Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column for April 4 to 11, 2016

If there ever was a prolific sport fishing writer to rival British Columbia?s Roderick Haig-Brown, I believe it would be Idaho?s own Ted Trueblood. Unlike Haig-Brown, Cecil Ted Trueblood was born and raised in the west. I do not believe anyone from my generation involved in conservation, will not, at least once, have heard the name Ted Trueblood. Raised in a family where hunting and fishing were a way of life and sustenance, young Ted was already studying his craft by age ten. He bought his first shotgun at age thirteen and was an accomplished fly tier by his seventeenth birthday. Upon graduating high school in 1931, Trueblood sold his first article to National Sportsman magazine. He continued to sell sporting articles and short stories while attending the College of Idaho and later at the University of Idaho. Then in 1936 he moved from freelance writing, to career writing as reporter and columnist for the Boise Capital News, and then with the Desert News, in Salt Lake City in 1938. In 1941 Trueblood was working in New York, as fishing editor for Field & Stream magazine. Though Trueblood had left the west, his heart never did, and in 1947 he left the east vowing never to return. For the rest of his life he resided in his beloved Idaho, producing volumes of books on hunting and fishing, heading many conservation projects, and with winning numerous awards and accolades.

From the dust of the depression, to an honored sport fishing legend; that?s the possibility, legacy, and heritage we share in North American sport fishing.

The Report

Now that spring weather is here, there are some things we need to keep a watch for: Hypothermia; it can catch you by surprise on a cold morning when you didn?t bring that warm coat, or on a warm sunny afternoon when that cold wind is blowing right through your favorite fishing sweater. Dress for the season, weather can be unforgiving. Watch your water levels when crossing or wading in streams. The snow melt is on so all streams are on the rise. Ticks; reports are that there is an over abundance this year.


Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is good. Focus on the north east sections of your favorite lake. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Wooly Bugger, Doc Spratley, Sixpack, Halfback, Micro Leach, Pumpkinhead, or Baggy Shrimp. For dry (floating) fly fishing try: Lady McConnel, Tom Thumb, Elk Hair Caddis, Double Hackled Peacock, black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, or Irresistible.


The Fraser River along with its backwaters and sloughs are fishing well for cutthroat, rainbow, dolly Varden, and steelhead. For cutthroat and rainbow try: Rolled Muddler, Czech nymph, Professor, Silver Doctor, Cased Caddis, Tied Down Minnow, standard Coachman, Zulu, or Micro Leach. For dolly varden try: large Clouser?s Deep Minnow, Zonker, Dolly Whacker, or Kauffman Stone. For steelhead try: Big Black, Flat Black, Squamish Poacher, Polar Shrimp, Popsicle, GP, Steelhead Nightmare, or Kauffman Stone.

The Harrison River is fair to good for cutthroat and rainbow.

The Vedder River is good for rainbow and steelhead.