Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; Jan 6 to 13, 2014

? a lot of people would say, ?Vern you ought to be in radio.? That didn?t mean a thing to me for a couple of reasons. One was these weren?t radio people. The other was I didn?t feel my show was suited for radio? A man doesn?t watch radio, he listens to it?

One day I bumped into a radio man from WGY?

?I?m a tackle salesman,? I said. ?The other is just a hobby.?

?From what I hear it?s a pretty good hobby,? he said. ?Ever thought of radio??

I said no and gave him my reasons.

?Let?s go to the station and talk about it,? he said?

Talking never hurt anybody, so I went along, and before I knew it, that boy had me lined up to do a show once a week.

Words from the late fly fishing media icon; R.V. ?Gadabout? Gaddis.


All day long I have been hearing talk about Blue Monday. This may well be the day and week that many people around find the most depressing. I could say you have a reason to feel that way, if you lived on the east coast, where they are stuck indoors while being pounded by wave after wave of record winter storms. We here on the west coast have no such excuse, since we, on most days have been experiencing record warm temperatures and an unseasonal amount of sunshine. This weather we have been experiencing for late fall and the beginning of winter is conducive to good fishing. No, it is not as productive as a summer evening, but on a winter to winter comparison, this year is AAA. Why just this past Saturday, a competent colleague of mine marked a 100 fish (rainbow trout) afternoon. Where else in Canada do you do that on January 4th? No-one ever caught a fish, or accomplished anything of any consequence moping on the couch; so turn that frown upside down, dress for the weather, and go catch yourself a good day.

The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is fair to good. Focus on the warmest parts of the day, in and around the north east sections of your favorite lake. Try a slow troll or retrieve with: Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Micro Leach, Baggy Shrimp, Dragonfly Nymph, or Halfback Nymph.

The Fraser River is fishing fair to good for Dolly Varden and cutthroat. For Cutthroat try: Professor, Anderson Stone, American Coachman, Rolled Muddler, Black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, Zulu, Hares Ear, Renegade, or Irresistible. For Dolly Varden try: Zonker, Flat Black, Big Black, Eggo, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Bucktail, and Lefty's Deceiver.

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