Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; Nov 10 to 17, 2014

Since the release of Robert Redford?s epic film, based on Norman MacLean?s Novel, A River Runs Through it, the words; ?In our family there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing,? have become a slogan for many fly anglers. In looking closer, it becomes clear MacLean had more to say on the subject and I quote.


?Our father was a Presbyterian minister and fly fisherman who taught others. He told us about Christ?s disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and John the favorite, was a dry-fly fishermen.?

It is clear from this passage, that MacLean draws a close link between his preacher father?s Christian teachings and fly fishing. In my studies of the sport I am astounded how often I find links between great practitioners of sport fishing and preachers. Do you question that? May I present the Reverend Livingston Stone, who pioneered fish hatcheries on California?s McCloud River in the 1870?s, and became the Patriarch of many of the world?s best rainbow trout fisheries. Anyone ever wonder, as I do, where Livingston found the knowledge to send his rainbow trout, during the days before amenities such as the Panama Canal, to locations as far away as Australia and New Zealand? Then there is the lady who gave us the very first instruction book on fly fishing, Dame Juliana Berners, the Prioress of the Priory of St Mary of Sopwell. Even St John made his observations in the twenty first chapter and third verse his Gospel; They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

What is sport fishing to you? Food on the table? A pass time? Or is it something deeper than that?


The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is slow to fair. 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 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 chum, spring, coho, rainbow, and cutthroat. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Hairs Ear, Elk Hair Caddis, Anderson Stone, Eggo, Golden Stone, Adams, or Irresistible.

The Thompson River is good for steelhead. Try Popsicle, Polar Shrimp, Big Black, GP, Eggo, Purple Peril, Squamish Poacher, or Kaufmann Stone.