Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column for Jan 25 to Feb 1, 2016


??there were no resorts; and in any event, few people had ever heard of Little River in those days and those that had were not disposed to undertake such a long and arduous journey when there was good sport nearer home. The fingerlings were running, and I began fishing about 4:00 AM and quit at 8:00. During that time I had ten strikes and boated eight trout, the largest twelve and three quarter pounds, the smallest about four pounds. All the rest were from seven to nine pounds.? A Bryan Williams, on fishing Little River in 1913.

Starting in the second decade of the 1900?s; A Bryan Williams was drawing a steady stream of well healed adventures, from abroad, to British Columbia in quest of the adventure of roughing it, while still maintaining the pleasantries of proper English conduct. At the same time, a spot south of the border was offering exceptional adventure that could be as challenging and unforgiving as a round with a bare knuckled pugilist. That place was Montana, and it was everything Teddy Roosevelt claimed it to be. Into this land of western folklore, came German immigrant, barber, wigmaker, and fly fisherman, Franz B Pott.

Pott opened a barbershop in trout central, Missoula, Montana, in 1918. An avid fly fisherman, Pott, was right at home exploring the streams of Montana. Skilled in the art of fly tying, Pott found out quickly that he could produce better performing flies and at a cheaper price than anything available locally. As is often the case, his friends began requesting he make flies for them. By 1920 Pott was using the techniques he had used in weaving hair for wigs, to engineer woven hair flies. Providence came into play in 1924, when Pott opened the Pott Fly Company, after having to retire from barbering due to severe varicose veins. Pott went on to become a legend of the west, leading many other innovators like himself to break the reliance on the conventions of the east, in flies and technique.





The Report

Our lower mainland lakes are fishing fair to good. For better success, focus you?re fishing from late morning through early afternoon, close to shore, and in the north east sections of your favorite lake. Try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Wooly Bugger, Doc Spratley, Halfback, Micro Leach, Pumpkinhead, or Baggy Shrimp. For ice fishing at our higher elevation lakes, try: Shrimp, Baggy Shrimp, Ice Flies, and Crappie Jigs.


The Fraser River along with its backwaters and sloughs are fishing well for whitefish, cutthroat, rainbow, dolly Varden, and early steelhead. For cutthroat try: Rolled Muddler, Flesh Fly, Eggo, Professor, Silver Doctor, Borden Special, Zulu, or small black Stone Nymph. For dolly varden try: large Clouser?s Deep Minnow. Zonker, Eggo, Flesh Fly, Dolly Whacker, or Kauffman Stone. For rainbow try: Czech nymph, Cased Caddis, Coachman, Rolled Muddler, Mico Leach, or Zulu. For whitefish try: Czech Nymph, Cased Caddis, Eggo, Hairs Ear nymph, or Mico Leach. For steelhead try: Big Black, Flat Black, Squamish Poacher, Polar Shrimp, Popsicle, GP, Steelhead Nightmare, or Kauffman Stone.

The Stave River is good for Whitefish, steelhead, rainbow, and cutthroat.

The Harrison River is good for cutthroat and rainbow.

The Vedder River is good for rainbow and steelhead.