"Some say the stocked fish are inferior to their wild counterparts. If such a notion is based upon each angler's observations of a particular fish's qualities, this conclusion seems nebulous and subjective. Fly-fishermen are notoriously sentimental and prefer catching a wild fish rather than a planted one. But consider this: how can a fish that has made its way 100 miles to the ocean, spent four years traveling 1,000 to 2,500 miles as far as Eurasia, then back to that same river of its birth be inferior?"
- Russell Chatham, author of The Angler's Coast.
Hatchery enhancement. Render these two words in a discussion among user groups as a solution to repairing our endangered B.C. fish stocks and watch the fireworks.
Personally, I have heard far too much - both pro and con on this subject - along with the anemic baffle gab from the talking heads that control this resource.
It is nothing more than a great tumult of noise that amounts to not much more than an exercise in passing verbal wind.
All the while, our salmon and steelhead stocks continue helplessly down the path of no return.
No matter which side of the fence you stand on, there is no denying the success of our closest neighbors, Washington and Alaska, in maintaining and restoring their fisheries.
What do they do that we don't?
Enhance their fisheries with hatchery fish, administer their fish and game laws with zeal and exercise a total ban on open-net pen fish farms from operating in the estuaries of salmon and steelhead baring streams.
Say and believe what you will. As for me, I have seen and fished both sides of Cascadia and believe B.C. can do better than our status quo.
The Report
Our Lower Mainland lakes are fishing fair to slow. For wet (sinking) fly trout fishing try coachman, Zulu, wooly bugger, dragonfly nymph, damsel nymph, sixpack, doc spratley, pumpkinhead or baggy shrimp.
For evening dry (floating) fly trout fishing try Tom thumb, irresistible, royal coachman, renegade, elk hair caddis, black gnat, Griffith gnat or Lady McConnel.
Fishing on our interior lakes is good. For wet fly fishing try chironomid, halfback, 52 Buick, pumpkinhead, big black, micro leach, coachman, green spratley, damsel nymph, dragon nymph, carey special, souboo, sixpack or baggy shrimp.
For dry fly fishing try Lady McConnel, black gnat, double hackled peacock, Griffith gnat, black gnat, elk haired caddis, irresistible, sofa pillow or Tom thumb.
The Fraser is fishing well for coho, chum, spring, and cutthroat. For coho try eggo, coho blue, Christmas tree, olive wooly bugger or rolled muddler.
For chum try Christmas tree, big black, flat black, bunny leach, holliman, dark green wooly bugger or mat green.
For spring try eggo, big black, flat black, wooly bugger, Kaufmann stone, Squamish poacher or popsicle.
For cutthroat try rolled muddler, professor, Anderson stone, Zulu, American coachman, renegade, Tom thumb, black gnat, chez nymph and irresistible.
The Harrison is good for coho, chum, spring and cutthroat.
The Vedder is good for coho, chum, spring, rainbow, and cutthroat. For rainbow try Kaufmann stone, big black, black gnat, souboo, Zulu, renegade, Tom thumb, chernobyl ant, foam hopper or irresistible.
