Newsman's sport fishing column & report

Sport fishing column for Dec 19 to 26, 2011

This is it gang the last week before Christmas. If you don't get that gift for your angler this week, it will be nothing but excuses.

You might think that by this time much of the popular fishing equipment, at most shops, will be well picked over and you may be right, but there are still some items many shoppers don't think of.

Fishing time: What does your angler like more than that? The Sun Valley Trout Park, in Mission, offers three hours of catch and release fly fishing for $25. Prepay for the time, slip the receipt in a card and hide it under the tree. As their resident fly fishing instructor I can tell you the fishing is good there year round, with the largest fish consistently caught during winter. Who would like to land a fat five pounder, on a dry fly, in mid January?

Fly fishing or Fly tying lessons: Hatch Match'r Fly and Tackle, in Maple Ridge, has a full house of both, with some of the best anglers in the province for instructors.

Books: Any angler worth his or her salt is an avid reader and if not they should be. The best anglers are always the best students of angling. Some of my favorites that I have not listed earlier in this series are: "In The Ring of the Rise," by Vincent Marinaro, "Tying Flies For Trophy Trout," by Jack Shaw, "Fly Fishing: The Trout Lakes," by Jack Shaw, "The Gilly," compiled by Alfred G Davy, "Fly Patterns of Roderick Haig-Brown," Arthur James Lingren, "The Freshman Flyfisher's Insect Guide," by Rick Passek, "Flyfishing Strategies for Stillwaters," by Brian M Chan, "My Father, My friend," by Arthur Mayse, "Hooked for Life," by Jimmy Houston, and "First Light on The Water," by Al and Ron Linder.


The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is what else, slow. For better success concentrate on the northwest sections of your favorite lake, from mid morning, through mid afternoon with: Coachman, American Coachman, Professor, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, Sixpack, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback, Doc Spratley, Baggy Shrimp, or Zulu.

The Fraser River back waters are fishing fair to slow for cutthroat. For cutthroat try: Eggo, Rolled Muddler, Tied Down Minnow, Mickey Finn, Stonefly Nymph, or American Coachman.

The Stave River is fair to slow for coho and cutthroat. For coho try: Christmas Tree, Rolled Muddler, olive Wooly Bugger, Bite Me, or Coho Blue.

The Harrison River is fair for coho, and cutthroat.

The Thompson River is fair to good for steelhead and rainbow. Try: Squamish Poacher, Big Black, Flat Black, Popsicle, Kaufmann Stone, Steelhead Spratley, or polar Shrimp.