Fraser River February 09 Pretty slow

Well the Fraser has been pretty slow as usual for winter.  Some cuttthroat are starting to show up at the river mouths, like the Harrison and Vedder.  If you want to try something new try blade fishing the mouth of the Vedder for some steelhead, when the waters low and cold they’ll stage at the mouth and in the lower portion waiting for better flows.  Copper blades work really well in muddy water and of course your standard gold and silver colorado blades.

Local Salt February 09 Winter Feeders

Local saltwater has been a little slow for the fisherman due to terribly cold and foggy weather, but the few guys who have toughed it out and gone out on the few sunny days have been rewarded with some nice fish.  Around Tungstel bay on the backside of Bowen Island and off West Vancouver have been doing well for winter feeders and prawn.  For the winter feeders try 100-200 ft deep using cuttlefish, hoochies and coyote spoons in your standard colors.

Lower Mainland Lakes February 09

When will this cold end?!  The local lakes are extremely slow right now we’re going to have to wait for some warmer weather to get the fish moving again.  If you do get out concentrate your efforts to any creek inlet or outlet of the lakes as this is going to be the only source of food coming in to the lake at this time of year.  In March stocking should resume in our local lakes and fishing should pick up, until then maybe try river mouths on the Fraser and Pitt systems as there are cuttthroat showing up in good numbers now.

Lower Mainland Rivers February 09 Steelhead delight

The local rivers have been doing quite well for steelhead in the month of January,  don’t forget these are the early fish, as the majority of fish start showing up in late Feb. and early March.   The weather has been pretty frigid lately and few anglers are willing to deal with the conditions, but those who have have been rewarded with a great early steelhead season, so quit with the excuses and get out there!

Chehalis River has by far been producing the most fish on a regular basis.  The river is high but has good visibility, and with the high stream floes it seems to be flushing in new fish daily.  Lots of fish are being caught on roe, but a few good spinners are getting their share.  It`s definitely been tougher on the fly guys with the cold weather but trying some pink leeches and pink and purple spey patterns has proven effective for those willing to try.

The Vedder River has definitely been a challenge with the water clarity resulting from the clay bank slide late last year.  Most fish are being caught around Tamihi bridge and above.   Tempting the fish has been a challenge, with more guys crowding the upper reaches these fish are seeing more pressure than normal and it’s making catching them that much harder.  Fish are being caught but slowly,  once the middle and lower  portions clear a bit we’ll see better numbers. 

Harrison River is slow right now with the majority of fish caught being cuttthroat.  Look for that to improve in the next few weeks as more cutts start looking for fry.  Try fishing fry and egg patterns in around the log booms below the highway and railway bridges.  Roe and spin fisherman should look to the same areas, but if you have a boat trying the eddys at the mouth of the Fraser could prove to be fruitful.

Interior Lakes Feb 09 The Ice is on!

Well the interior lakes all have a good thick ice cover by now.  The best ice fishing reports are once again coming from the Caribou region.  Lots of Brook trout and a few nice rainbows are coming out.  The standard jigs seem to be red and black, chartreuse and yellow.  For bait shrimp, maggots and worms seem to do the trick.  The Merritt area has also been doing well up in the Kane Valley.  Now is a really good time for ice fishing with the nicer days and warmer daytime temps it definitely makes hanging out on the ice alot more comfortable.  Come and see us in the shop and we’ll help you out.

Fishing For Crappie

Easy to catch & cook – the perfect fishery for kids.

Growing up in the 1970’s we were fortunate to still have a decent fishery with lots of room for young anglers to explore.  For me, trout was my quarry, and we had plenty.  Cuttthroat in the spring and dollies mixed in right through early summer and again in the fall.  Rainbows would hang around all year poking in and out of the tributaries of my beloved Pitt River providing lots of opportunity for me to fish the afternoon away.

Nowadays, things are a little different.  Success doesn’t come as readily as it once did.  We must rely on different fisheries to keep our youngsters interested in fishing.  For most people, time is the issue as things are much more fast-paced than in previous generations.  While we may not have much time to take our kids fishing, it’s nice to get in some action when we do.

When I have clients in the shop that are looking for a great experience for their children, my recommendation is fishing for black crappies.  They are aggressive takers and they provide non-stop action when the bite is on.  It is not unrealistic in productive places to reach your daily limit of 20 fish within an hour.  Now I’m not saying fishing is all about catching, but it sure is nice to see youngsters smiling faces, not to mention giving them an experience they will always remember.

Black crappies are a panfish and do not resemble trout at all.  They have soft paper mouths, so setting the hook requires a light hook set, by just lifting the rod tip to absorb the slack line and applying gentle pressure to bring them to hand.  Handling crappies is easily managed if you pinch them behind the head to subdue them.  The larger species can be lipped just like a big old bass.  Crappies are a schooling fish so when you find one there are usually plenty more.  They like to hide within the weeds, under sunken logs, or in rocky structures.

The preferred gear for crappie fishing is an ultra-light rod, roughly five to six – feet in length, a perfect size for young anglers to handle.  Don’t cheap out on your line selection either, 50 percent of your castability is in your line selection.  I recommend four pound Trilene XL or P Line FluoroClear.  These lines are limp and supple, which helps making casting easier for young anglers.  The tackle that is used is quite affordable.  You need a selection of small jig heads, preferably glow heads in pink, chartreuse or white.  Crappie prefer small grubs in chartreuse, yellow, pink and white. Small tubes in the same colours can be used as well.  To aid in casting, you can use a small float or adjusta-bubble to detect bites, as well a few split shots to get your presentation out to the fish.

If young anglers prefer to fly-fish, they might like to try one of my nieces favourite flies like the small Gardy’s Grunt, flashback pheasant tail nymphs or micro leeches in #12 and #14 size hooks.  Line choice for crappie fishing is based on water depth.  An intermediate sink line is a good standby because it can reach most depths.  Your leader should taper down to two pounds as most crappie do not break the one pound mark.  That said, in some lakes and sloughs I have seen a few around two pounds.

There are prime times during which crappies become very aggressive on the feed.  When the water warms up in the spring, crappies start to feed on the same insects as trout.  Chironomids, leeches, and all other trout staples are on the menu.  The best time to fish for these quarry is when the trout are off the bite, which is perfect because all the kids are out of school and ready to fish.  When the water temperature drops they become very lethargic, hardly moving except to intercept food.

The Fraser Valley offers many places to target black crappies.  Some good places to try are Whonnock, Silvermere, or Pitt Lake, or Sturgeon Slough.  My favourite is Whonnock Lake because it has healthy populations of rainbow trout and a wild strain of cuttthroat trout native to its waters.  This pretty little lake is nestled deep inside Whonnock, just off Lougheed Highway and 272nd.  When driving through this picturesque town, your thoughts go back to simpler times when people still waved and said hello.  There is no overnight camping at the lake, but there are picnic spots available with BBQ pits and tables.  The lake has two docks, an undercover sight for BBQ’s, a concession stand, boat rental, a swimming area and a great playground for kids with a short attention span.

In my experience, kids enjoy eating what they catch.  Cleaning a fish doesn’t have to be disgusting.  My nieces find it interesting to see the different organs – especially the stomach contents so that they can match their fly selection to what the fish are eating.  Who knew education could be so much fun?

Cooking crappie is simple too.  I fillet my fish and remove the skin with a sharp fillet knife.  Once this is done, I soak the sweet white flesh in a milk bath for one hour.  In that time I prepare an egg wash by beating two eggs and adding salt, pepper and two dashes of Worcestershire sauce.  Next, I take Premium Plus crackers and make a powder crust by crushing the crakers and adding salt, pepper, dried pepper flakes and two teaspoons of dry garlic powder.  Dip the fillets in the egg wash and coat with the cracker concoction, then heat a frying pan to medium heat with olive oil.  Brown both sides of the fillet and enjoy!

I hope this brings as much joy to you and your youngsters as it has me and mine.

Written By: Garry Elgear

Story featured in BC Outdoors Jan/Feb 2009 Magazine