Fly-Fish-BC

Winter fishing on Columbia River's Arrow Lake

2025-02-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

Fishing on Arrow Lake during the winter months can be a rewarding experience for avid anglers and even those who are not so avid lake trollers or winter fishers.

Lower Arrow Lake is a reservoir on the Columbia River backed up by Hugh Keenleyside Dam just north of Castlegar, BC and a short 30-minute drive from Trail.

Recently, I left the fly rod at home and joined three friends on an excursion to Lower Arrow Lake to troll for big bull trout and rainbows.

Low water and dam fluctuations, plus sub-zero temperatures can make fishing a challenge on the Arrow in winter.

I am very fortunate to have friends that have the tools and the acumen for fishing in cold winter weather conditions. It was -7C when we pushed off at around 7 a.m., but within the first hour we landed a six-pound bull trout.

The bull shook its head in contempt several times and made several short runs but was eventually landed and released. A good start to a good day.

Trolling tools: We hooked the bull on a flasher and hoochie set up, an effective trolling method on large West Kootenay lakes.

The flasher attracts fish by mimicking the movement of prey, combined with a hoochie, a squid-like lure. The flasher creates a visual stimulus that draws fish from a distance, while a scented hoochie entices them to bite.

Both the flashers and hoochies come in a variety of colours and themes, and finding the right combination for current conditions is key to success.

We used the set up on downriggers at depths ranging from 40 to 140 feet.

Bill Norman plugs are another popular choice for winter fishing on Arrow Lake. These versatile lures are designed to mimic baitfish.

Their lifelike action and bright colors are particularly effective in the clear, cold waters of the Arrow.

When the water is just a few degrees above freezing, it is crucial to troll slowly, maintaining a speed of around 1.5-2 mph. In cold water conditions, trout metabolism slows down, and they become less active, yet they continue to feed on kokanee and other prey.

We caught a second bull trout a short time later on another flasher-hoochie combo. The seven-pounder stayed deep, pulled hard and put up a good fight.

The bull trout were in beautiful shape, fat and healthy, cream coloured with the tell-tale blue halos and pink dots along its flanks.

We had another strike around 1 p.m., but the trout snapped the line leaving us dumbfounded and impressed.

But an hour or two later, a massive trout hit the Bill Norman and took off for Nakusp.

I had the good fortune of reeling in this beast as well. The fight was very different from the bulls, as the trout made several sideways runs, but didn’t break the surface until it was at the boat, and we realized it was a rainbow trout.

A big and girthy 9.1-pound chrome rainbow trout.

We thought it was a triploid it was so wide, but to the best of our knowledge, there is no stocking of the genetically modified trout in the Columbia or the Arrow.

Just a great fish on a great day.

Thanks to Mike, Kyle, and Derek for an amazing day on the water, and look forward to the next outing.

West Kootenay Fishing Report: Cooler temps translate to Prime fishing

2020-11-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

The West Kootenay Fishing Report is submitted by Kerry Reed of Reel Adventure Sportfishing Charters. Call Kerry at 250-505-4963 to book your trip or go to www.reeladventuresfishing.com.

Darrell and Graham casting into the Columbia

October started out with some warmer than seasonal temperatures and some beauty weather for being out on the water. But then switched to be more like the fall that we are accustomed to. And now that we’re in November, the temperatures have dropped and we are fully into our winter fishery.

The beginning of October handed us some nice weather and some pretty decent fishing for Bull Trout and Rainbows. And since the end of October with the perfect water temps we have expected the Rainbows to take over as in previous years. However, lately it’s still been better fishing for Bull Trout with a few Rainbows mixed in.

Bull Trout up to 10 pounds have been caught recently, with most being between 3-6 pounds. There was also one Bull around 16 pounds that was caught by another local angler, so there’s still the odd big one out there.

Rainbows have been hit and miss lately, but we’ve been getting some mixed in with the Bull Trout. Average Rainbows between 2-4 pounds have been coming in.

We’ve had a few new groups join us the past few weeks and have had some exciting trips. It seems that the fish are located in tiny pockets on the lake. And when you find a group, that seems to be the ticket to stick to that area. Some days we can troll for hours trying to locate fish, but when we find them, the action has been fairly consistent.

Some of our better days lately have seen groups hooking into 10-15 Bull Trout throughout the day and usually a few Rainbows as well.

The key has been to concentrate on the area where these groups of fish have been hanging out.

Water temp is right and we hope the Rainbows turn on and the Bull Trout keep doing what they’re doing. November and December are usually our best months.

Arrow Lake: Anglers success rates can be hit and miss, but October, November, and December fishing for big bull trout and rainbow is generally very good.

Anglers have had good luck slow trolling for bull trout and rainbows. Reports have ranged from anglers landing up to 10 fish a day, with many 2-4 pound rainbows and bull trout up to 10 pounds.

With the Arrow Lake’s cooling water temperature, anglers are trolling between 2.5 and 3 mph, and have had the best luck pulling Lyman and Tomic plugs at 90 feet and more.

Columbia River: We had some successful trips on the river in early October and even managed to get some good fish at the end of the month when the temperatures dropped.

Some great Walleye days were had and the fall fly fishing was good as well.

We’ve shifted most of our trips now to the big lake where we can be comfortable in our heated boats. Although, if we get a warm weather window, we look forward to a few more trips on the river.

Rainbows can be pretty chunky at this time of year, and there are still some Walleye to be caught.

What are they biting on? On the river it was mostly big nymphs, or the October caddis was hot for a while. Also getting a bunch on the spinning gear or bottom bouncers.

And, on the lakes, it’s been a mix again. The Bull Trout have been falling for the Gibbs/Delta Lemon lime flasher or the Oki Big Shooter Yellow/green mist flasher, followed by the green glow spatter back or pistachio hoochie.

Depths from 81-to-153-feet have been working best for us. The Rainbows have been less consistent, but we have been getting a few on Bucktails, and a few more on the brass/fire stripe croc or the brass/fire wing croc.

Again, you just have to find where they’re hanging out.

Hope this helps with your next adventure.

Tight lines …

West Kootenay Fly Fishing Club brings fly fishing film festival back to the Kootenays

2020-10-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

The West Kootenay Fly Fishing Club is hosting its third annual showing of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4), but with a typical coronavirus twist.

Due to COVID-19, the IF4 will not be screened in a theatre, but will be shown in virtual form from the cozy confines of your den, couch, fly-tying table or wherever your laptop may take you.

“Covid-19 restrictions prevented the club from hosting a theatre-based event in the spring and since then the IF4 group came up with alternative viewing options that are flexible and allow safe viewing of the films in the comfort of your own home,” said a release from the WK Fly Fishing Club.

IF4 films are produced and directed by professional filmmakers from all over the globe, whose skills showcase the passion, lifestyle, and culture of fly-fishing in unique, fun and often provocative ways.

The films are between six and 16 minutes long, and among the films to be screened are “Particles and Droplets” by Gilbert Rowley, “Aurora Fontinalis” by Intents Media, “Iqaluk” by Hooké, “The Mend” by Broc Isabelle, “Nine Foot Rod” by Dana Lattery, and “Eye of the Guide” from KGB productions, a film that follows Calgary guide Paula Shearer in search of cutthroat and bull trout in Rocky Mountain streams.

In addition to the films, there will be fly fishing product giveaways and other promotions at the event. One lucky viewer will be selected to win the 2020 Grand Prize drawing consisting of thousands of dollars of fly-fishing gear provided by International Fly Fishing Film Festival sponsors.

Admission to the International Fly Fishing Film Festival is $20 and may be accessed by going to flyfilmfest.com.

More importantly, the West Kootenay Fly Fishing Club will donate all proceeds from the event to the Trail Salvation Army.

Virtual screenings of the 10 films are planned for Oct. 23, Nov. 20, and Dec. 11 in the West Kootenay.

Viewers can purchase tickets by logging onto the site and selecting Castlegar from 2020 Virtual Events Dates. Viewers must begin watching within 48 hours, and have seven days to view the films.

For more information and to watch film trailers visit flyfilmfest.com.

Northern pikeminnow; a growing concern on Kootenay Lake

2020-10-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

There’s a growing concern from anglers that there may be another species contributing to the decline of the kokanee salmon in Kootenay Lake.

The presence of northern pikeminnow is becoming more and more prevalent, particularly in the West Arm, and some anglers believe they are making an impact on the kokanee.

Balfour resident Chuck Wood has been fishing the lake for 36 years, and has never seen more of the predator than he has this year.

“The last two times I fly fished the arm there were huge schools of them coming up,” said Wood. “I caught 10 the first evening and nine the second and released one rainbow. I’m hoping to see the return of decent sized fish in the lake but so far the decision-makers haven’t had any success.”

The BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development could not provide a biologist for an interview due to the ‘interregnum’ (upcoming provinical election), but did offer some data.

According to FLNRO, “We have looked at pikeminnow diet in the west arm, and kokanee were not observed. Studies from other lakes show some kokanee in diet, but data from Kootenay Lake suggests strongly that bull trout and rainbow trout make up the majority of kokanee mortality via predation.”

Kootenay Lake advocates and the BC Wildlife Federation kicked off an ‘Angler Incentive Program’ in June, which encourages anglers to keep an increased limit of bull trout and Gerrard rainbow trout in an attempt to restore the once thriving kokanee population.

Gerrard rainbows and bull trout were responsible for reducing the kokanee population from a return of about 1.5 million in 2011 to less than 20,000 fish in 2015.

As a result, the large Gerrard rainbow and bull trout also died off, dropping angler hours from more than 40,000 annually to less than 12,000.

What remain are smaller rainbow and bull trout, that feed on the kokanee fry and inhibit population growth.

The Angler Incentive Program is an effort to get anglers and kokanee back by introducing increased limits on predator trout, and offering draws every month that support local businesses. For every trout head brought into one of four depots, anglers are put into a draw to win a $1,000 gift certificate and also eligible for the grand prize draw of a Kingfisher boat with a value of over $50,000.

Yet, anglers, like Wood, wonder if the northern pikeminnow should also be on that list of predatory fish.

“Over the years the pikeminnow population has grown tremendously,” said Wood. “There used to be a lot of rainbow rising in the west arm, now there are schools of young pikeminnows.”

Another West Arm angler, reported, “The amount of coarse fish in the Arm is incredible. So many peamouth chub as well. Huge schools.”

Kootenay Lake

At Cultus Lake on the Lower Mainland, the local Lions Club runs a pikeminnow derby over Father’s Day weekend and harvest hundreds of pikeminnow. Northern pikeminnow are the main predator of the juvenile Cultus Lake sockeye – a unique population of salmon that spawn exclusively in the lake.

South of the border, Washington State has run the most intensive and longest pikeminnow-culling program on the Columbia River. For the last 30 years, the Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery runs from May 11 to Sept. 30 from the Priest Rapids Dam to Columbia’s mouth, near Astoria, Oregon. Anglers are normally paid between $5 and $8 for each fish caught, however, last month the reward-fishery extended the season to Oct. 11 and boosted the bounty to $10 per fish.

In addition, all tagged pikeminnow – normally worth $500 each – are now worth $1,000 per fish.

“Catch rates have been fairly average so far this year, but we are now at the time of year when catches are historically the highest of the season,” said Eric Winther, project leader with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

“Unfortunately, there have been fewer people taking part in this unique opportunity in 2020. Northern pikeminnow are the primary fish predator on juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake River systems, and managing those populations is a key element of predator management in the basin. So it’s great that we can offer these increased rewards and a longer season when fishing is very good.”

So, if pikeminnow feast on juvenile salmon and steelhead (anadromous rainbow trout), what is stopping the Kootenay Lake species from feasting on kokanee?

“Northern pikeminnows have an impact on the fry, and what can be done about it?” asked Wood. “I have trolled the lake a lot, there are areas where the bottom is covered in fish that I assume are pikeminnows.

“What do they eat when they’re feeding? I’m sure it’s other fish. You can catch them on a hair jig when they are feeding in the outlet which means they are after minnows.”

Despite anglers’ observations, FLNRO does not yet see the northern pikeminnow as the same threat to kokanee as they are to salmon and steelhead stocks in the lower Columbia River.

“We have been encouraging anglers to harvest pikeminnow, but do not forecast a benefit to including these in the Incentive program,” the ministry spokesperson replied.

According to WDFW, in this slow COVID year, anglers have caught about 97,000 pikeminnow in the Columbia River.

In 2019, the top 20 anglers caught an average of 3,041 pikeminnow per angler and averaged reward payments of $25,367 each for the five-month season. The highest-paid angler in 2019 caught 6,482 fish and earned $53,107.

Over 5.1 million northern pikeminnow have been removed to date by anglers participating in the Sport-Reward fishery, resulting in a decrease of predation on juvenile salmonids of up to 40 percent from pre-program levels.

The Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery is funded by the Bonneville Power Administration.

West Kootenay Fishing Report: Warm August/September weather means fishing heats up

2020-10-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kerry Reed for submitting the Kootenay Lake fishing report. And to Graham Cloutier and wesportfish.com for Columbia River and Area Lakes report. Contact Graham at chillbillycharters.com or call 250-304-4378. Contact Reel Adventures Sportfishing at www.reeladventuresfishing.com or call 250-505-4963.

Kootenay Lake: During the month of August, the weather was scorching hot and the water temps were close to 20 degrees. That made a difference in the fishing for sure.

Our guides did a few trips very early in the morning to beat the heat and tried to be back at the dock before the temperature became too uncomfortable.

The morning trips managed to hook a few fish each day, but seemed like the rainbows headed for cover, but the bull trout were still fairly aggressive. Most trips saw a few bull trout with the odd rainbow mixed in.

With September’s arrival, the mornings were cooler, the water temp gradually dropping and the fish started to show some life again.

Everyday, we are starting to hit the water consistently again and getting better and better results.

We’ve had some decent days on the lake lately. Seems like the mornings have been better for bull trout, and the afternoons have been better for rainbows.

Looking forward to some cooler weather and expecting the fishing to pick up. October and November are usually the beginning of our prime fishing. So, stay tuned for some prime fall reports.

Columbia River: Columbia River guide Graham Cloutier from Chillbilly Charters had a good month on the water, and says it’s been particularly exceptional targeting walleye.

During the heat of August and early September, the best time for fishing was in the evening or early morning, but anglers had success targeting trout in cool riffles and runs, and walleye in deeper water during the day.

For fly fishers, drifting or trolling a streamer on a full sink line picked up both walleye and rainbow. When fishing a run, the rainbows would hit the fly on the drift, but if you let it run out and sink into the back-eddy, then start a slow retrieve, it was a walleye almost every other cast.

Great areas for walleye fishing are the Robson Reach and the Hugh Keenleyside Dam north of Castlegar and the Waneta Dam south of Trail.

Area Lakes: Local lakes and reservoirs like the Arrow, Pend d’Oreille, Rosebud, Cottonwood, Nancy Greene, Champion and Loon Lakes are also fishing well.

Some stillwater may have been a little slow in the heat of August, but lakes like Rosebud have been producing very well in September. Dangling chironomids just off the bottom is a popular method for fly fishers, but mayfly hatches have been abundant and trout were hitting nymphs just subsurface, and dry flies for consistent top-water action.

The Pend d’Oreille has been producing a lot of bass. Look for areas with structure and cast a swim bait or a jighead with worm or, for fly fishers, a sink line or sink tip with attractor pattern.

What are they biting on?

On Kootenay Lake, the most success for the bull trout was on the Lemon Lime flasher followed by the green pistachio hoochie or the spatter back. Best depths as of early September have been 80–121 feet.

For the rainbows, the best success came on the Gibbs Delta Croc spoons, although bucktail flies should take off pretty soon as the water temperature drops and more fish start heading towards the surface to feed.

On the Columbia, fly fishers have had good success fishing attractor patterns for rainbow and walleye, particularly streamers or olive/copper/brown beadhead woolly buggers and bulldog patterns. Also, large dry-fly patterns like the October caddis or hopper patterns will coax big bows to the surface.

Spincasting lures like the Len Thompson dimpled series to the slack water has resulted in many nice rainbows for Cloutier, whose go-to rig for walleye is a three-ounce bottom bouncer and a worm harness.

A slow troll using a weight and wedding ring or Mack’s spinner tipped with worm is also a local favourite.

For shore-bound walleye anglers, bottom-bouncing or casting jigheads and soft plastics like Mister Twisters have been good producers.

Find the right colour combination and/or lure and it will be a memorable day on the water.

West Kootenay Fishing Report: Winter, best time for big trout

2019-02-18T22:10:00.003-08:00

The West Kootenay Fishing Report is provided by Reel Adventures Sport Fishing Charters in Nelson, phone 250-505-4963 or email info@reeladventuresfishing.com.

Kootenay Lake:
January was a pleasant surprise for weather and allowed us to get out and explore on a lot of days.

The lake temperature is at its coldest and the fish are definitely a bit lazy at this time. Although, we have been getting fish on most outings. The large numbers of fish that we were catching back in December has decreased, but the size of fish has increased. So, it’s a nice trade off.

Some of our days have seen up to six or eight fish coming to the boat, with average size of rainbows being two to three pounds and bull trout ranging from three to 14 pounds. However, due to the colder water, some of our days we have had to work hard to hook into only a couple fish.

Either way, we’re still out there fishing and the scenery at this time of year is second to none. On the cold, clear days we are floating in the middle of the lake while glaring up at the snow covered mountains. Its a pretty great backyard to have.

February is typically a bit slower month, although it seems to be the month when we catch our biggest fish each year.

Arrow Lakes: We have been also frequenting the Arrow Lakes and spent a few days fishing the Upper Arrow during their fishing derby out of Nakusp. It was great to see a good turnout for this fundraiser. Also good to see lots of familiar faces who use to fish on Kootenay.

That derby brought a lot of people to town and generated a lot of tourist dollars for just one weekend. It would be great to see that kind of life on Kootenay again.

During our weekend trip, we managed to land around 10 fish ranging from six to 10 pounds. Nothing to enter in the derby, but still some great quality fish.

Rainbows up to 14 pounds and bull trout up to 15 pounds have been caught on the upper lake in the past couple weeks. I’ve even heard about a 27-pound bull trout that was caught in early January. Trophy fishing for sure.

We are also spending a bit of time on Lower Arrow this winter. The fishing has been somewhat slow, but the quality of fish has been great. Rainbows between two to eight pounds and bull trout between six and 14 pounds have been coming in lately.

Columbia River: We did get out a few times on the river when the weather was mild. And as usual, the river produced some good fish.

Our few days out averaged four to 10 fish with some good quality in the mix. Most rainbows were two to three pounds, but we did manage to hook a beauty six-pound ‘bow on one of our trips.

Still not quite warm enough to drop the boat in the water, but the shore fishing has been great.

Looking forward to some milder weather after this cold snap and looking forward to getting back on the river.

Stay tuned …

Fisheries managers open bull trout on Duncan River in effort to help Kootenay Lake kokanee

2018-10-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

The kokanee salmon numbers are rising slowly but surely on Kootenay Lake, and fisheries managers are taking additional steps to help them recover.

Effective Oct. 5, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) reversed the freshwater fishing regulations on the Duncan River, taking down the ‘no fishing’ signs and opening the river to angling. The new regulations will up the bull trout daily retention quota to two per day, while making it catch-and-release for all rainbow trout caught below the confluence with the Lardeau River.

“We’ve looked at the diet of predators, both rainbows and bull trout, over the last two-and-a-half years and we’re continuing to do that, but what it showed is that bull trout are really effective at eating kokanee - even at low densities, and rainbow’s are switching, becoming insectivores,” said FLNRO’s Kootenay biologist Matt Neufeld.

In February, Fisheries also increased the daily quota for bull trout on Kootenay Lake from one to two (only one over 50 cm.) and rainbows from four to five.

Gerrard rainbows are adapting and feeding more on insects and mysid shrimp, and because of that, they are not growing to the size that many anglers have grown accustomed. Bull trout, conversely, aren’t as adaptive.

“We thought they (bull trout) would be eating white fish and a bunch of other things,” said Neufeld. “At least the samples we’ve collected from the main body of the lake show that more than 70 per cent of their diet is kokanee still. And they’re better at getting kokanee at low densities.”

Despite a drastic decline in kokanee populations, the bull trout numbers increased by more than 100 per cent between 2015 and 2017, with approximately 3,500 bull trout spawners in 2017 alone.

Bull trout are more effective at feeding in deep water than rainbows, and that is where the kokanee fry and one-year olds go after feeding.

“Bull trout are better adapted to dark conditions, so they’re just hanging out in the deep feeding on kokanee, whereas rainbows aren’t as effective at doing that. So it sounds like bull trout are the big problem.”

Studies indicate that about 95 per cent of kokanee fry don’t last a year, added Neufeld, with bull trout being the main culprit in decimating the population.

“You just can’t recover kokanee when that is happening. So we’re doing a few things, we’re continuing to stock kokanee, but we’re also reducing predation pressure. That’s been done in a few ways, we changed regulations for rainbow trout and bull trout. We’re encouraging people to harvest fish, both rainbows and bull trout.”

The kokanee numbers are nowhere near their historic highs, peaking at about 2 million, but the landlocked salmon is slowly rallying and coming back from a low of about 15,000 spawners on the main lake in 2017 to about 30,000 this year.

“They (the kokanee) are super big, so if you compare them to those bigger number of spawners - they would have been much smaller and had fewer eggs.”

The large kokanee in this year’s return will carry 600-800 eggs, while the smaller Kokanee in past larger populations had a capacity of about 200 eggs.

“So really you can triple that number, so the 30,000 is more like 90,000 if you compare the size, but it’s still super low.”

Fisheries also planted about 16-million kokanee eggs over the past three years in various tributaries and will add another five-million this year in an effort to bolster the population.

The West Arm kokanee are independent of the main lake kokanee, and Neufeld was optimistic by what he saw, adding that the West Arm kokanee were actually benefitting from low densities on the main lake, due to an increase of food (ie; daphnia and zooplankton) washing into the Arm.

“West Arm was great this year, they’re super big fish,” said Neufeld. “We’re going to be around 16,000 spawners, which is really on the high end, especially given the size that we’ve seen in the West Arm.”

Anglers can attest to the large kokanee catch and its respectable numbers, as about 8,000 were harvested from the Upper West Arm this year over the 12 days the kokanee fishery opened, running the first three days of April, May, June and July.

Following the kokanee collapse, the Gerrard rainbow trout numbers plummeted, leaving the fishery and area businesses reeling.

From a high of over 1,500 in 2012, the Gerrard spawners in the Lardeau River have averaged 100-150 spawners in recent years. Still, Neufeld is encouraged by the numbers of rainbow trout he sees in Kootenay Lake.

“We think there are many more rainbow trout in the lake … the catch rates for rainbows are high, but they’re all small.”

The big question for fisheries biologists was whether the smaller rainbow trout were Gerrards or another species that fed mainly on insects?

“We used genetics to evaluate,” said Neufeld, adding that the studies found,”Still about 75 per cent of that catch are Gerrard rainbows.”

While, there is no conservation panic for the Gerrards, the days of the 15-to-25-pound lunkers likely won’t return until kokanee numbers improve.

“The capacity of Gerrards to produce 20 pounders has not gone away, it’s just limited by kokanee supply,” added Neufeld. “They just can’t get bigger than two-and-a-half or three pounds eating bugs. The energy expenditure is just too high.”

So fisheries managers are encouraging Kootenay Lake anglers to take advantage of the new regulations and actually hasten the return of the kokanee population by harvesting more bull trout and rainbows.

“The good news for Gerrards at this point, is we’re still getting spawners, and we know that spawner number is producing a decent juvenile supply,” said Neufeld. “So they (Gerrards) are not gone, they’re sitting there waiting to take advantage of the situation when things improve.”

See www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/changes/1719/region4.html for changes.

West Kootenay Fishing Report: Fall, a favourite season

2018-10-28T14:54:00.001-07:00

The West Kootenay Fishing Report is provided by Kerry Reed from Reel Adventures Sportfishing in Nelson, ph. 250-505-4963 or go to www.reeladventuresfishing.com. Area Lakes provided by flyfishbc.blogspot.com.

Fall is in the air. The water has cooled. And it’s now time for my favourite season of fishing.

Kootenay Lake: The fishing has been consistent on Kootenay for the past month and should only get better as the water cools down.

Most days we’ve had around 10 fish to the boat and a few days even busier. Rainbows have been fattening up a bit this fall and there’s been a few in the five-pound range. Lots of 2 -3 pound fish with the odd bigger one mixed in.

And bull trout are still hanging in there as well. We are seeing a few bulls up to 10 pounds, but mostly 3 - 5 pounders.

The Woodbury Resort annual rainbow derby, Oct. 6-8, pulled in lots of fish, with the winning rainbow weighing in at 4.4 pounds.

Columbia River: Fly fishing for Rainbows has been productive, and spin casting for rainbows and walleye has produced as well.

The usual 2 -3 pound rainbows are coming in, with a few up to five pounds. And the Walleye seem a bit smaller than last year, but still some great eating fish at 2-3 pounds.

Area Lakes: After some epic fishing on smaller area lakes in September, the fishing slowed down a bit with cooler weather in October. But hatches are still strong with the recent sunshine, and made any day a pleasant one on the lakes with usually good results. Lakes like Rosebud, Champion, Nancy Greene and Cottonwood are popular and of course Summit and Box near Nakusp are favourite destinations for many anglers.

The fishing should remain decent well into November, with trout feeding heavy to beef up for winter, however, the days will get shorter, so plan accordingly.

What are they biting on?

On Kootenay Lake it’s been the usual assortment. Bucktail flies have been working, as well as small spoons and hockey sticks. Our best lures have been flies in the # 210, 215, and 226 colors. And crocodile spoons in the brass/fire wing, nickel/fire stripe, and brass/fire stripe colors have been working just as well and sometimes better.

For the bull trout, we’ve been catching mostly on the flasher/hoochie combo. Green Lemon Lime flasher or STS flasher with a green spatter back hoochie has been my stand by. The bulls have been between 80 and 120 feet lately.

And on the Columbia River, its been a mix of fly fishing or spin casting. Most of our walleye are being caught on jig heads with curly tails or using the bottom bouncer with a worm.

The rainbows have been caught on a mix of croc spoons on the spinning rods, or streamers and nymphs on the fly rods.

In local lakes, # 14-16 red chironomids or #10-12 bloodworm patters are still working for fly fishers, although searching at deeper depths may be required. Dragging leech patterns (ie: egg-sucking leech), and woolly buggers on full-sink lines, or casting over drop offs and into shallows with micro-leeches in maroon, brown, and black proved deadly.

Autumn trout fishing in the Kootenays

2018-09-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

September in the Kootenays is a beautiful time of year to get back on the lakes.

The days can be warm and pleasant, with the surrounding hillsides popping with the colours of autumn. A myriad of painted turtles sun themselves on deadfall while great blue herons wade in the shallows, and a healthy mix of chironomids and mayflies come off the surface as hungry rainbow trout emerge from the summer doldrums with a vengeance.

Chironomids are a good choice early to mid-day. Check depth and set your strike indicator so your chironomid is suspended about 12-18" from the bottom. Vary the colour and size until successful and use a stomach pump when you are to determine an approximate variation.

I've been to this same lake many times and I've had epic days on some occasions, while on others I couldn't coax a mosquito to the boat.

In the autumn months, the fishing is usually very good although keep an eye on those indicators as the trout are prone to sip and spit almost in one motion.

As the chironomid hatch subsides in the afternoon, tie on a sink tip or sink line and troll leeches or dragonfly nymphs over the dropoffs. This proved ve

ry successful and while we missed a few, we also caught a couple of the biggest fish of the day. My fishing partner Colin landed a healthy 16-inch rainbow on a beadhead pumpkin leech that ran like a freight train, then turned and sped toward the boat, as Colin stripped like a madman.

Chironomid patterns in size 14-16, black body-red rib or silver/red seemed to offer us the best luck while leech patterns and dragonfly nymphs size 6-10 in greens, browns, and orange were the most effective.

These patterns and techniques work on most smaller West Kootenay lakes and there are many including Nancy Green, Champion Lakes, Cottonwood, Loon, Rosebud, Wolf, Panther, Curtis, Wilgress, and Jewel Lakes.

Sheila and her dog Bentley enjoy sailing her Hobie Cat

BC, Washington State ramp up efforts to eradicate Northern Pike on Columbia River

2018-05-31T09:01:00.001-07:00

Fisheries managers on both sides of the border are renewing efforts to control the northern pike population in the Columbia River and keep the invasive species corralled above the Grand Coulee Dam.
Columbia Basin Trust, BC Hydro, and the province’s Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) joined forces to fund this year’s program and secured the services of Wood Environmental and Mountain Water Research (MWR) to continue with a pike suppression program for the Columbia River, from the Hugh Keenlyside Dam to the US border, and the Canadian section of the Pend d’Oreille Reservoir.
“It is the first time that we’ve been in the Pend d’Oreille and that anyone has sampled other than Dan (Dan Doutaz, a Thompson Rivers University master’s student),” said MWR biologist Jeremy Baxter. “We just wanted to get a general idea of what the abundance was like and where they might be spawning and to try to suppress them prior to spawning as well.”
    See more on pike suppression on the Columbia River

The largest from the the Pend d’Oreille measured about 80-cm (31.5 inches) and from the Columbia 90 cm (36-inches), but for Baxter the timing was perfect.
Gill netting efforts began the first week of May, with two days of sampling in the Seven Mile Reservoir and three days in Waneta. Over the five days, the MWR crew netted a dozen northern pike in the two sections.
“It was a little bit less than I expected, but to tell you the truth, the water was extremely high and it was very turbid, and so there wasn’t a lot of littoral zones,” said Baxter. “But we caught them in all the same spots that Dan had sampled.”

Pike removed from Canadian portion of Pend d'Oreille River for first time

Baxter also tried new areas and says that the largest pre-spawning females were netted at a yet-to-be-opened Buckley’s Campground just off of the beach.
“In the past when Dan was there, there was just no way that he could set there because it’s a pretty active beach … I think that was where we caught the vast majority of our spawners in the Seven Mile Reservoir.”Most of those were all ripe and full of eggs, or males completely ripe and ready to spawn. But none of them had successfully spawned.”
Netting the pike before the spawn is crucial, as large females can lay as many as 100,000 eggs. And unlike previous years, more males were captured than females, another positive sign.
“It’s vital to get the females out of there before they’re able to lay their eggs, so if we can remove every female, hopefully it will suppress the population moving forward.”
MWR and Wood continued suppression efforts in the Columbia and are just wrapping up eight days of net-sets in the Robson Reach area, the Oxbows, and Waldie and Zuckerberg Islands.“It’s vital to get the females out of there before they’re able to lay their eggs, so if we can remove every female, hopefully it will suppress the population moving forward.”
Doutaz studied the migration of northern pike on the Columbia River back in 2016 and radio-tagged 15 pike so he could follow their movements. Incredibly, Baxter and his team captured four of the five remaining tagged pike during their most recent efforts. Considering the massive system, it’s a good indication that pike are returning to the same area to spawn, and suppression is working – at least in the Canadian portion of the river.
“They’re not moving around a lot, they’re spawning in the typical location, they’re all ripe, and we’re getting them before spawning. It suggests to us that the numbers are lower and it’s a good sign.”
However, Baxter notes that they did catch smaller pike that appeared to be in their first year, and in their September suppression effort, captured about a dozen juvenile pike in the Oxbows, indicating that recruitment is occurring.
The suppression effort will continue through the summer at various locations using methods such as gill netting and boat shocking.
Pike first appeared in the Columbia in 2009 and suppression efforts has reduced populations in the Castlegar-Trail section from a peak of 133 pike in 2014 to 49 captured in 2016, and even fewer last year.
The best habitat for pike in one of the last free-flowing sections of the Columbia is the slack-water reaches of the river. Yet, a major concern for fisheries managers is if and when the invasive species get into the Arrow Lakes Reservoir, and the threat they pose to the already declining Kokanee and rainbow trout populations.
One needs only to look across the border at a similar habitat in Lake Roosevelt, where the pike population has grown rapidly since its first appearance just eight years ago.

Pike numbers explode in U.S. portion of Columbia River

In 2017, Washington tribal and state managers, along with a bounty program, destroyed close to 5,000 pike, and have removed more than 700 in the early stages of 2018.
Pending approval, Washington States Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is set to fund close to $1 million per year over five years in an effort to check the pike’s expansion in Lake Roosevelt and beyond the Grand Coulee Dam, where it could threaten ESA (Endangered Species Act) listed salmon and steelhead.
For many, unless funding is secured and suppression efforts increase, the situation will get worse.
“Well, I think over time northern pike in Lake Roosevelt will wipe out all the trout,” Chris Donley, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Eastern Region fish program manager, told the Spokesman-Review. “That’s how serious a problem it is.”
Despite Donley’s dire prediction, he believes there are ways the fish can be suppressed. But it will take money and decisive action.
According to the Columbia Basins Fish and Wildlife News Bulletin, the proposed five-year budget, including fiscal year 2018, is $4,505,442 with an average annual budget of $901,088. Nearly two-thirds of next year’s funding would come either directly through BPA, or through BPA funds going to the Colville Tribes or through Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
And not even Canadian Customs can stop the voracious northern pike from returning across the border to the upper Columbia and Arrow Lakes.
“Any time they could come back, because one of Dan’s fish did migrate back again,” added Baxter. “I think the food source is really good for them up here, and they’re a bit larger up here. It wouldn’t take much for them to come back at any time, so continued suppression is probably going to be required."

Northern Pike problem persists in Columbia River

2018-05-08T21:01:00.001-07:00

The following is an article I wrote on the invasive northern pike in the Columbia River, published in American Angler Magazine in Dec. 2016.

Water Wolves invade the Columbia River

Northern pike is a favoured sportfish by many anglers, but Esox Lucius is also an apex predator, and when illegally introduced into non-native waters, the alien species can wreak havoc on native populations of trout, salmon, and practically everything else that swims.
The toothy, prehistoric-looking predator appeared in the Columbia River system in southern British Columbia and the Lake Roosevelt Reservoir in Washington State above the Grand Coulee Dam in 2009. Fisheries managers believe pike were illegally introduced into the Flathead Lake system as early as the 1980s, traveled through Clark Fork into Lake Pend Oreille, the Pend Oreille River, and eventually the Columbia River.
The uninvited guest breached at least 10 dams, infiltrating about 500 miles of new habitat, and is now poised to invade the Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph systems and likely beyond - into prime Columbia River salmon tributaries like the Snake, Salmon, Methow, Yakima, Wenatchee, Deschutes, Willamette, and Okanagan River systems.

Columbia’s last blue-ribbon trout water:
The 30 mile section of the Columbia River between Castlegar, BC and the US border is one of the last free-flowing tail-water fisheries remaining on the 1,200-mile long river, and an exceptional native redband rainbow trout fishery. Jeremy Baxter of Mountain Water Research has led the rainbow trout recruitment program for BC Hydro for the past 20 years, and has seen the fishery make a remarkable transformation. But with pike now in the system, the redband rainbows, a descendant of the steelhead trout, are potentially at risk along with other native species like mountain whitefish and kokanee salmon.
“Everybody’s onboard in trying to control them (northern pike) . . . but it’s going to be virtually impossible to eradicate them,” said Baxter, who also leads the pike suppression program for British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resources (FLNRO). “The goal is to preserve the native rainbow trout that exist in the Columbia, I mean that’s essential.”
Close to a $1-billion remediation and reclamation effort by Teck Resources (Cominco) in Trail and a Castlegar pulp mill, Zeltsoff Celgar, in the 90s drastically reduced toxic emissions and discharge of dissolved metals. Teck ceased the dumping of treated slag into the Columbia, a dense black smelting waste that carpeted the benthic habitat, adversely affecting aquatic plant growth, disrupting insect hatches, and, not surprisingly, found to be poisonous to rainbow trout and other species, putting the Columbia routinely on BC’s Most Endangered Rivers list.

For years the Brilliant, Keenleyside, and Waneta Dams withheld water during the spring rainbow spawning runs, stranding millions of redds. Yet with reclamation of fish habitat and BC Hydro altering its flow regime, caddis hatches became epic and recruitment went from 2,000 trout in 1999 to over 15,000 in 10 years.
“It’s such a large river, that there’s so much suitable habitat, that it was a no brainer that rainbow trout would do that,” said Baxter. “Once we figured out where they spawn and how to protect those areas with various flow regimes it seems to have worked. Now the fishery is one of the best, it’s just amazing.”

Predator suppression Plan A
FLNRO initially changed regulations from a ‘no-fishing for invasive species’ to an unlimited pike retention, as well as introduced an angler-reward program where pike caught with PIT tags embedded in their heads would fetch the angler a $500 reward. With tepid response at best, FLNRO took a cue from fisheries biologist Nick Bean from the Kalispell Tribe of Indians Natural Resource Department (KNRD) on the Pend Oreille River and initiated the first pike suppression program ever undertaken on the Columbia.
FLNRO’s 2014 gillnetting survey netted 133 pike over 16 days in May, August, and November and estimated that the Columbia River pike population had increased to between 700 and 2,700 in a five-kilometre slack-water stretch of the Robson Reach area below the Hugh Keenleyside Dam.
The resulting “Lower Columbia Pike Suppression Report” (this section of river in southern BC is also referred to as “Lower Columbia”) found that the increase of northern pike posed several threats to the Columbia River ecosystem, including: predation of native species, and introduction of a variety of parasites and diseases. Pike also compete with other species for food reducing growth and survival, and also impede efforts to recover species at risk (SARA) such as white sturgeon, short-head sculpin, and Umatilla dace in the Columbia River.
During the 2014 study, pike weighing up to 21-pounds were captured, with one large pike having a fully intact 16-inch rainbow trout in its stomach. Seventy-six per cent of the prey was made up of salmonids (44% mountain whitefish, 17% rainbow trout, and 15% kokanee), and, in most cases, pike keyed on the low hanging fruit, exploiting each species during spawning times ie: rainbows in spring, kokanee in late summer, and in the fall, 100 per cent of the pike’s stomach contents were found to be spawning whitefish.
Gillnetting continued in 2015 with similar results, but in 2016 suppression efforts in May and June indicated that pike numbers had decreased with MWR capturing 50 pike over the month long effort.
“There may have been winter kill, or they may have moved out of the area because it’s not suitable habitat, but for whatever reason the population is down to probably less than 50 now,” said Baxter. “We’ve removed 300, so I think we’ve been successful at controlling them – the big spawning adults and as long as that is kind of maintained I think it will be a successful program.”
In early June, in the last session between net sets, Baxter spotted a large pike in the shallows and cast a fly to it. He ended up landing the largest pike of all on the fly rod - a 42-inch, 25-pound monster bursting with eggs. A mature pike can hold about six pounds of roe or about a half million eggs, give or take; a stark example of the few it would take to start a new population.
Pend Oreille Piscavores
Pike first showed up in the Box Canyon Reservoir of the Pend Oreille River in 2004 and took over, reducing populations of native cutthroat, rainbows, bull trout and cyprinids (minnows and carp) as well as non-native large and smallmouth bass before Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the KNRD took action.
"We’re a little bit different because we have so much habitat,” said Nick Bean. “But those fish have been in Montana for decades and why it took so long for them to establish down here nobody knows. We’ve had some high water years where I imagine we had a lot of entrainment into the system and they found the appropriate conditions in the spring to spawn and immediately exploded.”
Since 2012, the two groups coordinated an intensive gillnetting effort that has since culled over 17,000 pike in the Box Canyon Reservoir drastically reducing the population.
In its March 2016 pike suppression effort, the KNRD set 419 gillnets and captured 181 northern pike. In its follow up Spring Pike Index Netting (SPIN) survey conducted in May, just four pike were caught in 91 nets.
“We’ve really cropped the population down,” said Bean. “We know this was going to be a long term commitment. We have really good pike habitat here but the results indicate clearly that the program is working.”
While suppression efforts are having an effect on pike populations in the Pend Oreille and BC portion of the Columbia, downstream in the 150-mile long Lake Roosevelt Reservoir, the population is growing.
A brief six-day netting sampling in February yielded 71 northern pike near Kettle Falls and the Kettle River arm of the reservoir, compared to just 21 in 2015. While the population is relatively small, a significant number of one-year-old, two-year-old juvenile and mature pike were among those captured, indicating a breeding population is established.
Funding for Pike suppression in Lake Roosevelt was approved in May and is set to begin in 2017. Dr. Brent Nichols fisheries manager for the Spokane Tribe says between 2009 and 2011 limited numbers of northern pike were caught, but they saw an increase beginning in 2014 and a spike in 2015 and 2016, mostly in the northern reaches of the reservoir.

Washington and Oregon changed the status of pike from game species to prohibited species, permitting anglers to kill every pike they catch. However, in Montana and Idaho, they have a no-limit on pike, and are considered a game fish, with no suppression program. The pike spawn and migrate freely through the system, creating an unmitigated source for the Pend Oreille and Columbia River populations, a frustrating scenario for fisheries managers downstream.
“We knew we had a long-term commitment,” added Bean. “We have an upstream source, so that’s going to be something we’re going to be addressing in the future in high-water years when fish flush down, which is where this population came from initially.”
A breach of the Chief Joseph Dam would essentially give pike access to the anadromous steelhead, juvenile and spawning Pacific salmon and returning smolts with fish paths linking the remaining dams and tributaries all the way to the Pacific in a vast and complex ecosystem.
“We have to draw the line at Lake Roosevelt,” Nichols said at a Northwest Power and Conservation Council meeting. “That spike caused us to change our focus onto this particular species. We’re at the beginning of this population in Lake Roosevelt, so we have the opportunity to hold the line and limit the speed.”
Nichols’ remarks echo that of Baxter’s and Dean’s in the Upper Columbia and Pend Oreille, although 100 miles downstream.
For Bean, stopping pike at their source in the Pend Oreille system is the best solution.
“We are not going to remove these fish from the environment completely. We’ve got a connected system that’s huge; we’re talking about the whole Pend Oreille and Columbia system. Our intentions here now is to basically put up a wall in Box Canyon and ensure that we’re doing everything we can to make sure these fish are not impacting our local resources and those downstream on the Columbia when we’re dealing with ESA (endangered species) salmon and steelhead.”
The threat to salmon
With every breach of every dam, the invasive species emergence in successive downstream reservoirs on the Columbia seems inevitable. The extent of the Columbia River Basin below the Chief Joseph Dam is massive. The basin consumes approximately 58-million hectares with six species and subspecies of salmon, including fall, spring, and summer chinook (king) salmon, sockeye and Coho salmon, and steelhead trout, whose habitats stretch from the waters of the Pacific Ocean to the mountains of the Continental Divide bordering Idaho and Montana.
Salmon are a keystone species that supports life in the basin and contributes nutrients to streams that, in turn, support other aquatic and terrestrial species. When considering the northern pike’s effect on populations of salmonids in Alaska’s Susitna and Kenai River tributaries or in the Flathead or Davis Lake and others, the implications of a pike invasion into the Middle and Lower Columbia reservoirs is just plain frightening, but one that is also unique.
“It would depend on how frequently they would co-occur,” offered Dr. Gary Grossman, aka Dr. Trout, a Fellow of the American Fisheries Society and professor of Animal Ecology at Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, in an email. “Floodplain habitats are extensively used by juvenile salmon in some systems and those are the areas that pike like too. On the other hand, certainly pike would join the list of predators lined up below fish ladders to eat out-migrants (smolts).”
Suppression efforts will elicit similar debate on implementation and administration and how to slow the invasive species spread. Delays, whether in funding, execution, or bureaucratic red tape, could impede a functional solution for the invasive northern pike, and hasten the increase of another invasive predator in successive Columbia River reservoirs.
“The amount of money that’s been spent on it, I think it’s important that they continue to try to control the population before they get out of hand,” said Baxter. “The only way to do that is to do what we’re doing. I think we’ve proven that we’re successful at capture, we’ve located where they are. We’re pretty good locating their habitat now, and if they show up in other locations, I think controlling them is the only thing we can do. It’s been working in the US to a certain degree, and so I think if we continue to do it on an annual basis then we can hopefully keep the numbers down like they are right now. We don’t know what they’re going to do year by year, so just taking one year off may tip the balance again.”
Yellowstone Lake: predator saturation
Habitat loss and degradation, and the introduction of invasive predator fish species, often through fish-stocking programs, historically are the major causes in the decline and sometimes the disappearance of native salmonids.
Apex predators like northern pike or lake trout can decimate native populations and once entrenched the invasive’s eradication through suppression efforts is extremely difficult.
“In general, removal efforts have failed although suppression is possible if you're willing to spend enough money, but eventually they'll get downstream,” said Grossman. “Overall there are few cases (maybe none) of an invasive predator being successfully removed from an open system that the public has access to.”
Greg French, author of The Imperiled Cutthroat: Tracing the Fate of Yellowstone’s Native Trout, takes a provocative look at how fisheries managers at the iconic park have historically developed and sometimes hurt its native trout habitats through the introduction of invasive predators.
“I am a passionate supporter of maintaining wild stocks of native sports fish in natural habitats,” said French. “In some cases quick eradication of ‘undesirable’ non-native species can be easily and quickly achieved, and in such cases I am generally supportive. In other cases, suppression programs are unlikely to result in eradication, and ongoing manipulation of wild systems always comes with its own set of risks, many of which are never acknowledged, much less debated.”
In Yellowstone National Park (YNP), the introduction of the lake trout aka mackinaw on Yellowstone Lake contributed to the collapse of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations, but low water levels and an invasive parasite also played a part in their decline. Whirling disease was found in Yellowstone Lake in 1998: a microscopic protozoan that destroys the cartilage of juvenile trout, resulting in skeletal deformities and sometimes whirling behavior when they swim, making them even more susceptible to predation.
Lake trout were ‘discovered’ in Yellowstone Lake in 1994. By 1998 the numbers ballooned to an estimated 130,000, and by 2012 that number grew to over 700,000 despite an ongoing suppression program that started almost immediately.
Meanwhile, Yellowstone cutthroat numbers collapsed from almost 2 million in 1986 to 463,000 in 2000. The decline in the keystone species kicked off a trophic cascade that impacted four species of mammals and 16 bird species that relied on cutthroat for survival.
Yellowstone Fisheries managers now spend $2 million annually on gillnetting lake trout. Early efforts of eliminating 10,000 lake trout per year were nowhere near enough to decrease lake trout numbers. The suppression numbers continued to increase and in 2015 about 315,000 lake trout were removed but with little apparent effect on the population.
The suppression effort continues in the firm belief that holding the number of lake trout at a certain threshold will give Yellowstone cutthroat a chance. But, despite the increasing lake trout population over the years, the number of cutthroat also rebounded in Yellowstone to about 1.31-million in 2012.
French believes that the inconsistent numbers of Yellowstone cutthroat are more a result of whirling disease than ravenous lake trout. Even more intriguing, a study undertaken by PhD student John Syslo, “Dynamics of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout in Yellowstone Ecosystem,” found that a dietary shift in lake trout following the collapse of the cutthroat population may have contributed to the native trout’s rebound.
When cutthroat became less reliable as a food source, lake trout began feeding on amphipods (scuds) to augment its diet. As the cutthroat population rebounded, the lake trout appetite remained largely devoted to amphipods and less so on cutthroat. This dietary shift and a growing resistance to whirling disease effectively strengthened Yellowstone cutthroat populations; however, as the population of native cutthroat grows, competition with lake trout for amphipods (also a keystone species in Yellowstone) may add further stress to the native prey’s survival.
Yellowstone National Park and fisheries managers have removed more than 2-million lake trout in 15 years and about 900,000 in the past three years.
In the Lake Roosevelt Reservoir, although a very different habitat, it is the largest lake in Washington, and the invasive pike is indeed a cause for alarm. In addition, fisheries released over 650,000 hatchery rainbow trout into the reservoir in April, and about a half million rainbow trout and kokanee annually on average.
“There’s not much (suitable habitat) but pike can survive a wide array of environmental conditions,” said Thompson Rivers University Masters student Dan Doutaz, who is studying the movements of northern pike in the Columbia and Pend Oreille. “If they can get into an area and there’s food, there’s always room for colonization of the species.”
Suppression is not always the answer and it is expensive, but according to Syslo, fisheries managers like those on the Columbia River can glean something critically important from Yellowstone Lake, hopefully before it’s too late.
“If you decide you’re going to suppress a population, go in with as much effort as you can muster initially.”

Spring fly fishing on Mable Lake

2018-05-06T21:16:00.001-07:00

Well after a year or so break, I decided to get back to the fly-fish-bc blog.
Not that I haven't been fishing, I fished with as much conviction as any other year that included a couple great days on Bleeker Lake and Pass Lake, a trip to the Elk River and Wigwam, a couple streams in Wash. State, a day on the water in Cabo San Lucas not to mention some epic days and nights throwing string on the Columbia River and local lakes.

So like every year, eager to get out on the lakes for some early spring fly fishing, we headed out on Apr. 21 to Whatshan Lake. I've been a few times in late April and the Stevens or Ritchie campsites are beautiful spots. However, with the late spring, the lake was still in the icy grip of winter, and snow made the rough dirt road into the campsites impassable.
Box Lake was open when I drove by it en route, so back we went. I jumped in with Colin to test another rough road into the Rec campsite, but we were barely a couple hundred metres down the road when snow again blocked our path.

Wretched but resigned we spent a night by a frozen Summit Lake. The next day we made the decision to hit Mable Lake, and what a great decision that was.
At an elevation of about 1,200 feet (400 m), Mable is a pretty lake just outside of Lumby with an expansive but beautiful provincial park that was closed at the time. We simply set up the trailer in the parking lot and used a nearby campsite, complete with firewood.
The weather turned from cold, torrential rain, to a balmy 25 C for the next couple of days, and while we landed a few fish, it was tough going.
But it was my first time at the 35-km long lake, whose crystal clear waters plummet to a depth of close to 700 feet- , at least that's my excuse.
I managed a couple nice rainbow between 18-20 inches dropping an egg sucking leech pattern about 14 feet below a strike indicator, on a 5-wt. Sager rod and Colin also picked up a few dragging similar patterns on his 6-wt GLoomis.
The locals were doing pretty well, and about every half-hour a dozen beach fishermen would become animated when another rainbow crushed their offering.
Mable Lake bailed us out of an otherwise disastrous trip. I've fished Box, Summit and Whatshan at the beginning or mid April in many previous years, but in 2018 winter would not go away, and all the lakes from the Kootenays to the Okanagan were about two to three weeks late.
A good experience to file away for next time.

Winter on the Water

2016-01-06T22:29:00.001-08:00

The Kootenay-Boundary is renowned as a winter playground for outdoor enthusiasts who take to the slopes, their snowmobiles, snowshoes or cross-country ski trails to recreate in winter. But there are few places in North America where you can don your choice of skis one day, then fish for the world’s largest rainbow trout the next.

The West Kootenay-Boundary offers many forms of winter fishing opportunities and destinations, including trolling large lakes, fly fishing or spin casting on the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers, or angling on a myriad of frozen lakes for some hard-water action. And there are few who know the area and its waters better than Kerry Reed of Reel Adventures Sport Fishing Charters.

"Winter in the West Kootenay offers many opportunities for anglers," says Reed. "We're lucky enough to have large lakes that don't freeze over, so one opportunity is to fish either Kootenay Lake or Arrow Lake or Slocan Lake either from shore or from a boat."

Reed grew up in the Kootenays with a fishing rod in his hand and an insatiable appetite for angling on Kootenay lakes and streams. He started up Reel Adventures in Nelson in 1998, which has since grown into one of the region’s premiere fishing guide outfits.

Trolling these lakes in winter usually entails a slow troll depending on the lure, which include hand tied bucktail flies, Bill Norman or Lyman plugs, and flasher-hoochie combos. Anglers are rewarded for the efforts by hooking into large Gerrard rainbows or bull trout that feed heavily on kokanee salmon during the cold weather season.

Fishing for these potentially massive Gerrard rainbows is an incredible experience and some of the best fishing comes during the icy grip of winter, but with Reed as captain, it doesn’t have to be a chilly experience.

"My favorite type of winter fishing just might have to be the comforts of my heated boat on Kootenay Lake, trolling for giant rainbows," says Reed. "Although that has been changing too."

While Kootenay Lake has faced its challenges of late with low kokanee returns, which affect Gerrard populations, the cyclical nature of the fishery means it is expected to rebound to its former glory. In the meantime Reed is taking advantage of a fishery in transition.

"Kootenay Lake is still producing lots of fish," Reed explains. "In fact, we are catching more fish than ever before. However, the decline in Kokanee as a main food source has created a decline in large fish. So, a normal day on the lake now would consist of 10 - 15 fish between two-to-five pounds."

Reel Adventure Charters does not confine itself to the large lakes but regularly make trips to the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers that offer the best tail-water fishery in North America.

"The Columbia River is open to fishing year round," added Reed. "In fact, a lot of our biggest fish caught on the Columbia happen between December and March."

And these Columbia River rainbows can be caught on the Fly by casting sinking lines, sink tips, or nymphing with a floating line. Favourite flies include Clouser minnows, stonefly nymphs, or leech patterns. But hold on, for the lunkers lurk in deep pools or in the seams of runs and riffles and a Columbia River rainbow will peel line like a demon, and you’ll find yourself into your backing in mere seconds.

For shore fishers, casting spoons or spinners or fishing a three-way rig baited with shrimp, maggots, or worm with a spin-n-glow, corkie, or marshmallow float and a one-once weight can be very productive.

Ice fishing is another popular option, and can be complex as one wishes to make it. The basic equipment is a rod and reel, an ice auger, warm clothes, hook, sinkers, and bait. Many get by with an axe and simply chop out the thin ice formed over the old holes, but having an auger gives more options when it comes to drilling holes. Early in the winter season, trout will feed close to shore on aquatic invertebrates and leeches still munching on decaying organic matter. So drill your holes in water between four and 10 feet deep. The types of bait vary from a single hook with worms, maggots, corn, and shrimp to artificial soft baits, jigs, and lures.

There are plenty of stocked lakes around the Kootenay-Boundary that are great for ice fishing. Summit Lake, Box Lake, Fish Lake, Bear Lake, Jewel Lake, Wilgress Lake, Rosebud lake, Erie lake, Third Champion Lake, and Nancy Greene only to name a few.

The West Kootenay-Boundary offers a variety of epic opportunities in the height of winter to satisfy the casual caster or even the most ardent angler. And as Reed says, "I guess I am just happy to partake in any type of fishing. It's great to have the options."

Reel Adventures offers many types of angling opportunities for all levels of fishermen, from lake fishing in their heated cabin on the boat, river fishing from the jet boat, or from shore. Groups from 1 - 5 people are easily accommodated, although they do have many boats available for larger groups up to 16.

See B.C. freshwater fishing regulations for angling and water restrictions.

Columbia River walleye on the fly

2015-09-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Fly fishing for walleye is not my first choice when it comes to casting flies on the Columbia River but when leaves begin to turn, and the temperatures cool, September can be the best time to target this tasty table-fare fish.
I remember the first time I caught a walleye; I had just moved to the Kootenays some 15 years ago and was fishing a sinking line with a woolly bugger hoping to catch one of the large rainbows that inhabit this stretch of the Columbia near Trail, B.C.
I initially thought I had snagged a log, but when the log began to move I realized that something rather large had just taken my fly. It wasn't a rainbow, I knew that for certain, and when I finally reeled it in, I looked in disbelief at what was about a 30-inch walleye, a species I was totally unfamiliar with. I gingerly released my fly from its toothy maw and lightly kicked it back into the river not realizing that I just landed what was the largest of its kind I would ever catch.
Walleye are an alien species, so BC fisheries allow a generous 16-fish-per-diem limit. I've never had the desire or intention of retaining that many in one day's angling but recently I've started keeping a few for the table. And to be honest, once one breeches the armour-like scales, avoids being impaled by its razor-sharp fins, and slices off the filets, the walleye is one of the best fish I've had the pleasure of eating.
It's white flesh is similar to cod, firm and perfect for fish and chips or simply pan frying it with herbs and spices and lemon wedges.
I use a 6-weight rod with full sink line and a short four-foot leader and usually a streamer pattern, stonefly, or woolly bugger in brown or black and green. Walleye are bottom feeders so you have to get the fly down. I like to cast into a run and then let it settle in the seam or pool, then use a dead-slow retrieve.
One huge bonus is that I'll usually hook into one or two large rainbows as well. The other night, a big bow peeled my fly line in seconds and took me into my backing as it ran into the middle of the river before I was able to gain control and coax it to hand, before releasing it.
The week before I landed about a four pound smallmouth bass. I fully expect to hook and land one of the more recent invasive species, the northern pike, which have been caught in some regularity in the calmer sections of the Columbia.
I question the excessive limit quota, I mean really why not just make it no limit, as fisheries did with the pike. Anglers will never fully rid the system of its now numerous alien species that include bass, walleye, and pike not to mention some 20 other species like brown trout, brook trout, lake trout, perch, carp, bullhead, pumpkinseed, goldfish, catfish, and bullhead.
Few are as good eating as the walleye, so with the generous limit and a fish that will eat almost anything and is relatively easy to catch, why not enjoy an autumn day fishing on the Columbia for the delectable walleye.

The Shadowy St. Joe

2015-08-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

The St. Joe River is one of Idaho's prime westslope cutthroat trout fisheries. Located near the Montana border in the northern Bitterroot Mountains of Shoshone County in the Idaho panhandle; a bit off the beaten path, its pristine and uncrowded waters make the freestone stream a fly-angler's paradise.

Check out my recent article in The New Fly Fisher Magazine by clicking on the photo above.

Whiteswan: The prettiest place on earth

2015-08-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

Few places match the incredible beauty and magnificence of the western Rockies and Whiteswan Lake. I'd traveled to Whiteswan before to camp and hike, or passed it on my way to fly fish the Middle Fork of the White River, but almost always during the hot summer months, when I believed casting over Whiteswan's expansive marl shoals would be futile. I always vowed to return during the cooler months of May or June.

Well I finally made it.

I enticed my Alberta friends, Gerald and Tony, to the mountain lake in early June. It had rained most of the week leading up to the trip and my first night camping it rained. Fortunately, the following day the weather broke and unseasonably 30-degree weather beat down on us for the remaining of the trip. Which was both good and bad. The fishing was decent the first couple days, and I managed to land a few beautiful trout on chironomids. A size 12 bead head black and red was most productive, but as the week progressed smaller chronies like a 16 chromie seemed to do better,

Fly-fishing Whiteswan can be a little frustrating, as you can see the trout cruising over the bright shoals, often making an abrupt turn to check out your offering, but after intensive study, invariably rejecting it. The times it did take were incredibly exciting, but those were getting fewer and fewer as the hot weather persisted.

The very first trout I caught, however, was one such time. I spotted two trout cruising over the shoal and sent my cast about a dozen feet in front of their path. As the chironomid sank, the larger of the two fish bolted for it, the indicator dropped - fish on. I eventually, played it to the net, and quickly measured it at just over 22-inches before releasing it back into the pellucid waters.
Whiteswan rainbows are incredibly strong fighters and beautiful chrome bullets. The best fight I had was on my fourth or fifth rainbow that took me into my backing and turned out to be a mere 18-inches.

However, we also caught a few post-spawners, which I suppose is normal for that time of year, but you could certainly tell which trout just came off a spawning bed and the ones that weren't. The spawners were skinny, dark, and slimy, suffering the effects of a month or so of not eating, immersed in the delicate dance of procreation in nearby streams.

The heat made the fishing difficult after a few days, and the winds that kicked up in the afternoon made fishing impractical if not near impossible. The trout weren't biting or even looking as often, although we could see them still cruising the expansive shoals. Perhaps I should have gone deeper, up to 20 feet I suspect, but the presence of trout feeding at 8-12 feet made it seem unnecessary.

So we kept asking ourselves, "Is it better to see the fish, or not?"

Which, begs a more philosophical question regarding reality and perception but I'll leave that for another day.

Sometimes fishing in lakes where you cannot see the trout will cause you to be more diligent and patient. You concentrate on the finer points of technique, depth, and pattern, rather than getting distracted and interrupting your slow retrieve to cast the chironomid at yet another passing rainbow.
But on the other hand, it's just plain cool to see the trout, especially when it does take your fly. And when you actually take time to look up and around, the sight of the majestic Rockies almost takes your breath away.
The fishing could have been better, and Tony, while he had a few hits, he was unable to land a Whiteswan rainbow. But thanks to Tony, the silver bullets were cold and plentiful, the company incomparable, and the scenery spectacular.
I suppose you can't ask for much more than that.

Roche Lake's incomparable rainbows

2015-05-25T23:16:00.002-07:00

It had been about 15 years since my friend Colin, his son Taylor, and I last visited Roche Lake, an eminently productive rainbow trout fishery nestled in the hills of the Thompson Plateau just south of Kamloops, B.C.

I was just getting into chironomid fishing at the time and had spotty success over the three days, but remember picking up one or two three-pound rainbows on a leech pattern.
This time, we headed up to Roche the third week in May and enjoyed sunny skies for most of the week. Apparently, the lake was undergoing a second turnover marked by the algae and debris floating on the water. The turnover affected visibility early on in the week, but as the skies cleared and weather warmed the water also settled and brought improved visibility.
The biomass on Roche is dense. Scuds, chironomids, chaoborus, beetles, flying ants, and giant leeches some up to eight inches long, can all be seen with a quick glance into the water.
I expected to fish chironomids primarily, but on the first trip out we trolled searching patterns like leeches and nymphs to identify quality spots. Colin landed a decent 14 inch rainbow on a orange beadhead bugger almost right away, then caught another on the trip back that evening.
I didn't even get a hit the first evening out, but things would change the next day.
Taylor was about four-years-old on our first visit to Roche, and his only memory is of the obstinate black bear that visited our camp and would not be deterred by banging pots and honking horns, but eventually carried on into the woods after sufficiently nosing out the campsite.
This time, on the cusp of his 20th birthday, Taylor, over the course of five days, went from a frustrated neophyte water-flogger to a seasoned fly caster. Following many tangles, bird nests, and errant casts, by the third day Taylor was throwing a strike indicator, split shot, and chironomid pattern with grace and ease. Not surprisingly his results improved and on the fourth day he caught and released numerous trout (about eight I think), including the largest rainbow of the trip.
The magic all happened on chironomid patterns and surprisingly the most effective turned out to be a size 10, black and red pattern. We hit our first bit of luck in Monster Bay, a significant shoal on northeast end of the lake. Anchored in about eight feet of water, success came on the aforementioned pattern at the end of about six feet of leader almost immediately.
After landing a couple in the first half hour, the action slowed, so we moved to another spot and I landed two almost immediately. That would prove the pattern for the rest of the week, anchor, fish, move.
We'd fish from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. then head in for a nap, and return to the water at about 5:30 p.m. until dusk. It was an amazing trip. I lost count on how many fish we caught and released, but aside from the black and red chironomid, chromies and micro leeches also worked well. We saw deer, numerous species of water fowl, as well as eagles, osprey, turkey vultures, great blue herons, and pileated woodpeckers, not to mention the loon that circled our boat in anticipation of an easy meal.
The most satisfying aspect of the trip was watching Taylor improve his technique and his appreciation grow for chironomid fishing, a challenging and often frustrating method. The highlight was when he hooked into about a four-pound rainbow and played the girthsome triploid trout patiently and effectively, until it came to hand, and after a quick photo, eased it back into the water.
It was a great trip, with incredible weather, and excellent fishing, but mostly an excuse to spend some quality time with old friends.
Thanks Guys.

Fast Facts: Roche suffered from a partial winter kill in 2014 but it was believed to be confined to the southwest end of the lake. Still, fisheries releases 24,000 rainbow trout throughout each season, as a result, many of the trout were of the cookie cutter variety, about 12-14 inches, fat and healthy.
Roches Lakes Park offers vehicle accessible campsites on a first-come, first-served basis – campsite reservations are not accepted. There are three rustic campgrounds; Roche Lake North (8 sites), Roche Lake West (21 sites) and Horseshoe Lake (4 sites). Roche Lake North is quite open and is suitable for group camping. A pay telephone is available at Roche Lake Resort, which is located on the same gravel road that is used to access the park, just follow the signs. Vehicle Accessible Camping Fee: $13 per party / night

Alberta Bound: floating the Bow River

2014-09-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Okay I know the title of the blog is fly-fish-bc, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to float the Bow River south of Calgary, Alberta earlier this month.

I'd been planning on a trip to meet my good friend Randy in Calgary, and when he offered to book a trip on the Bow courtesy of Fish Tales fly shop I was only more than happy to accompany him.

We met our guide John early Sunday morning, and geared up and dropped the boat in at Policeman's Flats, a makeshift launch, that accommodated Calgary's many and varied fly-fishing outfits, and a small flotilla of drift boats.

Our guide was not slight by any stretch of the imagination. He stood about six-foot-five, a small mountain draped in a dark-blue Patagonia fly fishing shirt, waders and boots, with hands the size of a catcher's mitt, but he could tie on a #20 trico pattern in a blink of an eye, and cast a fly rod with wonderful grace and power, that reminded me of one of those giant slow turning windmills on the southern plains of the province. John was a good, thorough, jovial, and instructive guide, that did all that was expected and more. I liked him.

We set off at about 9:30 a.m., too early for any hatches, so I chucked a streamer pattern with a dropper beadhead hares ear nymph, and another smaller, #16 water-boatman. Casting three flies on one line was a first for me, hailing from B.C. where fly anglers are permitted to cast just a single fly, sans barb. But when in Rome.

It was slow to start, but the sun shone and the wind blew softly, and the midges were the first to stir. We stopped at a good run, casting into the seam of the tail out, when Randy hooked up with a large rainbow. Unlike my set up, Randy was rigged with a strike indicator and a combination of nymph and San Juan worm. The rainbow pulled hard and showed itself almost immediately, rolling its 20 inches over in the shallows then gunning for the middle of the river.

Now Randy is not an experienced fly angler, and unaccustomed to the fly reel he held on tight waiting for the line to be born away from the spool according to the dictates of a spinning reel's drag. Needless to say, the rod doubled, the line tightened, quivered slightly, then snapped.

Well it was a learning experience, and the fishing would eventually heat up as the day progressed.

On one stretch of river, with deep over-hanging banks, we spotted a rainbow sipping flies off the surface. John quickly pulled the boat over and handed me a fly rod and tied on a #16 Adams. I watched the snout break through the surface film, I false cast a couple times then eased the fly into the zone, it settled and drifted towards me for about a foot, when the trout swirled around the fly, and the fish was on.

John reminded me of the 5X tippet so I cautiously played the trout, but as it ran downstream towards some fast water, I had to increase the pressure, until the trout slowed, turned and shot straight towards me. I frantically stripped line, until finally catching up to the trout. Eventually it relented, and after a quick measurement we released the 21-inch rainbow back into the stream to where it resumed its position against the bank and began feeding again.

In all we landed six trout, but lost a few more. I had one monster rainbow come unbuttoned after it attacked my hopper pattern. As I set the hook all I saw was the massive head and baleful eye of what had to be a 22-inch plus rainbow shoot out of the water and launch itself straight at me.

It was a perfect day, and a lot of fun. The drift ended at McKinnon Park, well into the evening. We tried to coax rising trout to dry flies, and Randy had one roll over his caddis pattern but did not stick.

I was surprised with the beauty of the Wild Rose landscape and despite suffering one of its worst floods in history last summer, the Bow is still an eminently productive and rewarding fishery.

Apparently there is an epic stonefly hatch in July, so I plan to return next summer for what my guide says is a truly transcendent experience.

For more information on fly fishing the Bow River contact Fish Tales Fly Shop toll free at 1-866-640-1273 or 403-640-1273.

Visit their website at www.fishtales.ca.

Fisheries try to solve pike problem

2014-07-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

By Jim Bailey
Trail Times

Fish biologists took a major bite out of the pike population on the Columbia River earlier this summer.

Biologists from the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and Mountain Water Research (MWR) netted close to 100 adult pike in Robson Reach over five days in a recent effort to suppress the spread of the invasive species on the Columbia River.

“Pike are non-native potentially invasive species that we’ve been concerned about for a while,” said Senior Fish biologist Jeff Burrows. “So the purpose was to check out the feasibility of suppression netting to reduce pike numbers. We don’t expect we’re going to be able to eradicate pike, there is probably a chronic supply of them coming from upstream.”

The source of the alien species is believed to have emerged from the United States and Lake Pend d’Oreille system about five years ago. Since then, the Kalispell Tribe in Spokane and Washington State Fish and Wildlife have been very successful in reducing pike numbers in the Box Canyon Resevoir of the Pend d’Oreille River using nets, so Kootenay fisheries biologists and Jeremy Baxter from MWR utilized the same process in catching Columbia River pike.

The nets are designed with different mesh sizes to trap pike at various stages of their lifecyle, yet, in the Columbia, mysteriously, no juvenile pike were caught.

“All we did catch was adults,” said Burrows. “So who knows what’s going on there.”

Although most of the pikes’ stomachs were empty, one mammoth pike that measured 90 centimetres and weighed about 19 pounds had a 40-cm. rainbow trout in its stomach.

But what is perhaps more alarming is that the netted pike were also spawning.

“That’s an issue, that there could have been successful spawning, but we’re not sure in past years. Probably they’ve tried to spawn in the Robson Reach that’s downstream of Celgar . . . but it’s not clear that smaller pike or the bigger ones are from colonizers or from entrained fish upstream. But sure it’s a concern.”

Despite catching spent and ripe spawners dripping with milt, Burrows believes the population may be smaller than at first anticipated, as the team also netted five of the tagged pike from MoE’s recent Pike Reward program.

“It’s not a very robust estimator, because populations can move around, but there might be maybe 500 adults in that lower half of the Robson Reach, so we caught a good proportion of them.”

The numbers taken in the nets also decreased over the weeks, suggesting a definite depletion in stock.

The catch rates nearly halved with every netting, said Burrrows, an excellent indicator that the team of biologists and technicians were killing a good portion of the population.

And yet another major concern for fisheries is the potential spread of the alien species into the Arrow Lakes.

“I think the jury’s out as to whether its a big problem. If that’s all it is in that reach, we can suppress them, and if we get on top of them we can really minimize it, however, if they get into the (Keenleyside Dam) lock and colonize the Arrow that would be a big problem.”

While netting has proven to be a useful and successful tool in suppressing pike populations, local fisheries will need funding to continue the process.

With Ministry resources unavailable, Burrows hopes to access funds from various environmental groups to continue the pike-suppression efforts, but, for the time being, will rely on local anglers to help keep the population in check.

There is an unlimited retention quota for pike on the Columbia and anglers are encouraged to kill all pike caught. More importantly, Burrows encourages anglers to report catches of pike outside the Robson Reach, Seven Mile, and Waneta Reservoirs, indicating time, location, date, length, and a photo if possible to confirm species. Call the Fish and Wildlife office at 354-6333.

© Copyright 2007 Trail Daily Times

Spring rainbows on the Columbia

2014-04-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Columbia River rewarded me on Easter Sunday with a few beautiful rainbows.

Golden stonefly

Golden stonefly nymphs and a green/brown woolly bugger were the flies of choice as I waded out into the Columbia near a small tributary.

The sun was shining and a few midges and small mayflies were coming off the water, but no surface action.

I went with a fast sink tip and the woolly bugger, and had a violent hit as soon as I stopped the drift of the fly and it started to swing. It was a good sign and sure enough on the very next cast I was into a beautiful silver doe, close to 20-inches in length.

I caught and released a couple more ranging in size from 16-18 inches, and lost one that had to be on the healthy side of 22 inches.

Jim with rainbow on.

The warm weather certainly kick-started the stonefly hatch, but recent rain and cooler temperatures seem to have slowed their migration to the shore and eventual mating process.

I was out on Friday in rainy and windy weather, and while I did hook up once, and had another slam my nymph without sticking, the rainbows seemed a bit sluggish.

Rainbow release from Columbia.

More warm weather in the forecast, should see more big adult stones on the water, and rainbows rising to them. From what I hear the black ants aren't too far behind, so get ready, hopefully we can still get some good days in before the freshet runs in earnest from the mountains and muddies the water.

Also, local lakes such as Rosebud, Box, and Summit are good to go for chironomid fishing. I have yet to get on the lakes, because the Columbia has been so good, but hopefully in the next week I'll get out for some stillwater fly fishing.

So much water, so little time.

The season for salmonflies

2014-04-04T12:56:00.003-07:00

Check out fly-fish-bc's article in The New Fly Fisher: click here

The New Fly Fisher is out with one of my articles on the Salmonfly hatch on western rivers, entitled "In Pursuit of Giant Stones." Also, the Black Press quarterly issue of Route 3 features "Caught up in the Cast" a primer for first-time fly fishers. It was a busy last couple months at the computer, but I'm hoping with spring and a new Ross Reel, I'll be out on the local lakes and Columbia River soon.
I'll also post a recent article on spey-casting competitor Bruce Kruk who is attending the world spey-casting championship at Spey-O-Rama in San Francisco next weekend.

West Kootenay Fishing Report

2014-01-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

The West Kootenay Fishing Report provides local anglers with tips and reports on fishing the many lakes and rivers of the West Kootenay region.

Check out the Trail Times for the full report

Kootenay Lake:

December saw similar fishing to the previous months, however, the last couple weeks produced some big fish and hopefully the winter feeding will continue.

There were slow days with only a couple fish coming to the boat, however on a few of those slow days the couple fish caught just happened to be the biggest fish of the week.

There were also some great days with over 10 fish brought to the boat. It just seems like the fish put on their ‘feed bags’ every once in a while, so you just have to be out there on the water when it happens.

Rainbows up to 17 pounds and bull trout up to 12 pounds have been caught lately, with even a few bigger fish hooked, but end up coming loose or breaking the line.

Looking forward to January’s fishing, as this is usually the month of our biggest fish of the year.

Flies and Lures:

The bite has been inconsistent, so we have been going through the tackle box each day.

When the bite has been on, we have been catching on bucktail flies favorite colors are lucky numbers 201, 210, 214, 215, and 228.

Also, Lyman plugs have been working both on the surface and on the downriggers. Lucky Lymans have been #10, 16, 55, 69, and 100.

Bill Norman lures have also been dragged lately. Time to slow down your presentation with these lures, but sometimes that’s what the fish want. This is important as the water temperature gets colder.

And lastly, the good old flasher/hoochie combo has been catching mostly bull trout, but still manage a few rainbows on these also. Favourite depths have been 75, 100, and 120 feet.

That pretty much covers the tackle box.

Just have to put your time in.

The Family Day weekend fishing derby is also coming up Feb. 8 to 10, with $30,000 worth of great prizes this year. Should be a fun weekend. Reel Adventure Charters still has a boat available for that derby if anyone is interested.

The Kootenay Lake report is courtesy of Kerry Reed of Reel Adventure Charters. Go to reeladventuresfishing.com for more info.

Ice Fishing

Hard-water lakes: Ice fishing seems to be getting more and more popular these days with ice huts, ice-fishing rods, and hard-water anglers popping up in greater numbers on local lakes.

Gear: The basic necessities for ice fishing are an ice auger, an ice-fishing rod with a number 6-10 bait-hook, split shot for weight, and your favourite bait. However, a hot drink and a hearty snack, a compact perch, and even a fire can make the experience more pleasant especially when the trout are not cooperating. If you don’t have an ice auger, an axe or hatchet is effective for breaking through previously drilled holes.

Bait: The type of bait can be as amenable to the fishermen as to the fish. A prawn ring with some seafood sauce is as pleasing to the palate of either trout or man, while worms, not so much, are the popular standard. Many fishermen swear by maggots, pink or white, roe, plastics in various shapes and sizes, and even krill. Although you’ll be hard pressed to find any of the seafaring crustaceans in local lakes, krill apparently contain certain types of amino acids that stimulate taste and smell sending predators into feeding-frenzy mode. However, their soft bodies often have problems adhering to the hook, therefore making frequent bait checks necessary.

Locating trout: Most trout will feed in the shallows and near the bottom picking up insect larvae, leeches, and plucking various nymphs from the mud, so don’t waste time drilling holes in the middle of the lake, unless it’s near a shoal or island. Knowledge of the benthic habitat doesn’t hurt, an experience gained from fishing the waters in the summer, or acquiring a bathymetric map of the lake.

Technique: Ice fishing is about as easy as fishing gets. Once you drill your hole, bait your hook and let it sink to the bottom. When the line goes slack, reel it in so the baited hook is suspended about a foot or two off the bottom. You can then attach a bobber to the line, or a bell to the rod tip to alert the angler to a strike, or jig the rod up and down occasionally to lend it a livelier effect.

There are a variety of great ice-fishing lakes in the area that include Erie, Rosebud, Third Champion Lake, Cottonwood, Bear, and Nancy Greene Lakes. Ice fishing is a great winter activity that is simple enough to get started, but can be challenging locating and landing those lunkers. Yet, best of all, it can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Tight lines.

Saving the Westslope Cutthroat Trout

2014-01-08T22:26:00.001-08:00

The most recent issue of The New Fly Fisher online magazine is out with great articles and images of fly fishing throughout Canada and the world.

Check out Fly Fish BC's most recent article on Saving Westslope Cutthroat Trout

at thenewflyfisher.com

Extreme Stream Fishing: A Ramble through British Columbia

2013-09-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

The New Fly Fisher is a TV show and an online magazine that covers the art of fly fishing throughout North America.
I have been a regular contributor to the magazine since it hit the shelf almost three years ago, and my most recent article highlights fly fishing on secluded West Kootenay streams, with a historic nod to James Arthur Lees and William S. Clutterbuck, two early explorers who were the first to toss flies over Kootenay water and chronicled their adventures in the book 1887: A Ramble Through British Columbia.
The cover shot is of me fly fishing a local stream that is only about a 30 minute hike from my house.
Best of all, the online magazine is free, just punch in your email and a password and they will only send you the next issue without bombarding you with spam and junk mail.

Check out the new edition of the New Fly Fisher

West Kootenay Fishing Report

2013-09-20T19:14:00.001-07:00

By Jim Bailey - Trail Daily Times
Published: September 18, 2013 1:00 PM
Updated: September 18, 2013 1:26 PM
The West Kootenay Fishing Report is back with reports and tips on how to catch fish on local lakes and streams.

Columbia River:
The Columbia saw some great fishing over the summer months.
After a July of furious action, the dwindling caddis hatches made way for hopper patterns in late August and early September. Hatches will begin to fall off as the weather cools and fly fishers are generally more successful using sink-tip or full-sink lines and throwing woolly buggers and stonefly nymphs at the large rainbow. However, sunny days and late mayfly and October-caddis hatches can mean some great top-water action during warm afternoons.
Technique: With fewer bugs coming off the water, rainbows will hunker down and hold in tailouts or in the fast water of runs and riffles, feeding opportunistically on passing nymphs, beetles, flying ants, and other invertebrates. Getting the fly down is more effective so flies weighted with lead wire or a tungsten bead-head helps.
A short leader of up to four feet is recommended. Cast the line out, let it sink, and strip out extra line to cover more ground, before twisting the line in slowly, with an intermittent jerk to give it life.
The takes can be hard and jolting, but are often barely perceptible so be sure to set any pause in the retrieve.
Lakes: Fall is the time that fishing on local lakes heat up. Well actually the lakes cool down, bringing trout out of the depths as the thermocline - the area of cool, oxygenated water, that trout are most comfortable - moves closer to the surface. Trout will cruise just above the thermocline, along shoals, and weedbeds seeking out dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, as well as leeches, chironomids, and water boatmen.
Patterns and technique: Leech, chironomid and water boatman patterns are good choices but tossing a weighted dragonfly nymph pattern alongside a weedbed elicits some bone-jarring hits. Cast a dragonfly nymph pattern on an intermediate sink line or sink tip, over weed beds or near the shore along the bottom.
During emergence, dragonflies migrate to shore and emerge on reeds and other vegetation, so crawling a nymph towards shore, slowly across the bottom, interspersed with a quick strip to imitate its innate propulsion system is effective.
Adult Darner dragonflies are most common on lakes and attain large sizes with bodies up to 3.5 inches or longer. Climbing Darner nymphs grow up to 2 inches, although 1 ¾ to 1 ¾ inches is a common average. Long shank hooks in sizes #4- #8 cover the bases and a size #6 is a good overall average. Use larger patterns in the spring and early summer to suggest mature nymphs. During the fall, smaller sizes are wise choices to imitate the remaining immature nymphs.
Champion, Rosebud, Nancy Greene, Erie and Cottonwood Lakes are great local water on which to toss a fly or lure.

Kootenay Lake:
After spending the summer chasing salmon on the coast, Kerry Reed and Reel Adventures Fishing Charters is back on Kootenay Lake.
Although Kerry was absent from local water, his team was still fishing Kootenay Lake on a regular basis throughout the summer. Even on hot summer days they managed to catch a few fish mostly on the downriggers due to the warm water conditions.
Bull trout of smaller sizes were consistently caught each day and a few rainbows mixed in.
And when the warm water finally caught up, they started fishing for Kokanee to help maintain interest. That turned out to be a pleasant surprise, as late summer Kokanee up to 18 inches made for exciting trips.
As the team transitions to autumn fishing, decent rainbows have been caught in the past week or two. Nothing huge, but still some good fish in the low teens. That’s a good start considering the water is still very warm.
Lures and technique:
It’s still a mixed bag. The weather is still warm and so is the water. So, most fish are biting on the deep lines. However, there have been a few good ones caught on the surface.
September is usually best fished with downriggers. Common depths of 80 - 120 feet seem to work best.
The usual flasher and hoochie combo has been successful. And some of the latest experiments have found a flasher and bucktail fly to be catching fish also. These combinations fished on the rigger around 100 feet seems to be working.
Bucktails on the surface will be working also as the fish become more aggressive. Look forward to more detailed reports as we spend more and more time on the lake over the next few weeks