Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column, June 29 to July 6, 2015


Fly casting tournaments, which were a mainstay of activities, in the North American Sportsman?s clubs of the 1880?s, originated in England. The rudiments of modern casting techniques stem from the coachman?s trade; where coachmen used a whip consisting of an eight foot tapered staff, with which twenty feet of lash attached to it. Over time coachmen became very accurate in directing their whips at targets in any direction. It didn?t take long to discover that the same technique used for the coachman?s whip, could be used with a limber fly rod and line to place a fly wherever an angler wished.

As fish stocks in highly populated regions of the east began to falter due to over fishing and industrial pollution, sportsman?s clubs needed fishing related activities, to keep their memberships. Casting tournaments fit the bill and to help it along, the old rivalry between Britton and the New World was revived.

Starting in 1864, these fly casting competitions, not only had the best know fishermen competing, but also many of the best know sport fishing writers, rod makers, and tackle dealers. By the early twentieth century professional caster appeared traveling the circuit of casting championships. One of the first of these pro casters was Marvin K Hedge, who made a career out of breaking records, across Canada and the US. When Hedge was invited compete in Europe in 1937, he bettered the standing world record by twenty eight feet, with a new record of one hundred and fifty one feet.

The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is slow to fair. Summer tactics are the key now, which means looking for the coolest, most oxygenated water. The south west sections of a lake generally get the least sunshine and therefore tend to be cooler. Stream inflows and feeder springs tend to hold cooler more oxygenated water as well. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Chironomid, Wooly Bugger, Doc Spratley, Halfback, Micro Leach, Six Pack, Souboo, Pumpkinhead, Damsel Nymph, American Coachman, or Baggy Shrimp. For dry (floating) fly fishing try: Lady McConnell, Big Ugly, Elk Hair Caddis, Griffith Gnat, Irresistible, or Royal Coachman. For kokanee try: Bloodworm, San Juan Worm, Red Spratley, Red Ibis, Double Trude, or small Red Zonker.

Our local bass and panfish waters are good. For bass try: Foam Frog, Poppers, Chernobyl Ant, Stimulator, Adult Damsel, Adult Dragon, Big Black, Wooly Bugger, Dragon Nymph, Pumpkinhead, Dolly Whacker, Lefty?s Deceiver, or Clouser?s Deep Minnow. For Panfish try Bloodworm, Chironomid, Micro Leach, Pumpkinhead, Popper, Black Gnat, Trico, Mosquito, or Royal Coachman.

Fishing on our interior lakes is slow to fair. For wet fly fishing try: Chironomid, Big Black, 52 Buick, Dragon Nymph, Halfback, Butler?s Bug, Doc Spratley, Green Spratley, Pumpkinhead, Green Carey, Damsel Nymph, Dragon Nymph, or Baggy Shrimp. For dry fly fishing try: Tom Thumb, Double Hackled Peacock, Elk hair Caddis, Goddard Caddis, Royal Wulff, or Irresistible.

The Chehalis River is fair to slow for rainbow and summer steelhead. For steelhead try: Popsicle, Big black, Purple Peril, GP, Golden Stone, Kaufmann Stone, Simulator, Tom Thumb, or Irresistible.

The Thompson River is good for rainbow. Try: Rolled Muddler, Kaufmann Stone, Stimulator, Joe?s Hopper, Tom Thumb, Irresistible, or Elk Hair Caddis.