Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; Jan 20 to 27, 2014

?Fishing is not a sport I expect ever to exhaust or abandon?

Quite recently, for instance, I have caught myself working a fly close to the surface of a cold mountain lake in early spring for trivial results and remembered that I should have been searching sloughs and beaver dams? Twenty or thirty years ago I should have done the right thing almost without thinking?

I am left wondering what causes lapses like this? Laziness? Old age? Some lack of concern about catching fish? No doubt all these three play a part. But over and above them all is a measure of obstinacy mixed with some faint conceit that one should be able to force the fish, against sensible alternatives, to accept one?s own terms.? This passage was taken Roderick Haig-Brown?s book, Fisherman?s Fall.

Most anglers, sooner or later come to a place where they think having attained a competent level of knowledge and success entitles them to high catch numbers on each and every fishing trip. Decades of experience teaches such anglers that fish, like all living creatures have a mind their own. There is a misconception that we can dominate creatures of a less sophisticated mind, like we dictate to and dominate equipment. Fish cannot be dominated, but they can be, to a point, understood. The key lies within ourselves; are we open minded enough to step away from cherished convention, or do we dogmatically hold with what others have said to be changeable truths? I have found success in fishing to be a fluid as the waters we fish. Over the next series of columns we are going to look at this interesting subject, and poke pins into the bubble, of some popular conventions in sport fishing.

The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is fair to good. Concentrate on the north east sections of your favorite lake with a slow troll or retrieve from late morning through mid afternoon. Try: Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Micro Leach, Baggy Shrimp, Dragonfly Nymph, or Halfback Nymph. For warm afternoon dry (floating) fly fishing; try: Lady McConnell, Tom Thumb, Griffith Gnat, Black Gnat, Renegade, Irristible or Elk Hair Caddis.

The Fraser River is fishing is 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. For steelhead try: Steelhead Nightmare, Flat Black, Kaufman Stone, Rolled Muddler, Steelhead Bee, Irresistible, October Caddis, or Stimulator.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat.