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How many are TOO many fish?

Ihave heard many things criticized within the local sport fishing community but the one I was recently told beats all. Those of us who can mark off 50 or more fish days are apparently now the "bad guys.

Ihave heard many things criticized within the local sport fishing community but the one I was recently told beats all.

Those of us who can mark off 50 or more fish days are apparently now the "bad guys." Just last week, I was informed by a trusted colleague that lately he is being criticized for catching too many fish.

Furthermore, he has been told that he is being hard on the resource and should go home after catching two fish. What makes this completely ludicrous is that we are talking about a catch- and-release fisherman.

If we were all to stop after catching two fish, there would be no reason to buy an annual licence. There also would be no incentive to vacation at a fishing lodge, or pay for a guide. Tackle shops, boat dealers and RV sellers would all be forced to cut staff and possibly close their doors.

The work our Fresh Water Fisheries Society of B.C. does in establishing better fisheries would be a waste of time and money.

Lastly, there would be no reason to spend money on a class, DVD or book to improve your fishing skills, since improvement would only mean going home sooner.

So let me make this perfectly clear: Fishing is about catching fish, big fish, challenging fish and large numbers of fish.

So go catch lots of fish, but take home only what you legitimately are entitled to.

THE REPORT

Our Lower Mainland lakes are fishing well. Try a slow retrieve or troll with Big Black, Woolly Bugger, Micro Leach, Bloodworm,

Chironomid, Sixpack, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback, Doc Spratley, Buggy shrimp or Zulu.

Our Lower Mainland beach and estuary fisheries are good for sea-run cutthroat.

Watch for a shift in this fishery over the next two to six weeks, as the larger predators of this genus migrate in search of prime feeding lanes in our local rivers and streams.

Try Epoxy Minnow, Tied Down Minnow, Muddler Minnow, Clouser's deep Minnow, Lioness, Grizzly King, Mickey Finn, Coachman, Knudson's Spider, Zulu, Purple Joe or Borden Special.

The Fraser River is good for cutthroat and dolly varden.

For cutthroat try Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Eggo, Tied Down Minnow, Epoxy Minnow, Winter Stone, Flesh Fly, 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 good for steelhead dolly varden and, likely by the weekend, rainbow.

For steelhead try big Black, Popsicle, Steelhead Nightmare, Polar shrimp, GP, Thor, Squamish Poacher, Kaufmann Stone, Purple Peril or Eggo.

For rainbow try Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Eggo, Flesh Fly, Kaufmann Black Stone, Black Gnat, Zulu, Chez Nymph, Big Black, Sixpack or Renegade.

The Stave River is fair to good for steelhead, rainbow and cutthroat. The Chehalis River is good for steelhead and cutthroat. The Harrison River is good for cutthroat and rainbow.