Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; Oct 3 to 20, 2014

?Since they are the only evidence we have, it is natural that readers and even historical researchers place great faith in what they read in books. But books inevitably tell only part of the story?? The passage in our column today are from John Buckland?s book; The Flyfishers Companion.

I am sure; I messed with a few minds, in my last column, when I suggested taking everything you have learned about casting, and duplicating it with your non-dominant hand. Over the next service of columns I wish to further challenge some cherished ideologies, about sport fishing, to encourage new thoughts and ideas. One way to do that is to look back at where we came from.

?it was Halford who formulated the code of the dry fly. His books of the 1800s? Halford was interpreted as saying that the only proper way to fish for trout was with a dry fly? Anyone who takes the trouble to read Halford now ? will be surprised to find that in print he is nowhere near as dogmatic as his reputation.?

Too often we take something someone else has said about a subject and except it as truth, when what we are actually choosing is to believe an alteration of that truth. This failure to do our own research; I believe, holds us back from improvement and innovation, in both sport fishing and the fisheries we enjoy.

More 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 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 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 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, chum, spring, and coho. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Hairs Ear, Elk Hair Caddis, Anderson Stone, Eggo, 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.