Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column for Sept 9 to 16, 2013


Another of my favorite Cascadian game fish is the eastern brook trout. These residents of back east were first transplanted into our BC water in 1908. Once again I found it amazing, to find very little written in either hard or soft cover books, on another of our popular game fish.

Brook trout tend to be a shallow water fish with a fixation for tight cover. My wife and I often find them holding in two or three feet of water, deep inside stands of bulrushes. Their love of tight cover regularly makes casting accuracy must and often the difference between landing many fish or no fish at all. While these brightly colored members of the char family feed regularly on the usual trout foods, they have a passion for damsel nymphs and will gorge themselves without restraint when damsels are present.

While the Canadian record for brook trout was set by Ontario, by Doctor John William Cook, back in 1916, there is no BC record registered. Labrador is known far and wide for producing many of today's giants of this species. Unbeknown to those who travel to Labrador in pursuit of these fish; lurking in a number of our Cariboo Lakes, are brookies that pound for pound can match anything Labrador has to offer.

Who is going to establish that BC record? Maybe you?


The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good. Early mornings and evening are best. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Nations Black, Zulu, Wooly Bugger, Wooly Worm, Pumpkin Head, Micro Leach, 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 waters are fishing are slowing down a bit. For Bass try: Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Pumpkinhead, Gomphus Bug, Dragon Nymph, Crayfish, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Lefty's Deceiver, Dolly Whacker, Bucktail, Hair Frog, Poppers, (adult) Dragonfly, Chernobyl Ant, Optic, or Stimulator. For Panfish try smaller (size 10 to 16) versions of the above.

Fishing on our interior lakes is good. For wet fly fishing try: Chironomid, Halfback Nymph, Baggy Shrimp, Pumpkin Head, Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Dragon Nymph, Sixpack, 52 Buick, Souboo, or Doc Spratley. For dry fly fishing try: Lady McConnel, Tom Thumb, Adams, Irresistible, Renegade, Black Gnat, or Elk Hair Caddis.

The Fraser River is fishing well for springs and pinks. For spring try: Popsicle, Big Black, Flat black, Eggo, black GP, or dark Bunny Leach. For pink try: Pink Eve, Cathy's Coat, Happy Hooker, or pink Bunny Leach.

The Vedder River is good for rainbow, pink, and spring. For rainbow try: Czech nymph, Kaufmann Stone, Hares Ear, Big Black, Wooly Bugger, Zulu, Souboo, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, Tom Thumb, Black Gnat, or Renegade.

The Harrison River is fair to good for cutthroat, pink, and spring. We have heard rumors of springs. Try: Professor, Anderson Stone, American Coachman, Rolled Muddler, Black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, Zulu, Hares Ear, Renegade, or Irresistible.

The Thompson River is open for spring and pink, and fishing fair for rainbow.