Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; July 21 to 28, 2014

Over the past few weeks, these columns have been focused in a specific area of the GVRD (Greater Vancouver Regional District). Twenty years and more ago I would never thought of talking about, let along writing about urban fisheries. That is an impressive testament to how far we have progressed (for the good) from the fisheries were here in my youth. It has occurred to me overtime that the productivity fisheries move in cycles of popularity.

When I was first introduced to fly fishing over forty years ago; the Kamloops/Merritt region was the destination of destinations. Then for a period of time it was the Cariboo. Before Kamloops was the word on every anglers lips, it was the Okanagan and Kootenay; before that it was Vancouver, Harrison, and the area we now call Whistler. In my own sojourn as an angler I have seen a similar cycle. Having progressed through trophy trout, and large salmon; I now find myself, after fifty plus years of angling, back most often pursuing the species I started with; cutthroat, bass, and panfish. Strangely enough my reading is coming full circle too. In leafing through the latest issue of Fly Tyer magazine, drawn in by the promise of instruction for tying classic bass flies; I was brought back to the first author I read on fly tying, William F Blades.

?Great fishing in the Fraser Valley;? it should not be a surprise. After all, it was only told forty years ago, that; ?all fish and fishermen, move through life in one big circle.?




The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good. Early mornings and evenings are your best option at this time. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Wooly Bugger, Zulu, Baggy Shrimp, Dragonfly Nymph, Doc Spratley, or Halfback. For dry (floating) fly fishing try: Griffith Gnat, Royal Coachman, Black Gnat, Irresistible, Renegade, or Elk hair Caddis. For kokanee try: Bloodworm, San Juan Worm, Red Ibis, Red Spratley, or Kokanee killer.

The bass and pan fish, 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, Micro Leach, Halfback, Pumpkinhead, Dolly Whacker, Tied Down Minnow, Popin Bug, or Chernobyl Ant.

Our interior lakes are slow to fair. 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, Tom Thumb, or Irresistible.

The Fraser River is good for spring. Try: Big Black, GP, Squamish Poacher, Eggo, Flat Black, Mat Red, or Kaufmann Stone.

The Thomson River is fishable. For rainbow try: Kaufmann Golden stone, Joe?s Hopper, Tom Thumb, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, or Rolled Muddler.