Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column, Aug 17 to 24, 2015


It had been four centuries since Dame Juliana had penned her, ?Treatise of Fishing with an Angle,? admonishing men to choose fishing over vices.

?? And then you can serve God devoutly by earnestly saying your customary prayers, and thus doing, you will eschew and avoid many vices, such as idleness, which is the principal cause to induce man to many other vices, ??

As the 1880?s unfolded North American preachers were able to freely promote and write about sport fishing without fear of being defrocked, in heed of puritan ideologies and doctrine. North American sport fishing was finally at this point being recognized as a sport of gentlemen. Many preachers such as William Henry, Harrison Murray and Rev. Henry Van Dyke, promoted it in print and from the pulpit.

?? I have passed a great deal of my life in forest sports, and yield to no man in knowing how to enjoy them. And chiefest among the enjoyments of the forest I have found always the serenity of Sabbath rest?? William Cowper Prime, from his book, I Go A-Fishing.

?? Never believe a fisherman when he tells you that he does not care about the fish he catches ?

Watch him on that lucky day when he comes home with a full basket of trout ? his face is broader than it was when he went out, and there is a sparkle of triumph in his eye ?? Rev. Henry van Dyke, from his book, Fisherman?s Luck.

This strong undercurrent in sport angling remains today, as noted by Norman Mclean, in his classic work, A River Runs Through it; when speaking of his father, the Rev Mclean.

?? To him, all good things-trout as well as eternal salvation, come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.

So my brother and I learned to cast Presbyterian style ??



The Report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is slow. For better success try fishing early mornings and late evenings, concentrating on shadowed areas. 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 fair to 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; concentrate on spring fed areas for better success. 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 Thompson River is fair to good for rainbow. Try: California Blond, Rolled Muddler, Kaufmann Stone, Stimulator, Joe?s Hopper, Tom Thumb, Irresistible, or Elk Hair Caddis.