BC Fishing Blog

Angling ambassador program

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:28:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

In all the hoopla about the outrage of a duck hunting video posted on YouTube and the following arrest of the poachers last week I didn’t have much time to write about an event that is very dear to me.

The Angling Ambassador Program, a joint endeavour of the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) and the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC (FFSBC) is an exiting new project to promote fishing and I am proud to be part of it. The objectives of this program are:

To educate the general public on the benefits of angling and to provide instruction on fishing regulations interpretation pertaining to angling and conservation.
BCWF members will offer fishing advice ( where to and how to ) at various lakes in the Thompson/Nicola Region.
The program will encourage the general public to participate in angling, providing the opportunity to have fun for individuals and families.
Provide information on BC Wildlife Federation, Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP), Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC (FFSBC), Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) and Ministry of Environment(MoE).
The Thompson River watershed and the Nicola River watershed are designated sites including various lakes in the region and surrounding area.

On Wednesday August 5th we had our first ambassadorial duties. Our group (Photo from left to right, Jack Madryga, Cyril George, Bill Otway, Othmar Vohringer and Paul Komonoski) headed to the Kentucky Lake located in the stunningly beautiful Kentucky Alleyne Provicial Park. After we set up the information booth and unloaded all the boxed full of fishing literature, tackle and fishing rods to be given away to young anglers we just had time for a refreshing cup of coffee before the action started.

In no time the booth was busy with anglers of all ages asking questions or just stopping by for a friendly chit-chat. The children were exited and thankful for the presents and all the advice we dispensed on how to catch fish. It didn’t take long before the first child came back to our booth and proudly showed off the trout she caught with the rod and tackle she received from the Angling Ambassador Program team.

Part of our “job”, and for me the most rewarding one, was to walk around the lake visiting with the anglers and helping them with any questions they may have. For me the biggest joy of the day was a young girl that tried for the better part of two hours to catch a fish. She kept asking her father what to do but he has never fished before either. After setting her fishing rod properly up and choosing the lure of the day and then showing her how to cast she caught a handsome rainbow trout of a respectable size. To see the girl’s face light up with a bright smile when she reeled the fish in combined with the joyous “Daddy I got one, Daddy look here I caught a fish.” was all the reward I needed.

As I said at the beginning of this article, this was our first Angling Ambassador Program but it certainly was not our last one. As anglers and hunters we do not need a title and a uniform to become ambassadors of our great outdoor heritage. Every time a hunter or angler helps somebody else less knowledgeable with advice and some friendly encouragement he or she is an ambassador of our sport and contributes to the continuation of our treasured outdoor heritage.

Learn to catch more fish. Othmar Vohringer offers fishing courses for the beginning to advances angler.

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Founding Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

Tags: Angling Ambassador Program, fishing, Kentucky Lake, BC Wildlife Federation, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC

BC Family Fishing Day in Merritt

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:16:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

On Fathers Day, June 21st the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club (NVFGC) held their traditional BC Family Fishing Day event at the children lake located between the Kentucky and the Alleyne lakes. Despite the cloudy weather with the occasional rain and drizzle, it did not deter families from attending. By 11:00 am over 50 adults and 59 children had signed up at the registration booth.

While the weather might not have been the usual sunny and hot it certainly was perfect for fishing. By the end of the event over 120 rainbow trout had been weighed in with the heavier ones exceeding two pounds. Neither did the weather negatively impact on the excitement, joy and determination of the many young fishers. The enthusiasm of the children and the joy they felt spending quality time with their parents and family on the lake had everybody in a good mood.

According to Bill Otway, the organizer of the Family Fishing Day for the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club, this year’s event has been one of the most successful since the club started to host the Family Fishing Day. Of course an event of this proportion would not be possible without the numerous hard working volunteers and members of the NVFGC and the many supporters from the Merritt business community. A big thank you to the Credit Union, Powderkeg Outdoor Supply Store, Ponderosa Tackle and Archery, Tim Hortons, McDonalds and many other individuals for donating prizes, tents, time and money to make this event possible and the success it was.

The local Conservation Officer detachment was present during the entire event providing assistance and showing children how to clean fish. The Conservation Officers also provided over 40 rod and reel combos plus other smaller prizes and gifts to be given away to the children that took part in the fishing derby. There were other prizes to be had as well; making sure that no child was left out. In the cozy refreshment tent the ladies of the NVFGC were busy providing hot coffee, donuts, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for the hungry fishers and spectators.

All in all this was a great event shared by many families and everybody had a good time. The BC Family Fishing Weekend purpose is to promote new fishing opportunities and British Columbia as a world-class fishing destination. For this special family event no fishing license was required and the lake had been stocked with additional fish. The NVFGC is proud to be the annual host of the Family Fishing Day and we look forward to next year’s Father’s day event. The NVFGC is a family orientated conservation and sportsman organization offering many events throughout the year for its members. Membership applications can be obtained at the Powderkeg Outdoor Supply Store in Merritt.

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Founding Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

Tags: British Columbia Fishing, Family Fishing Day, Nicola Valley fish and Game Club

Alouette Lake Fishing Derby

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:08:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

I am a bit late with this event due to computer problems, but not to late for you to register to take part in this exiting event if you’re quick about it.

The Alouette Lake Fishing Derby is hosted by the Maple Ridge Chamber of Commerce and takes place on June 6th 2009.

Registration fee for singles is $50 and for families $110. It’s a huge event with vendors and fishing company representatives present. Registered derby participates are eligible to win $5,000 worth of prices for more information and registration visit the Maple Ridge Fishing Derby website.

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Founding Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

Tags: Fishing Derby, Alouette Lake, Maple Ridge

Canada lost one of its greatest anglers and conservantionists

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:35:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

With sadness I report today the passing of Frank (Len) Rich, one of Canada’s most active outdoor enthusiasts and conservationist. Unfortunately, I was not able to get to know Len all that well before he passed away. Before I joined the Outdoor Writers of Canada (OWC) we exchanged a few emails and a couple of phone calls. It had been his enthusiasm about everything to do with fishing, the outdoors and writing, plus his tireless commitment to recruiting new outdoor writers that made me join the OWC.

Below I copied the official obituary released by the OWC. My heartfelt condolences go to Lens family and many friends in the outdoor community to whom he has given so richly and never asked for anything in return. The legacy he left behind will be carried on in his memory. May you rest in peace Len.

OBITUARY Len Rich 1938-2009

We regret to announce the death of Leonard Frank (Len) Rich on April 13, 2009, in North Bay, ON following a brief courageous battle with cancer. He was 71.

Len was born and raised in the small Upstate New York town of Whitehall. After eight years of US military service he settled in Newfoundland in 1966. His careers spanned more than four decades, from sales rep and sales manager to automotive dealer and entrepreneur in the field of tourism.

His greatest passions were fly fishing and writing and as a columnist, author and advocate for responsible stewardship he left a profound legacy, touching the lives of many throughout the writing and fly fishing worlds.

Len discovered and later developed a fly-in sportfishing lodge in Labrador he named Awesome Lake Lodge. He operated that business for 10 years before semi-retirement.

He authored several books, including Newfoundland Salmon Flies and how to tie them, Best of In The Woods, Fly Fishing Tips and Tactics, Rivers and Woods, So you want to be an outfitter, Memoirs of a fly fisher, Tales of Christmas (Editor), and his latest Bill Bennett: Pioneer Bush Pilot and Outfitter. He also wrote hundreds of magazine articles for various national and International publications.

During his careers he was employed by the Newfoundland government as Hunting & Fishing Development Officer and by the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) as manager of Special Events. Len was also employed by Corona College in Grand Falls-Windsor as Director of Communications and Tourism Training. He and his late wife Ruby developed and operated businesses in Clarenville, NL, known as Whitehall Country Inn and The Grapevine. He was predeceased by Ruby in 2004.

He served three terms as President of the Labrador Outfitters Association and three terms as Eastern Director of the Outdoor Writers of Canada (OWC). An award winning writer, he was recognized by the New England Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers of Canada for his books and articles and in 1991 received the coveted Canada Recreational Fisheries Award for “writing that influenced a generation of recreational fishers.” In 2007 he was selected to receive the OWC’s Jack Davis Mentorship Award for his work with up and coming writers. He led the OWC Mentorship Program and for a decade he hosted the Creative Writing forum on the Sympatico Internet site.

Throughout his adult life he made Newfoundland his home, but recently lived in Orangeville and North Bay, sharing his life and love with his partner Susan Buckle. He is survived by brothers Wayne, Shrewsbury, Vermont; Keith, Hoosick, NY; sister Dawn in Massachusetts; Susan and her children Cameron and Lianne Honeyborne; sons Len Jr. (Chantel) of Lewisporte, NL and Ken of Summerside, NL; daughters Lori (Tony) of Fort Nelson, BC, and Tammy of Summerside, NL; stepson Tony Blackmore and stepdaughter Roxane Bailey (Chris) of St. John’s, NL; and grandchildren Cassidy, Alicia, Evan, Tyson, Tyler, Mallory, Morgan, Rebecca, Daniel, Kennedy, and Andrew.

Funeral will be held in Clarenville, NL Saturday April 25 at Fewers Funeral Home, Clarenville. 709-467-2468. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Margaree Salmon Museum, NS. Margaree Centre, NS B0E 1Z0 or the charity of your choice.

Images courtesy of Outdoor Writers of Canada.

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Founding Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

Fishing on the Internet - Get Reeled

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:47:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

For me the Internet is one of the greatest tools for searching news and making connections with other anglers around the world. As a writer and blogger the Internet permits me to network with other like-minded people and exchange experiences, tips and ideas.

My good blogging friend Mel Moore, writer of the Fishing Notebook, made me aware of a new angler networking website called GetReeled.com.

GetReeled.com brings fishers together from around the world. To join you have to sign up and create your own account. It’s free. Ones you have your own account you can join other members or join groups. It’s a great way to talk with other anglers that share the same interests as you do.

My home page at GetReeled.com can be viewed here and ones you joined the network we can engage in discussions about your favorite method of fishing or your favorite game fish species. We also can talk about the fishing school where I offer lessons for individuals and groups in Merritt, British Columbia.

If you’re, like me, a convinced Rapala lure user then you could join Mel’s Rapala’s Group like I did. We have some great discussions in that group about the effectiveness of using Rapala Lures for different fish species and different methods of fishing.

I invite you to come along and do some fishing on the Internet, it’s great fun and you always can learn something new.

Image courtesy of GetReeled.com

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Founding Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

Spring trout season has started

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:17:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

It looks like spring in the Nicola Valley has finally arrived. The last few days the almost balmy weather made short work of the ice on the lakes, with exception of a few lakes at higher elevations the ice is all gone. If the warm weather keeps up these higher up lakes too will soon be ice free.

Fishermen, including me, have been waiting for what seems like a very to long time. With the spring arriving and the ice off the lakes it is time to dig out the fishing tackle box and put new line on the reel. My mind is drifting between going fishing and turkey hunting. The bears are still hibernating at the higher elevations where I hunt them, which is just as well otherwise I would be in a real dilemma with all the choices the spring offers to the outdoors person.

The other day I drove by the Nicola Lake - which is only a few driving minutes from our house - and darn it if I didn’t see a few rainbow trout, could have been kokanee’s too, jump. Arriving back home I hauled my fishing gear out of the winter storage, washed the boat and got everything else ready for the first fishing trip of the year.

In the spring trolling with small flashy spoons or weeding bands works great and so do pink and red plastic worms. Use a rod with a sensitive tip, as bites will be very light. Shore fishing on the Nicola Lake can be good too with a good old red and white ball bobber you will be able to reach further out. As lures go I always make sure I have a few Rapala’s in different colors and sizes in my lure box as back up. If all else fails out comes a Rapala and I am almost guaranteed to get action with these lures.

I am not a flyfisher but I have seen the first chironomids appear and that is the time, so flyfishers tell me, to make sure your fly box if sufficiently stocked with that type of flies. Black leeches with red flash, so I am told by one source, get bites too.

I am ready to go fishing and will head out with my boat right after I return from my turkey hunt.

Tight Linnes!

For information about my fishing lessons and hunting courses visit:
Othmar Vohringer Outdoors

New BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations are out

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:36:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

A few days ago I had the pleasure to talk to Steve Maricle, one of the BC wildlife departments small lake biologists. During our conversation Steve told me how happy he is that he finally could convince our provincial government to simplify the Freshwater Fishing Synopsis. Steve like many others, me included, always felt that the old regulations were too complicated with 37 different regulations for each small lake. More confusing then enlightening.

Having traveled to quite a few places in North America to hunt and fish I always thought that the BC Fishing Synopsis, a magazine filling more then 100 pages, is without a doubt one of the most convoluted written regulations anywhere. Almost for each lake, river and stream there are different rules on fishing tackle, boat engine horsepower, retention limits among an array of other regulations.

Thankfully Steve worked very hard to simplify the regulation and as a result we have much simpler regulations for 2009 that can be read without the assistance of a lawyer and do not need to be consulted each time one fishes a different lake. The biggest problem with the old regulations was that they would put off new fishers simply because they could not make heads and tail off it without reading the regulations for hours at a time.

Among the new and simplified regulations are the small lake classifications. This alone is a huge improvement to the former system. Small lakes are now classified throughout the regionas:

SL-1 means that the daily retaining quota for char and trout is 2
SL-2 trout and char daily quota is 1, plus on these lakes only single barbless hooks can be used, plus winter closures and fish size restrictions are in place where required.
SL-3 trout and char daily quota is 2 plus bait ban and only single barbless hooks can be used. Winter closures if necessary.
SL-4 trout and char catch and release only, plus bait ban and single barbless hooks only. Seasonal closures if necessary.

Another new feature I like is that the ice fishing closures, previously dated, are now simplified with the remark. "If the ice is off you can fish". Before there was a date included but what if the ice was not off on that specific date. Where you still permitted to fish despite the ice fishing ban? The decision was left to the interpretation of the Conservation Officer. In the new regulation the ice fishing ban is lifted when the ice is off the lake at what ever date that might be. Much simpler and easier to understand and no interpretation need.

There are many other positive changes and most of these changes are aimed at making fishing in British Columbia simpler and above all unify the regulation throughout the regions. I for one am very glad Steve invested all the hard work and time to simplify the regulation and had the necessary stamina to convince the bureaucrats in the government, which probably was the toughest part.

Changes to Fishing License Sale

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:32:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

I received the following news item in my email that will affect all fresh water fishers in British Columbia.

Members should be aware that as we go to press with this newsletter we have been advised that the Provincial Government has now ruled that the only way you can get a fishing license for the coming year, is over the internet.

Understand you will not be able to get your license as you normally would at the local sporting goods store. You either have to do this from your own computer, if you have one and an internet connection or find a friend or a commercial outlet that can provide you with internet access. To date we have been unable to find a dealing in Merritt who is willing to purchase a new computer, a printer, paper and ink and set this up in their place of business just to sell fishing licenses. So be forewarned!

Of course this action only makes sense to our government. They are spending our license funds and getting many of us involved in projects to increase participation in recreational fishing and increase license sales and then, naturally they go about making it as difficult as possible for anglers to obtain a license. This will mean, in this writers experience that not only will there not be more people buying licenses but many who now buy will no longer do so. The inmates have taken over the asylum!

Your current license expires on March 31st.

Bill Otway

I fully agree with Bill, when he says, “The inmates have taken over the asylum!”, only our glorious squirrel brained BC government could come up with such lunacy. We have had e-licensing for a number of years and it was a great idea in connection with over the counter licensing. British Columbia has still a lot of remote and rural areas with no access to the Internet or only with dial up access.

The government spent millions to make fishing more accessible but by taking the over the counter license purchase option away they make it extraordinary difficult for many to obtain a license. Add to that the fact that many fishing tackle and hunting stores, including some Canadian Tire and Wal-Marts, already announced that they would not invest in new computers, printers and software needed to provide e-licensing service to their customers. This new system will do nothing for fishing. I will make a bet with anyone that fishing license sells will go drastically down and poaching will sky rocket.

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors

Tags: BC. Fishing License, Fresh Water Fishing, Fishing in British Columbia

Merritt Ice Fishing Derby – Fun Times

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:41:00 +0000

(Originally published in the Merritt Herald, January 14, 2009)

© By Othmar Vohringer

On Sunday, hundreds of fisherman, women and children ventured to Mammette Lake for a fun-filled day of ice fishing.
This was the 9th Annual Ice Fishing Derby organized by the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club (NVFGC).

The weather was perfect with a blue sky and brilliant sunshine and by 10 a.m/ the lake was crowded with over 260 people. It was particularly encouraging to see so many children and families in attendance – proving the point that fishing truly is a sport to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Over the years the NVFGC ice fishing derby has become a traditional event with a solid reputation for good organization and generous money and goods prizes.

The event draws participants from Kamloops to Chilliwack and every community in between.

Over the course of the day a slow but steady number of fish arrived at the scale, and by 2:30 p.m., the official end of the derby, over 30 trout and coarse fish were weighed in. The numerous and varied derby prizes were generously provided by Merritt business owners.

During the event, two Conservation Officers were present handing out goodies to all the children. They also provided the concession tent for the event.

Merritt Search and Rescue Team generously provided a second tent, but due to the exceptionally nice weather it wasn’t set up as additional shelter.

The club provided free coffee, hot chocolate and donuts, and for the modest price of $1 hot dogs were available too.

An event of this proportion couldn’t go smoothly without all the fine people in the background volunteering their time and effort in organizing it. The many volunteers from the NVFGC made sure that this year’s ice fishing derby would be remembered by everybody who attended.

Mammette Lake is not known as a trophy fishing lake; but still, the fish that were weighed in were respectable.
The first prize in the children’s trout class weighed in at 2 and 3/8 lbs and second prize went to a young fisher with a beautiful 2 and 1/4 lbs rainbow trout.

The ladies didn’t do too shabby either with the first prize going to a woman with a 3 and 1/8 lbs rainbow that was followed by a 2 and 1/16 lbs trout.

The men didn’t hold back either with first trout prize weighing in at 3 and 11/16 lbs and second a close 3 and 3/8 lbs. In the coarse fish class, a monster sucker weighing a solid 4 and ¾ lbs won first place and second place came close with 4 and 5/8 lbs.

Other prizes included a hidden weight class, a 50/50 draw and many door prizes.

Images courtesy and copyright of Heidi Koehler Photography & Graphic Design

------------------------------------
As the chairman of the Ice Fishing Derby I would like to thank personally, and on behalf of the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club, the many volunteers behind the scenes, to numerous to mention individually here, for their time and effort they spent to make this event possible and a memorable experience for everybody I also would like to that the local business for their generous donations of prizes and money. Without your continued support this event would not be possible on such a large scale.

ALPHA Welding Merritt
Grand Hotel, Merritt
LORDCO, Merritt
Merritt Machine Shop
Wal-Mart, Merritt
Black’s Pharmacy, Merritt
BC Hunter Handicraft
City Furniture, Merritt
Ponderosa Archery & Fishing Tackle, Merritt
Home Hardware Store
Western Classic Saddlery and Cowboy Wear. Merritt
Mc Donalds Auto Wreckers, Merritt
Powder Keg Outdoor sporting Goods Store, Merritt
Cooper’s Food Stores, Merritt
Canadian Tire, Merritt
Tim Horton’s, Merritt
Merritt Printers
Nicola Chainsaw, Merritt
Nicola Sports, Merritt

Othmar Vohringer
Ice Fishing Derby Chairman of the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club

Tactics and lures for ice fishing

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:29:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

The recent weeks have kept me quite busy getting the annual Ice Fishing Derby in Merritt, BC organized. Yesterday I filmed a public announcement for the Fishing Derby that is aired daily on Shaw Channel 10 broadcast in the Merritt Thomson area. All this activity had me thinking more then usual of ice fishing. The truth is that I am more a summertime fisher while the spring, fall and winter are my hunting seasons.

In response to the Ice Fishing Derby I received quite a few emails from people asking me all kind of questions, from what to bring to how to fish on the ice. In an earlier article here on the BC Fishing blog I addressed ice fishing safety and other useful tips.

In this article we will look at tactics and lures that work well on trout and other fish commonly fished at Mamette Lake, where the Derby will be held. The Mammette Lake, despite its size, is quite shallow with a maximum depth of only 14 meters (45 ft.). The lake offers fair fishing with the main species being trout and burbot. All burbot have to be released. The average trout are around 0.5 kg (1 lb) but can reach up to 2kg. (5 lb.). The larger fish are in the deeper areas to the northeast of the lake.

Tackle
Ice fishing tackle can be simple, from a small sensitive ice fishing rod to simply holding the fishing line in your hands. The important aspect here is that you can feel the fish. In the winter fish are not nearly as aggressive as in the summer. This means that you often will not feel when a fish takes the bait with normal fishing tackle.

The Hole
The size of the hole in the ice depends largely on the fish you’re after. For trout and trout sized fish an auger with a 12 cm ( 5”) to 15cm (6”) diameter will do just fine. What type of auger you use is up to you. A gas driven auger is faster and requires less strength but they are expensive. A manually operated auger requires strength and takes a little longer to drill through the ice but at around 50 to 60 dollars they are affordable.

Fishing Tactics
Fishing through a small hole in the ice does not leave you with many options in tactics. One tactic that can work very well is what I call “bouncing”. I let the lure or bait sink quickly to the bottom of the lake where it will "bounce" off the bottom. The noise this creates can attract predatory fish that are by nature very curious. This tactic also works by letting the lure or bait bounce off submerged structures, such as wooden logs and rocks. Once the lure is bounced I generally let it sit for a while before I retrieve it slowly in a twitching motion. The twitching imitates a live food source and that might be all that is needed to get a lethargic fish to move in and take the lure.

Another very successful method is jigging. Jigging a lure gives the impression of an injured baitfish. For this I let the lure sink to the depth to where the fish are and then retrieve the lure quickly a few inches, then let it sink again and retrieve again. This makes the lure move in a erratic pattern to which predatory fish are attracted.

Lures
Predatory fish are attracted to two things. Sparkle and noise. Spoons like the Bay de noc Swedish Pimple or any of the many quality spoons made by Gibbs Fishing Lures in British Columbia. Other lures that work well are things like the wedding band and other sparklers. Jigging lures with plastics or real bait are an old and reliable ice fishing lure and should have a permanent place in any ice fishing tackle box. Of course, I keep always one or two of my favorite Rapala Lures handy and that is no different when I go ice fishing. Rapala’s Jigging Shad Rap or Jigging Rap are always close at hand on the ice. If the truth be known, I rather would forget my rod at home then go fishing without a Rapala lure in my tackle box. For me, if nothing works, Rapala always came through and saved the day.

Hope to see you all at the Merritt Ice Fishing Derby on January 18 until then, Tight Lines...and don't forget to have fun!

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Founding Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

Ice Fishing Derby

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:56:00 +0000

Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club, Merritt British Columbia, Canada

Annual Ice Fishing Derby

January 18th, 2009
8:00 am to 2:00pm

Mammette Lake

Entry Fees:
$15 per person or $30 per family

Generous Cash Prizes for 1st & 2nd place in Adult and Children’s Class
Including Trout and Coarse fish.
Hidden weight prizes for Trout and Coarse fish
Plus other draw prizes available

Each registration will be limited to one line
Derby date subject to safe ice conditions
All participation is at your own risk

Hot Dogs will be available

FREE Hot Chocolate and Coffee

Tickets are available at Ponderosa Fish and Game Shop in Merritt and
Powder Keg Outdoor Sports Shop in Merritt

Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club - Ice Fishing Derby Chairman; Othmar Vohringer

For more information contact Othmar Vohringer at: atacov@yahoo.ca

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Founding Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

Tags: Merritt, British Columbia, Ice Fishing Derby

New Website Launched

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:06:00 +0000

Some of my readers and fellow bloggers may have started to wonder about my lack of posting and answering comments made on my blogs.

I am still here and I haven’t abandoned my blogs or my blogging friends. It’s just that over the past few weeks I have been incredibly busy. The hunting season comes to a close on December 10 and I still have not connected with the buck I want. If I didn’t hunt I have been sitting in the office planning for next year and get things rolling in the right direction.

The lion share of the time, however, was spent on getting my website finally ready to be launched. I started the basic design two years ago but each time I looked at it I didn’t like something and changed it. Then in the last two months I completely redesigned everything from the ground up and today I am pleased to announce that OthmarVohringer.comhas been successfully launched. There are still a few minor changes and some editing to be made but the bulk of it up and running.

At this point it is appropriate to say a big thank you to my wife for putting up with my frustrations – me and modern technology do not go along well -, for her continues artistic input, ideas and inspiration but also for the many hours spent editing and proofreading all the text that still continuous to this day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, without you this website never have turned out the way I envisioned it.

The website will provide information of my many services to the hunting industry. Naturally there is also a lot of information for hunters too in form of articles, tips, product reviews and much more. I believe with OthmarVohringer.com I have created a well-rounded information source for everybody within our large hunting community.

Take a minute or two and check the website and let me know what you think. I also welcome any suggestions you may have. If you would like to help me in spreading the news about the website please feel free to go to “Press Releases” and download the official media release and a picture of your choice, or link back to this article on your blogs. Thank you!

Tags: Website Launch, Othmar Vohringer Outdoors, Smart Hunting Strategies, Press Release, News

Ice Fishing Tips

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:03:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

The winter is coming. The first nights of frost have been a clear indication of winter’s imminent approach. Around here many fishers look forward to the day when the lakes are frozen over. Ice fishing is a big sport in Canada, maybe not as big as Ice hockey but close.

Ice fishing is great fun for the whole family. If you haven’t tried it yet you should and by observing a few common sense tips ice fishing is a safe and very safe activity.

1. Before you leave, tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. Survival experts suggest that if you are not back by that time, the person should call for help.

2. Leave your car on shore. According to statistic, 68 percent of ice fatalities in involve a vehicle. Ice must be much thicker and more stable to support the weight of a car or truck, or even a snowmobile.

3. Make sure there are at least 4 inches of clear, solid ice, with no open water or melting ice near shore. Open water and melting indicate unsafe ice. Carry an ice spud or chisel to check the thickness of the ice as you proceed.

4. Always go fishing with a companion.

5. Always wear a lifejacket on the ice and carry some clothing (a jacket, pants and a pair of socks) in a watertight container or plastic bag. Should you fall into the water it is important to get out of the wet clothing and quickly into dry clothing. In very clod weather and wearing wet clothing it only takes minutes for hypothermia to set in.

6. Carry two ice picks, handspikes, or screwdrivers tied together with cord so that you can pull yourself out if you do fall in.

7. Carry an 8 to 10 feet rope as a safety line to drag your buddy out if necessary.

8. Carry a cell phone to call for assistance.

9. Carry flares or an emergency signal marker so that you can be seen if you need to be rescued in a storm. Other storm survival equipment includes chemical hand warmers, flashlight and batteries, chemical light sticks, compass, reflective "space" blankets, portable camp stove with fuel, pocket knife or pocket tool, and matches or a lighter.

10. Dress appropriately in several layers. Ice fishing is a passive activity and the wind on an open lake adds to the cold. Once you on the location build some form of wind shelter with a simple tarp or a commercial ice fishing shack.

11. Bring along a snack consisting of chocolate and other high calorie foods to fuel your body. A thermos with hot coffee or tee will help too to warm you up. Alcohol, the old standby, is not recommended. While alcohol will warm you up it is only temporarily before you will feel even colder as the alcohol opens the pores on the skin and lets body warmth escape.

Tight Lines...and don't forget to have fun!

Tags: Ice Fishing Tips, BC Fishing, Ice Fishing Safety Tips

The Rapala lures did it again

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:37:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

Anybody that is reading this blog for a while knows by now that I am an advocate of artificial lures, spoons and of course Rapala lures.

I dislike the mess natural bait makes and the attention natural lure and bait needs. But I also believe, based on my experience, that in many cases artificial lures, spoons and such are far superior for catching fish.

Of course not all artificial lures are equal, much of what works depends what the fish prefer. Around here fishers bet on weeding bands, silver spoons and rooster tails to catch rainbows. No matter who you ask, even the pros, will tell you that you must use one of the above if it’s rainbows you want to hook.

Not one to ignore advice of local fishers I tried different colors of wedding bands on Sunday on the Nicola Lake. After a half hour I still waited for action. Then I changed to different spoons and finally tried rooster tails and still nothing.

That is about the time where most fishers would give up and go home. But not me. The previous day I hunted waterfowl on that lake and it was cold. So cold that there was a thin layer of ice on the water surface along the shoreline. Rainbows get hungry as soon as the temperature drops and judging on the jumping fish everywhere on the lake, they where very hungry.

Instead of going home I gave it one more try with my secret weapon. The Rapala lure. Remembering well that Rapala’s saved the day when I took my wife Heidi on her first fishing trip.

For the first ten minutes I had no action and I assumed it was because the only Rapala lure I had on me was not a deep diver. I quickly remedied that by adding a small lead sinker to the line. Within five minutes of making this small adjustment to get the lure deeper under the water surface I had the first bite, a nice medium sized rainbow. On the second cast I had another bite the moment the lure hit the water surface but I lost the fish. On the third cast I reeled another trout in and on the fourth cast I hooked an absolute monster rainbow. It might very well be the biggest rainbow I ever caught.

This one put up a very good fight and at times I worried that the monster could breake the line. It took me over ten minutes to land that giant rainbow. The fish was so eager to take the Rapala that it swallowed the lure all the way down with the two treble hooks. At home I measured the monster at exactly one and half foot long and it weighed cleaned out still just a hair under four pounds.

Once again the Rapala did what I was expecting it do where every other lure failed. I have been using Rapala lures for many years and I am continually amazed how well they work on most fish species. Sure I use other lures too but the Rapala remains my secret weapon in the fishing tackle box.

Nicola Lake, Rapala Lures, Trout Fishing, Trophy Rainbow Trout

Redemption – Finally getting in to fish

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:26:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

Last night on a hunch I said to my wife, “Lets go fishing tomorrow.” I still wanted for my wife to catch her first fish and today seemed to be a very good day. The lake was calm and the weather mild. So at around 9:00 am we loaded up the boat and drove to Nicola Lake. The lake was devoid of other fishers and we saw a lot fish jumping, a promising sign.

While I paddled the boat toward the middle of the lake, where it is deeper and the bigger fish hang out, Heidi trolled a wedding band lure. Once on the spot we wanted to be, I began trolling with a small silver spoon. Ten minutes into fishing and we both still had no action. It was time to change lures and try something different.

I changed Heidi’s lure to a Rapala Fat Rap and mine to a Rapala Original Floater. After the second cast I had a bite but since I was paddling the boat I was to late to set the hook. After another cast the line had not been two minutes in the water and I got another hit. This time I was ready for it. The 14” rainbow jumped high and fought hard but to no avail; it was a keeper.

Not long after the first bite Heidi announced excitedly that something was tugging on her line too. “Yank on the rod to set the hook,” I shouted equally exited. That is what I wanted for Heidi- to catch her first fish. I wanted this more than anything else. It even kept occupying my mind when I went hunting. Now it finally happened, my wife finally had her first fish on the line. What more could possibly happen to make me happier at this moment? Nothing! At the end of Heidi’s line a small but feisty rainbow trout was quickly landed in the boat. Unfortunately, it was too small to keep, a few pictures of the memorable moment and the fish was released to live another day.

Still Heidi got hooked on fishing and I think I found myself a new fishing partner. On the way back to shore Heidi had another bite and judging by how high the fish jumped out of the water it was bigger than the one I got, a lot bigger actually. Heidi’s line got tangled up with my line and the fish came loose before it could be landed in the boat. Still it was a fish on the line.

After that it was time to head to the boat ramp; all that fishing made us hungry and in the hurry to get to the lake this morning we forgot to pack a lunch. At the boat ramp I met a duck hunter coming to the ramp from the other end of the lake where it is overgrown with cattails, reeds and water grass. It’s the perfect waterfowl habitat. He had a limit of ducks in his boat and after a brief chat and exchanging congratulations for a good days hunting and fishing success he gave me a few tips on where on the lake to hunt ducks and geese.

I have been looking for a place to hunt waterfowl around Merritt (I have seen plenty of ducks on the Nicola Lake but did not realize it is legal at that location to hunt them) and would I have gone deer hunting as I first planned to do I still would be looking for a waterfowl place. Sometimes it pays big dividends in more than one way to go fishing on a hunch. Today it paid triple. My wife caught her first fish ever. I caught one for dinner tonight and I got a place to hunt waterfowl next week.

Picture of Othmar Vohringer courtesy of Heidi Koehler of Artemis Graphics and Design.

To learn more on Rapala fishing lures and how to fish them visit The Fishing Notebook

Tags: Nicola Lake, Rainbow Trout Fishing, Rapala Fishing Lures

Fishy Apparel

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:27:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

For many people fishing is not only a sport, but rather a way of life. These folks, me included, like to surround themselves with anything that has to do with fishing. We even wear clothing that lets others know just how much we enjoy our outdoor activity.

Field Dress has come out with a new line of T-Shirts just for the avid fisherman and woman. Unlike some leisure apparel that, to be frank, can be quite tacky Field Dress, a name synonymous with the outdoors, has introduced a line of casual apparel depicting professional and high quality graphics unlike any other in the industry. As fishing has evolved, so have its participants. The outdoor community is a family of educated and ethical brothers and sisters whose knowledge and respect for their sport transcends the typical stereotypes.

As we changed over the decades so has our dress sense from the crude to the elegant. Today we can express our passion in public with style in a way that earns us respect. The designs of Field Dress is what I proudly wear to let others know that I am an evolved fisher and to advertise fishing as a wholesome activity to others.

The “Classic” and “Roots” lines carry the trademarked terms Nock-Up (archery), Load-Up (gun) and Hook-Up (fishing) while referring to the established dates of each sport. The “Evolutions” line depicts and dates how each sport has evolved over time. Demonstrate your knowledge and passion for the sport you love by ordering a custom tee from Field Dressed.

For more information on ordering or to view more design please visit the website.

Tight Lines...and don't forgret to have fun!

Tags: Fishing Apparel, Field Dress Company, T-Shirts

Nicola Lake – Merritt

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:01:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

On Sunday August 17, my wife and I loaded up our new Lowe Jon Boat and headed out to Nicola Lake for a day of fishing.

Nicola Lake is only about a 15-minute drive from our house in Merritt and it’s also one of the best fishing lakes in the area with all year round good opportunities to catch fish. It was the perfect lake to try out the Lowe L1436 Jon Boat and for my wife’s first ever fishing trip.

Before I tell you more about the trip and Nicola Lake let me say a few words about my fishing boat. I have often heard, especially here in British Columbia, that a Jon Boat is not a good fishing boat. Why people say that will forever remain a mystery to me. A outdoors person looking for a versatile boat with an economic price tag can’t go wrong with a Jon Boat. I have owned these boats for many years and they served my purpose very well. A Jon Boat will get you through almost anything with ease from the wide-open water to the thickest Water Lilly patch and flooded timber. For as long that there is a foot of water that boat can master almost any situatuation. As a hunter and fisher I look for versatility and the Jon Boat is one of only a very few that offers me that. In the summer it’s a fishing boat, in the fall it takes me through flooded timber and bogs to where big moose and whitetail deer hide out. In the winter the boat becomes the perfect duck hunting boat that maneuvers with ease into the thickest reed jungle.

Built with 5052-H34 riveted aluminum alloy, Lowe Jon Boats are of superior quality that will last for many years and they are light enough for one man to load and unload from the back of a pick-up-truck. For a versatile hunter/fisher this type of boat is the ideal choice.

Nicola Lake offers the avid fisher a wide choice of fish and a lot of fish activity year round. Catching a twenty pound trout is likely on this lake but smaller rainbows and kokanee salmon of four to five pound are the norm. The lake is also home to Burbot that are protected and must be released. The retention limit for kokanee is five and for rainbows six.

Despite the close proximity to Merritt and located next to a major highway with easy access, the lake receives surprisingly little fishing pressure. With a surface area of 6,215 ha. Nicola Lake is one of the biggest lakes in the area. Located between high ridges this lake can become very quickly dangerous when the wind starts to blow. Varying water deeps from 2 ft. to 187 ft. provide for good conditions of fish survival during the hot summer months where the cold water loving rainbows retreat to the deep water while the kokanee salmon prefers the warmer less deep areas of the lake. You still can catch rainbows if you fish at 30 to 60 ft. depth, using a fish finder is a good idea on this big lake to find the locations where the big rainbows hang out.

The main method used to catch fish is trolling although jigging can work well too. Roostertails, Mepps, Flatfish, Gibbs/Nortac Wedding bands and Willow Leaf, Dick Nite Spoons and Kwikfish work very well all year long. Rainbow fisherman should not rule out Panther Martins or Flatfish, especially in the Spring and fall or a Willow Leaf with bait (maggots or worm) trolled slowly during June to mid July. My wife used a wedding band lure colored in pink and chartreuse. The fishing was a bit sluggish at the beginning but then she hooked what looked like a decent size fish. Unfortunately, she lost the fish just as it was reeled close to the boat. We used barb less hooks and that makes it difficult, especially for a novice, to keep the critter on the line. Despite that little mishap, my wife was very exited about her first success and in all the rush and giving advice I forgot to snap a picture.

I didn’t catch any fish, I was busy paddling the boat. I was a fishing guide for my wife on that day. Guides are not supposed to catch fish, the client is suppsed to do that, my job was to get my wife into the fish. I am sure that this was not the last time my eife and I go fishing together. I have not hooked a fish but I certainly got my wife hooked on fishing, and that to me is more worth than catching the biggest trophy trout. If you never have been to Merritt you should give it a try. There is a reason why we say, “Merritt, fish a lake a day for as long as you stay”. There are hundreds of lakes and rivers in all sizes that provide excellent fishing within a short distance of the town. In the future we will look at some of them here at the BC Fishing Blog.

(Where are these fish hiding again? Guidng is not an easy job!)

Tight Lines…and don’t forget to have fun!

Picture Courtesy and Copyright by: Heidi I. Koehler, Assignment & Freelance Photography.

Tags: Nicola Lake, Lowe Jon Boat, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Fishing Lures, Merritt

Real Fisherman

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:03:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

I do visit fishing forums from time to time to read what other fisherman/women talk about and what their opinions are on a variety of topics or simply to share experiences and tell tall tales. Recently though, each time I visit these places it gets my dander up. It seems that there can’t be any half decent conversation anymore that does not end up with folks pointing fingers at each other. Flyfishers squabble with bait and lure fishers and visa versa. Mostly the argument starts by a flyfisherman telling somebody that fishing with fly tackle is what makes a real fisher or that flyfishing is more ethical and noble sport than any other form of fishing.

If you think that only flyfishers turn their noses up at others think again. The boat paddles the other way too. Lure and bait fishers have no hesitation to belittle fly casters as elitist or hobby fishers depending what the mood strikes. Here in British Columbia you’re well advised not to mention the word bass, as in bass fishing. You’re liable to unleash a mighty storm of insults against you. Bass here in salmon heaven is what a rat is in a grain silo don’t you know.

Since this is my blog I am going to tell you honestly what I think about the endless and pointless squabbling. It’s an insult to every fisherman and more than that it is utterly counterproductive to the future of fishing in general.

Many young and novice fishers seek information and advice on Internet forums. Ask yourself, What must newcomers to fishing think if they read all that trashing ad nauseam, page after page on public forum none the less. Do these opinionated people really think that they can educate and promote ethical fishing by slandering others that do not happen to share their views or type of fishing method?

I tell you what it will do. This childish behavior will drive interested people away. Who in their right frame of mind wants to associate with a kindergarten? Nobody.

Everybody that knows me from this, and my other blogs, or in person, knows that I don’t give a rats hairy behind how and for what species or motivation a person fishes as long it is legal and you enjoy it.

I, for one, am pretty tired of all that childish picketing and squabbling that exactly parallels the equally childish and pointless crossbow v. vertical bow controversy.

Does it really matter what motivates a person to fish ? Is it important what tackle and tactics a fisher prefers to use? Is a person stalking a salmon with a fly rod nobler than the fisher fighting a big bass out of a lily pond? Of course none of it matters or makes one dime of a difference. Unless you think that God personally has approved of your fishing method and opinion you formed of it.

Here is how I see it. We’re all fishers. Not one single way of pursuing our activity is superior, nobler or privileged than another one. We’re all equals. No one of us deserves any more or less consideration than any other legal fisherman. Do you all get that? Now I suggest that we all head out to our favorite lake or river and do some fishing, and if we see another fisher say hello and wish him or her luck.

I said my piece on that subject and hope some of it sticks with you and made you think. To that end I leave you with a quote that I wrote in an article about the crossbow controversy. I find the quote equally suitable for this topic. "Wouldn’t it be wise for us to be more tolerant of each other and pick our battles with the ones that really threaten our way of life?"

Tight lines…and don’t forget to have fun!

BC Fishing, Flyfishing, baitfishing, Lurefishing, Fishing Tactics

Modern Fishing Bait Rules

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:18:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

As the years went by and modern baits became more lifelike I found that I used them more, today I use for all my fishing artificial bait. Goodbye dew worms, shrimp and other creepy crawlies. Goodbye catching live baitfish and hello life like artificial bait.

I never have been very keen on the idea to bait fishing hooks with live bait. It had nothing to do with ethics or that I felt sorry for the bait critters. If the truth were known I dislike getting this slippery, wiggling things on the hook, it somehow revolted me. Life bait also never last long on the hook making re-baiting a frequent necessity. This in turn translates to carry a lot of live bait around and it’s expensive too. These days a dozen dew worms can cost anything from two to four dollars and a dozen worms are used up in no time whatsoever.

So when Berkley started to produce life like plastic bait I was very pleased. At the beginning these new baits looked like the real thing but they didn’t smell, feel and behave like the real critter they simulated. However this has changed, with modern science and production artificial bait is infused with natural scent. Modern materials give the bait lifelike action in the water and made them resistant to wear and tear.

Without a question in my mind Berkley produces some of the best artificial bait known to fishers. Here are some of the Berkley Gulp Alive artificial baits I use and that have produced consistently baits.

Gulp Alive Minnow come in sizes from 2 ½” to 3” and work well on trout, bass and salmon. I am sure they work just as well on other predatory fish too. Shrimp in the sizes from 2” to 4” work well to here on a variety of fish. The leech is another very realistic looking and smelling bait that fish find hard to resist. No more roe egg curing for me and putting up with the smell all over the house. Berkley has salmon roe eggs that not only look like the real stuff but makes salmon wanting to eat them too.

Berkley offers under various names such as Gulp, Gulp Alive and Power Bait every lifelike bait critter imaginable, from the common earthworm to the more exotic catfish bait. Whatever it is the fish eat in your area and body of water Berkley has the bait in various colors and sizes to match the fish natural food source. With such an almost limitless assortment of bait and lures it is no wonder that Berkley for years is the number one choice of every tournament fisher.

No more live bait for this fisherman and no more baiting hooks every few minutes. I spend more time fishing without mess and fuss and best of all I get more baits too. It seems fish can’t resist the new generation of Berkley baits either.

For more information on products visit the Berkley website.

Tags: Berkley Fishing Lures, Fishing Product review

We’re Moving

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:25:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

It finally happens. The moment my wife and I have been anticipating for so long has arrived. Almost everything packed and we’re ready to move to our new house in Merritt. We’re looking so much forward to this. My wife and I are absolutely in love with Merritt. In fact many of our friends envy us. Merritt is a very beautiful little town set in a vast wilderness area surrounded by ranches, expansive forests and crystal clear rivers and creeks.

Merritt’s slogan says “Merritt fish a different lake everyday for as long as you stay”. Merritt is located in Okanagan area, which is known as one of the best hunting areas in British Columbia. From that viewpoint Merritt is also the perfect location for the Othmar Vohringer SHS headquarters.

Tomorrow our Internet will be disconnected and ones we moved and everything is moved and set up in the new house (in about one to two weeks) we will be connected again. During this time there will be obviously no blog updates.

I am looking forward to come back and write about my fishing, scouting and hunting endeavors around Merritt.

The Freshman Flyfisher

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:35:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

On my visit to the BC Boat & Sportsmen’s Show in Abbotsford I met up with Rick Passek from the Flyfish Fanatic blog. I was particularly interested to see Rick’s new book The Freshman Flyfisher – A Beginners Guide For A New Generation, which he introduced at that show. Rick was on hand to sign books as well as talk about fly fishing.

After a brief conversation and a quick photo session the booth started to get really busy and I did not want to take Rick’s time away from potential customers and clients so I purchased the book and let him tend to his promotions. Once at home I immediately began to look through the pages. As soon I opened the front cover I knew that I had a very unusual book in my hands. Unusual in the respect that this is the first book I have read that incorporates the Internet; throughout the book there are web addresses listed to more information about the topics covered. I thought that was a very clever and fortunate idea considering that the Internet has become a major information source for the informed outdoor person.

In the 123 pages of "The Freshman Flyfisher – A Beginners Guide For A New Generation" Rick covers everything from rods, reels and other necessary accessories to fly patterns, basic lake biology and of course, how to actually find fish. Also covered are aspects of boating and other fly-fishing floating devices; explanations of fly-fishing terminology and the use of special tools such as the throat pump to name one. In short it is a very comprehensive guide for the beginning fly fisher.

What I particularly like about the book is the easy to understand and follow language. To me this is important and something many writers often forget: novices are not necessarily familiar with specific terminology and in order to get them interested we should remember to use language that is easily understood. There is a comprehensive glossary of terms that even experienced fishermen will appreciate.

On a more personal note, after reading this book I finally understood the passion my own father had for fly fishing and today have great admiration for the fly fisher who knows how to cast a line with elegance and precision. In my opinion this is the book every beginning or advanced fly fisher should have in the bookshelf. Out of five points I give this book a well deserved five.

The book is available directly from the author Rick Passek

In the following days I will introduce you to Rick Passek’s new company Rp3 Fishing Adventures based in British Columbia.

Photos curtsey of Heidi Koehler of Artemis Graphics and Design

Tags: Passek, Fishing Book Review, Flyfishing, The Freshman Flyfisher

Federal Government Calls On B.C. Natives To Ration Sockeye Catch

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:14:00 +0000

News provided by GlobeAndMail.com

Sockeye returns to the Fraser River this summer will be so poor that the federal government has asked 94 native bands in the watershed to come up with a catch-sharing plan that, for the first time, may involve "salmon rationing."
Native leaders say such meagre catches are forecast that people who have always had sockeye as a staple of their traditional diet might not get any this summer.

"The salmon that are harvested will need to be rationed between and among the bands. And the individual bands may have to ration salmon inside their communities," said Ernie Crey, a director of the Sto:Lo Nation fisheries program.

"They will very likely be forced to create priority lists for salmon. Very likely the able-bodied will do the fishing. But the leaders may be forced to say first priority for who gets the salmon are the elderly, single moms and those on welfare," said Mr. Crey, whose organization represents about a dozen bands on the lower river.
"...The government calls it a sharing plan, but that is really a euphemism for the rationing of salmon," he said.

Although other species, such as chum and late-summer chinook, are forecast to be numerous enough to support fisheries, the loss of sockeye is a blow, because the oil-rich salmon are considered the mainstay of the native diet on the Fraser.

Read full article here!

Tight lines…and don’t forget to have fun!

Tags: B.C. Fishing, Sockeye Salmon, Native Canadians, Fraser River, British Columbia

BC Game Fish Identification

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:34:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

On a recent fishing trip I caught a fish that I could not identify. I took a picture of it and then started to search the Internet in the hope I would find an image resembling the one of the fish I caught. No such luck. Finally I posted the picture on one of the popular BC fishing forums and bingo I got an answer from one of the members.

There seems to be a lack of game fish identification in British Columbia, even the fishing regulations only show images of the most popular game fish and the protected fish. To assist novice and visiting sportfishers to British Columbia I decided to remedy this, in my opinion, serious lack of information.

Over the next few weeks and months I will post BC fish profiles in text and image, so that in the future fishers do not have to go to the length I had to go to find out what fish it is they had on the hook. The new category will be called “BC Fish Profiles”. Given the large variety of fresh and saltwater species we have in this province this new category will become an ongoing project.

BC Fishing Blog welcomes submissions of text and images from BC fishers to assist in the completion of what hopefully in due time will be come the single largest fish profile source in British Columbia.

Tags: BC Fishing, Game Fish Profiles

Immediate action of sportfishers needed

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:11:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

The following article was sent to me in the email. A development company plans to convert a biologically sensitive area on the Adams River into a condominium and marina site. This development would adversely impact a world renowned and important salmon run. Once again developers have proven that they have not a shred of concern about destroying important natural habitat in favor of big money.

VICTORIA - An expansive condominium and marina development proposed near the mouth of the Adams River will cause irreparable damage to one of B.C.'s most renowned salmon runs if approved, environmental groups warned this week.

"For them to even think of putting a development like this at the mouth of the Adams River is a tragedy and a travesty," said long-time B.C. environmentalist Vicky Husband, speaking on behalf of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society.

"That's one of the most famous salmon rivers in the world."

A company called New Recreation Ltd. has applied to build 218 condominiums, a 160-slip marina and 10,000 square feet of commercial space on a former campground at the mouth of the Adams River, about 40 kilometres south of Kamloops.

Dubbed West Beach Marina, the development is slated for 12-hectare patch of land between the river's mouth and the border of Roderick Haig-Brown Park, named after one of the province's most noted conservationists.

Ms. Husband said there's no way to develop the West Beach Marina without causing serious habitat damage.

"Any time you get boats and oil and gas and a lot of noise and construction in an sensitive area like that, you're going to have an impact on habitat," she said.

With up to three million salmon returning to spawn each fall, the Adams River run attracts thousands of visitors from around the world and is considered a mainstay of central B.C.'s tourism industry.

Directors with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District voted last month to send the West Beach proposal to a public hearing April 21 - a sign that elected officials are close to approving the project, said Shuswap Environmental Action Society spokesman Jim Cooperman.

"Once they get past the public hearing, there's no way we can influence the regional district," he said.

To try to spread the word, Mr. Cooperman has organized a rally that will be held at the mouth of the Adams River Saturday and is expected to draw hundreds of protesters.

The government body responsible for salmon habitat, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, has yet to conduct a full environmental assessment of the project.

In a letter June 1, 2007, federal habitat biologist Darryl Hussey informed regional district staff that DFO would not be reviewing the proposal in detail because of "resource constraints" and recent departmental policy changes.

However, department staff said yesterday that's not accurate and
promised a detailed review of the project once the developer's plans have
been finalized.

Retired fisheries biologist Otto Langer, who spent 32 years with the DFO, said staff are working under a new hands-off policy implemented by the Harper government.

"[DFO staff] are being told they're not supposed to oppose any developments," Mr. Langer said.

"They've quit doing field assessments and left it to industry to protect the fish."

Adams Lake Indian band member Dave Nordquist, a specialist in title and rights issues, said his chief and council have told federal officials the band opposes the development.

"We've met with DFO and we said we don't want it there. It's too close to the salmon and a lot of cultural heritage sites, but the CSRD seems to be pushing ahead," he said.

While there's no decision yet on what further action the band council might take, Mr. Nordquist said he and other band members will likely attend Saturday's protest.

Salmon Arm Mayor Marty Bootsma admitted that the development proposal is "highly sensitive" and has generated "a fair bit of controversy."

However, he rejected suggestions that the regional district board is preparing to rubber-stamp the application.

"There have been accusations that the CSRD is fast-tracking this thing, pushing this thing, and that's all a crock," Mr. Bootsma said. "The jury's out on this one until the final vote.

This is a view what the area looks like.

This is the plan and layout of the development planned.

Please take the time to make your concerns known and try to stop this insanity before it is to late and another piece of important habitat disappeared forever.

For more information visit Shuswap Environmental Action Society

For letter writing contacts visit Fishing with Rod

To it now before it is to late!

Tight lines…and don’t forget to have fun!

Tags: BC Fishing, Adams River, Environment Protection, Salmon Run

Keep or Release: that is the Question

atacov@yahoo.ca (Othmar Vohringer) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:31:00 +0000

© By Othmar Vohringer

I have been following a discussion on one of the popular web based fishing forums about retaining fish or releasing them again. What I thought at first was to be a meaningful discussion quickly turned into a heated shouting match.

It all started innocently enough with a novice fisher asking the forum members how many fish he could keep and take home. He obviously didn’t look it up in the fishing regulations were he could have found the retaining quota of each fish species. The first reply to that question should have been, “Look it up in the fishing regulations.” Instead, the first reply was a lengthy rant about the ethics of fishing, that true sport fishers release all fish, that only slob fishers who do not care about the fisheries, environment, and fish conservation would take fish home. “We have a moral obligation in this age and times to release every single fish we catch. Before you come here and ask unethical questions may I suggest that you get an education about ethical fishing.” I found this to be rather strong language directed toward a novice asking a simple question.

From there on it went downhill with the discussion: sport fishers throwing punches back and forth at each other. Rather than getting involved in a discussion that, given the heated emotions, was destined to lead nowhere I decided to make it a topic here at the BC Fishing Blog.

Looking through the forum threads to view all the opinions for and against retaining fish I realized, with some feeling of shock, that the most outspoken (not to mention verbally insulting) opposition to keeping fish came from fly fishers. I have nothing against fly fishers. In fact I admire the skill and patience they put forward to become proficient with their choice of tackle. What I wonder though is what makes some fly fishers think that they are more ethical fishers than others? What makes them think that they have the right to use language that borders uncomfortably close to verbal assault against anyone that decides to retain fish they’ve caught?

I won’t repeat all the cussing, slander, and defamations that have been uttered on that forum. However, what I am going to say is this: In a time were sport fishing is attacked by animal rights and through lobbing of laws, such as currently proposed in Ottawa, that would make fishing a criminal act of cruelty to animals would it not be wiser to be a little bit more open-minded and respectful of other anglers that do not share the same opinion on the topic? As it stands what happens is that we deliver the ammunition the animal rights groups are looking for to further their agenda.

If the keeping of fish is unethical, as the majority of the catch and release advocates suggested we must then also assume that the fishery agency is unethical to. After all, it is that very agency that establishes catch and retain quotas of the various fish species and localities within the province using data obtained from biologists. Retention quotas are established to make sure the fishery does not get over fished nor a given species becomes endangered. It’s called establishing a sustainable balance of fish species that a given habitat can carry.

While I respect catch and release fishing, I will be darned if I let every fish go on its merry way. I have no hesitation in keeping as many fish as my family and I are inclined to eat. Having said that I have never yet limited out on any given quota. I also release more fish than I keep. Releasing a fish is not a question of ethics for me. Ethics has nothing to do with catch and release and releasing every single fish does not make a fisher more ethical than the one who keeps what he can eat.

Some fishers, and I know a few of them, like to fish for the sport of it but if asked they will tell you that they do not like to eat fish. On the other hand there are folks that fish because they like to eat fish. Still others fish in the hope to win the jackpot on a fishing tournament. And then there are the ones that simply fish to have fun and relax.

Whatever the reason for fishing is, the fishing community can accommodate them all. Fishing is, as many other things in life, an individual’s choice and we should respect that. Looking down our noses at the ones that do not share our opinion does absolutely nothing positive for fishing. I will tell you what it does though. Newcomers to the sport, especially the young, will be put right off even considering fishing as a recreational activity. Honestly, who wants to be around some stuffy guys that think they have written the book on morals and ethics. Squabbling about an issue that really isn’t one also creates division in the fishing community and that, my friends, is exactly what the anti fishers are hoping for. Divide and conquer is a tactic that has been used by legendary generals as far back as Julius Cesar and it still works today.

If you want to keep fish and take them home you’re certainly entitled to do so. You earned that fish by paying for your licence and spending time and money to buy tackle and learn how to fish. To find out how many fish you can keep on a given body of water and area consult the BC Fishing Regulations.

If you only fish for the fun of it and to pit your skills against the fish, then have fun and enjoy what makes you happy.

Tight lines…and don’t forget to have fun!

BC Fishing, Catch and Release Fishing, Fishing Ethics, BC Fishing Regulations