One of the things that amazes me in reading old documents is how closely history repeats itself, and how many of the old letters are still relevant today.
One such letter was written in 1857, by North American fisheries management patriarch, George Perkins Marsh.
"We have notoriously less physical hardihood and endurance than the generation which preceded our own, our habits are those of less bodily activity; the sports of the field, and the athletic games with which the village green formerly rung upon every military holiday, are abandoned; and we have become not merely a more thoughtful and earnest, but it is to be feared, a duller, as well as a more effeminate and less bold and spirited, nation."
Marsh saw that people (men in particular) were getting soft fromspending too much time sitting on their backsides.
In this day of net flicks and Xbox, it is hard to picture many of our ancestors joining the international legion of couch potatoes, but obviously they did.
Mash envisioned sport fishing as a way to get people off the couch, and out of the house for some fresh air and exercise.
What a concept -- and it worked!
If it didn't, we would not have the multi-million dollar North American sport fishing industry and the numerous fish hatcheries that we have today.
One hundred and fifty five years later we are still looking for an answer to render to the deluge of voices, all needling us to get out for more fresh air and exercise.
Go fish!
THE REPORT
Fishing on our Lower Mainland lakes is 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 good 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 cutthroat.
For coho try Christmas Tree, Rolled Muddler, olive Woolly Bugger, Bite Me, or Coho Blue.
For steelhead try Polar Shrimp, Squamish Poacher, Big Black, Flat Black, Popsicle, Kaufmann Black Stone, Eggo, Thor or Steelhead Spratley.
The Harrison River is fair for coho, and cutthroat. The Chehalis River is fair for coho and cutthroat. The Vedder River is fair for steelhead.
