Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; June 23 to 30, 2014

We finished off our story last week, with me telling my Brother-in-law John, I could tie him some hot flies.

Back at the Poulette home, with my fly tying vice set up on Johns work bench, I toiled at making the right color match. Meanwhile John rummaged through all my fly tying supplies (in those days, to my wife?s chagrin, I always travelled with a suitcase full of fly tying supplies).

?Could you tie some with this,? asked John, as he holding up some electric blue flashabou tinsel? ?The big guys eat Kokanee, and this is color of a Kokanee?s back.

?After I tie up a bunch of what I am tying now,? I answered.

What I was tying, was an impressive looking fly made up of: a mylar body, with an under belly of white bucktail, an under wing of olive crystal flash, a mid wing of holographic flashabou, an over wing of kelly green flashabou, with bead chain eyes and four wraps of fire red floss to simulate gills.

After tying a dozen of the green minnows, then I proceeded to tied them in blue. When looking at these flies, after finishing up, something struck me. The green one looked like something from the food chain I had seen before. What, I could not put my finger on; and that puzzled me.

John picked up the blue flies and raved. I was not convinced. Family I had not met yet was coming in from Ontario, so I opted out on fishing with John that night, before he left I told him,

?Use the green flies first; they will work. I have no confidence in the blue ones. If you want to try the blue ones, do yourself a favor, catch a few fish with the green first then try the blue.?

John came home spitting mad in frustration. Without hesitation I asked.

?You used the blue flies, didn?t you??

?Yes, and they didn?t work,? was his response.

Next week we continue this story with my other brother-in-law, Dennis, when the green fly proves its worth.


The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Wooly Bugger, Zulu, Baggy Shrimp, Dragonfly Nymph, Doc Spratley, or Halfback Nymph. For dry (floating) fly fishing try: Griffith Gnat, Renegade, or Elk hair Caddis. For kokanee try: Bloodworm, San Juan Worm, Red Ibis, Red Spratley, or Kokanee killer.

The bass and pan fishing is good. For bass try: Big Black, Clouser?s Deep Minnow, Lefty?s Deceiver, Dolly Whacker, Wooly Bugger, Pumpkinhead, Gomphus Bug, Popin Bug, Foam Frog, Chernobyl Ant, or Stimulator. For Pan fish try: Wooly Bugger, Bloodworm, Chironomid, Micro Leach, Halfback, Pumpkinhead, Dolly Whacker, Tied Down Minnow, Popin Bug, or Chernobyl Ant.

Our interior lakes are good. Try: Pumpkinhead, Big Black, Micro Leach, 52 Buick, Sixpack, Butlers Bug, Dragon Nymph, Green Spratley, or Baggy Shrimp, for fishing wet. For dry fly action try: Lady McConnel, Big Ugly, Black Gnat, Ton Thumb, or Irresistible.

Our lower mainland creeks and sloughs are good. For cutthroat and rainbow try: Professor, American Coachman, Mickey Finn, Tied Down Minnow, Rolled Muddler, Borden?s Special, Dolly Whacker, Czech Nymph, Stone Nymph, Big Black, Zulu, Soubou, Hares Ear Nymph, Stimulator, or Irresistible.