Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; Sept 22 to 29, 2014

Picking up from last week?s column, we have a list of things to remember: don?t worry about distance, keep your wrist straight, and your elbow down. Now add to that list, your hand grip.

The most ineffective method of holding a fly rod, is the most instinctive. This is where one wraps their thumb and fingers around the front of the handle, while allowing it to rest in the socket formed at the base of the thumb and fingers. This grip allows the rod to rock back and forth within ones hand, further allowing the rod tip to drift backward too far; if the rod is not held firmly.

The other two methods of holding a rod are with the thumb or index finger on top of the handle. Both of these grips prevent the rod from moving within ones hand grip.

Holding a rod with ones thumb on top is effective for transferring power to the cast, but can allow a novice caster bring the rod too far back on the back cast.

Holding a rod with ones index finger on top of the handle is often found awkward (at first), but has two advantages; particularly for a novice caster. When the rod is held with the index finger on top of the handle, with the wrist straight, the elbow down and tight to ones side, it is next to impossible to move the rod tip too far backward. The other advantage of this grip is accuracy. This grip makes the rod work like a pointer; the line with go where ever you point that finger.

More on this next week.

The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is slow. 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.

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, Adult Damsel, 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. 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, Adams, or Irresistible.

The Fraser River salmon fishing remains strong. For spring try: Big Black, GP, Squamish Poacher, Eggo, Flat Black, Mat Red, or Kaufmann Stone. For sockeye try: Lime green or chartreuse patterns.

The Vedder River is good for spring and coho. For coho try: Coho blue, Rolled Muddler, Eggo, Christmas Tree, or olive Wooly Bugger.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat, rainbow and sockeye. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Hairs Ear, Elk Hair Caddis, Anderson Stone, Adult Damsel, Golden Stone, Adams, or Irresistible.

The Thomson River is good for sockeye and rainbow. For sockeye try: UV orange patterns. For rainbow try: Kaufmann Golden stone, Joe?s Hopper, Tom Thumb, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, or Rolled Muddler.