Sport fishing column for April 15 to 22, 2013

"It was somewhere between wise man's words and old man's tales that my search for Eldorado began. We all know that no place of such perfection exists here on earth, but if it did I think for a certain group of anglers, it would be much like a long passed October afternoon.

The sun smiled down on us as we perused a seemingly endless hoard of salmon on their reproductive mission, while Sea gulls cried out like prophets to a generation of yet unborn denizens of the deep. We watched as fish after fish pitched and rolled before us, with the trees dressed in all their autumn finery standing witness. For an all too short a juncture, time seemed to stand still as rods jerked, reels screamed, and fish of colossal size took flight. At the end of the day, as the sun set in hues of violet and rose; I thought to myself, what a perfect place in time this had been for a water weary fly chucker and his charge of ardent young adventurers."

The above peace is one I wrote to go along with the Terry Fox Fly Fishing Club photo, for their school annual in 1998. We have been talking about establishing memories, traditions, and legacies. In the school based fly fishing clubs I coordinated, our first outing each school year entailed Chum salmon fishing on the first province wide professional day. Some would look down on the humble Chum, but for a kid who has never caught any fish longer than eight inches, or no fish at all, each Chum was a milestone in their memory. Traditions are things we do, talk about later, and remember for a life time.


The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good. Try working the warmer waters in the north east section of your favorite lake for better success. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Bloodworm, Chironomid, Nations Black, Zulu, Wooly Bugger, Wooly Worm, Pumpkin Head, Big Black, Doc Spratley, Halfback, Sixpack, or Baggy Shrimp. For dry (floating) fly action try: Lady McConnel, Tom Thumb, Irresistible, Double Hackled Peacock, Royal Coachman, Black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, or Elk Hair Caddis.

Our lower Mainland bass and panfish are waking up too. For Bass try: Big Black, Wooly Bugger, Gomphus Bug, Crayfish, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Lefties Deceiver, Dolly Whacker, or Bucktail. For Panfish try smaller (size 12 to 16) versions of the above.

The Fraser River is in freshet. Try fishing the clearer water at the outflow of big muddies feeder streams. For dolly varden try large (size #4 to 2) Eggo, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Tied Down Minnow, Roller Muddler, Dolly Whacker, Big Black, Kaufmann Stone, or Flesh Fly.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat and rainbow. For cutthroat try Alevin, Rolled Muddler, Tied Down Minnow, Professor, Anderson Stone, American Coachman, Flash Fly, or Czech Nymph. For rainbow try: Kaufmann Stone, Big Black, Wooly Bugger, Black Gnat, Souboo, Zulu, or Renegade.

The Vedder River is good for steelhead, rainbow, dolly varden, and cutthroat. For steelhead try: Steelhead Nightmare, Kaufmann Stone, Polar Shrimp, GP, Popsicle, Squamish Poacher, Big Black, or Flat Black.