This week in our series on Vancouver sport fishing personalities we look at Earl Anderson.
Known for creating the Anderson stonefly nymph in 1960, Anderson had other achievements to his credit.
He made a career out of sport fishing as a commercial reel repairman, tackle salesman, and fly fishing instructor.
Along with his famous Anderson stone, created for the rainbow trout of the Babine River, Anderson also created the "what else" and "yellow bell" for our Lower Mainland cutthroat.
Among his other accomplishments, this self-taught fly caster won first place in dry fly casting at the 1950 Vancouver Sportsman Show and was the fly fishing instructor for School District 39 in Vancouver.
During his teaching years - 1951 to 1982 - for the Vancouver school district he introduced 1,200 individuals to the sport of fly fishing.
Earl Anderson was born in the prairies in 1911 and moved to Vancouver around 1920 with his family.
Earl along with his brothers Arne, Frank, and Willard, became known as the fishing Andersons, frequenting the Capilano, Alouette, Nicomekl, Stave, Silver, Coquihalla and Harrison Rivers.
He lived to a good age of 84, departing in 1995.
THE REPORT
Fishing on our Lower Mainland lakes looks good for the long weekend.
For wet (sinking) fly fishing try chironomid, bloodworm, coachman, American coachman, professor, wooly bugger, micro leach, sixpack, dragonfly nymph, halfback, doc spratley, baggy shrimp or Zulu.
For dry (floating) fly action try Tom thumb, irresistible, black gnat, Griffith gnat, royal coachman or renegade. For kokanee try red abbis, bloodworm, red spratley, San Juan worm, red quill or double trude.
Our Lower Mainland bass and panfish are finally active. For these alternate B.C. game fish try wooly bugger, big black, clouser's deep, minnow, zonker, tied down minnow, bucktail, dolly whacker or crayfish.
The ice is off most lakes under 3,500 feet above sea level. Since spring is three to four weeks behind, this year's early spring tactics are in order.
For long weekend success try wooly bugger, micro leach, egg sucking leach, chironomid, bloodworm, pumpkinhead, dragonfly nymph, halfback nymph, doc spratley or baggy shrimp.
The Fraser River is getting high and brown. Try working the color change around the confluence of its feeder streams. For cutthroat try rolled muddler, mickey finn, eggo, tied down minnow, epoxy minnow, professor, lioness, coachman, Zulu, chez nymph.
For dolly Varden try (large #4 to #1) eggo, dolly whacker, bucktail, epoxy minnow, big black, muddler or zonker.
The Vedder River is still open to fly fishing below the crossing but the water is coming up, so be careful.
For steelhead try big black, popsicle, steelhead nightmare, polar shrimp, GP, thor, squamish poacher, kaufmann stone, purple peril or eggo.
