Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column, Nov 30 to Dec 6, 2015

This year on the lead up to Christmas I wish to step aside from my usual gift suggestions and do something different; while, staying within the realm on our current series on North American sport fishing history.

On the Christmas wish list, of many anglers will be a new fly line. With hundreds of manufactures, styles, weights, and applications to choose from, one can lose an appreciation for the wonder of this product. In times past fly lines were not so readily available and the limited choices were no easy task to create.

Originally fly lines were made from horse hair, and line makers often found themselves in bidding wars; as they made every effort to attain the longest possible hair available. The strands of hair were braided to achieve the desired tensile (pound test) strength and braided sections were tied together to chosen lengths. If making these lines was not chore enough, so was caring for them, as every effort was made to slow down the inevitable aging (rot) process. Once silk became readily available, fly lines improved dramatically. Now an angler could have a line of one continuous length. To protect the new silk line from rot, they were treated with linseed oil. The better line maker treated their lines with the use of a vacuum pump, to ensure for full penetration of the linseed oil. Lines were often treated numerous times, being dried and polished between each treatment. Quality silk lines from the 1880?s up to late 1950?s, when our modern polymer coated lines appeared, could take as long as seven months to finish.

That quality fly line you are looking at may appear expensive at first glance, but when you factor in where these lines came from, and the ingenuity that brought them to the amazing product of today; it?s a bargain.

?I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions,? King Solomon.





The Report

Our lower mainland lakes are fishing slow. For your best watch your barometer and focus on any upward swings in air pressure. Try: Chironomid, Wooly Bugger, Doc Spratley, Halfback, Micro Leach, Six Pack, Souboo, Pumpkinhead, Damsel Nymph, American Coachman, or Baggy Shrimp.


The Fraser River is slow to fair 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 slow to fair 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 slow for the odd clean coho.