Newsman's Sport Fishing Column & Report

Sport fishing column for June 14 to 21, 2010

The second annual Alouette Lake Fishing Derby has come and gone. Was it good? Of course it was good. Fishing is fun and when you add the chance of winning prizes and making new friends. It's a win, win.

This year's derby was more challenging than last year, with an expected low pressure (weather) system that moved in over the lake shortly after the derby began. Of the seventy eight registered anglers, just over two thirds drew blanks for the day. The twenty five successful anglers who were successful weighed in a total of 65 fish; consisting of 41 kokanee, 3 rainbow trout, 3 cutthroat trout, and 18 pikeminows.

All those who placed in the winners circle this year are testament to the advice Todd Oishi offered me in regards to tournament fishing, "No matter how things look or what you may think, show up, fish hard, and don't quit until the whistle blows."

Full details and photos form this year's Alouette Lake Derby are available for viewing on the Maple Ridge Chamber of Commerce website, www.ridgemeadowschamber.com.


The third annual Greg Clark Memorial Family Fishing Derby is next Saturday June 19, right in the middle of our BC Free Family Fishing Weekend. Tickets are available from Fred's Custom Tackle, 604-858-7344, or on site.

The report

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is improving. For wet (sinking) fly fishing try: Big Black, Nation's Black, Red Spratley, Baggy Shrimp, Coachman, Cased Caddis, Halfback, Dragon Nymph, Carey Special, Zulu, or Doc Spratley. For dry (floating) fly fishing try: Tom Thumb, Renegade, Black Gnat, Foam Ant, Griffith Gnat, Royal Coachman, or Elk Hair Caddis. For kokanee try: Red Abbis, Red Spratley, Bloodworm, Royal Coachman, San Juan Worm, or red Micro Leach.

Local bass and crappie fishing is fair. Try: Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Blood Leach, Matuka, Popin Bugs, Chernobyl Ants, Crayfish, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Epoxy Minnow, Deceiver, Dolly Whacker, Bucktail, Hair Frog, Irresistible, or Tom Thumb.

The fishing on our interior lakes is good. For wet fly fishing try: Chironomid, Pumpkinhead, 52 Buick, Bloodworm, Wooly Bugger, Micro Leach, olive Matuka, Butler's Bug, Halfback, Baggy Shrimp, Sooboo, Sixpack, or Green Spratley, For dry fly fishing try: Lady McConnel, Irresistible, Big Ugly, Double Hackled Peacock, Tom Thumb, Royal Wulff, or Elk Hair Caddis.

The Fraser River is in freshet. For better success, focus on the cleaner water in and around its feeder streams. For cutthroat and rainbow try: Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Tied Down Minnow, Professor, Lioness, Kaufmann Stone, Coachman, Zulu, Chez Nymph, Black Gnat, Sooboo, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, or Stimulator. For dolly varden try: large (#4 to #2) Rolled Muddler, Zonker, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Dolly Whacker, black Popsicle, or Big Black.

The Stave River is fare to good for cutthroat and rainbow.

Wild pacific salmon are part of our heritage; say no to the foreign national
companies and their farmed fish.

Great report! The only thing I'd add is what normal bass tackle is working for those who don't fly fish.

Just in case you don't use hardware, here's my recommendations:

Assuming that most of the bass in BC are post-spawn by now, I would make sure to try the following:

Topwater - buzzbaits, poppers, propbaits.

Sub-Surface - X-Raps, spinnerbaits, medium-diving crankbaits, grub on a darter head jig.

Bottom - tube jigs (open water), Texas-rigged tubes near shore, jig n craw, grub on a football head jig, drop-shot, and shaky head jig.

If anyone wants more details on exactly what I'd throw, just let me know and I'll add that info.

Chad

Hey Chad this is a non-bass related thread...

I see now that there is some bass related stuff in the original post so forget what I said...

It's OK... I've had mornings like that too.

Chad

I'm a fly fishing instructor and fly fishing is all I do since I went fly only back in 86.
It has been so long since I used the other stuff that I don't think anyone but the antique collectors would know what I'd be talking about.

As for my fly suggestions they will work with any kind of outfit including a hand line. Just fish the fly like you would a bait or a lure. After all a fly is nothing more than a home-made lure.

Very true. I just thought I would give recommendations for the anglers who use traditional bass tackle. I didn't mean to hijack your fly report.

Chad