Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; Sept 29 to Oct 6, 2014

By now you might be getting a bit confused, trying to apply the list of actions I have given you for improving your fly casting. The problem is that like many things in fly fishing; popular thought has us thinking it is much harder than it really is.

Think simplicity. I know; that is easier said than done. The problem is our minds work against us. The question is; how does one get all that line out, while keeping the wrist straight, the elbow down, and one?s index finger or thumb on top of the rod handle? The answer is, in focusing on the rudiments of proper casting form, rather than distance. It is the casting stroke that boggles the mind. In proper form; one?s forearm moves in a swing lever like action, pivoting from the elbow. The distance of travel that the wrist and casting hand move is a short eight and one half inches. This short stroke loads and unloads the rod, as the rod tip moves between 9:30 and 1:30 on that imaginary clock face.

The initial object in effective casting is to learn what it feels like to have a rod load and unload properly, under the weight of the fly line. Once the rudimentary casting steps have been mastered, distance is easily added, by simply extending the upper arm from the shoulder and adding other more advanced methods of line pickup and delivery.


More on this next week.

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. 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 fair. 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 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, Tom Thumb, Adams, or Irresistible.

The Fraser River salmon fishing is good for spring coho and chum. For spring try: Popsicle, Big Black, GP, Squamish Poacher, Eggo, Flat Black, Mat Red, or Kaufmann Stone. For coho try: Coho blue, Rolled Muddler, Eggo, Christmas Tree, Bite Me, or olive Wooly Bugger. For chum try: Christmas Tree, Eggo, Popsicle, Big black, Mat green, Mat red, Holliman, green, pink, or purple Wooly Bugger

The Vedder River is good for spring, coho, and chum.

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