retaliation the salmon turned defiantly and began taking line in long, deliberate spasm? so I urged the man to start running or he'd be cleaned out. But he was frozen in his tracks, barely keeping grip on the rod, which bent deeply. The reel vibrated ominously. Several nasty staccato cracks across his knuckles turned the angler's expression to one of abject horror? Then, because of a compacted tangle deep in the backing, the rod splintered above the grip, the line broke at the reel, and the "old boot' was free? far downstream.

Nearly in tears, the old man raged, "I'll never fish for these damn things again!"

The moral of this tale, "respect that fish you pursue and don't try to take on a Titan with a toothpick."



The Report

Summer is finally here with stable weather and record heat. Not perfect fishing conditions but better than what we have had so far this year. Summer tactic of fishing early morning and evening is your key to success. For wet (sinking) fly trout fishing try: Coachman, Zulu, Wooly Bugger, Dragonfly Nymph, Damsel 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 Trude, 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, Halfback, 52 Buick, Pumpkinhead, Big Black, Micro Leach, Coachman, Green Spratley, Damsel nymph, Dragon nymph, Carey Special, Souboo, Sixpack, or Baggy Shrimp. For Dry fly fishing try: Lady McConnel, Black Gnat, Double Hackled Peacock, Griffith Gnat, Black 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: Zonker, Eggo, Clouser's Minnow, Big Black, or Dolly Whacker, in sizes 4 and 8. 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. For rainbow try: Kaufmann Stone, Big Black, Black Gnat, Souboo, Royal Coachman, Zulu, Renegade, Tom Thumb, Chernobyl Ant, Joe's Hopper, or Irresistible.

The Harrison is good for cutthroat.

The Vedder is good for rainbow, and cutthroat.

The Thompson is very good for rainbow and spring.