Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column

Fishing report for Dec 8 to 15, 2008

This week I am going to step out on a limb with my Christmas gift suggestions and recommend you buy your favorite angler some fishing time at the Sun Valley Trout Park. This is a gift that both the novice and expert anglers can enjoy. Having taught many fly fishing classes at the trout park I can assure you that the large pond would give your novice enough success to make him or her very happy. As for the expert the two fly only ponds hold enough educated lunkers to challenge even the best of us. My own experience with those educated lunkers was one month ago when the owners asked me to help with brood stocking. Not wanting to use a net on the fish they would be breeding they requested I bring them in with hook and line. What transpired was a phenomenal afternoon, matching wits with a pond full of challenging rainbows of 20 to 24 inches in length. My initial bravado was soon reduced to humility by some of the wisest trout I have ever encountered. At the end of the afternoon ten were in the pen, a catch rivaling some of the best the province has to offer. The Sun Valley Trout Park, in Mission offers many different fishing packages for all levels of fisher’s, no license required. To book a time for your special angler call 1-604-826-6471.

Our lower mainland lakes are fishing well. For better success focus on the warmer more oxygenated water in the north east sections of your favorite lake, from mid morning through early afternoon. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Chironomid, Bloodworm, Micro Leach, Halfback Nymph, Doc Spratley, Green Spratley, Dragonfly Nymph, Coachman, Carey Special, Souboo, Zulu, or Baggy Shrimp. For dry (floating) fly, yes there is still an opportunity, try: Tom Thumb, Renegade, Lady McConnel, Elk Hair Caddis, Adams, Griffith Gnat, Royal Coachman, or Brayshaw’s Fancy.

The Fraser River backwaters and sloughs are slow to fair for cutthroat and coho. For coho try: Christmas Tree, Coho Blue, Blue Christmas, olive Wooly Bugger, Egg Sucking Leech, Bite Me, or Rolled Muddler. For cutthroat try: Eggo, Flesh Fly, Rolled Muddler, Tied Down Minnow, Clouser’s Deep Minnow, Bucktail, Winter Stone, Coachman, American Coachman, Lioness, Zulu, Souboo, Big Black, Micro Leach, or Sixpack.

The Vedder River is slow for rainbow, and Steelhead. For rainbow try: Eggo, Stonefly Nymph, Elk Hair Caddis, Tom Thumb, Zulu, Fire Ball, Irresistible, Adams, Renegade, Grasshopper, or Stimulator. For Steelhead try: Big Black, Flat Black, Squamish Poacher, Thor, Polar Shrimp, Popsicle, pink Eggo, Happy Hooker, or Kaufmann’s Black Stone

The Harrison is fair to good for cutthroat, and coho. For cutthroat try: Eggo, Rolled Muddler, Tied Down Minnow, Clouser’s Deep Minnow, Bucktail, Stonefly Nymph, Coachman, American Coachman, Fire Ball, Lioness, Zulu, Black Gnat, Souboo, or Sixpack.

The Chehalis River is fair for rainbow, coho, and steelhead.

The Stave River is slow to fair for cutthroat, rainbow, and coho.

Until the next time, “Keep your fly in the water”.