Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column, Oct 26 to Nov 2, 2015

?The Harrison River affords excellent fishing as early as April. The fish run from 1 lb to 2 lb, and take the fly freely. The river flows out of Harrison Lake to the Fraser at Harrison Station. It must be fished from a boat. Bags of thirty and forty fish are by no means uncommon?? Dr. T W Lambert, 1907.

?The trout fishing higher up the river is excellent, and one or two remarkable baskets were brought in by American anglers, who combined a day of exploration work with a few hours use of the fly rod. One catch in particular excited the admiration of the many fishermen who turned up at Campbell River? This catch included fish of 5 lb, several 3 and 4 pounders, a score of 2 pounders, and many smaller ones, all taken with the fly?? J H Wrigley, 1909.

British Columbia was well on her way in building her reputation for producing legendary fishing adventures during the first decade of the 1900s. It seemed that the poplar fishing media of the day was forever holding a strong bias for British Columbia; it was the land of legend, a land of giants, the end of the charted pathways, where endless adventures await.

?For ordinary tastes Trout Lake should be good enough. I gladly threw back anything under a pound, and as I may add, as a further tribute to the fishing, that my action in throwing a trout-fly is unlike Basonquet?s on a slow wicket. Yet at the very first cast I hooked two, one close on two pounds, the other half a pound less. These rainbows jump like tarpon six or eight times?? F G Alfalo, 1909.


The Report

Our lower mainland lakes are fishing fair to good. 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.


Our local bass are fishing well. 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.

Fishing on our interior lakes is fair to good. 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.

The Fraser River is good for coho, spring, chum. For coho try: Coho Blue, Christmas Tree, olive or black Wooly Bugger, Coho killer, Bite Me, or Rolled Muddler. For spring try: Big Black, GP, Flat Black, Squamish Poacher, Popsicle, or Kauffman?s black Stone. For chum try: Popsicle, Flat Black, Christmas Tree, Dec 25th, Met Green, or Holliman.

The Harrison River is fair to good for cutthroat, coho, spring, and chum . For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, American Coachman, Tied Down Minnow, Stone Nymph, Eggo, Cased Caddis, Czech Nymph, Hares Ear Nymph, or Irresistible.

The Vedder River is good for: coho and chum.