Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; Jan 26 to Feb 2, 2015


Well, this latest series is getting to be quite a challenge. Without the likes of Art Lingren, Trey Combs, Anders Halverson, and Jack Berryman; to guide me through the murky depths and unmapped canyons of sport fishing history east of the Rockies, I am finding it a task, digging up history in the dust of the more genteel regions of our continent. Particularly so in the pre 1900?s; nevertheless, this week, I have some interesting stuff on the Great Lakes rainbow and steelhead trout.

Many believe rainbow trout are in the Great Lakes, as a result of efforts in the early 1970?s, to re-establish fisheries, after the plague of sea lampreys devastated these waters. While it is true that many rainbows of the Kamloops genus were planted along with coho and chinook salmon in the period of the 1970?s, Red band rainbow trout, were successfully planted and established one hundred years earlier.

Four names play a prominent role: Spencer Fullerton Baird, Livingston Stone, Seth Green, and the not so well know Daniel F Fitzhugh.

In 1872 President Ulysses S Grant appointed Spencer Fullerton Baird head of the US Fish Commission. In the duties of his commission Baird hired fish culturist Livingstone Stone to establish federal government fish hatchery in California. One week later, this retired preacher, now government fish culturist, was on a train for California, where before the year was out he establish his first fish hatchery, fifty miles inside hostile Indian territory. From this unorthodox place, Stone sent rainbows around the world, but more importantly to the Great Lakes.

1874 Stone?s exported rainbow trout, were successfully released into Lake Erie by Seth Green, from his government hatchery in Caledonia New York.

1876 Stone shipped live steelhead eggs to Daniel F Fitzhugh. Boat Maker and guide Fitzhugh successfully planted the first steelhead in the Aux Sable River, Bay City Michigan that same year.

New York State stocked Stone/Green?s rainbows into Lake Ontario in 1878.

Lake St Clair was stocked with Stone/green rainbows in 1882.

In 1883, Canada got into the act by stocking Stone/green rainbows into Lake Superior, near Sault Ste Marie.

By 1900 the Great lakes had a thriving rainbow trout fishery that often produced fish weighing in at six to eight pounds.

While Baird, Stone, and Green, were establishing rainbow and cutthroat fisheries east of the divide; they were also establishing bass and shad fisheries west of the divide, but that is a story for another time.



The Report

The sunshine has improved fishing on our lower mainland lakes. Try fishing dead slow close to shore, in and around the north east section of your favorite lake, with a: Bloodworm, Chironomid, Wooly Bugger, Leach, Dragon nymph, Halfback, or Baggy Shrimp.

The Fraser River is fair to good for cutthroat and dolly varden. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Flesh Fly, Anderson Stone, Eggo, Chez Nymph, Big Black, black Stonefly Nymph, or Micro Leach.

The Vedder River is good for steelhead. Try GP, Squamish Poacher, Polar Shrimp, Popsicle, Big black, Flat Black, Eggo, or black Stonefly Nymph.

The Harrison River is good for rainbow, and cutthroat. For rainbow try: Rolled Muddler, Zulu, Eggo, Chez Nymph, Big Black, Black Stone Nymph, Micro Leach.