tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87041460181178763392024-02-07T04:36:56.000-08:00Don't get any on yaTwotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-63178439640767192772012-04-17T16:32:00.001-07:002012-04-17T16:34:26.564-07:00Kokanee, BC's Silver Underdog<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWam6u8ccDtDAU-4-bD18IF_FSMKRx65QxyDFpbenwp4crXby7dVmFWXuuK8ELggA-Gsjnv227qFqNgkBMvLA87RX2h_PPfVyeaFalAXcLagzlmRnXjDrP2wMzOBAu7UCcK5CbH8K0A/s1600/8.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWam6u8ccDtDAU-4-bD18IF_FSMKRx65QxyDFpbenwp4crXby7dVmFWXuuK8ELggA-Gsjnv227qFqNgkBMvLA87RX2h_PPfVyeaFalAXcLagzlmRnXjDrP2wMzOBAu7UCcK5CbH8K0A/s200/8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732517145607251810" /></a><br />Kokanee, BC's Silver Underdog <br />Story by Trevor Shpeley<br />Photos by Rod Hennig<br />and Trevor Shpeley<br /><br /><br />Let's get this out of the way right off the start. I eat kokanee. I practice catch and release 95 percent of the time for other species but when I fish for kokanee, I keep whatever I catch regardless of size until I have as much as I need or I reach my limit at which point I stop fishing. The reason for this is twofold; kokanee do not handle catch and release fishing very well and have a very high mortality rate even when handled properly. Secondly, kokanee are prolific breeders and will quickly overpopulate in the absence of large predator fish and you can end up with a lake full of fully mature, very small fish so I limit my kokanee fishing to a level consistent with my occasional desire for a kokanee dinner and never fish just to fill my freezer. Now that that's off my chest, here's a few techniques you can use to catch a few of these delicious freshwater sockeye salmon for yourself.<br /><br />Kokanee are found all the way down the western part of North America from Alaska to Northern California and from Japan to Siberia on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. They handle artificial stocking well and are found naturally in many coastal lakes wherever they are, or were once connected to the ocean. They mostly feed on plankton which gives the flesh of the kokanee it's wonderful red colour, rich taste and high omega3 fatty acid content. A freshly caught summer kokanee is streamlined and bright as a new nickle and they don't develop their trademark red and green colour and humped back until the fall spawning ritual is ready to begin. Lately, the Freshwater Fisheries Society has begun stocking selected lakes with triploid kokanee. These sterile fish don't waste any energy on reproductive considerations and can grow much larger than their fertile cousins. 20-inch tripoid kokanee are not uncommon in lakes where they are established. Check http://www.gofishbc.com for stocking information.<br /><br />Although most of the food kokanee eat is nearly microscopic which they consume by straining the plankton through their distinctively long gill-rakers, that isn't the case all of the time. At certain times of the year kokanee will feed on small insect larvae such as mayfly nymphs and chironomids and at all times, kokanee can be stimulated to strike with a combination of flash and vibration which triggers an aggression response in the fish rather than a purely hunger motivated reaction. By understanding the koanee's seasonal cycles and instinctual triggers you can maximize your fish catching and minimize the amount of time you spend dragging heavy gear around the lake.<br /><br />Kent Cameron in his excellent book, The Kokanee Obsession, delves deep into the subject of water temperature and seasonal changes and how they affect the kokanee and consequently, the likelihood of you catching one with any given method at any specific time of year. Luckily for us given the amount of space we have here to talk about it, you don't really have to know too much technical detail in order to be a successful kokanee fisherman. There are however some important points you need to know in order to find the fish which in this case is 90 percent of the battle.<br /><br />The first and most important point you need to concern yourself with is temperature. Kokanee prefer a fairly narrow band of between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This band moves around the lake according to the seasons and most of the time this where you will find the fish. <br /><br />In the spring, starting shortly after ice-off, this preferred zone is found in fairly shallow water around the edges of the lake. The fish will school up and cruise the shoals in search of whatever food is small and slow enough for them to catch. For me this is the most fun time of the year to fish for kokanee; it's when they are most easily caught by methods that don't involve cumbersome weights and lures that flash and vibrate like a Las Vegas slot machine. Spring is the best time for the neophyte freshwater-salmon fisherman to get into fish.<br /><br />Summer is when the fish disperse throughout the lake searching out the plankton that make up the bulk of their food source. As the season warms up, so does the water and the thermocline, (which is the the border between the warm surface water and the cold of the depths), moves deeper, so do the fish. If you want to catch kokanee in the summer, finding the thermocline is essential. Some of the better fish-finders will clearly show the thermocline as a line of interference where the dense cold water and the warmer surface currents meet. If your finder shows that layer to be at 50 feet, that's where you want your terminal gear to be. If good electronics are out of your budget, not to worry, just buy a fisherman’s thermometer which can be lowered down on a string so you can determine where the temperature starts to drop radically over the process of several readings. Remember kokanee want whenever possible to be in that narrow 50-55 degree band of ideal water. A few extra minutes spent determining the proper depth can save you a lot of fruitless hours on the water.<br /><br />In the fall the kokanee begin to change their physiology in anticipation of the spawn. They change from bright silver to cherry red for the males and a pinkish hue for the females. They also develop a humped back and the males grow a ferocious hooked jaw. When the fish have progressed to this point it's time to leave them alone to finish natures cycle but in the months before the spawning season gets into full swing the fish are available and still table-worthy. Fall fish are very aggressive and are striking out of anger more than a desire to feed. This is when you want to bring out the larger lures and target the fish where they are schooling up near creek mouths and gravel beaches. Remember not to target fish that are too far into their reproductive cycle, it's not worth it to you from a table standpoint and it's detrimental to the survival of the fishery. <br /><br />In the winter the fish become almost dormant and spend most of their time suspended in the deep water column awaiting spring. Ice fishers will do well during the hard water season once they have located fish by slow jigging with bait. Never use fin-fish for bait in BC lakes, it's illegal and will kill the lake. Maggots and mealworms on small Swedish pimples or other small jigging spoons work very well.<br /><br />How do you catch them?<br />Fly-fishing<br />That's right, I said fly-fishing. When most people think about fishing for kokanee they think downriggers, large weights and strings of flashers that look like they came off the outside of a used-car dealership. That doesn't have to be the case all of the time. In the spring when the fish are cruising the shorelines, you can fish for them using traditional fly-fishing methods. Small nymphs worked slowly near the bottom will bring you strikes and a chironomid under an indicator can be positively deadly. Remember at this time of year the fish are hungry and actively looking for food, try to imitate the small insects they are feeding on. A quick shore-side biopsy on a fish you are keeping will tell you all you need to know about how to catch more. <br /><br />Later as the fish spread out and trolling becomes more productive there is still no need to put away the fly-rod. If the fish are still close to the surface then a line with a ten foot sinktip and a long leader is the way to go. Tie on traditional kokanee lures and a Mylar mini-gang troll and find the fish. As the fish move deeper, a one or two ounce weight will get you down to them.<br /><br />Trolling<br />Last fall in anticipation of this article I decided I needed to experience some 'real' gear trolling and since my flotilla consists of a fly-fishing punt, an inflatable raft and a float tube, I enlisted the help of BC Outdoors forum member, Larry Martin (although you may know him better as Platypus). Larry grew up fishing for salmon around Port Alberni in a time when not catching fish meant a lean table that evening so he learned how to read water and find fish early. <br /><br />Larry and I decided to fish Monte Lake near Falkland which as you know by watching BC Outdoors Sport Fishing, has been stocked with Triploid kokanee and is producing large fish in good numbers. Unfortunately for us we picked a blustery late fall day when the fish had already gone dormant for the season and our day on the water was somewhat less productive than we had anticipated. It was however a great day for learning trolling techniques from an expert.<br /><br />The first thing you need to know about trolling for kokanee, after you have found the thermocline of course, is that you want to troll slowly, very slowly. Kokanee are not the top of the food chain in many of the lakes they inhabit and even when they are, they retain genetic programming which forces them to flee when they anticipate an attack from a larger fish. If you are dragging around a large dodger or a string of seven inch gang-troll blades at high speed, the fish are likely to perceive this as a threat and will avoid you and your lure like the plague. Troll just fast enough that you get a slow steady spin from your flashers.<br /><br />Back in the day, if you were trolling for kokanee you likely had an ounce or two of lead weight in front of a six foot metal gang-troll followed shortly behind by a Wedding Ring spinner capped with a mealworm or a couple of maggots. That still works, in fact it works very well but it produces a lot of drag on your line and sometimes you will reel-in to check your bait only to find a very dead, very small kokanee that you were unaware you had been dragging around the lake for who-knows how long.<br /><br />To avoid this, a downrigger can be a useful addition to your trolling arsenal. You don't need to get the electric, automatic, digital version, just a lead ball on a wire and a reel to wind it on is perfect. Downriggers allow you to run at exactly the depth you wish and when properly set, even a small fish will release your line from the weight leaving you to finish the fight on light terminal gear. Another way to go is with light Mylar flashers and gang-trolls. These have a fraction of the drag and sacrifice none of the action or flash of their metal cousins. They resemble a series of bent pieces of paper on a string but they work great and weigh almost nothing. <br /><br />When it comes to terminal gear there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The first and most important is smell. Kokanee are extremely sensitive to smell and strong odors on your hands will greatly reduce your catch. Many fishermen wear rubber gloves when handling their tackle and at the very least you should wash your hands before touching any of it. Sunscreen, bug repellent, smoke and food smells such as oranges and bananas should never get anywhere near your gear. If fishing with bait is permissible, try one of the commercial scents that are available to help mask your human odor. The second vital factor is size. If you are fishing a lake that has smaller fish, use small lures, likewise if you are fishing for the big tripoids, you can use spoons, plugs and spinners up to three inches in length. Wedding Ring spinners can be quite long but the spinner blades are small and smaller fish will take them.<br /><br />Larry likes to troll with a lure called the Tumbler which was developed by Rick Wood for drift fishing rivers. They are easy to make for yourself, just take a snap swivel and attach a hook and two small spinner blades. The spinner blades can be a combination of colours and one should be about half the size of the other. Put the blades on the snap with both convex sides facing each other. When rigged a couple of feet behind a hookless spoon or small dodger, the Tumbler will spin one way, then the other. Larry uses this simple little lure often and does very well with it. The unpredictable wobbling motion seems to drive the kokanee crazy and will trigger strikes on otherwise slow days.<br /><br />To handle your vibration and flash needs, try the Luhr Jenson Trout and Kokanee Dodger; Dee's Diamond Flashers; Macks Double D Dodger in the 4.4 inch size and the Shasta Sling Blade. For multi-bladed flashers, some good ones to start with would be the Mack Fash-Lite; Luhr Jenson's Beer Can Lake Troll, School-O-Minnows or the Slim Willie and Little Slim Willie.<br /><br />When trolling, you can divide the terminal gear into three categories, plugs, spinners and spoons. A few plugs to try are the Yakima Bait Company Flatfish in various colours in sizes f2-f4; Tomic Wee Tad Plug or the Luhr Jenson Kwikfish. A good start on your spoon collection would include Luhr Jenson Krockodile Needlefish or Kokanee King; Mepps Bantam Syclops and Little Wolf; Pro-Troll Kokanee Killer and the Gibbs Delta FST. For spinners, pick up some Macks Wedding Rings; Mepps Aglia and Spinflex or the Luhr Jenson Clearwater Flash.<br /><br />Jigging<br />Vertical jigging can be a very effective method, especially in the early season or through the ice. Pick a depth where you think the fish might be and methodically work your way up and down the water column until you get strikes. Colour is important when jigging as is scent and bait (where allowed). The tried and true maggot or mealworm are the gold standard here in BC but some of the new artificial baits such as those offered by Berkely Fishing's PowerBait work very well. I'm partial to the one-inch PowerBait White Grub myself but there are dozens of different types out there, follow the manufacturers suggested use and you can't go too wrong. Likewise with scents, as long as it covers your human smell with something appetizing it is doing it's job.<br /><br />Kokanee are just too tasty for their own good. They are also a spectacular looking fish and sometimes easy to hook when you understand their cycles and motivations. Go out and catch a few for yourself but remember, they are a finite resource so limit your fishing to what you need and never take more than you plan to eat right away, there is a special kind of bad karma reserved for those who have freezers full of dried-out fish back home and are out catching and keeping more!Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-37397509302640928652012-04-17T16:31:00.002-07:002012-04-17T16:36:14.476-07:00Turning Tides – Lew Chater<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qZtDzRjUh6wiQBQdh39ihHUpNdRbeV1dvi4QK4xRNGj78zifPzzm3T5ZeSRXlhawwlW-xGKCeM3Nb1692Rqc8z0u_Zx16d5zfYZQXYHk12zjYZXL5Z1q_WfZRV8bYs3U3dKXiHUqtw/s1600/lew+Chater.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qZtDzRjUh6wiQBQdh39ihHUpNdRbeV1dvi4QK4xRNGj78zifPzzm3T5ZeSRXlhawwlW-xGKCeM3Nb1692Rqc8z0u_Zx16d5zfYZQXYHk12zjYZXL5Z1q_WfZRV8bYs3U3dKXiHUqtw/s200/lew+Chater.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732517624404457842" /></a><br />Turning Tides – Lew Chater<br />By Trevor Shpeley<br /><br /><br /><br />If there is one thing you learn from a lifetime of being the principle of some of the Fraser Valleys toughest schools, it's that all you need to get the ball rolling on any worthwhile project is something that really needs doing and a few people with the will to get it started. Lew Chater learned that lesson well and along with Rodney Hsu, Chris Gadsen, Terry Bodman and a few others started the Chilliwack River Clean-up Coalition and set to work picking up garbage at one of the lower mainland's busiest fishing destinations.<br /><br />The Chiliwack River, also known as the Vedder below Vedder Crossing, is less than an hours drive from two and a half million people, many of whom flock there every year to partake in the world class salmon and steelhead fishing. Most of those people treat the river and surrounding forest with the respect it deserves but unfortunately many do not. <br /><br />The Chiliwack river wasn't always such a popular destination. In 1944 when Lew moved to the Fraser Valley from Alberta a trip up the river was a bumpy all-day ride in his fathers old Model-T Ford. As a boy he would spend his days happily fishing the river for trout with a steel rod and an old tin reel. It wasn't until the 1960's that the steelhead fishing really started to pick up and the hordes of fishermen followed.<br /><br />A lot of water has flowed down the river in the six decades Lew has lived on it's banks but it became clear with the dawning of the new millennium that all was not well with Lew's beloved river. Everything from stolen cars to huge abandoned squatter camps and grow-op debris were piling up on the otherwise pristine riverside and in 2002, Lew and the others decided to do something about it.<br /><br />To date the CRCC has logged 35 river clean up days totaling over 20,000 volunteer hours. 400 people have participated and 24 service groups have adopted sections of the river to clean and maintain the river access and empty the garbage cans they have placed along the riverside trails. The city of Chiliwack, the Fraser Valley Regional District and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are big supporters of Lew's project and they supply such things as tipping fees at the dump, garbage bags, signage and a small amount of funding so the coalition can afford things like liability insurance for their clean-up days. <br /><br />So far Lew and company have picked up over 70 tonnes of garbage from the river banks and it's impossible to walk the river and not see the difference the CRCC has made. Lew has also noticed that there are far fewer thoughtless fishermen visiting the river and tossing their garbage around than there was before they started. People seem to feel more guilty throwing their garbage down on clean ground than they did when litter was everywhere. As Lew likes to say, he has never met a single person that admitted to being a litter bug and looking down at the ground and seeing your own garbage makes it tough to deny to yourself that what you are doing is wrong. The attitude battle is still being fought but progress is being made and nothing could make Lew happier since education has always been one of his main goals.<br /><br />At a spry 73 years old Lew still finds the time and energy to fish the river 40 days a year and help organize the ongoing efforts of the coalition. His son is grown now and fishes the Chiliwack more often than his dad and Lew has noticed that even his two grandchildren have taken up the cause, constantly reminding Lew that littering is wrong and helping to pick up garbage when they see it. Lew still lives in the house on the river he has shared with his wife for nearly 50 years and spends about 75 days in his RV fishing the lakes of the interior every season.<br /><br />Lew would be the first to tell you that he didn't form the CRCC on his own nor has he done all the work but there would be no denying that he has been a driving force since the beginning and continues doing so to this day, for no other reason than the great love he carries for the river and the desire to steward the land for future generations. Hats off to Lew Chater and those like him who remind us of what we should be doing and showing us how easy it is to get it done.<br /><br />If you know somebody that should be recognized in this column, please write me at trevor.shpeley@gmail.comTwotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-29656988508424777422012-02-26T16:37:00.000-08:002012-02-26T16:39:12.989-08:00NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - BCO Adventure Guide 2012NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA<br /><br />If you draw a line along the 54th parallel from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and then another one all the way up to and along the BC-Yukon border, you will have encircled 500,000 square kilometers of the most rugged wilderness and unspoiled fishing British Columbia has to offer. With only three major highways and a ferry to Haida Gwai serving a landmass twice that of the United Kingdom you might imagine that the wildlife, crystal clear waters, vast uncluttered natural plateaus and towering snow capped mountains would be enough to satisfy anybody’s thirst for adventure and excellent fishing. You would not be mistaken.<br /><br />Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites along with about 60 national and provincial parks protect the lion's share of this huge region from development and help preserve it's unmatched natural beauty and diversity. Northern BC is also home to First Nations cultures that have lived here since long before Europeans started recording such things.<br /><br />The gateway to the North starts 800 Kilometers from the city of Vancouver and that is just the beginning, you have a long way to go and it's not always easy to get there. Whether you travel by land, air or water, one lifetime is not enough to explore all of the unspoiled natural terrain, incredible fishing and wildlife diversity that you will find in the huge northern region of British Columbia.<br /><br />NORTHWEST CORNER<br />The Stewart Cassiar highway (HWY 37) threads it's way between the Coast and Skeena Mountain ranges and connects the coastal rainforest of BC with the Jack-Pine forests of the Yukon. Tatlatui Park, the Stikine River Recreation Area, Mount Edziza Park, and the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park all more-or-less connect with each other to form one vast, ruggedly beautiful protected wilderness area.<br /><br />Starting at the historic village of Kitwanga located between Smithers and Terrace on the Yellowhead Highway (HWY-16), and after you've taken a little time off from fishing to explore the Totem Poles and the ancient battlefield at the National Historic site there, cross the bridge over the Skeena River and you are on your way north towards the Yukon border. Be aware that parts of HWY 37 are designated landing strips although having a plane land on the highway in front of you probably isn't something you really need to worry about.<br /><br />Lakes and streams are everywhere along this mostly paved route which has recently become popular with motorcyclists and bicycle trekkers and they absolutely team with Rocky Mountain whitefish, burbot, rainbow trout, lake char, Dolly Varden, northern pike, Arctic grayling and the odd-looking inconnu, or sheefish. In the big lakes such as Atlin, Tagish and Dease, you can catch monster lake char weighing up to 45 pounds. Dease Lake also marks that magic line where the rivers and streams stop flowing south and west and instead run north into the treeless Alaskan tundra.<br /><br />You'll find excellent fly and spin fishing in the smaller lakes that are easily accessed from the highway with plenty of willing rainbow trout, bull trout, Arctic grayling and whitefish. Try Eddontenajon, Klucachon, Ealue, Gnat, Kinaskan and Wheeler lakes or throw a line into the Tanzilla and Cottonwood rivers. If you are looking for something a little off the beaten track and some fantastic sightseeing, charter a floatplane from Dease Lake to fish for Lake Char, rainbow and bull trout in Stalk, Tatlatui or Tatsamenie lakes.<br /><br />Atlin is a small town on the shore of Atlin Lake, British Columbia’s largest natural lake. The people of the town take great pride in their complete lack of regional and municipal government and to this day are actively fighting any attempt to bring them into the “governed” fold. To quote a long-time Atlin resident; “We're here because we're not all there.” It's a gorgeous place with interesting people and well worth a visit.<br /><br />While you are in Atlin, take advantage of the available floatplane service and fly in to King Salmon or Kuthai Lakes. Huge rainbow over 20 pounds swim those waters as do seven pound Dolly Varden. On the Taku-Inklin-Nakina Rivers, massive Chinook up to 66 pounds are yours for the catching. Have your pilot fly you over the unforgettable Llewellyn Glacier at the southern end of the lake.<br /><br />On Atlin Lake itself, fly-fish around the creek estuary’s for the pretty little Arctic grayling with the hard to miss “sail” of their large dorsal fin and the sun shining off the scintillating colours of their sides. If bigger grayling are what you want, nearby Surprise Lake has trophy fish that will reach 4.5 pounds. McDonalds Lake contains char up to seven pounds and Palmer Lake is full of smallish northern pike. For bigger pike drive up the 4x4 road into Gladys Lake and tussle with the real gear busters. Don't forget your pike gag or you risk a long uncomfortable drive as you try to find a first aid post where somebody can sew your hand back together!<br /><br />Spin-casters in the smaller lakes and streams will do well with small Gibbs, Delta Sil-vex. Mepps Aglia or Panther Martin spinners. If you prefer to fly-fish, use small patterns such as the Parachute Adams, Black Gnat, Tom Thumb or the Royal Coachman. Wet flies are useful as well, try a Mickey Finn, Doc Spratley or a Muddler Minnow.<br /><br />To tempt the larger fish such as the big lake char, northern pike, inconnu or trophy sized rainbows, you are going to need more substantial terminal gear. Troll or spin-cast big Williams Whitefish, Eppinger Husky Dardevle or Len Thompson Five of Diamonds spoons. Mepps Magnum Musky Killer spinners, Rapala X-Rap or Creek Chub Pikie crankbaits and Worden's Flatfish are all worth a try for these northern monsters.<br /><br />For Chinook, steelhead, rainbow and Dolly Varden in the larger rivers, cast heavy bottom bouncing spoons such as the Blue Fox Pixie, Luhr Jenson Crocodile and Gibbs Kit-A-Mat or Koho. Fly fishers should try Skunks, Popsicle, General Practitioners, Kelsey's Hope or Steelhead Bee flies. Drop in on one of the many tackle shops in the area for tips on what is working and what isn't. Remember, there is a lot of water up there so don't waste your time fishing in unproductive water, something somewhere is always providing great fishing in this corner of northern BC.<br /><br />OMINECA-PEACE RIVER<br />Omineca-Peace River is gold country. Since 1861 uncounted fortunes have been found and lost and the rugged individualistic people who came to claim those fortunes have lived and died here. Today the descendants of those people are more likely to be working in the forest or some other resource based industry but they are no less colorful and their stories are no less fascinating than those of their pioneer ancestors. They also stand steward over some really great fishing and are more than happy to share it with their southern cousins who come to visit, provided those visitors are prepared to respect the fish and the incredible variety of wildlife that call this largely unpopulated landscape home.<br /><br />Situated in British Columbia’s far northeastern corner, the Rocky Mountain Trench lies between the northern Rockies to the East and the Omineca Mountains in the west. The colossal W.A.C. Bennet Dam on the Peace River backs up two main tributaries, the Parsnip and Finlay to form the 360 kilometer long Williston Lake. The Peace River is unique in that it is the only river in BC that flows east along the continental divide. The Liard (which runs alongside HWY 97) and other large rivers in this part of BC all run north into Alaska and contain fish more commonly found in northern Alberta and the Yukon.<br /><br />Rivers and lakes in this region are likely to hold populations of northern pike, Arctic grayling, lake char, walleye, whitefish, bull trout and rainbow. Check with local outfitters to find out what is swimming where and when the best time to catch them is. Rivers especially are subject to unexpected run-off conditions and local knowledge is a must! Some of the wildlife found here need to be treated with tremendous respect due to their ability to really ruin the day of anybody foolish enough to fail to respect the “space” they require as part of their comfort-zone, particularly when their young are present. Practice your bear-aware and remember, bears aren't the only thing in the forest that can hurt you if you forget that this is their home and that they make the rules.<br /><br />The Bucking Horse, Tetsa, Liard, Smith, Sikanni Chief, Racing, Halfway, Prophet, Muskwa, Trout and Toad rivers are all easily reached off of highways 97 or 29. They offer a smorgasbord of grayling, bull trout, whitefish and northern pike for the eager fisherman. Check local regulations for in-season closures and changes.<br /><br />The resource towns of Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort St John, Hudson's Hope and Tumbler Ridge all have nearby lakes that offer great fishing for Arctic grayling, northern pike, lake char, Dolly Varden, perch, goldeye, stocked rainbow and eastern brook trout. Try Moose, Heart, Moberly, Foot Azouetta, Gwillim and Sundance to name but a few. <br /><br />Fishing methods for this area are much the same as those used in the Stewart-Cassiar region detailed earlier. You can spin-cast small spinners and spoons or fly-fish for the smaller species of fish such as grayling, whitefish, rainbow and eastern brook trout, bull trout and small char. For larger fish such as the big pike, use long spoons, big crankbaits, or top-water lures such as the Creek Chub Super Knucklehead or the Rapala Skitter Pop. Fly-fisherman should use a heavy stout rod and long gaudy marabou streamers with plenty of yellow and red in the design.<br /><br />The Omineca-Peace River region is one of the few places in BC along with the Columbia River further south where you can fish for walleye. If you have never eaten freshly breaded walleye fillets fried in bacon fat in a cast iron pan at the side of a lake then you have not lived. In the opinions of many there is simply no better shore lunch to be had and they are pretty good when you take them home and cook them there too.<br /><br />The trick to fishing for walleye is to simply find where the fish are holding. Once you find them anything that catches their attention is going to entice them to bite. Think of walleye as underwater kittens and try to tease them. Slow drift fishing with small lead-head jigs tipped with nightcrawlers, shiners, Yum Walleye Grubs, or Mister Twisters works and if you would rather troll or cast, try diving crankbaits like the Frenzy Flicker Shad, Poe's Cruise Minnow, Rapalla Fat Rap or Wally Diver. You can find walleye at Charlie Lake, or in the Beatton, Peace and Fort Nelson rivers. <br /><br />For some excellent rainbow trout fishing as well as Dolly Varden, whitefish, grayling and huge lake trout, stop at Muncho Lake (Mile-437 on the Alaskan Highway). You can charter a floatplane at Muncho lake or Fort Nelson that will take you into Tuchodi, Fern, Gataga, Netson, Redfern, Fishing, Long Mountain, Tetsa, Wokkpash, Dall or Fairy lakes which hold Dolly Varden, grayling, rainbow trout and trophy lake char. Bring your camera for the trip, the spectacular views are a real bonus to the great fishing.<br /><br />Maxhamish Lake is no stranger to 12-pound walleye. Troll for these large fish-eaters with Apex Hotspot lures, Tomic plugs, big spoons or diving crankbaits such as the Rapala X-Rap or Rebel Holographic Minnow.<br /><br />When you are done fishing, take a luxurious soak in the Liard River Hot Springs where you can relax and contemplate everything you have seen and caught in the Omeneca-Peace River region.<br /><br />YELLOWHEAD HIGHWAY (HWY 16)<br />The Yellowhead Highway (Named after fur trader and explorer Pierre Bostonais who was known for the yellow streaks in his hair) crosses the province from the Rocky Mountains in the east to Prince Rupert in the west. Travel this road and you trace the footsteps of Alexander Mackenzie who walked through here in 1793. I have no idea if Mr Mackenzie fished but I think it's a safe bet that he did and I'm also sure he had no trouble finding fish.<br /><br />Head west out of Prince George and drive to where the rivers run shallow and clear to fish for rainbow trout and whitefish. The Bowron, Chilako and Willow rivers all offer fine fishing as does Cluculz Creek. You don't have to travel far from the towns of Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Fraser Lake, Houston and Smithers to find dozens of lakes that fish well. The larger lakes in the area, Francois, Stuart, Fraser, Babine, Burns, Takla and Trembleur contain lake char, whitefish, kokanee and burbot in addition to rainbow trout. For smaller lakes more suited to pontoon boats or float tubes there is Tachik, Pinchi, Grizzly, Tatuk, Tezzeron, Finger, Nuiki and Little Bobtail to try your luck in. You will catch rainbows and kokanee and don't stop fishing just because the water is hard, ice fishing is very popular here.<br /><br />The Fresh Water Fisheries Society of BC is very active in the northern regions. They have stocked trout in Shane, Ferguson, Carp, Opatcho and Eena lakes near Prince George; Hart Lake in Crooked River Park; Dunalter and Johnston lakes near Houston; Tyhee and Round lakes near Telkwa; and Ross Lake near New Hazelton. These lakes offer plenty of fast and furious fishing for kids, old-timers and people just getting into the sport. For fishermen with a hunger for larger fish, Hobson and Chief Grey (near Vanderhoof), Richmond Lake (east of Burns Lake) and Duckbill and Duckwing lakes (near Moricetown) will satisfy their trophy rainbow craving.<br /><br />Close to Terrace, (better known for it's salmon and steelhead fishing than it's stillwater trout fishing) Kleanza and Onion lakes are popular for plentiful, always hungry rainbow trout. Larger, deeper lakes nearby; Treston, Redsand and Kitsum-kalum have cutthroat and Dolly Varden. <br /><br />The mighty Skeena River and it's equally famous tributaries (The Kispiox, Babine, Morice, Zymoetz, Copper, Bulkley, Suswa and Sustut rivers) are justifiably world renowned for their fantastic year round fishing. Starting in July and August, the rivers are filled with huge Chinook salmon. In September and October you can fish for coho as well as the resident rainbow and Dolly Varden that are gobbling down eggs as fast as they can find them. The tributaries themselves are arguably better known for the trophy steelhead that make the trip from the ocean every year. Bright as a new bar of silver with a crimson stripe down their sides, these magnificent fish are found here up to 22-pounds and a trip to this area is the highlight of many fishermans lives. Steelhead in these rivers will eagerly slurp down a dry fly in the summer months but the great fishing continues through the winter and well into spring. Use heavy spoons such as the Luhr Jenson Crocodile, Williams Bully, Blue fox Pixie and the Gibbs Delta Kit-A-Mat or large spinners like the Mepps Aglia, Gibbs Delta Tee Spoon or Luhr Jenson Bang Tail. Bounce your lure along the bottom and if you aren't snagging occasionally, you aren't fishing deep enough.<br /><br />Float-drift gravel bars with bait (roe or dew worms), Gooey Bobs or Super Spin&Glows. If you are fishing from a boat, back-troll wiggling lures like the Luhr Jenson Hot Shots or Kwikfish, Worden's Flatfish or Blue Fox's Foxee Fish. Place your lure right in front of the salmon's nose to entice it into striking.<br /><br />Don't overlook fly-fishing for these huge migratory fish. In the summer use a large floating fly and skate it over the surface, leaving a large wake. You will often see the fish zero in on these top water disturbances and hit your fly like a cruise missile. Steelhead will sometimes follow a fly for a long time without striking so be sure to let your line swing all the way through and then pause a few seconds before re-casting. Try a Crystal Caddis, Bulkley Skater Orange, Death from Above or even the biggest rattiest Tom Thumb you have in your box. Later in the season switch to sunken flies with lots of marabou and rabbit fur such as a Steelhead Bee, Egg-Sucking Leech, Popsicles, Stellar's Jay and General Practitioners. There are at least as many steelhead flies as there are steelhead fly-fishers (probably far more!) so don't get too hung up on the pattern. Presentation and fishing where the fish are holding are the most important aspects of fly-fishing for steelhead.<br /><br />In the smaller streams of this area use the same methods you have used elsewhere in the North. Small spinners and spoons for the rainbow, Dolly Varden and whitefish. From a boat in the lakes use trolling lures; Apex Hot Spots, Kokanee Killers and Wedding Band Spinners. Fly fishermen should tailor their offerings to the season and the available local food. Bead Head Chironomids, 52 Buicks, Tom Thumbs, Doc Spratley, Adams, Leeches, Whooley Buggers and terrestrials will all work at different times of the year. <br /><br />As always, your local tackleshop is the place to go for advice, not only on patterns, lures and hot fishing tips, but where NOT to go due to the often unpredictable nature of the water levels in the rivers and creeks along Route-16. A good rain will sometimes result in flash floods that can quickly shut down the highway not to mention isolate whole communities!<br /><br />PRINCE RUPERT AND THE NORTHERN COAST<br />Anybody who has ever watched a TV-show about fishing off the northern coast knows exactly why you don't want to try it in winter. Hurricane-force gales slam the coast in the cold months and limit saltwater sport-fishing to the spring and summer. Most fishing resorts and charter operators normally start their operations in May and are done by mid September. A few however will stay open from November until April to offer river-fishing for steelhead, salmon, cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden.<br /><br />From Prince Rupert (near the mouth of the Skeena River) you have access to major salmon runs entering rivers like the Skeena, the Nass and the Kitamat as well as nearby offshore waters teeming with halibut, lingcod and rockfish. Prince Rupert's sheltered harbour is home to a large fleet of experienced fishing charter operators that offer single and multiple-day expeditions. Several remote saltwater resorts have full service lodges and offer guided or self guided fishing.<br /><br />Dundas and Zayas islands, about 60-kilometers north of Prince Rupert have excellent fishing for huge Skeena and Nass Tyee as well as high-leaping coho. Vast kelp forests on the north side of Zayas Island provide the opportunity of remarkable ocean fly-fishing for Pacific salmon. Some of the fishing lodges in this area have to be seen to be believed and definitely cater to the fisherman who likes his post-fishing time comfortable and well supplied with gourmet food, comfortable chairs and spectacular surroundings.<br /><br />Closer to the mouth of the Nass River on the northern mainland, Work Channel and Portland Canal are holding spots for salmon and bottom fish. There is excellent fishing to be found in Chatham sound and around the islands and islets of the Tree Knob Group to the west. Farther south a large back eddy forms off Gobble point near the mouth of the Skeena. This is a popular place to motor-mooch big cut-plug herring for coho, chum and Tyee-sized Chinook. Fish for bottom fish at nearby Warrior Rocks.<br /><br />Leading into the town of Kitamat and Whale channel, Douglas Channel has excellent year-round fishing for Kitamat River Chinook. Mature Tyee can be real monsters weighing in at over 55 pounds! The two channels are very deep and have great bottom fishing for rockfish, halibut and abundant lingcod. Catch the huge salmon in this vast region by downrigger-trolling large spoons, (Tomic Road Runner, Gibbs Delta Wonder, Gator, Clendon Stewart, O'Ki Titan, Williams whitefish and Luhr Jenson Coyote or Diamond King for example), seven-inch Tomic Plugs, whole herring in Rhys Davis Teaser Heads or Hoochies (J200, Tiger Prawn, or Glow Green Splatterback), behind flashers (Hot spot, O'Ki, Luhr Jenson or Gibbs Delta). Power-mooching cut-plug herring along the edges of kelp beds at depths between eight and 20-metres is another proven tactic. Throughout the summer coho, pink, chum and the occasional sockeye will be caught along with the Chinook.<br /><br />Sharp-fanged lingcod, tasty rockfish and halibut await you at depths of 60-100 metres. Use a spreader bar with one to two pounds of weight to bottom bounce jumbo herring, 12-inch Delta UV purple or white Hali Hawgs or Gulp Bait Swimmers. You can also opt to give yourself an aerobic lift-drop workout with heavy drift jigs like Doug Fields Halibut Spinnow, Gibbs Delta Mudraker or Floorwalker, Delta Giant Skirt Jig, Storm Giant Jigging Shad or a Norwegian Cod Jig.<br /><br />HAIDA GWAII<br /><br /><br />The Haida First Nation has continuously occupied the archipelago of Haida Gwaii, or “Islands of the People” for thousands of years. In 1787, British explorer Captain George Dixon named the the Queen Charlotte Islands to honour the wife of England’s King George lll. More than 200 years later in 2010 after an historic agreement between the Haida and British Colombian governments, the name was officially changed to Haida Gwaii.<br /><br />The two largest islands, Moresby and Graham have several small communities with a population of about 6000 permanent residents. There are small commercial airports located at Masset and Sandspit and Sandspit is also where you will find the ferry to the mainland. Reservations are a must for the seven hour trip between Prince Rupert and Skidegate and there are only an average of three sailings per week so be sure to get those reservations early. <br /><br />The other aproximatly150 smaller islands are mostly uninhabited and many are protected. In fact, much of Haida Gwaii is protected area. The Gwaii Hannas National Park Reserve and Haida Herritage Site covers most of Moresby and surrounding islands and islets. Gwai Hannas means “Islands of Beauty” in the Haida language.<br /><br />Positioned on the extreme western edge of the North American continental shelf, the isolation of Haida Gwaii contributes greatly to the outstanding sport fishing found here. The local temperatures are regulated as is most of the BC coast by the North Pacific Current which keeps the climate mild but also ensures that the islands are well watered, very well watered. Conditions tend toward wet and windy from October until April with July being the driest month. Wind can be a real problem in the open ocean and in fact, Cape Saint James at the southern tip of the archipelago has seen some of the highest wind speeds ever recorded in Canada. Always check for small craft warnings before heading out for a day of fishing.<br /><br />The cold, nutrient rich North Pacific fosters prolific schools of herring, needle-fish, krill and squid. This bounty of feed attracts run after run of of mature salmon on their way to spawn in their home streams up and down the coast. The islands of Haida Gwai are the first relatively shallow water the fish encounter after spending their early lives growing fat in the Gulf of Alaska and the open Pacific.<br /><br />Great fishing is to be had year-round here but some times are better than others for specific fish. The Chinook are fishing well from April until September while the sockeye make their main appearance from May through July. Catch hard fighting chum from July to September and fish for Halibut from March until September, provided of course that the Halibut fishery is open. In October of 2011 Federal Fisheries closed the recreational halibut fishing completely to preserve stocks. Check the fisheries web-site for in-season closures. <br /><br />Slab-sided Chinook (averaging almost 22-pounds) are the rule and the odds of catching a Tyee (over 30-pounds) are excellent. Northern coho will really make you work with their acrobatic leaps and ability to change direction almost instantly. Pink and chum salmon tend to be more opportunistic and will attack just about any dangling bait, even if it's right beside the boat!<br /><br />The large numbers of returning Pacific Salmon to the archipelago are partially due to the ongoing efforts of the Fish Council of the Haida Nation. The Haida have taken a leading role in the policies and management of local recreational fishing. Their hatchery at Pallant Creek produces upwards of 30 million chum fry and over a million coho smolts every year. They also do creel-surveys and boat-counts to asses the nature and impact of recreational fishing in the Haida Gwaii to better manage the resource for future generations.<br /><br />The deep off-shore banks and rocky shoals of Haida Gwaii are a bottom-fisher's dream. Halibut over 110-pounds are caught consistently as well as good numbers of the “chicken halibut” that are better suited for the table. Sharp-toothed lingcod, redsnapper and Pacific yelloweye rockfish will eagerly snap at any deeply drifted lure or bait. The largest of these fish are all female so anglers are strongly encouraged to release any really big halibut and lingcod. A trip to the surface is most-often fatal for rockfish so if you catch a few of these willing biters in any of the deepwater holding areas, consider moving on to another location.<br /><br />Hada Gwaii is well populated with guides and fishing lodges and your odds of a successful day on the water increase greatly with the hiring of one of these seasoned professionals. In addition to the dozens of guiding companies there are approximately 20 full service lodges scattered throughout the islands, some of them are quite remote and are fly-in or boat-in only. Reservations fill early and most prospective lodgers book their favorite location a long time in advance of their trip. Most lodges will assist guests in the shuttle between the airports and the lodge and some will even charter planes in from major centres. <br /><br />The northern end of Graham Island has vast fish-holding kelp beds, coves and deep rocky crevices. Popular spots include the rocky, indented shoreline from Masset west to Cape Eddenshaw at the entrance to Naden Harbour in Virago Sound, and further west to the Bird Rocks. When weather and sea conditions permit, anglers will often find fantastic salmon and bottom-fishing along the western shores of Moresby and Graham islands. Take a day charter from the western end of the Skidegate Channel to Marble Island in the Cartwright Sound or book a longer stay in one of the floating or land-based lodges to be found in Port Lewis, Hippa Island, Rennel Sound, Kano Inlet, Cartwright Sound and Engle-field Bay to spoil yourself with some of the amazing sport-fishing to be had in those areas.<br /><br />Lanfara Island, just off the north-western tip of Graham Island has several resorts that offer unguided, partially or fully guided fishing. Fish for salmon and bottom-fish off the kelp beds that line the eastern side of the island. McPherson, Andrews and Cohoe points are always a good bet. Drift-fish narrow Parry Passage between Langara and Graham islands for big halibut and if the southeast winds pick up, Guinia Point and Bruin Bay can offer you some protection. When the ocean is calm and reasonably fog-free, try around Lacy Island, the Langara Lighthouse, the area around the Langara Rocks and offshore (following the 100-metre bottom contour) for splendid salmon and bottom-fishing.<br /><br />Power-mooching plug-cut herring at depths of seven to 15-metres around kelp beds and back eddies off of points take the most salmon. Offshore, dead-drift whole herring baits at 30-50metres behind your boat, letting the wind and the tidal currents do the work. If your boat has downriggers, fast-troll lures at depths down to 50-metres. Try big spoons (like the Tomic #500 or #602 “Honeycomb” Road Runner; Gibbs Delta 50/50, Clendon Stewart Wonder and Gator; Williams Whitefish; O'Ki Titan; and Luhr Jenson Chrome superior, Coyote and Diamond King), Apex hot spots, The True Roll Lure, seven inch Tomic Plugs (#500, #530UV, #602, #803 or #493), whole herring (or plastic Baitrix imitation herring, anchovy or strip) in Ryhs Davisteaser heads, hoochies (Glow-green Splatterback, Tiger Prawn or North Pacific j200) behind flashers (Hot Spot, Gibbs Delta, O'Ki, or Luhr Jenson) or cut-plug herring.<br /><br />Ocean fly-fishing for salmon becomes more popular every year and some lodges cater specially to fly-fishers that want to try their hand in the salt. Take along an eight to ten weight rod, a stainless steel or anodized reel with a good disc drag and plenty of new backing. Don't forget to thoroughly wash all your gear in fresh water after you are done fishing for the day, watching a fisherman discover his new $500 reel has seized up because of the saltwater is not a pretty sight. Pick up a good supply of Clouser Minnows, floating bass “poppers” and big polar bear streamers in various sizes and colors. Target kelp beds and rocky points and look for salmon slashing through schools of baitfish. Hang on tight, salmon hit a fly hard!<br /><br />Bottom-bounce a whole herring, salmon belly or head, Berkley PowerGrub, Gulp Bait Swimmer, 12-inch Gibbs Delta UV Hali Wag or Storm ThunderGrub from a spreader bar with a kilogram of lead weight, along the 70-100-metre bottom contour to entice large halibut, rockfish and lingcod. For a little exercise and strikes that will pull your arm into the water, drift-jig a Doug Field's Hallibut Spinnow, Gibbs Delta Floorwalker or Mudraker, Sumo 7X, Storm Giant Jigging shad, Norwiegian cod Jig or Gibbs Delta Giant Skirt Jig along the bottom. Again, be sure to check the regulations for closures and special conditions.<br /><br />Although most fishermen come to Haida Gwaii for the satlwater fishing, it isn't the only game in town. Trophy steelhead battle their way up the islands creeks and rivers starting in fall and continuing through the winter and into spring. There is also sensational fishing for coho in the fall and searun Dolly Varden and cutthroat all year-round. The local rivers and streams are a fly-fisherman’s paradise . On Graham Island you can drive to rivers like the Yakoun, Tlell, and Kumdis while over on Moresby, try the Copper River. Island lakes and streams that are accessible only by boat or helicopter offer even more amazing fishing. Catch trophy freshwater fish on the fly using patterns like the Popsicle, Skunk, Mickey Finn or Steelhead Bee. Tie up some egg patterns, Whooley Buggers, nymphs and small drys for the resident rainbow. If you prefer to throw the gear, try spoons like the Gibbs Delta Koho or Kit-A-Mat, Luhr Jenson Crocodile, Williams Bully, Blue Fox Pixee or a Worden's Spin-N-Glow.<br /><br />Lastly lest we forget, don't leave the islands without having a really good feed or two of delicious fresh crab or prawns. Drop a trap off the side of the boat while you fish or off the beach at North Beach on Graham Island. Let the tide cycle in and out and dinner is served!Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-35508223596035750742012-02-26T16:34:00.002-08:002012-02-26T16:36:53.669-08:00Turning Tides – Neil Brookes- BCO March 2012<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLA_lRy5eQzfjEtnCqIdgGrRg67Xwct_hidPCxVAbFPRV9A0X84sRfmtOWif5ScIgQ_nYDsu7JYTwvNR_2F46payDwuCu-48obxQem6_91WYDurAwMgSCBZt2i5K82D2EbzIEgXeFA7w/s1600/niel+Brookes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 188px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLA_lRy5eQzfjEtnCqIdgGrRg67Xwct_hidPCxVAbFPRV9A0X84sRfmtOWif5ScIgQ_nYDsu7JYTwvNR_2F46payDwuCu-48obxQem6_91WYDurAwMgSCBZt2i5K82D2EbzIEgXeFA7w/s200/niel+Brookes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713607724000600738" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Turning Tides – Neil Brookes<br /><br />“Stewardship knowledge is based on Awareness, familiarity, conceptualization, and beliefs acquired about an ecosystem. Its relationship with an ecosystem is maintained by accumulating experiences, conducting non-formal experiments, and developing intimate understandings.” Niel Brookes knows these words well, they are the words of James (Sa'ke'j) Youngblood Henderson and they describe the philosophy of the Kingfisher Interpretive Center where Niel has been working tirelessly for 30 years, educating the public and reshaping outdated attitudes toward salmon conservation. <br /><br />Niel, at 64 years young, is a single dad with three kids who came to BC from Alberta nearly 40 years ago. A design engineer by trade who worked on everything from jewelry to artificial islands, he was forced to look over the horizon when a downturn in the economy necessitated a move to his family property in Kingfisher. Niel had always been involved with wildlife conservation in Alberta, primarily with birds, so when his older brother started hatching salmon in a jar in the fridge and asked him to produce a slide-show about the life-cycle of salmon, Niel was all for it and “the bug had bit” as they say. <br /><br />From the jar in the fridge the brothers went on to build a small hatchery on a local creek which was really little more than a hatching box and a small garage made of plywood. In 1988, the property was sold and the new owner asked the fledgling hatchery managers to leave and so they moved, this time to the head of the Shuswap River at Mabel Lake. The new facility worked very well despite being constructed from baking trays and window screen but was unfortunately too dangerous for the general public to visit and so another exodus was in order, this time to a perfect spot on the banks of the Shuswap courtesy of a long term renewable lease with the Crown. Niel was able to negotiate a deal between the government and an industrial polluter who was receiving an environmental fine to use money from that penalty to build the main building that the Kingfisher Society resides in today. <br /><br />Originally government officials were somewhat skeptical of the mission of the Kingfisher society, they seemed to believe that they were helping to build a private poaching ground for a bunch of Shuswap locals but nonetheless, through the available unemployment programs of the day; labour and cash grants were provided and the interpretive center was born. <br /><br />Today, 3500 children and their guardians visit the center each year and are led through a curriculum provided by the DFO known as “Stream to Sea”. Every fall Niel visits 47 schools and provides classrooms with fertilized eggs which are lovingly attended to in small aquariums while students are taught the life-cycle of the salmon. In the spring when the fry are ready, the students travel to the center where with great ceremony, the fledgling salmon are released back into the river. At that time the students are led through creek-side education stations where they learn the effects of various man-made complications on the watershed in a very understandable, hands-on process. One young student was heard to exclaim after such a demonstration “I get it now!” To date some 80,000 kids have been through the program, that's a lot of awareness spread amongst children at a very impressionable age!<br /><br />Every year the Kingfisher society releases 200,000 young Chinook into the Shuswap River. The DFO, uses the center's property for it's own stock assessment and considers the spot an indicator location on the health of the fishery. Niel is proud of these numbers but as he says, “our ultimate goal is not to grow more fish as it was in our earlier years, but to cultivate the seeds of stewardship in our human population,” to that end it is clear that Niel has been successful. Poaching on the river is declining and now adults who went through the program as kids are bringing their own children to learn about the salmon and how to preserve them for future generations. There is more catch and release fishing taking place on the river and people come with garbage bags to clean up the mess of other, less-enlightened fishermen.<br /><br />Alberta's loss has been British Columbia's gain. Niel Brookes is a pioneer and was an environmentalist before being an environmentalist was cool, or even considered normal. The people of BC owe much to Niel and we can only hope that since the project is ninety-percent community funded that others feel the same and will continue to donate money and time to Niel and his very worthy cause.<br /><br />If you know anybody that should be profiled in this column, please write me at trevor.shpeley@gmail.comTwotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-84836114647041965812012-02-26T16:31:00.000-08:002012-02-26T16:34:03.389-08:00Vancouver, Coast and Mountain - BCO Adventure GuideVancouver, Coast and Mountain<br /><br />Vancouver, with the coastlines and the mountains that surround it, are a powerful magnet for those of us that appreciate wild unspoiled beauty, adventure sports and of course, fishing and catching the many species of hard fighting fish that thrive in these sheltered coastal waters.<br /><br />If your tastes run toward high mountain lakes and lonely fly fishing, we have that here. Would you like to catch a few of the countless Pacific Salmon that swim along our coastline in search of their birth streams? No problem. How about a 10 foot, thousand-pound fish that is literally a living link to the dinosaurs? We have that too. Trout? Carp? Bass? It's all here and you don't have to search very hard to find what you are looking for.<br /><br />No matter what you like to catch, or how you like to fish for it, The Vancouver, Coast, Mountain region will scratch your fishing itch. So lets go exploring shall we?<br /><br />Metro Vancouver<br />Even from a distance Vancouver is unlike any other city. The mirrored glass towers reach for the sky and reflect the mountains that overshadow downtown like great green gates to the seemingly unexplored wilderness beyond. Frothing mountain streams and huge rivers find their way down to the quiet waters of English Bay, Burrard Inlet and the Georgia Straight and nearly everything wet has fish swimming in it. All five species of Pacific Salmon call this region home as do Ling Cod, Rockfish, Steelhead, Sturgeon and all kinds of Trout to name but a few. <br /><br />Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park has a stone seawall ringing it's 10 kilometer circumference and nearly all of it's easily accessible rocky beaches are angler friendly as is evidenced by the dozens of fishermen trying their luck in the quiet surf nearly any day of the year. Likewise the beaches of English Bay are popular with shore casters and you won't have to walk far for a tasty lunch and a hot drink in one of the areas fine cafes after a cool morning fishing.<br /><br />If fishing from the comfort of a boat is more to your liking and you don't have one of your own, you won't have any trouble renting a boat or hiring a guide. A quick Google search will hep you pick the service you are looking for from the many full service marinas in the greater Vancouver area but Granville Island and Horseshoe Bay are fine places to start. Full and half day charters are available with half day trips being perfect for somebody who just wants a quick taste of salt water fishing. Call ahead to make sure your boat or guide is reserved for you and don't overlook picking up some crabs or a trap full of Prawns. It might be possible to beat a fresh caught feast of crab, prawns and broiled Salmon steaks but if it is, I've never experienced it.<br /><br />Perhaps a little freshwater Trout fishing is more to your liking? No need to pack up the car and drive out to the middle of nowhere, the Freshwater Fisheries Society runs a popular program known as “Fish in the City” and takes fish from it's Fraser Valley trout hatchery and stocks them in urban lakes, principally Deer Lake in Burnaby, Sasamat and Buntzen Lakes in Port Moody, Rice Lake in North Vancouver, Lafarge and Como Lakes in Coquitlam, Green Timbers in Surrey and Mill Lake in Abotsford. The last four lakes on that list also occasionally receive retired brood-stock from the hatchery so it's not at all unusual for you to suddenly find yourself with a double digit Trout on your line!<br /><br />The richness and availability of classic sport fish in the Vancouver area can certainly leave you feeling spoiled but don't overlook the opportunity for some of the lively action that is offered by angling for species traditionally thought of as “coarse fish”. Bass, Crappie, Carp, Northern Pike Minnows, Bullheads and Chub all offer great entertainment and can be found in the unlikeliest of places. Use light spinning or fly gear or for something really different, try a traditional Asian “fishing pole” which is just that, a long flexible pole with some line tied to the end.<br /><br />The Fraser River which runs into the Georgia Straight just South of Vancouver is a first class fishing destination known the world over for the diversity of it's fish species as well as the shear numbers of migratory fish that utilize it to make their way upstream to their spawning gravel each year. From it's headwaters in Northern BC, the Fraser River rushes down almost 1300 kilometers of steep canyons through the Coast Mountains until it gets to Hope where it slows and winds in lazy serpentine channels through the fertile farmland and bustling urban centers of the Lower Mainland.<br /><br />If you are fishing the Fraser you have probably but not necessarily come for the salmon. All five species of Pacific Salmon travel this river on their way to their spawning grounds and some days they seem so thick you could walk across them. Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, Cutthroat, and their Char cousin, the Dolly Varden are all found in abundance although the coffee colored water makes them hard to see. Not to worry though, they can still see your lure just fine! Bar fishing is popular for these species as is cruising the backwaters by boat to fly fish the hidden spots most fishermen never visit.<br /><br />October through April is the time to fish from shore on the Lower Fraser for Dolly Varden and Cutthroat Trout. Try the parks in Richmond wherever they border on the river in the slower water areas with spinners and spoons and if you happen to be there between March and April when the Salmon Fry are making their way downstream, hang on to that rod!<br /><br />While you are poking around the communities of Delta and Richmond near the mouth of the Fraser, why not make a stop in Steveston? You can fish from a dock here, rent a boat or if you have had enough fishing for one day, some of the best fish and chips on earth are to be found here in the restaurants along the historic wharf. Take a tour through the Cannery Museum and when you are done for the day, walk on down to the docks and buy some fresh off-the-boat fish from the commercial fisherman who moor there.<br /><br />For many however the “real” fish in the Fraser grow to 12 feet long, can weigh a thousand pounds and will test the resolve and stamina of the strongest fisherman. The fabled White Sturgeon, once at risk in our waters is again providing a robust fishery for locals and tourists alike. You can fish for these relics of an ancient era all year long but the best months are from the early summer after the freshet until late November. Use bait that roughly conforms to the type of fish the Sturgeon have access to at the time. When the chum are in the river, a piece of Chum or some Chum roe is the golden ticket, likewise for the other species of Salmon as they make their annual appearances in the river. Using fin-fish as bait is permitted while fishing for Sturgeon.<br /><br />In the dark of winter many fishermen like to make their own “stink bait” by aging something until it, uh, stinks, and then plumbing the cold depths with their smelly concoction. If you are fishing the fresh water above the Mission bridge you will need a Sturgeon tag in addition to your freshwater license. As always, check the local regulations and don't forget to go to the Fisheries websites for any last minute changes.<br /><br />The Fraser river is a large dangerous river, don't let the slow lazy water at the surface lull you into thinking a quick wade is a good idea. The treacherous gravel bottom can give way and drop you into a current much stronger than you expected. Always fish the Fraser with caution and preferably with a guide or some other person with local knowledge. Also remember that anything below the bridge in Mission is considered “tidal” and a salt water fishing license is required for all species of fish.<br />Fraser Country<br />The upper Fraser River and the surrounding countryside offer more than enough year round fishing to keep even the most obsessed angler busy all year long. In addition to the same fishing opportunities offered in the lower river, the Fraser Valley is blessed with a large number of feeder streams and rivers, clear mountain lakes and interesting backwater sloughs to explore.<br /><br />Pitt Lake and the Pitt River have good fishing all year round but people new to boating should beware the sudden winds that can turn Pitt Lake into a very unpleasant place to be in a small craft. Fish the larger stream estuaries for Trout and Dolly Varden. To get there watch for access points near Port Coquitlam.<br /><br />Between Port Coquitlam and Maple Ridge, you will find beautiful Golden Ears Park. The park offers miles of unspoiled hiking and nearby Allouette Lake, a serene place that will make you forget one of Canada’s largest cities is mere kilometers away. Rainbows, Cutthroat, Lake Char and Dolly Varden can all be caught there and some of them are quite large.<br /><br />The Stave River, just East of Maple Ridge is legendary for it's run of fierce-fighting Chum Salmon. These fish will eagerly take a fly and it's doubtful that any of the other Pacific Salmon could match them in fighting ability. Catch a Chum on a small Streamer and you will feel like you hooked a locomotive as they tail-walk across the pool and test your arm muscles and gear. If they dash for the faster water , you can sometimes do little but watch them disappear into the distance with all your line as you hope the knot on the end of your backing is stronger than the one at your tippet. Bring a stout rod for Chum, you will need it. There are also Coho, Springs and Cutthroat to be caught in this short but productive river.<br /><br />For something a little quieter, head up the access road from the Stave Lake Dam and you will find a number of high alpine lakes that are managed for a quality fishing experience. The water is clear, the fish can be tricky and the Bears here are in their homes so use your Bear sense and pack out any garbage you bring in. Devil's, Sayers, Morgan and Florence Lakes are all reached by this road.<br /><br />Continuing East up the North side of the Fraser you come to the many lakes and streams of the Harrison area. The Chehalis river is a rugged stream that provides excellent fishing opportunities for the experienced hiker and wader in it's upper reaches as well as a more sedate but no less spectacular fishery at it's mouth where it spills into the Harrison River. Salmon, Cutthroat and Steelhead can all be caught here.<br /><br />The rugged hillsides above the Harrison River have a number of lakes, large and small. Weaver Lake is popular with campers and is a very pretty place to spend a weekend. Wolfe, Grace and Sunshine Lakes are also in this area and are easily reached. In winter months, check ahead to make sure the gate to Weaver Lake is unlocked as you may have to secure a key at the hatchery.<br /><br />The Harrison River is home to all the Pacific Salmon as well as Dolly Varden, Cutthroat and Steelhead. The currents in the Harrison tend to be sluggish making this an ideal family fishing location. Campgrounds and parks are common so access is never a problem. Fly fish or spin cast from shore or take a boat out and follow the feeding cutthroat by the tell tale commotion they cause as they slash through the abundant baitfish swiming just under the surface.<br /><br />Crossing over the river into the Chilliwack-Hope area you are again faced with endless choices. Harrison, Cultus, Silver and Kawkawa Lakes are all great fly fishing and spin casting waters. Many of them offer great Kokanee fishing as well the usual grab bag of Trout. The Chilliwack/Vedder River is legendary not only for the multitudes of migratory fish to be caught there but also for the fact that it remains very productive despite the large number of anglers that fish there. Access points are numerous from the City of Chilliwack and the large population of guides and outfitters in the Chilliwack area will be happy to help you hook just about anything you want to catch, from small trout on a mountain stream to huge Sturgeon in the river.<br /><br />The Skagit River near Hope is arguably one of the prettiest Trout streams in BC. Tiny dry flies and nymphs are the order of the day during the summer months and while the fish can be abundant, they are no push-overs. Bring your lightest Trout rod, your felt bottomed boots and your biggest jar of insect repellent. The Trout aren't the only voracious feeders in that neck of the woods.<br /><br />As always, check the regulations for last minute changes before you make the long drive out.<br /><br />Sea to Sky Country<br />Just to the North of the City of Vancouver is a sight that is hard to miss, the green hillsides and snowy mountain tops of the North Shore. Although North and West Vancouver serve primarily as bedroom communities for the bustling metropolis across the inlet, there are a few fishing gems to be found among the towering Cedars and emerald oceans of feathery Ferns.<br /><br />The Seymour River while not what you would call super-productive is still a lovely place to throw a line for Coho in the Summer and Steelhead through the fall and winter. The upper reaches, once blocked off to fishermen due to it's status as a protected watershed is now open to visitors willing to do a little hiking and is accessed by way of the trails in the Seymour Demonstration Forest. This is also where you want to go if you would like to fish Rice Lake, a kid friendly and scenic water with a long wheelchair accessible walkway and plenty of smallish hungry fish thanks to the efforts of the “Fish in the City” program.<br /><br />The Capilano River, long a favorite of local fishermen, is host to a good population of returning Coho, Chinook and Steelhead. The fishing remains productive despite the angling pressure thanks in part to the ongoing work of the Capilano Fish Hatchery, located in the impressive shadow of the Cleveland dam. Be sure to take a walk through the visitors area of the hatchery as it is open all year and you will always see something swimming around in the glass walled fish ladders.<br /><br />The Mouth of the Capilano in addition to offering fantastic fishing is a peaceful spot where you can sit across from Stanley Park and watch tug boats guide the giant cruise ships and heavily laden Freighters through the narrow passage on their way to the open sea and parts unknown.<br /><br />The beginning of the Sea to Sky Highway shares a series of HWY exits with the tiny seaside community of Horseshoe Bay. If you are unfamiliar with this visitor favorite, you might be forgiven for wondering at the bewildering maze of traffic cones and flag persons present almost any Summer weekend on the highway above the village but not to worry, there hasn't been an accident. Horseshoe Bay is the Howe sound terminal for the ferries that cross from the North Shore to Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the many small islands that dot this part of the world. It is also the home of some very fine saltwater fishing.<br /><br />Fishing charters, boat rentals and water taxis fight for space with world famous restaurants and trendy shops on the park-like waterfront behind the ferry terminal. From here you have access to the fantastic fishing of the Howe Sound where you can troll or Mooch in the shadow of the surrounding peaks, around islands that rise pillar-like from the sea and protect the fishing waters from the ever present wind. Try around Hutt Island to the West of Bowen or in Tunstall Bay off Bowen Island itself.<br /><br />The fishing in the area is good all year round but beware the ferries, they are much bigger than you and they have the right of way. Pay heed to small craft warnings and as always, check the regulations before you go, there are several water parks in the area that are closed to all fishing.<br /><br />Once you are done exploring Horseshoe Bay, head North up the Sea to Sky highway through the fishing friendly communities of Lions Bay, Britannia Beach, and Furry Creek until you arrive at the end of the Howe Sound and the city of Squamish.<br /><br />The Squamish River is 80 KM long from it's headwaters in the Elaho Valley to it's outlet in the city of Squamish. While fishing these days is a shadow of it's formal self due to deforestation in the hillsides above, there is still fine fishing to be found for Coho, Chum, Chinnook and Pink Salmon as well as Cutthroat, Dolly Varden and Steelhead. The Steelhead are late running so Spring is the best time if you want to try for these hard fighting, hard to catch fish. Standing on the shore of the upper Squamish River it is easy to convince yourself you are on a remote Alaskan fly-in stream and not an hour and a half away from downtown Vancouver!<br /><br />The regulations change frequently in this system so ask at one of the many local fishing shops for the latest updates and a tip or two on where to fish.<br /><br />Lakes in the Squamish area include Alice lake with it's large campsite, Browning in Murrin Park, Edith and Brohm.<br /><br />Just up the road from Squamish is the resort town of Whistler. If it involves the outdoors, you can find it in Whistler. Fishing, skiing, hiking, golf, mountain biking, zipline tours, heli and float plane fishing, ice fishing, it's all here and it's not hard to find. Stop in the local Flyshop and you will be on your way to whatever you have an inkling to try.<br /><br />For lake fishing and surprisingly large fish, try Alta Lake, Garabaldi, Green, Cheakamus or Callaghan.<br /><br />Further North is the community of Pemberton which sits in idyllic farmland on the edge of true BC wilderness. There is plenty of year round fishing to be had here although Spring is probably best for Cutthroat, Bull Trout, Rainbow, Dolly Varden and Rocky Mountain Whitefish. In the Summer, fish for Sockeye and when fall comes, try your hand on the Chum and Coho Salmon.<br /><br />Just a few of the productive lakes in the area are Lillouette, Anderson and Carpenter but if you are willing to put in a few miles on your legs, there are some Alpine walk-in lakes that offer the sort of scenery only secluded alpine lakes can! Tenquille, Ogre, Owl, Fowl, Chain and Ivey are a few worth the walk. The short growing season at those altitudes results in a smaller fish but the breathtaking vistas make it all worthwhile.<br /><br />Some great waters for fly fishing in the fall are Mosquitto, Gates, Blackwater and Joffrre for fish that can be a much better size.<br /><br />The friendly proprietors of the local fishing shops are always willing to help out newcomers to the area, so drop in and have a chat.<br /><br />The Sunshine Coast<br />A 45 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay is all that separates the bustle of the lower mainland from the cornucopia of salt and freshwater fishing waiting to be sampled west of Howe sound. With 86 kilometers of relatively sheltered coastline, the long narrow peninsula we know of as the Sunshine Coast is actually divided into two parts. The Sechelt peninsula and the Malaspina Peninsula which are separated from each other by Jervis Inlet.<br /><br />The Sunshine Coast, despite being solidly connected to the mainland has the definite feel of a West coast island due to it's generally artsy atmosphere, the focus on the outdoors for recreational activity and the funky individualism of the people that live there. Hip-booted fishermen with salt oozing from every pore rub shoulders with aging hippies who came here to camp on the beach and never left. They in turn stand next to First Nations people who have called this area home since long before there was anybody else around to visit it. The Sunshine Coast should be on everybody’s bucket list of places to visit before they move on from this life and anybody who passes up the opportunity will be poorer for the loss.<br /><br />After you disembark from the ferry, hopefully after sighting one of the pods of Pacific White Sided Dolphin that haunt the area or perhaps a playful Sea Otter or two, drive North a few kilometers to the historic village of Gibsons. Fans of iconic Canadian TV shows will immediately recognize the waterfront as the location for the long running “Beachcombers” television series and in fact the focal location, Molly's Reach is still open and serving customers today.<br /><br />The salt water fishing off the Sechelt Peninsula is everything any fisherman could ask for and don't worry about what time of year it is, there is something to be caught just about anytime you feel the need to go catch it.<br /><br />In the winter you can fish for feeder Chinook until the migratory fish start arriving in late spring. The best Chinook fishing takes place from June through September which is also when the Coho show up. August to September will see the Pinks and Sockeye moving in which will keep you busy until the Chum make their annual appearance in September. Don't give up on the Coho when the air starts getting chilly as the Northern variety share water with the Chum in September and October.<br /><br />Most of the salt water fishing along the Sunshine Coast is done by Mooching as opposed to the traditional trolling methods found elsewhere but anything is possible, from dragging big spoons and cut plugs through the depths of the underwater shelves between Gibsons and Roberts Creek to fly fishing from a sturdy pontoon boat or floatube off the mouth of Chapman Creek.<br /><br />Other local favorites include Halfmoon Bay, Buccaneer Bay, Secret Cove, Lasqueti Island, Texada Island, Seal Reef, Bejji Shoals, Bargain Harbour, A-Frame and Quarry Bay. <br /><br />Remember Salmon aren't the only thing swimming around in these fertile waters. Red Snapper, Rock Cod, Tommy Cod and Flounder are plentiful and can be caught all year. Ling Cod are present as well but are closed to fishing from October until May. Prawns and Crabs are available all year and a variety of shellfish are there for the taking as well from Mussels and Oysters in Roberts Creek to Clams in Davis Bay. Of course you absolutely must check for closures and Red Tide alerts.<br /><br />There is plenty of fresh water Trout fishing to be experienced as well. Garden Bay Lake, Hotel Lake and Mixal Lake are just West of HWY 101 and Trout Lake, a popular heavily stocked vacation spot, is right beside HWY 101 just 10 kilometers North of Sechelt. Sakinaw and Ruby Lakes are large lakes where Coho, Sockeye, Rainbow, Cutthroat and Kokanee are all caught.<br /><br />Before you take the 40 minute ferry and cross over to the Malaspina Peninsula, take an hour or two off from the fantastic fishing and go for a hike through spectacular old growth Cedar to the skookumchuck Narrows. These turbulent waters which sometimes rush through the narrow passage at speeds up to 30 KMH are famous for their huge whirlpools and foaming rapids due to the sometimes two meter difference in water levels from one end to the other. Don't forget to stop at the coffee shop near the head of the trail for a muffin or scone in unforgettable surroundings.<br /><br />Once you are on the other side of Jervis Inlet, the communities of Powell River and Lund await you. Like it's Southern neighbor, fresh and saltwater opportunities abound on the Malaspina. Powell River is renowned for the Trout fishing to be enjoyed in the more than 30 lakes found nearby. Powell Lake, Goat and Inland lakes are all home to huge Cutthroat and are not to be missed.<br /><br />For the adventurous types, the Powell Forest Canoe Route is 80 kilometers of intertwined waterways, peppered with lakes and dozens of creeks. The routes are well signed and recreation campsites are plentiful. There are several access points but a good place to start would be at the Canoe Main logging road just East of the Lois River near Lang Bay. Follow the signs to the Lois Lake recreation site.<br /><br />Be aware that you are traveling active logging roads and check before you leave for road closures and notices. Think of logging trucks as land-bound ferries and try not to get in their way as they travel the working forest. Maps of the canoe routes are available online and of course, the local shops will be more than happy to help you plan your trip.<br /><br />The salt water fishing off the Malaspina peninsula is if anything, more wild and scenic than that found further South. For some great beach fishing go to the Lang Creek estuary and toss spoons and spinners for Salmon weighing up to 20 pounds! Fish off the coast near Lund for Ling Cod and Salmon.<br /><br />Desolation Sound is BC's largest marine park. You are on your own for transportation into this rugged piece of the BC coast but whether you Kayak, take a float plane or rent a boat, you will be awed by the experience of traveling through and fishing one of British Columbia’s greatest treasures. <br /><br />As you might imagine, there are far more incredible fishing opportunities to be had in the Vancouver Coast and Mountain region than it was possible to list in this relatively short magazine article. In fact, it's hardly possible to trip over your feet on the West Coast without falling into something fishable. Use this guide as a starting point and with a little local advice solicited from the many knowledgeable fishing guides and tackle shop owners you are sure to find more than enough to keep you busy for the next lifetime or two.<br /><br />Vancouver, Coast, Mountain will never leave you wanting more. As long as you have the time and the energy, it has the fish.Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-54849076845681030442012-02-26T16:29:00.001-08:002012-02-26T16:31:39.200-08:00Urban Treasures - March 2012/BCO<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPqQNx33l8a8RCUt01KsRsaH0oYV5RJ2uEAHgJ8vkJpSZ7v96UvGhl8w96F4Z56JTf-iljC7QB-Tfn0pF8cy2P3L33J2M6Kz_SeT1gtrWs9isKWdR7BchTg1jwziu3ejN5ZJdZQ5bRg/s1600/3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPqQNx33l8a8RCUt01KsRsaH0oYV5RJ2uEAHgJ8vkJpSZ7v96UvGhl8w96F4Z56JTf-iljC7QB-Tfn0pF8cy2P3L33J2M6Kz_SeT1gtrWs9isKWdR7BchTg1jwziu3ejN5ZJdZQ5bRg/s200/3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713606487347508530" /></a><br /><br /><br />Urban Treasures<br /><br />We all do it, it's in our blood. When we arrive at our favorite fishing spot we immediately crank up our boat-motor or start hoofing it toward our favorite haunt which just happens to be at the extreme end of a long lake or at the terminus of a seven kilometer hike. Does that location offer better fishing than the spot we started at? Maybe, but probably not. <br /><br />That's just the way fishermen are wired. If it's close, if you can see it from your living-room, it can't possibly be any good. If it was any good it would have a hundred people fishing it right now. We travel to far away spots to “get away from it all”, to sit and meditate on the beauty of our surroundings with nothing but ducks and bugs for company but how many times have you driven all morning to your secret spot only to find a 20 minute wait at the boat ramp and everybody and his dog already ensconced in your favorite spot? Chances are you could have stayed close to home and had the place to yourself.<br /><br />Urban waters have a few things going for them. Rivers flowing through town are often much more fertile there than the same river is upstream due to the tendency of human and industrial biological pollutants to end up in the river. Instead of causing harm the extra fertilizer creates a plant friendly environment which in turn encourages the insects to multiply until they eventually find their way inside of fish which just keep getting fatter. The Bow River in Calgary is a great example of this; a typical freestone stream above Calgary with limited fish production it becomes a world class trout river after it passes through town. This phenomenon is not limited to big cities, anywhere you have septic and fertilizer run-off occurring you are going to get a spike in the numbers of larger fish caught, provided of course the pollution isn't enough to kill the river outright but that doesn't seem to be happening as much now as it used to.<br /><br />The other benefit as you get close to a city is brood-fish. Fish hatcheries tend to be within easy driving distance of a town because supplies and accommodations for employees are much easier to acquire when you aren't perched on a rock beside a wilderness river in the middle of nowhere. In the case of trout, eggs and milt are harvested from live fish and they can reach huge sizes before they are retired. In this case retired usually means released into a local lake along with the usual bucket-loads of fingerlings and catchables. What that means for the fisherman is an afternoon of catching 10-inch fish with your kids on a pond in the middle of the city can suddenly take a very interesting turn when your five year old son finds himself with a 15-pound trout on the end of his plastic Buzz Lightyear fishing rod. If he lands it, it will be the memory of a lifetime but he probably won't and it will still be there when you sneak away from your office at lunch-time to do a little work-day fishing.<br /><br />Not every town has trophy fishing in it's midst but a surprising number of them do. The following, in no particular order is not meant to be a comprehensive list but instead is a small sampling of some of the fantastic fishing that can be found without going to the bank for a gasoline mortgage or being away from home long enough that your kids forget who you are.<br /><br />Vancouver/Lower Mainland<br />Vancouver probably doesn't even really need to be in this article for people to know about it's excellent fishing. The city is surrounded on three sides by water, the mighty Fraser River and all the huge fish that live in it run right through the Lower Mainland. There are many smaller rivers and creeks that at times hold steelhead and large sea-run cutthroat. Really, most of the fishing in the Lower Mainland could be called “Urban Treasures.” There are a few spots however you may have overlooked and these are heavily stocked lakes, probably closer to your house than the nearest Wallmart and they regularly receive plantings of retired, double digit brood-stock. <br /><br />People drive right past these treasures on their way to “better” water but the truth is, the fishing in these inner-city put-n-take lakes can be incredible for very large fish, not all of the time, but a very significant sometimes. Lafarge and Como Lakes in Coquitlam, Green Timbers in Surrey and Mill Lake in Abotsford all receive retired brood fish. Try a sparsely dressed fly tied with brown Chenille on a 2x hook, it looks like a trout food pellet. Is that cheating? I don't know but it's a tried and true method of fishing for brood-stock and these are fish that have reached the end of their reproductive life so a person can take one home without having to feel too bad about it. Try checking the Fresh Water Fisheries Association website for stocking times. http://www.gofishbc.com/fishstocking.htm <br /><br />Kelowna<br />Kelowna sits directly on the shore of Okanagan Lake which at 135-kilometers long and 230-meters in depth is bound to have some decent fish swimming around in it and it does. If you have the boat and the time you can certainly troll around and catch 10-20 pound trout within spitting distance of your office but there are a couple of other locations less than 10 minutes from city center that offer nice fish without the specialized gear requirement of the big lake. Shannon Lake on the Westside is a perfect example. To call it a lake is stretching the definition of the word “lake” a bit, pond would probably be more accurate. There is a golf course ringing half the lake, houses lining the other side and a small regional park in one corner. Every year the Freshwater Fisheries Association strings out some netting in a bay near the golf course and fills it with catchable trout so youngsters can try their hand at fishing without the need for a license or fancy gear but that's not why Shannon Lake has been included. What makes Shannon interesting is the bass. Big largemouth bass. The houses around Shannon Lake were built years before sewer systems made their appearance in the area and the fertile runoff from the septic fields and the golf course have created a small weed filled productive piece of water. The big bass fishing isn't as hot as it once was but you still hear of six and seven pounders being caught and there are lots in the four-to-five pound range. The heavy food load also produces big perch, much larger than most are accustomed to catching. You can fish from shore at Shannon Lake with no difficulty but to catch the large ones, bring a float-tube or pontoon boat. <br /><br />Penticton<br />Between the south end of Okanagan Lake and the north end of Skaha Lake is the isthmus of land holding the city of Penticton. Okanagan Lake has already been discussed and that which is true about the big lake also holds true for Skaha with one very significant difference. Skaha has smallmouth bass, some of the biggest smallmouth in Canada in fact. It has been said that the next world-record smallmouth is likely to come out of Skaha Lake. Fish the rocky dropoffs around the shoreline and the patches of weeds dotting the sandy plains of the shallow shoals. You can fish from shore or with a pontoon boat or even a large boat, just be sure to head back in when the inevitable afternoon wind kicks up. Use streamer flys, poppers, leeches and Whooly Buggers if you are fly fishing or try small to medium spinners, spoons and plugs if you are a gear chucker.<br /><br />Vernon<br />Swan Lake is a medium sized lake beside the highway just north of the city. It doesn't look like much, in fact although I live in Vernon it was years before I ever fished it. It looks more like a huge flooded field than a productive fishing lake but productive it is! Swan is the first lake in the area to ice-off in the spring and that is the time most people fish it. The lake is heavily stocked every year and because of it's shallow depth and remarkably consistent lake-bottom contours, weed growth and hence food production is prolific. A lot of the fish are taken by ice fisherman every year but those that survive, get large fast. Stories of nine pound trout are not uncommon in the spring. The fly in the ointment is the very condition that allows for lush weed growth means that the fish could be literally anywhere and your best bet for locating them is the age-old practice of following the fishermen. There are usually a few old-timers out there and they know the lake and it's habits. Of course you run the risk of finding yourself camped out with 10 other boats catching nothing because everybody followed the first guy out when he looked like he knew what he was doing when in fact he probably had no idea where to go either. <br /><br />Castlegar/Trail<br />Everybody has heard of the Columbia River and the huge fish that swim in it. Trophy trout, fat tasty walleye and now unconfirmed reports of northern pike tempt the out of town angler to make a trip into the West Kootneys for a chance at these large fish. There is no need to park on the highway as far from any town as you can get and bushwhack to that special spot down the hill and across the tracks, the whole river is productive. Fish don't care if they look up through the water and see wild birch trees or the window of an elementary school, it's all the same to them, good habitat is good habitat. <br /><br />I lived in Castlegar during the 80's and when I had a few minutes to spare I would walk the hundred feet down to the river and start fishing. If it was daytime I usually fished for Walleye, in the evening I fly-fished for trout. Nowadays, the fishing has if anything, improved. The fish are larger, they are easy to find but the trout in particular are no push-overs. Be prepared to fish small dry flies in difficult currents and don't take a boat on the water unless you really know what you are doing. The Columbia is no place for the novice boater to get his feet wet because that won't be the only part of him getting wet, it's a very wide and fast river with deadly whirlpools and unless you know what you are doing, you need to stay out of it. Luckily there is no need for those shenanigans as there is plenty of great shore fishing to be found and no need to drive anywhere to find it.<br /><br />Logan Lake<br />The village of Logan Lake is perched oddly enough on the shores of Logan Lake. After a great burger in the local hotel it's a quick stroll across the crosswalk and you are fishing one of the great understated lakes in BC. A small unassuming lake, Logan is very fertile and when it hasn't been winter killed, it is fair to expect large, difficult to catch fish. I caught my first 10 pound trout in Logan Lake which I thought was pretty good until a women caught a 16 pound fish off of the campground-dock the following year. Logan Lake has on and off-years but it is always worth a try if you can resist the urge to drive right past it on your way to the other famous lakes in the area.<br /><br />Quesnel<br />Dragon Lake is not located right downtown in Quesnel but it's close enough that I have included it here. It's a large lake that is ringed by houses and is popular for water-sport enthusiasts in the summer but in the spring and fall, it belongs to the fly-fishers and what a fly-fishing lake it is! Large fat fish come readily to a fly and they come in good numbers. A so-so day at Dragon is better than a fantastic day anywhere else although of course there will be days you would swear you that you had been dipped in fish repellent. Bring a good selection of chironomids, leeches and of course, dragon nymphs. In the fall a micro leech under an indicator fished just off the reeds can be deadly.<br /><br />Whistler<br />Whistler is surrounded with decent fishing opportunities but one in particular stands out for me. Alta Lake is home to some very nice sized cutthroat trout and is strictly catch and release fishing with a total bait ban. The lake is very close to downtown Whistler and although shore fishing is possible, it is better with a boat or float-tube. Cutthroat are generally ambush fishers and like streamers, leeches and Wooly Buggers but at this lake for some reason they are also partial to chironomids fished under an indicator close to structure of some sort like a floating log or a dock.<br /><br />You may not have trophy water sitting right downtown where you live or you might be surrounded by it. The point is, before you cast your eyes over the horizon for that perfect fishing spot, take a glance down at your feet, you may already be standing in it and after all, where are you going to catch more fish? In your boat with your line in the water or driving down the road in your truck listening to AM radio while you travel hours away from where the fish are to a spot where other fish might be? Take a chance this year and fish the waters that are so well known that nobody really knows about them. Leave the secret far-away spots to the masses!Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-17584295893220692442012-01-06T13:23:00.000-08:002012-01-06T13:24:43.815-08:00Turning Tides Jack Simpson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSMpVbILpnjh6mt9RYpGNweoitQahwHvgETMU6O1tzJ0Y-AhHveBW8esYXd7uy7s9NbBmFXSsRf7x8Our0KijE_OG9qp_MxOi8hMocNVnI6BZ6w7LmrMkg2PUzF8quUJoIMyU3P8LKA/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 172px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSMpVbILpnjh6mt9RYpGNweoitQahwHvgETMU6O1tzJ0Y-AhHveBW8esYXd7uy7s9NbBmFXSsRf7x8Our0KijE_OG9qp_MxOi8hMocNVnI6BZ6w7LmrMkg2PUzF8quUJoIMyU3P8LKA/s200/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694633035081961410" /></a><br />Turning Tides<br />Jack Simpson<br />By<br />Trevor Shpeley<br /><br /><br /><br />We all know the name Brian Chan, and who hasn't heard of Phill Rowley, Tom Johanson and Gord Honey? They are great fishermen, writers and guides but what about the rest of BC? What about all the skilled fishermen and outstanding stewards of our waters? What about the virtuosos of the tying bench or the masters of old world boat building toiling away in their basements? What do we know about the people that give countless hours of their free time teaching newcomers techniques, ethics and etiquette? <br /><br />There are hundreds of people like that littered through the BC angling community. They are teachers, lawyers, retirees and loggers. They come from every walk of life, some are well known, others are not. That's what this column is about; normal everyday fishermen who have distinguished themselves in the sport and deserve to be recognized for their efforts. I hope you will enjoy reading about these outstanding people as much as I will enjoy writing about them. Without further ado, here is our first profile.<br /><br />Two AM is an ugly time of day to be heading out on a fishing trip, that's pretty early even for me but this day was special, I was headed up into the Cariboo to fish with a man I've known for at least ten years and seen in person maybe a dozen times, interior BC fishing legend and internet forum pioneer, Jack Simpson.<br /><br />The first thing you notice about Jack when you meet him is the odd disconnect between his 67 years on this planet and his obvious vitality. His hair is still brown (ish), his eyes are piercing and while he certainly doesn't posses an imposing stature, it is immediately clear that messing with him would be something you would only do once. <br /><br />Jack radiates confidence which is probably unavoidable for somebody that spent ten years flying radial engined prop planes for the Canadian and U.S. Military, a stint that took him overseas providing low altitude troop support in combat situations, sometimes returning the plane to the hanger with more metal than it took off with.<br /><br />These days the only lead Jack tosses around is inside a weighted Leech. After a relatively late start flyfishing at age 40, Jack quickly became obsessed and enthusiastically embraced every aspect of the sport. He learned to tie flies, build rods, and find secret lakes. He became adept at modifying his boats to better suit his flyfishing needs and he has never balked at sharing the fruits of his labors with others. To date he has taught somewhere around a hundred fishermen to build their own rods and rare indeed is the person who fishes with Jack that doesn't walk away with a handful of his hand tied flies, many of which are his own creations such as the Bead Bodied Leech and the Black Hackle Nymph.<br /><br />I first became acquainted with Jack online at Fish.BC which at the time was BC's largest fishing forum. He became their first and only moderator back in 1990 and literally thousands of fishermen have since benefited from his advice, guidance and acerbic wit. Did I mention Jack is opinionated? You always know where you stand with Jack. If he doesn't like somebody, he'll let them know but thankfully those people are few and I've never seen Jack hesitate to offer assistance to any stranger that asked.<br /><br />Jack has moved on from his moderating days and has been helping companies evaluate and market flyfishing gear. He has been pro-staff for seven prominent manufactures and recently finished a term as director of flyfishing for Amundson Rods. Lately he has shifted focus to a company he founded, Sandpiper Flyfishing, which strives to provide gear to segments of the market traditionally ignored by the major companies.<br /><br />Jack is also first on the scene to experiment with new equipment. If there is a new boat or rod that he likes, he gets one and puts it through it's paces. It is a measure of his popularity in the fishing world that he has little trouble acquiring demo models for that purpose. If he likes them, everybody hears about it. If he doesn't, they hear about that too. His honesty is a rare quality in the retail world and he sometimes pays the price for it.<br /><br />Jack and Grace, his wife of 37 years, now live in Williams Lake in the heart of what many in the fishing community call “The Republic of Jack”. He continues to fish almost daily and if you walk up to him and introduce yourself at a lake, you will be able to count your self among the countless BC fisherman who have known and probably learned something from Jack Simpson.<br /><br />If you know of somebody that should be profiled in these pages please email me at trevor.shpeley@gmail.comTwotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-78475383808724536132011-11-26T12:23:00.000-08:002011-11-26T12:24:13.028-08:00Forum Vocabulary 101 -published January 2011In The Net<br />Forum Vocabulary 101<br />Trevor Shpeley<br /><br />Hi folks, it's been about two months since we re-launched the BC Outdoors forums and I thought it might be a good time to explain some common discussion board terminology and what it means to you, the forum members.<br /><br />“Newbies” <br />Internet forums are not new. In fact long before there was a real internet there were bulletin boards where like-minded people would gather to share information, discuss computers and make fun of the newbies. <br /><br />Newbies were people that arrived after the first wave of early adopters had established a beachhead and claimed an internet space as their own. It didn't really matter that the new person might know more about the subject material than everybody else on the board or that they had arrived only a short time after the veterans, they were newbies and therefore fair game for a bit of virtual hazing.<br /><br />Luckily that was then and this is now. These days the people you meet online are the same ones you meet in everyday life and just about everybody outside of the teen gaming world understands basic social skills and follows the golden rule. The term “newbie” still exists but making fun of one will get you chewed out by your fellow forum members and often kicked right off the board. There is no longer any need to be nervous about your first posts because if you commit some sort of horrible gaff the other members will gently steer you in the right direction and if you fall afoul of a Troll, the moderators will step in before you get in over your head.<br /><br />“Trolls”<br />No, I'm not talking about the large unattractive creatures that hide under bridges and extract tolls from passers by. I refer to the large unattractive creatures that hide behind keyboards and attack anybody unwary enough to respond to one of the carefully worded traps they design solely to get an emotional response and cause people to write an angry post in return. Nothing warms the cold lonely heart of the internet Troll like disciplinary action being taken against somebody that the Troll has provoked into hostility. <br /><br />Trolls are not to be confused with their much appreciated and less common cousins the Faux-Trolls. Faux-Trolls keep a forum interesting with biting sarcasm that never quite gets mean, clever well researched rebuttals and a good nature that takes the sting out of their criticism. Real Trolls contribute nothing of any consequence and are easily avoided.<br /><br />The way to deal with Trolls is to ignore them. If you resist the bait they will slink back down into their Mom's basements and look for a place with victims willing to play. They are far too crafty to get themselves banned so a website with good moderation will in extreme cases eject a Troll in the interests of public tranquillity rather than have their productive posters go elsewhere to avoid an obnoxious Troll. BC Outdoors has very good moderators.<br /><br />“Moderators”<br />Moderators are the police of the internet. The BCO forums are a community and like all communities it has community standards. Sometimes a good discussion will get out of hand or somebody will make racist, sexist or insulting statements and that's when a moderator will step in. <br /><br />Moderators don't make the rules, they may not even like all of them but they do try to ensure that everybody gets a level playing field. A good “Mod” will never let his or her personal opinions guide their moderating and will make every effort to keep the critical discussion focused on the subject material and not about the person doing the posting.<br /><br />'Posting”<br />An internet forum is a collection of “threads” which consist of a collection of “posts”. Without posts there is no forum. It has been a couple of months since the re-launch of the BCO forums and new membership is way up. Unfortunately a lot of the new members are brand new to discussion boards and are a little shy about posting. <br /><br />To those people I say, “just go for it”. Write about whatever on-topic subject interests you. Ask questions, have a rant, pass on a tip or just say hello. Tell us what you like about the magazines or the articles. Tell us what you don't like. All we ask is that you post early and often. There is nothing more tedious than a forum where nobody talks so take a chance and start a little chatter, we don't bite. Much.Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-74106811487772276612011-11-26T12:22:00.001-08:002011-11-26T12:22:38.780-08:00Eitism in Fly Fishing, published Oct 2011A few weeks ago I was sitting at my computer as I am wont to do on quiet autumn evenings, (who am I kidding, I take an ipad on the water with me so I can check my e-mail and play Angry Birds), when I came across a lively thread on fly fishing elitism. This one happened to be on FlyBC but the same thread pops up on most fishing forums from time to time.<br /><br />Since the subject was being discussed by fly fishermen one might imagine that the the thread would develop along predictable lines in much the same way as if you had asked a few McDonalds executives to debate the ethics of paying minimum wage or a gaggle of soccer moms to discuss the merits of their precious snowflakes. In other words, it's a tough arena to get an unbiased opinion never mind some constructive, informed discourse. One might imagine that but that wasn't really the case.<br /><br />The thread began with the usual question; “Why are fly fishermen so elitist and why are they always pointing their fingers at the gear crowd in regards to ethics?” Which was promptly answered by a forum member with more years on this earth than the Joshua tree; <br /><br />“This is the order of life, <br />#1 – People that use two handed rods for fly fishing.<br />#2 – People that use single handed rods for fly fishing.<br />#3 – Gear fishermen<br />#4 – Bait fishermen.”<br /><br />As trite as the above statement may appear, it is unfortunately an opinion that is at least casually shared by some fly fishermen.<br /><br />Here are a few more (slightly edited) quotes from the FlyBC thread;<br /><br />“I think that flyfishers feel it requires more intelligence and skill to be a flyfisher. There is also a sort of mystique and romanticism connected to fly fishing, an art form if you will. I remember when I used only a spinning rod and I watched a fellow fly fishing and it was poetry in motion. I thought someday I would do that and I do. For me it was a spiritual and cerebral pursuit which became more important than actually catching fish. Maybe this is where the perception of elitism comes from?”<br /><br />“I think that you will find that most, if not all, fly fishers started out as bait/gear fishermen. Very few bait/gear fishermen will claim to have “been there, done that” with fly fishing.”<br /><br />The fact is that most flyfishers do not believe they are elitist . We all pretty much started on bait or gear and then chose another path. I myself use gear and or bait when conditions require it, I just prefer to flyfish when I can and my choice of fishing locations and target species tend to reflect that preference.<br /><br />Some more words of wisdom;<br /><br />“ You have three fishermen at the top of their game.<br />One is the best angler with a spinning rod.<br />One is the best angler with a bait casting outfit.<br />One is the best angler with a fly rod.<br />Of the three, which is the best most ethical angler?<br />If you can narrow it down and come up with an answer, then you likely believe in elitist values.”<br /><br />“Fly fishing is what you make of it, if you look for elitism you will find it. It's all a matter of personal perspective and what you fixate on.”<br /><br />Bottom line is that you will never get away from elitism. If there are two or more methods of doing something, the person that does it one way will think anybody that does it any other way is misinformed at best and at worst, living in a uni-bomber cabin in some backwoods hollow married to his sister. Ferrari drivers look down on Lamborghini owners, beef farmers believe the best use of land is for cattle while canola growers feel they could put it to better use. It goes on and on. Rarely do people just shrug and say “Go ahead and stand next to me brother and practice your dark art while I just enjoy my own thing and live and let live.”<br /><br />Fly fishing, gear fishing, bait casting, it doesn't matter how you do it as long as you enjoy it and the regulations allow. Elitism is a sort of racism and we as thinking entities should be able to rise above our xenophobic genetic programing. Stop worrying about what everybody else is doing and just fish!Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-28213448475757570852011-11-26T12:21:00.001-08:002011-11-26T12:21:37.202-08:00In the Net, May 2011In The Net<br />Flossing, the great debate continues<br />Trevor Shpeley<br /><br />Well, summer is here and I've been talking about the BCO forums for about six months. In that time we have more than doubled our membership although getting the new members posting has been a bit of a struggle. So enough talking about ourselves, it's time to get on with the real business of this column which is to report on what BC fishermen are talking about when they sit down at their computers.<br /><br />For this first instalment of forum hot topics I thought we should start with the granddaddy of all internet fishing debates which is flossing Salmon. By the time you read this, the annual debate/argument/street-fight, on the practice of “flossing,” (as long-leader bottom-bouncing has become known,) should just be getting started and forum moderators everywhere will be working overtime trying to keep the virtual carnage to a minimum.<br /><br />The basics of the issue are this:<br /><br />Bottom bouncing for Salmon is a legitimate fishing method where a heavy weight is attached to a three way swivel with a short leader tied to the other end and a hook at the end of that. The rig is then dead drifted through a run and allowed to bounce along the bottom keeping the bait close to where the salmon are. At the end of the drift, the line is reeled in without being allowed to swing. Fish caught by this method are usually fairly hooked.<br /><br />The problem comes when people use a long leader and then cast across the current and swing a large arc through the Salmon that are packed side by side with their mouths wide open into the flow. The wool decorated hook will often snag as the long leader “flosses” through the Salmon's mouths and if it doesn't, the huge pull the “angler” sometimes imparts at the end of the swing will usually do the trick. The hook is often in the inside the mouth giving the impression that the fish was fairly hooked and by the letter of the law, it was. THAT, in a nutshell is the core of the debate. <br /><br />Just because something is legal, or quasi-legal, or just ignored by fisheries, should you be doing it? Many people would say no, snagging is snagging and it is a black eye on the fishery. Many other people would say “What difference does it make? The fish is dead either way. Do you think the fish cares how it was caught?” Sport fishery or harvest fishery? Do people really care? You bet they do.<br /><br />Nothing has the power to divide an internet forum like a debate on flossing. Good friends have parted company over this prickly question of ethics. Whole websites have sprung up to denounce the practice only to collapse under the ponderous weight of their own idealism. <br /><br />So who's right? I have no idea. Here's a sampling of posts taken from various fishing forums. Screen names have been deleted to protect the opinionated.<br /><br />“ Until DFO states that it's illegal, I'll exercise my right to bounce for Socks. As long as I'm fishing within what DFO deems is legal, don't tell me what I can and can't do.”<br />“Flossing is snagging and snagging isn’t right. It will be a great day for sportfishing when they finally stop this so-called harvest fishery”<br />“Flossing is good. That's what the sockeye are there for. Whether you net 'em, floss 'em, or snag 'em, it's a resource that we should be allowed to enjoy. Have fun!”<br />“Just as long as this form of "fishing" isn't confused with being sporting. You wouldn't catch me dead doing this. If I am seen as uppity or holier than thou then so be it”<br />“I can understand having a moral revulsion to flossing in one’s conscience. But why must I obey your conscience?” <br />“It is my personal belief that any fish that does not hook itself is snagged”<br />“A small group of folks has arbitrarily defined terms like sport and morality, with the definition based on their say so. Then they have applied their rules to everyone else, with the not surprising conclusion that anyone who disagrees is not sporting”<br /> “What happens when you see people lined up on the Thompson doing it!! It won't be OK then will it?” <br /><br />Do I have an opinion? Yes I do but I'm not going to share it here! If you want to know come to http://www.bcoutdoorsmagazine.com/forum and ask me!Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-61768551690017419042011-11-26T12:15:00.001-08:002011-11-26T12:25:14.149-08:0015 things you only do once - published Oct 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblDsB717gl_2h-2yWzfl2htUFKrJyjEeGzafyIpAHGh2lWjsx_YgSNzhQHVkRN-iuuQ0FO7kHkXRNsEy0tmzwmIwvY3xYtnfGSopiI2NA5ty_0FVhyphenhyphenMSsmLng5Etoa24-7UjK_qtF5w/s1600/revised+spey+pic.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblDsB717gl_2h-2yWzfl2htUFKrJyjEeGzafyIpAHGh2lWjsx_YgSNzhQHVkRN-iuuQ0FO7kHkXRNsEy0tmzwmIwvY3xYtnfGSopiI2NA5ty_0FVhyphenhyphenMSsmLng5Etoa24-7UjK_qtF5w/s200/revised+spey+pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679401794241312162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8E3nEkaREmzy_JLylK-9crD6q88mkWXAW_HsbiETdUYWse7zMe_FMO65jpwCcZek8E18JkmyvRKugUHqh04i0G_fahKrJdBwFWwhqyaMqHLeT6xP46chMvm4h85gmrMF_iDimwwfEEg/s1600/mrnotsafe2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8E3nEkaREmzy_JLylK-9crD6q88mkWXAW_HsbiETdUYWse7zMe_FMO65jpwCcZek8E18JkmyvRKugUHqh04i0G_fahKrJdBwFWwhqyaMqHLeT6xP46chMvm4h85gmrMF_iDimwwfEEg/s200/mrnotsafe2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679401614517105634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVpFyQyIYSA2wssLVeoWVpBj8xh21RFYz4q5gnv0k8bbzZTdD6eoWAJ-k0nZ0F42oPoW2GKnmmz4WLI0MS3-fX0mu8DTdhfhNwL3aiOxwYnfdPxLjxVOpjh7Gz2w4BhgMBlEUgtHfMg/s1600/mrnotsafe3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVpFyQyIYSA2wssLVeoWVpBj8xh21RFYz4q5gnv0k8bbzZTdD6eoWAJ-k0nZ0F42oPoW2GKnmmz4WLI0MS3-fX0mu8DTdhfhNwL3aiOxwYnfdPxLjxVOpjh7Gz2w4BhgMBlEUgtHfMg/s200/mrnotsafe3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679401476282071458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNFXH5cjmbbpdnRZl8ZdXWdsJrsjY_9M7TXu3n3AkZWqqRx2DsdIifxCOjBUZxH2ZcftH5YSNPzZJPbcO_cxcAze4TDz-gEy4nE9wUPz7e52FL2zJXd5F3DwOCqVlwm8ULsv7KXncPg/s1600/15+things.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 173px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNFXH5cjmbbpdnRZl8ZdXWdsJrsjY_9M7TXu3n3AkZWqqRx2DsdIifxCOjBUZxH2ZcftH5YSNPzZJPbcO_cxcAze4TDz-gEy4nE9wUPz7e52FL2zJXd5F3DwOCqVlwm8ULsv7KXncPg/s200/15+things.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679401276097689570" /></a><br />15 things you only do once<br />Story by Trevor Shpeley<br />Illustrations by Marie Murphy<br /><br />Fishing is a sport of repetition. We cast, cast and cast again. By repeating ourselves we become skilled and wise in the ways of the water. There are some things however that you only want to do once if at all. Here are 15 of them.<br /><br />1 - Forget to replace the drain plug in a boat before launching<br />A lot of boats come with drain plugs in the transom which are removed when the boat is on a trailer to get rid of any accumulated water. When you arrive at the boat launch the first thing you do is secure the plug before you back down the ramp. That's the theory anyway. If you are like me and you spend 20 minutes every single day searching for your car keys and have left children in shopping carts at the mall then this simple task of remembrance can be a hit or miss affair. <br /><br />The problem is compounded with the addition of a wife who has been placed in the boat before launching. Trying to explain to a panicked partner about the location and mechanics of a drain plug as she slowly sinks into the shipping lanes is hardly ever the start of an awesome day on the water.<br /><br />There are plenty of commercial solutions like long colorful ribbons and tethers, use one or at least if you choose not to, don't think poorly of me as I stand on the shore laughing at you while you find out for sure if the boat manufacturer skimped on flotation.<br /><br />2 - Step off the side of a boat at a gravel boat launch <br />Your average boat launch is very predictable, about the most drama you can expect when you take the boat out of the water is a 45 minute wait while the guy ahead of you does everything but paint his boat and re-grease his trailer bearings before moving out of your way.<br /><br />This is not always the case if you fish somewhere like the Fraser where the launches are made from river gravel and half the people using them are in jet boats. Jet boaters often back the trailer halfway in and goose the throttle until the boat rises and settles on the trailer. It takes a little skill, looks cool and they are out in a hurry. No harm done, right?<br /><br />Well not really. The problem with goosing the throttle of a jet motor at a 45 degree angle to a soft gravel bottom is that it digs holes. Big holes. Wife swallowing holes. The Fraser is murky and many a fisherman's spouse have stepped over the side of a boat only to vanish in a froth of bubbly curses and floating sun hats. <br /><br />Unless you were planning to sell your boat and take up permanent residence on the couch anyway, probe the bottom with a net before you send your wife over the side at a Fraser launch.<br /><br /><br /><br />3 - Take a young dog fishing<br />Dogs make great fishing partners,,,when they are old. Young dogs are like young humans in that all they really care about is food, making noise and breaking things. It is inconceivable to the mind of a young dog that it might be possible to stay still for minutes at a time and really, those loons were just asking for it.<br /><br />70lb dog overboard + small boat + attempted collar-grab rescue = swimming fisherman, broken rods and a doggy date with Dr Neuter. Why the good creator decided that young dogs only need a brain the size of a huckleberry to control 12 feet of leg and a tail that could sweep a barnacle off a navigation buoy is beyond me.<br /><br />Leave the dog at home until he is old enough to appreciate a dry spot to sleep and an occasional piece of beef jerky tossed his way. I feel pretty much the same way about young humans.<br /><br />4 - Slam car door with fishing rods anywhere near the opening<br />You can leave fishing rods on your car seat over 50 miles of bumpy roads and they won't move but give the door a shove when you have fishing rods within 10 feet of it and they will slide out the opening just before it closes, every time. There is no stopping the carnage. All you can do is watch in horror as time slows and $600 worth of space-age graphite is obliterated like a twig in a wood chipper.<br /><br />Put your rods back in their cases before you put them back in the car, even if it's only for a few minutes. BTW, rod company warranty guys can tell the difference between a rod that broke from a fish and one that was crushed in a door. Don't ask me how I know.<br /><br /><br /><br />5 - Place fishing rods against tree while you finish loading the truck<br />I always insist on loading the truck at the end of the day by myself. I'm not trying to be rude to my partner but when you break your routine, bad things happen. One of those bad things is placing your rods against a tree while you load everything else and then driving away without them. You might get lucky and they might still be there when you come back but most of the time they vanish like socks in a dryer the moment you drive out of sight.<br /><br />They say, “if you love something, set it free, if it comes back to you, it's yours, if not, it never was” but don't believe it. If you love something, keep it locked in the truck at all times. Common sense trumps t-shirt philosophy every time. <br /><br />6 - Fail to check your knot after catching a fish or three<br />How easy is it to take a quick look at the connection between your lure and your line? It's pretty simple, I do it all the time. Usually right after I get 50 feet of fly-line in the face after an unhappy fish decides he's had enough of this nonsense.<br /><br />Fish have sharp teeth and tippets are typically small and relatively weak compared to the rest of your rig. When you catch a fish you are in effect rubbing very thin plastic across a very sharp cheese grater. One fish can destroy a connection, a half dozen and you'll need divine intervention to keep a nice trout on your line. <br /><br />7 - Low-hole a pack of Steelheaders<br />Steelheaders are a friendly bunch. Sit down next to a few of them in a pub and chances are they will spin you tales of fish caught and lost and the glory of rivers past. Like I said, real nice guys. Until you step in below them on a pool that is.<br /><br />To understand the sudden change from jolly old men to raging medieval beserkers you need to understand a little bit of Steelhead etiquette. A fisherman will start at the head of a run, fish his cast to the end of it's swing, take two steps downstream and start over. When he gets to the bottom he walks up shore and waits his turn in the rotation. The system works well and it has been working well for a long time. <br /><br />The problems start when a someone, typically a neophyte, sees a long stretch of nice water downstream from a line of fishermen that appears to be vacant and quite innocently steps into the bottom of the run and starts fishing. That's when the fireworks start and the blood pressure pills come out of the vests.<br /><br /> At that point if words are exchanged it's best just to apologize and ask them for advise on how to work the river in a cooperative way, they will usually become friendly and helpful again if you respect the fact that they know the drill and you don't.<br /><br />8 - Take your kids fishing and bring your own rod<br />When my kids were young I loved to take them fishing but not until I learned to leave my own rod at home. Kids enjoy fishing and they love to spend time with you. If you try to get in some fishing yourself however, it's only a matter of time before you are frustrated, your kids are bored and somebody is crying, usually you.<br /><br />Here are some simple rules for taking kids fishing:<br />Let them pee when they want to.<br />Don't let them hold their rod while you tie on a hook.<br />Buy cheap disposable gear.<br />Bring bandaids, lots of bandaids.<br /><br />Until your kids decide they don't want you helping them anymore, you're better off thinking of it as a day in the boat and not a day fishing.<br /><br />9 - Fly cast between you and your partner in a boat<br />I fish with a lot of different folk and there are maybe two people I trust to cast a fly-line between us on a boat. I am not one of them.<br /><br />Position your boat so that you can each cast in opposite directions to the outside of the boat. Either that or wear a big hat, a high collared jacket and make yourself as small as possible. Try not to squeal when the fly gets too close, your friends will make fun of you.<br /><br />10 -Use lawn chairs in a tin boat<br />Folding lawn chairs in a small tin boat are bad news. They tip over backwards much easier than you would expect. I can't even make a joke about this, too many people have died this way. Get a proper boat seat if you have to recline. Seriously.<br /><br />11 - Try to learn Spey casting from a book but ignore the directions regarding wind direction<br />It is possible to at least learn the basics of Spey casting by reading some of the fine books available on the subject. Combine them with a video and you will have a general idea of what to try out on the river but you must pay attention to the part of the text that tells you which casts are appropriate for which river and wind direction.<br /><br />Spey lines are longer, thicker and much heavier than a standard flyline. If you try to learn the wrong cast for the conditions, it is very possible that you will end up looking like a cartoon tornado as the line hits your head and wraps itself around you. If you are very lucky you were practicing with a piece of yarn instead of a fly but lets face it, you probably had a big heavy Salmon fly on there didn't you?<br /><br />Read ALL the instructions, they really are there for a reason.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />12 - Wade a river in open toed sandals<br />Summer, the river is cool, and the landscape around you is shimmering in the heat. What could be better than wet-wading while you throw a line to Stonefly crazy trout? Nothing. Nothing that is as long as you put on a pair of wading boots. <br /><br />The temptation is great to just strap on the old sport sandals and it seems wonderful until you step on the first greasy volleyball sized rock and your foot jams down in between it and the next greasy rock at which point your toes are compacted into a space that wouldn't hold a McDonalds pickle. Even running shoes will leave you feeling like you ran your foot through a pasta maker.<br /><br />Ditch the waders on hot days but wear the boots!<br /><br />13 - Cast a heavy fly with a light fly-rod<br />You've heard the term, “chuck-n-duck”? It describes a particular way to fish heavy weights with a fly-rod but it also describes the process of fishing too big a fly for the rod you are using. A heavily weighted fly hits surprisingly hard when you get it in the back of the head. It can also destroy a graphite rod, both from the action of casting it and the impact of a solid collision.<br /><br />You hardly ever really need a fly that big and when you do, bring the big rod, don't try and cast a brick with a chopstick.<br /><br />14 - Ignore requests from your bladder while fishing from a float tube<br />You can get a long way down a lake in a float tube, especially if you are going with the wind. In fact even on a small lake you can put an hour between you and an approachable shoreline with no difficulty. None of that is really an issue until you get that little tickle that tells you it's time to make your way in to where you can peel down the waders and relieve the situation, hopefully without traumatizing any sensitive cottagers. <br /><br />That also wouldn't be a problem if we heeded that first warning but we don't. We tell ourselves “one more cast” and after 20 “last” casts we catch a fish and the whole thing starts all over again. By the time the red light is flashing in our brain that says “either you take care of this now or you make up a leaky wader story” we realize we are a long way from shore and that it's really tough to cross your legs while you paddle with your feet. <br /><br />If you are an observer these folk are easy to spot, the grim look on their face, the steady rhythmic paddling, the frequent glances over their shoulder to check their progress. I don't know if the old wives tails of exploding bladders are true but who really wants to find out?<br /><br />15 – Change your line with a cigarette in your hand<br />This actually happened to a good friend of mine. We were fishing the Thompson and had paused to take a break and change to a more suitable line. The line he was changing was an old favorite and one that had been discontinued by the manufacturer. He being a smoker was killing two birds with one stone and satisfying his demon while he fiddled with loops of flyline. <br /><br />I happened to be looking right at him when the cigarette in his left hand contacted the fly-line in his right and half the line fell to his feet like an electrocuted snake. I wish to this day I had had a camera to record the look of dismay on his face as he stared at his treasured heirloom lying impotently on the ground. <br /><br />I guess the moral to this story is “don't smoke”. Or maybe it's, “when they stop making your favorite line, stock up” or perhaps it's “don't do anything funny in front of your friends because who knows, they might put it in a magazine someday” but I prefer to think that the moral to this and all the other stories is simply “Be present in the here and now and if it sounds like a bad idea, it almost definitely is.”<br /><br />Simple advise that I mean to follow myself. Yup. Any day now.Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-17007375513902419732011-06-02T10:44:00.000-07:002011-06-02T10:45:29.659-07:00Soon the Canucks will sport these :)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Rahyphenhyphen3yDfCFXhbpNjsp5lJknuxPf5Vi_l0Ysju-_fdFZLSSOgq5XPmYgG_VwSGcE4wdE02P_J-qE-OTO5a39C2WgwLevwVGB_QeaO0pXfBOiYwJb8pr-kL2knXBLISWkx9mwfXP8k5Q/s1600/ring.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 187px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Rahyphenhyphen3yDfCFXhbpNjsp5lJknuxPf5Vi_l0Ysju-_fdFZLSSOgq5XPmYgG_VwSGcE4wdE02P_J-qE-OTO5a39C2WgwLevwVGB_QeaO0pXfBOiYwJb8pr-kL2knXBLISWkx9mwfXP8k5Q/s200/ring.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613679879018466450" /></a>Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-6208249382015050802011-06-02T10:21:00.001-07:002011-06-02T10:22:34.386-07:00Tenkara fishing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/331/f/e/urban_flyfishing_dreamscape_by_chironomid-d33rk3w.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 900px; height: 610px;" src="http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/331/f/e/urban_flyfishing_dreamscape_by_chironomid-d33rk3w.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Tenkara Fishing<br />A rookie's experimentation with an ancient technique<br /><br />Story and photos by Trevor Shpeley<br /><br /><br /><br />Fixed-line flyfishing has been around a long time. Before there were steel line-guides, fancy reels and braided silk, there was a piece of string tied to a stick and a few feathers tied to hook waving around on the business end of the string. Since those early days the sport has come a long way. Somebody eventually did get around to inventing those fancy reels, guides and braided lines and building Fishing rods became a science, as did everything else having to do with the sport of catching a fish. Fixed-line flyfishing has at this time been consigned to history books and nostalgia buffs with a few notable exceptions. One of those exceptions is the centuries old practice of Japanese Tenkara fishing.<br /><br />When I'm not fishing, or riding a motorcycle or up to my eyeballs in the “honey-do” list, I enjoy spending a few hours cruising the internet fishing forums. They are a great place to meet new fishing partners, tell a few tall tales and every so often catch a little information you had never heard before. That was how I first heard about Tenkara and it's long whippy rods with just a few feet of line and a fly tied to their improbably thin tips. <br /><br />It wasn't just anybody talking about this simple setup, it was some of the most modern, up to date flyfishermen I know and they were waxing on about an angling technique Mark Twain would have recognized immediately. I was obviously missing out on something interesting so I set out to find out for myself what all the buzz was about.<br /><br />I had to start somewhere and since I knew less about Tenkara fishing than my dog knows about lawn mowing, I placed a call to my friend and fellow internet dweller, Aaron Laing. In addition to his skills as a fly tyer, competitive flyfisherman and flyfishing blogger, he is probably the best river fisherman I have easy access to so I recruited him to join me for a day of fishing on one of his favourite urban streams. <br /><br />I then executed a quick Google search and with a decisive push on the “BUY NOW” button, my new gear was on it's way for about the price of the new shoes that regularly appear in my wife's closet to the familiar audio accompaniment of “what those old things? I've had those forever”<br /><br />Nobody is sure what the word “Tenkara” actually means. Some say it translates as “from the sky” in reference to the delicate way flies seem to float down from the heavens. Others say it refers to a child's jumping game, mirroring the way fishermen hop from rock to rock as they fish. The only thing everyone seems able to agree on is that it's been around about 1200 years and it was a very effective method for the commercial fishermen of the day to harvest small fish from the rushing mountain streams of Japan. Fishermen could tie on a simple inexpensive fly and fish for hours without having to worry about re-baiting their hooks between every cast.<br /><br />The traits that made it so effective back then, simplicity, low cost, and efficiency carry over quite nicely to our own mountain stream fishery with the added benefit that it's just plain fun. Nowhere is that quality more obvious than on a small river or stream where you can effortlessly control your drift as your fly moves through the pools and riffles close enough for you to watch the fish rise and turn as they take it down. Less gear means a stealthier presentation and a lighter line means less chance of spooking a fish by accidentally slapping 20 feet of thick plastic cord onto it's head.<br /><br />The Modern Tenkara rod is typicly12-14 feet long and are usually graphite, telescopic, and often come in a scaled down aluminium rod tube depending on who you buy them from. The small size of the rod case, approx 20 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter make the Tenkara rod perfect for back-packers, motorcyclists or anyone who just wants a creek rod available in their vehicle at all times and doesn't have a lot of room behind the seat for storage. <br /><br />The rods also sometimes come with a spare, easily changed tip. It's not so much because the fish might break it off in the heat of battle but because overly eager fishermen will sometimes snap them in their zeal to open or close the rod quickly. A fresh Tenkara rookie would be wise to heed the warnings and instructions included with the rod package. <br /><br />If you want to go full-Monty with the Tenkara fishing then you need to tie or buy some Tenkara flies. Luckily for the beginner there aren't a whole lot of Tenkara patterns to choose from, the prevailing wisdom is that pretty much any Tenkara style fly works as well as any other so just pick one you like or is quick to tie and you are good to go. In Tenkara the operative word is “presentation”. Fly selection is far less important.<br /><br />A typical Tenkara pattern will have some sort of simple dubbed body with the hackle tied in reverse, angling forward toward the eye of the hook so that the fly will pulse in the water when the soft rod tip is twitched. The flies are most often fished on or just below the surface but are sometimes sunk to the bottom and fished in a drag free drift like a standard nymph. Another favourite traditional technique it to slap the fly onto the water and snatch it away several times in the same spot before dropping the fly into the film and letting it drift. Quite often it doesn't get to drift very far.<br /><br />Of course many Western patterns work very well with a Tenkara rod. Heavily weighted Czech nymphs are especially well suited to the long stick as is any familiar nymph you might normally use. You don't usually need an indicator since you can control depth very easily with the rod tip and tippet length but a small tuft of yarn tied to the leader is helpful for detecting strikes. Dapping dry flies in the pocket water and small pools of a stream is a piece of cake when your line is as light as a Tenkara line and your rod is 13 feet long.<br /><br />It is generally agreed among enthusiasts that the best line to use is the traditional furled line which offers some shock absorption and unparalleled delicacy but does so at the cost of disturbing behaviour when stretched past it's limit. Level line is also popular and some people I know use sections of light fly line, 2wt or less, which will deliver the fly well but is not recommended due to the tendency of the heavier fly line to form a “belly” in the middle between the rod tip and the water with the resulting sag pulling the fly towards you and removing much of the “magic drift” effect people expect from a Tenkara setup.<br /><br />The total length of the line and leader is usually about the same length as the rod so a 13 foot rod would give you a reach of about 26 feet, give or take a couple of feet. Relatively short leaders are tied to the Tenkara line which is in turn looped onto the end of a small piece of cord attached to the end of the rod called the “Lilian string” <br /><br />When you hook a fish, you lift the rod to set the hook and then let the long flexible rod absorb the efforts of the fish as you guide it to the net by raising the rod tip above your head. With bigger fish you will have to let it fight for awhile but the process is very intuitive and about the only way you can really do it wrong would be to just hold the rod static and wait for something to break. Move your rod with the fish and keep your tip high as it runs around the pool in front of you and it will tire and come to the net in the usual way. Don't be afraid to put a bend in the rod, the soft tip will protect the tippet and a fish played too long is a fish with a diminished hope of survival. <br /><br />On the day Aaron and I chose to hit the water it was a typical Vancouver fall day, which is to say the rain was falling at a rate somewhere between a tropical monsoon and a biblical population adjustment. The rivers were running high and muddy and the hope of a productive morning chasing small trout and the occasional larger sea-run cutthroat got dimmer and more distant with each new rivulet of icy rainwater down the back of my wading jacket. <br /><br />As if on cue after we got comfortable in a nice run the heavens parted, the sun shone down upon us and the river which had been rather drab up until this point was transformed into a gorgeous imitation of the prettiest Vermont spring creek you ever saw. If you added a covered bridge and a few guys in tweed waving bamboo around, the illusion would have been perfect. <br /><br />This wasn't Vermont though, it was Vancouver. The covered bridge was cement and by covered I mean somebody had spent a lot of time covering the bridge supports in colourful street art. It may not have been New England but it was very pretty in the rising mist with the emerging sun shining off the tangled blackberries and lush green willows that dip down to overhang the rivers edge. <br /><br />The high water meant the larger fish we were targeting were probably going to be spread out and very tough to find but the alternative was packing up and heading back to our uninspiring, non-fishing related, daily activities so we decided to give it a yeoman's effort and waded out into the stream at a spot where the current washed over a shelf of submerged weeds and into a deeply undercut pool at the head of a long riffle.<br /><br />Aaron started out by showing me how to cast with the Tenkara outfit. The technique uses a motion that would not be unfamiliar to anybody who'd spent even a little time swinging a fly rod, it's just a little slower and the stroke is a little shorter than a standard overhead fly cast. The line is easy to direct and hitting your target is intuitive and quickly mastered. The temptation to use the longest line your rod will support is strong but Tenkara is all about control and control in this case means being able to hit your mark without having to choke up on the rod. <br /><br />You would be well served to carry a few extra lines of different lengths wrapped around an old spool and change them whenever the conditions warrant. Spare lines are not expensive and it literally takes only a minute or two to switch between them and is no more complicated than changing a tippet on a traditional outfit.<br /><br />A few casts in to our trip I discovered why some people do not like to use the traditional furled line. A sloppy attempt at a roll cast had solidly lodged my heavy Czech nymph in the bark of a tree branch above my head. I thought that perhaps I could just pull on the line and bring the branch down to my level which I attempted to do until the tippet broke and the line snapped back into my chest. What I was left holding in my hand looked more like spaghetti than a fly line. The braided material of the furled line acts like a spring when it is stretched and recoils into a tightly curled mess when released. The line can be worked until it is more or less straight but it takes a few minutes. Level line doesn't do that but it does not have the built in shock absorbing qualities of the Tenkara line either.<br /><br />The river we were fishing is the closest stream to Aaron's house so it isn't surprising that it didn't take him long to catch the first fish. His line twitched, he lifted the rod to set the hook and the battle was on. After a short but spirited fight he slid the net beneath the fish, all six inches of it. The fact that it was an enjoyable experience is due to the nature of the long flexible rod. Tenkara gear will handle fish up to 16 inches but is still light enough to make catching the smaller fish fun. A quick flick of the barbless hook and the tiny fish was released to grow a little larger.<br /><br />We didn't catch any more fish that rainy fall morning but we had a great time effortlessly moving along the overgrown banks and through the rushing water without a lot of extra gear to snag or weigh us down. We could easily have continued our day with steadier action by heading over to the Fraser river delta and fishing the sloughs and backwaters for coarse fish and it would be tough to imagine a better fishing method for those types of fish in those waters. <br /><br />As luck would have it however, Aaron knew a place in Mallardville that was serving an awesome cheeseburger and since the rain had started up again, we chose the option that included a fireplace, big screen TV's and a total lack of icy cold rivulets of water running down the backs of our wading jackets.<br /><br />Tenkara is made to order for the minimalist fly-fisherman. It is easy to learn, you don't have to cash in your kids savings bonds to buy the new gear and it works. If you like to do things a little different, you admire efficiency and you fish smaller waters, then this modern adaptation of an ancient method is for you.<br /><br />Maybe it isn't really a smart thing to go ahead and order a bunch of new gear because some guys you barely know on the internet suggested it might be fun. Maybe you shouldn't ignore all the innovations in the fly fishing world and go back to a method that has been kicking around for six centuries. Maybe you shouldn't have said to your wife “what that old rod? I've had that forever” and just fessed up to the fact that you went out and bought another fishing rod.<br /><br /> I'm certainly very happy I did all those things and I look forward to many wasted afternoons on mountain streams, urban rivers and lowland sloughs with nothing but a few flies in my pocket, a stick in my hand, a piece of string and a grin on my face. Tom Sawyer would have been proud.Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-86834751094495283602011-06-02T10:18:00.000-07:002011-06-02T10:19:17.579-07:00In the net, good, bad, uglyn the Net<br />The Good, The Bad, The Ugly<br />Trevor Shpeley<br /><br />“The only way three people can keep a secret is if two of them are dead.”<br /><br />The debate has been raging for as long as communication has been possible between more than two people at once. It probably started when one cavemen told his buddy from the next valley about a good spot to find eggs. The next time the original group went to their favorite spot there were no eggs left and to top it off, the others had left shells all over the place and ruined the path in. The blabbermouth caveman was promptly killed and the others swore nobody would ever leak their secrets to strangers again. We all know how that turned out.<br /><br />With the arrival of newspapers and magazines it became possible to reach masses of readers hungry for information on the best fishing and hunting spots. This saved people the trouble of physically combing the countryside or worse, listening to the rambling tales of crusty old timers which then, as now, were long on wind and short on facts.<br /><br />Picture rich articles on hidden lakes were greeted enthusiasticly by magazine reading outdoorsmen. They were greeted somewhat less enthusiasticly by fishermen that were already enjoying the watery jewels in question but as history has shown, the stories in the fishing magazines never had much more than a temporary effect on a featured water and an equilibrium was reached with only the occasional debate in a riverside pub to keep the issue alive.<br /><br />That was before the internet of course. We now live in a world where anybody can sit down at a keyboard and post whatever they like for everybody to see. That fact makes online forums a real game-changer when it comes to the issue of “hot spotting” as the practice of posting sensationalized fishing reports has become known.<br /><br />First let me say if it's not already apparent that I am a big fan of internet forums. There is simply no better way to learn new techniques, improve on old ones, discuss ethics and current events, get to know fellow fishermen or just plain brag about your latest catch. Magazines such as the one in your hand do a fine job as well and they do a much better job than the net at delivering facts that turn out to be actual facts, but there is a limit to how much information you can stuff into the confines of a magazine every month or two. <br /><br />The detractors of online forums make some very good points. Forum posts happen in real time and are seen quickly by many people. When a person writes something to the effect of, “Hey you should have been at Secret Lake yesterday, the sedges were coming off and six pound fish were slashing around like cats at a string factory,” you can be sure that within a day or two you will be hard pressed to find a spot to anchor. Hot spotting is a very real phenomenon and a fish-hungry flash mob at your favorite lake is not a pretty sight.<br /><br />So does it have to be that way? Does a fishing report have to include GPS coordinates in order to be interesting? Not at all, in fact, the trend now on many internet forums, the BCO Forum included, is to encourage you to withhold exact locations from your fishing reports. You can always communicate via personal message with people that really want to know where it is.<br /><br /> By all means tell your fishing story in all it's glory, but remember the report is just as enjoyable when it says something like “a Kamloops area lake” rather than the actual name. If somebody recognizes your lake from your pictures, good manners suggests that they keep that information to themselves and since they obviously already know the water in question, no harm is done. On the other hand, if you are fishing a large well known body of water where secrecy isn't really an issue like Roche, Tunkwa or the Fraser, well you aren't going to do any harm naming names so fire away.<br /><br />So, internet forums, good for the fishery or bad? I say good. Discussion among fishermen means a higher standard of ethics, better knowledge of proper fish handling techniques and a more unified user group. Does it have it's warts? Yes absolutely but with a little common sense and some gentle education these problems can be minimized.<br /><br />What do you think? Join the debate at http://www.bcoutdoorsmagazine.comTwotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-55064722579192933772011-06-02T10:17:00.000-07:002011-06-02T10:18:12.855-07:00In The Net Contests and Forum 101 pt2In The Net<br />Contests and Forum 101 pt2<br /><br />Contests:<br />Don't you just love a contest? This month we had two contests which wrapped up just as this column went to print.<br /><br />The first was a draw among members who could answer the skill testing question; How long has BC Outdoors been in publication? Proving that the only skill necessary to win was to look at the top of the page, nobody had any trouble finding the answer which was: “over 65 years” The prize was a 5wt Cortland Endurance rod with a Cortland 444 line and the lucky winner was xxxxxxxx<br /><br />The second contest required a little more participation. We were looking for your funniest outdoor image. Flyfishingcouple posted a picture of Tunkwa personality Richard in an outfit that made his dog Buck hide his head at the front of the boat. Kettlefisher and CU-Wader both posted pictures of their inflatables where they shouldn't be and Morris posted an interesting rendering of a lonely deer hunter.<br /><br />The prizes we gave away were a Dragonfly 7wt full sink flyline and a Rio Outbound wf6f Coldwater. Congratulations (and the lines) go to xxxxxxxxxx<br /><br />Forum 101 pt2 <br />There is one question that gets asked by new forum participants more than any other. “How do I add pictures to my posts?” Posting pictures requires learning a few simple procedures that once you've mastered them will cause you no trouble at all from that point forward.<br /><br />Step one:<br />Start your own BCO photo album. Why? Because in order to attach a picture to your forum post, that picture must be hosted somewhere else. It doesn't have to go far, the BCO forum has it's own gallery where you can place all your outdoors pictures for online sharing. You can also post videos to your gallery which you can then share by simply sending somebody the address instead of having to mail the whole bulky file.<br /><br />To get started, go to the black menu bar near the top of the BCO Forum page and click on “Trophy Wall”. After the page opens, click on “Members Gallery” and when that page loads you will see on the far right a menu item called “New Album”, click on that.<br /><br />Give your album a name, usually your username, and follow instructions to finish creating your personal album and start filling it with pictures. Don't be shy about loading it up, a photo album with no photos is kind of pointless after all.<br /><br />Step two:<br />Step one was all the heavy lifting, step two is a piece of cake. It's time to attach your photo to a post. <br /><br />Go to your album and click on the picture you wish to post. It is very important that you bring up the full sized picture. One of the most common mistakes is performing the following actions to the thumbnail instead of the large picture.<br /><br />Right click on the picture and when the little menu box pops up, select “properties” and look for the “image address” or “image url” On some browsers such as Google Chrome, you don't have to go to properties, you can just click on “copy image url” What you are trying to achieve is to get the address of the picture itself and not the address of the page the picture is on. Once you get it the first time you will never have a problem finding it again. Copy that address to your clipboard. (right click then copy or just press ctrl C on a windows computer)<br /><br />Start a post in the usual way, either by starting a new thread or replying in an existing one. When your workspace for the new post pops up, place your cursor where you want your picture to be and look for the “Insert Image” icon. It looks like a little framed picture and sits just above the text entry box. If you are like me and the tiny icons look like little fuzzy blobs, just hover your mouse over them and the label will pop up. Click on the icon.<br /><br />When the dialog box pops up, paste the address of your picture in the box that says “http//”, then click “insert image” and that's it, your picture is posted. If it doesn't work after a few tries, send me a message and I'll help you figure it out.<br /><br />So there you go, Join the BCO Forums, make yourself an album and show us what you caught!Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-17948824921875803242011-01-31T21:16:00.000-08:002011-01-31T21:17:20.655-08:00In the Net 1 - BCO Dec 2010In the Net <br />Trevor Shpeley<br />October 1, 2010<br /><br />They don't generally go by their real names. They give themselves peculiar nick-names like “Swamp Donkey”, “Fishhead” and “Woody”. They come into your living room late at night, haunt your den, your bedroom, sometimes even invade your workplace. They are not a gang of crazed hillbillies up to no good, in fact they are doctors, police officers, lawyers, plumbers and millworkers. They are your friends, they are people you have never met, they are the members of an online discussion forum.<br /><br />When I joined my first fishing forum about 10 years ago, I started out with a few tentative posts and before I knew it, it was as if I had known those people for years and everybody I was fishing with was someone I met on the net. I remember the conversation I had with my then 14 year old daughter when after delivering many fire and brimstone lectures on the importance of internet safety I told her I was going into the woods to meet a guy I met online to go fishing. *Awkward*<br /><br />This the first of what will become a regular column reporting on the antics, exploits and accomplishments of the members of the new and improved BC Outdoors discussion forums. Great fish stories will be re-told and some of them might actually be true! We will print any pictures we find particularly interesting, touch on the highlights of popular threads and use this space to announce contest winners. In other words, “In The Net” will be the newsletter of the BC Outdoors online community.<br /><br />To sign up go to WWW.bcoutdoorsmagazine.com, click on the forums button up near the top and then click on “register”. Answer a few questions, pick a catchy screen name and password and you're ready to go. Don't worry if you know less about computers than a teenager knows about hygiene, the BCO forum is easy to use and it's denizens are friendly and eager to help new people get their feet on the ground.<br /><br />So what is an internet forum and why would you bother?<br /><br />The BCO forum is your chance to have your voice heard directly by the editors and writers of BC Outdoors Magazine as well as an opportunity to interact with other people who share similar interests. You can be a passive observer if you wish or you can join in at whatever level you feel comfortable. The forum is well moderated and is considered a family environment. <br /><br />The forums are also a place for contests. Photo and essay contests will be frequent and in addition to great prizes, you may find your prose or pictures published in the magazine. All members receive an online photo album and are encouraged to use it.<br /><br />Are you buying a waterproof camera but don't know which one to buy? How about new wading boots? You might not have tried them all but somebody on the board probably has. Going to an unfamiliar area in May and you want to know what lakes will be ice free? No problem, somebody on the forum will know. Ask and you shall receive.<br /><br />The BCO forums are also a place to discuss articles that have appeared in the magazine. You may have further insight into the subject of a recent piece or perhaps you would like to discuss the points and opinions the writer has presented. BC Outdoors contributors are encouraged to take part in these discussions but remember that not every writer has the time or opportunity to participate.<br /><br />Feel free to discuss the content and theme of an article but please treat our writers kindly, they work hard at what they do and would you really want strangers coming into your workplace and telling you how they think you could do your job better? Personal attacks have no place on the BC Outdoors Forum, it's a pleasant place to spend time and we'd like to keep it that way thanks.<br /><br />So there you go. Contests with great prizes, a chance to have a voice in your favourite magazine, lively discussion with like-minded people, photo hosting, outdoor news as it happens, potential fishing buddies and a way to keep a part of your mind out in the woods while you are stuck in the office. Short of winning the “buy whatever you want and fish all day” lottery, what more could an outdoors person want?<br /><br />Sign up today at www.bcoutdoorsmagazine.com and join the fun!Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-77741806090173346072010-11-07T15:16:00.000-08:002010-11-07T15:17:28.436-08:00Squaw Valley - published BC Outdoors Nov/Dec2010Squaw Valley/Silver Hills Loop<br />A Breathe of Fresh Air High Above the Shuswap River<br /><br />Story by Trevor Shpeley<br />Photos by Travis Shpeley<br /><br />I was pretty sure what I was looking at was a bear. It was cinnamon brown, it was big, round and hairy and it seemed to only have one ear. I gave it a second look and with a subtle shift in perception I realized I was looking at the back end of a bear while the front end was totally engrossed in ripping apart a rotten cedar log that was lying on the ground just off the Silver Hills Forest Service Road. <br /><br />I stopped the truck to get a good look and after a quick stand up survey from the hungry bruin it was obvious that the bear ranked me only slightly above a Hamster in terms of the potential threat and danger I represented and with a contemptuous snort the unconcerned bear went back to his grubs or whatever tasty bug was on the menu that day. After watching him for quite awhile, I continued my drive around the wildlife-rich Squaw Valley/Silver Hills FSR loop confident that the bear was not the last forest creature I would be observing that day.<br /><br />At just 50 kilometres long, the Squaw Valley/Silver Hills route is the perfect length for a day trip to escape the stale air and sullen heat of the Provincial campground in the valley below and enjoy a few hours of fresh cool breeze, animal viewing and maybe a little fishing or canoeing. For those who would like to stay awhile there are some limited opportunities for rustic overnight camping on some of the waters discussed here but it would be a bit of a stretch to call this a major camping destination due to the sometimes difficult access and the lack of full facilities at most of the small recreation sites.<br /><br />It would also be a little optimistic to treat the lakes in this area as serious fishing destinations. That's not to say the fish aren't willing or that they aren't a joy to catch, especially the colourful little Brook Trout in Kathy Lake, it's just that the short growing season and limited nutrients in these waters tend toward adult fish being somewhat smaller though no less feisty than their cousins in the lower level, more fertile lakes.<br /><br />If you are planning to fish, all the usual suspects apply. Leeches, Balanced Woolly Buggers, Mayfly Nymphs, Chironomids, Bloodworms and Sedge patterns all work well. The hatches are all delayed due to altitude and there are still plenty of sedges fluttering around in mid August.<br /><br />Starting from Mabel Lake Road, ten kilometres North of the bridge across the Shuswap and six kilometres South of Mabel lake provincial park, the Squaw Valley road heads East into the forest from a small bridge across Mabel Lake Road beside a large sign for the Silver Hills Lifestyles resort. Old and yet still functioning iron irrigation pipes leading from a small water control dam are visible from the road as you climb through the Birch and Pine trees that line the creek tumbling down to it's rendezvous with the Shuswap River in the farmland below.<br /><br />Before long the narrow creek valley opens up onto the working lands of the Squaw Valley ranch. Open hay fields and fenced pasture have been carved from the rolling hills and a large first nations inspired carving announces your entry to the ranch proper. People and animals live and work on both sides of the road so please watch your speed and be alert to unexpected company on the road you are sharing with these permanent residents.<br /><br />Shortly after you leave the ranch you cross the parking area of the Lumby/Mabel Lake Snowmobile Club and face a choice of roads to your left and right. For the purposes of this article you want to take the road that climbs off to your right, the road identified on maps as the Silver Hills FSR but somewhat confusedly signed as the “Ireland Creek FSR on the road itself. Disregard the disagreement between the map books and the roadside sign and begin the long climb up the switchbacks from the valley bottom to the 4300 foot top of the ridge-line that separates the Mabel Lake valley to the West from the Sugar Lake basin in the East. The climb will be fine for any vehicle with reasonable clearance but a moment or two of inattention could result in a long lonely walk back down the mountain to the nearest phone.<br /><br />Wildflowers carpet the road as you climb out of the valley and the Pine, Birch and Aspen of the lowlands give over to the towering Hemlock and Cedars of the ridge top. The forest floor goes from hard and dry to soft and mossy and small burbling streams cross under the road at frequent intervals. <br /><br />Eventually you will reach the top of the ridge and it is possible to look behind you into Mabel lake and the lower Shuswap river while in front of you, Sugar Lake and the Upper Shuswap river valley can be seen in the distance. Picture yourself in the open space near the bottom of a capital “U” with the Shuswap river being the “U”. Spectacular panoramic pictures are possible but to get a good one you would want to time your visit to occur sometime outside of the forest fire season or the smoke in the valleys will make great pictures impossible.<br /><br />Approximately 20 kilometres from the beginning of the road an unmarked side road heads off to your left and up the hill to Sigalet and Haggkvist lakes. The road to this point has been bumpy but fully passable by any vehicle with reasonable clearance. The road to Sigalet is fine with any high clearance two wheel drive but if you should decide to visit Haggkvist Lake by means of the short access road that splits off to the right about a kilometre up the Sigalet Lake road, you must, and I can't emphasize the word “must” enough, have a very competent four wheel drive vehicle. The road is very rough, very tight and involves a rock climb which would quickly tear the drive-train out of any vehicle not up to the task of navigating it. There are no campsites at the lake, no real boat launch and precious little room to turn around which should be OK because you aren't getting a trailer in there anyway.<br /><br />For most people Haggkvist is best left as a walk-in lake however if you are observant and pay careful attention to clues on the roadside and the screen of your GPS, you may just find a hidden trail or two leading off the Sigalet Lake road that will save the adventurous float tuber a lot of walking and wear and tear on the truck.<br /><br />Sigalet lake is a gorgeous little lake first thing in the morning when the fog is thick off the mirror smooth water and crisp window panes of ice trace the edge of the crude boat launch as is common for much of the short season. There are two or three small camp spots at this tiny rec site and trailering in a cartopper is no problem. The water is very clear and a depth finder is useful for mapping out the detailed bottom structure along the shoreline. Anchoring and casting works very well as does trolling a small leach or Mayfly nymph.<br /><br />Back down on the main FSR assuming you haven't left your vehicle on the Haggkvist lake road as a permanent monument to your inability to heed a strongly worded warning, the road meanders about about the top of the ridge, passing through prime bear and Moose territory before beginning it's gentle drop back down the mountainside. Free ranging cattle are everywhere and as likely to be in the middle of the road as off it. When you come to them just drive up to them very slowly, they will eventually move out of the way once they realize you aren't the truck with the hay.<br /><br />As in any backroad adventure, a GPS and a backroads mapbook will not only ease your navigation tasks, they will raise the level of your enjoyment, exposing you to sights and features you would drive right past without even being aware of them otherwise. Such is the case here for as you begin to head back down the hill you will spy on your screen a medium sized lake sliding by just to your left with no visible indications of it's existence. It will seem like you are driving away from the lake but not to worry, you will come back to it.<br /><br />Ignore the tempting old grown-over fire road you come across that seems to lead straight to the lake and continue on until you come to another well travelled FSR that turns back almost 180 degrees to the road you are on, this is the Sugar/Holstien FSR.. Take that road for a half a kilometre or so and you will find a rough road heading up the hill to your left and your mapbook and GPS will confirm that this is the road that goes to Holstien lake. While not as severe as the road to Haggkvist, this is still not a road to be attempted in your family car especially one you might have some sort of attachment to. High clearance 2WD is good, 4x4 would be better especially if the road is wet.<br /><br />Holstien lake is a relatively small piece of water, bordered in rich green grasses and open to the sky on all sides. There are a couple of decent unimproved camp sites at the end of the short access road but no other facilities. Holstien Lake would be a great place to just drift in a canoe with nothing but the sound of the wind and the occasional moose grazing the marshy shoreline for company. There are fish in this seldom visited water and there are even rumours of large fish being spotted but you couldn't prove it by me from the several trips I have made here. The smaller fish are tons of fun and there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.<br /><br />Once you get back to the main road it's only about another kilometre to Kathy Lake. Kathy has Brook Trout and Rainbows and they both come readily to the fly. The water is crystal clear and extensive mats of weeds are visible along the bottom making cruising fish tougher to spot but also pretty much guaranteeing they will be there eventually. The Brook trout in the fall move up into the shallower water and even the smallest fish look like a Van Gogh painting when you get them into your net. <br /><br />The Campground at Kathy Lake is the largest in the area with four or five spots. There are hiking trails in the bushes around the lake and quad trails in the vicinity.<br /><br />The rest of the road down to where it joins Sigalet Road on the valley bottom is gentle switchbacks with the occasional eye opener of a drop to the creek bed to keep you on your toes. A picture perfect view of the surrounding farmland and the hills above Mabel lake presents itself shortly after you hit pavement and would make a great postcard to show your friends back in the dreary city. Sigalet Road deposits you back on Mabel Lake Road, two kilometres South of your starting point.<br /><br />Quick side trips in the immediate area<br /><br />Mabel Lake Provincial Park<br />Mabel Lake provincial Park sits at the South end of Mabel Lake and is a very popular spot for the trailer and motorhome set. 81 Vehicle sites, good boat launching, swimming and playgrounds combine to lure thousands of visitors every summer, especially when the Spring Salmon move into the lake in July and August. Even when the Salmon are absent however Mabel is known for good fishing for large Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Lake Trout, Whitefish and Kokanee. Trolling is most popular but try fly fishing with fry patterns around the creek mouths in early spring. <br /><br />As always, check the fresh water fishing regulations before you fish any unfamiliar waters and if you haven't called ahead, watch for roadside signs in the village of Lumby advising as to the availability of campsites in this popular park. As of this writing single campsite reservations are not possible.<br /><br />Cascade Falls<br />These approachable and very scenic waterfalls are reached by foot up a short, 500 foot trail that leads from the centre of a sharp U-shaped corner approximately 15K from Mabel Lake Provincial Park. Look for an unmarked two car parking area in the middle of the corner. The trail is not really suitable for those with walking difficulties but anybody else with moderate fitness should be fine. Take the trail to the left, the right hand trail leads to an outhouse and small picnic facilities.<br /><br />The falls themselves spread a thin veil of water over a mossy rock face approximately 25 meters high into a shallow pool. For the classic waterfall picture, put your camera on a tripod and set your shutter to the slowest speed it will go. Digital cameras allow you to experiment a little until you get one you are happy with. Late spring is the best time to view Cascade Falls. Don't leave your camera in the spray too long!<br /><br />Mystic Beach Trail<br />About two Kilometres North of Cascade falls, you will see a tree on the left completely covered in footwear of all descriptions. This is the head of the Mystic Beach trail. The short path down to the water is full of surprises including a small log cabin housing Goldilocks and the Three Bears, strange sculptures made of bones and moss, fantasy castles, bat houses, spider webs, old dolls in various degrees of decrepitude, and tiny wooden furniture. Almost everything else that can be imagined and some that can't will be seen here. There is even an “Inukshuk garden” along the shoreline at the end of the trail. This trail is not a commercial venture nor is it commercially slick but it is moody and interesting and it is lovingly maintained by those that add to it. If you visit, take nothing and damage nothing, a lot of people, many of them children have worked hard to make this enchanting little trail what it is.<br /><br />Shuswap Falls, Wilsey Dam<br />The Wilsey Dam was originally constructed in 1929 by the West Canadian Hydro Electric Corporation. The dam was built as a “run of the river” type project at the site of the 21 meter Shuswap Falls with a spillway constructed just to the North of the falls. Later a reservoir was constructed by damming the outlet of Sugar Lake which added another 5.2 MW of generating capacity to the Wilsey site. The Wilsey Dam supplied most of the power for the North Okanagan for 22 years until 1951 and is still in operation today.<br /><br />Today the Shuswap falls recreation site offers a large picnic area, 40 car parking, a hiking and canoe portage trail, viewing platforms and restroom facilities. Visit the Wilsey Dam in late spring for the most dramatic photos of the spillway in full flow directly beneath the raised viewing platform. The river is fenced off but dogs will have no trouble getting through to the river if they have a mind to and if they fall into the strong current, there would be little possibility of a rescue so please keep your pets on a leash in this scenic historic park.Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-30267905364720844032010-11-07T15:14:00.000-08:002010-11-07T15:15:30.299-08:00The Cowboy Way - Published BC Outdoors, Nov/Dec2010The Cowboy Way<br />Riding on the Trail of the Original Bucket Brigade<br /><br />Story and photos by<br />Trevor Shpeley<br /><br />“I wonder if that guy sees me?” was my nervous thought as I watched the grill of the huge Ford get larger and my chances of collecting old age pension get smaller. It didn't really seem reasonable that he hadn't seen me given that my 250 pound self was perched fairly high off the ground on the seat of my 400 pound motorcycle which had all my camping and fishing gear piled on top of it like some sort of hillbilly moving van. There was that and the fact that while the bike was wearing a subdued and tasteful green, I was wearing a bright yellow jacket that could probably be seen from space.<br /><br />That wouldn't be the last time on this trip to trace the footsteps of the original Kamloops fish planters that I would have a sudden yearning for the comfort, payload and ability to soak up the impact of a large domestic automobile that the 4x4 sitting at home in my driveway offered. <br /><br />My mission hastily conceived on a cold winter’s night over Christmas ale and a copy of Steve Raymond's iconic book, “Kamloops, an Anglers Study of the Kamloops Trout” was to try and experience the lakes of the Southern Interior Plataea in a way that was at least similar to the way the early pioneers might have. In other words, I wanted to be out in the open, exposed to the weather with my bed roll and fishing rod tied to the saddle behind me in a tidy yet manly way while I rode with my face in the wind, making my way from one lake to the next stopping only to fish, drink strong coffee and sleep under the stars while coyotes howled and the fire crackled merrily.<br /><br />That was the theory anyway. The reality is, I don't own a horse. In fact, I have an unspoken agreement with the equine community that I will make no effort whatsoever to climb onto one of their backs and they in turn will refrain from biting, kicking or otherwise maiming me in any way. I do however own a motorcycle, in fact I own a bunch of them and one in particular, my 30 year old BMW seemed like the perfect steed for the task. It's reliable, it can carry a lot of gear and most importantly, it doesn't bite.<br /><br />In Mr Raymond's book, he tells the story of how in 1812, the year that Fort Kamloops was built, the Kamloops trout as we know them today were limited to a small number of local lakes. They are all waters that are now or were at one time connected to the ocean and had been colonized by migrating Steelhead traveling inland from the Pacific Ocean and spawning offspring that were much less enthusiastic about the long swim back to the coast than their parents had been.<br /><br />The fishing was fantastic for these huge silver trout and in time, the colonists started to wonder what would happen if they were to plant these hard fighting, fast growing fish in the hundreds of mostly barren lakes that dot the Southern Interior Plateau. They did this, both officially and unofficially on horseback with buckets full of fish kept alive on the long journeys by frequent water changes and tender loving care. After they had placed a bunch of fry or a handful of mature fish in a lake they would go back to their farms to wait and see what happened.<br /><br />What happened was pandemonium. The fish fed wildly on the huge supply of food in the fertile lakes and grew to unheard of sizes in unheard of numbers. Incredible fishing stories from those times are still spoken of in hushed tones around campfires today. A commercial fishery flourished briefly and suddenly, people were coming to the interior of BC for recreation and not just cows, trains or shiny rocks. Resorts sprang up, guiding became a good way to make a living and the fame of the Kamloops trout spread.<br /><br />For thirty years the industry boomed and then over time, settled into the quieter, yet still world famous fishery we know today.<br /><br />And that brings us back to the here and now. Now being the summer of 2010 and here being the left hand turn lane at the intersection of HWY 5 and Paul Lake rd. The big Ford is getting closer and I'm watching the eyes of the gentleman at the wheel for some sign that he sees me and understands that he doesn't really need to cut the corner and turn yours-truly into an unsightly road stain. That recognition finally comes and with a mighty squeal of unhappy brakes I am granted reprieve and allowed to continue my trek down the pathways of my long passed benefactors.<br /><br />The route I chose included lakes that would have been within a few days travel for the early Kamloops fisherman and would also have played a significant role in the early spread of Kamloops trout across the plateau. I decided to start in town, ride out to Paul and Pinantan lakes, double back and head up the hill to Knouff, go back down into town, ride north to Kamloops Lake, and then cross over the hills to Lac le Jeune. <br /><br />Paul Lake was one of the first lakes stocked by the government in their efforts to extend the range of the Kamloops trout. In 1908 they planted 5000 fry from the Shuswap into the lake and within a short time the now mature adults were spawning in the tributary streams and a vigorous fishery was born. A road was built in 1924 to accommodate people tired of bushwhacking into their new favourite lake and as I guide the bike through the ravines and tangled Birch groves I have no difficulty picturing this same trip taken in a wagon full of happy campers.<br /><br />Things have changed a bit in the hundred years since the days of that first planting. People still fish Paul and Pinantan lakes and big fish still swim in those waters but the areas recreational qualities such as the large Provincial campground, beach and picnic area and the cottages that surround the lakes have taken over from the hard core fisherman. Today Paul and Pinantan lakes have become favourite vacation spots for Kamloops residents as perhaps they were even a century ago.<br /><br />As charming as this area is it wasn't really what I was looking for in terms of fishing and camping in a rustic “old-timey” way so I didn't even get off the bike, instead I turned around and headed up the road to Knouff Lake.<br /><br />In 1917 it took Len Phillips and his son five days to carry a bucket full of trout from Paul Lake up to Knouff Lake. It didn't take me quite that long, in fact it probably took the Philips longer to hitch up their horses and convince them that carrying heavy buckets of water up a hill for the better part of a week was a good idea than it took me to ride the short distance up HWY 5 to the turnoff for Knouff.<br /><br />The Philips released nine mature trout into Knouff Lake that were then left to do their thing for three years and when a party of locals finally made their way back up to the lake to see if any of the trout had survived they were astounded by the numbers and size of the fish they found. Many fish over 15 pounds were caught that first day and within a few years, Knouff Lake became famous for perhaps the best lake dry fly fishing in the world. <br /><br />I've fished Knouff many times so I knew better than to believe I was going to find fish the size of Harbour Seals slashing at giant Sedges on the day I arrived at the recreation site down the road from the tidy modern resort at the tip of the lake. My faithful BMW was perfectly happy cruising up the dirt road from the valley below but I was glad it hadn't rained and turned the dirt into the slick mud the area is so well known for.<br /><br />I put up my old tent, the one optimistically rated for “two men,” which might actually be true provided one of the men was 22 inches tall and weighed eight pounds. It's not exactly sleeping under the stars but I could see the stars through the hole a Chipmunk up at the Cathedral Lakes had chewed on its way to my stash of sesame snaps. A total fire ban meant there would be no crackling blaze to lull me to sleep but that's OK, I was still getting plenty of heat from the burn on my leg where it had touched the BMW's hot exhaust pipe while I untied my tidy yet manly bedroll. Apparently my bike bites after all.<br /><br />I looked out at the lake and then I looked back at the float tube tied to the back of the Beemer. Then I looked at the tiny bicycle pump I had brought to inflate the floattube and decided that it just wouldn't be right for me to harass the descendents of the Philips first fish so instead I squeezed a goodly portion of myself into the tent which had seemed so roomy just 20 short years ago and settled in to sleep under a sky I was sure hadn't changed at all since the first man lay down beside this lake and marvelled at the sight of it.<br /><br />The next morning, still undecided as to whether or not cavorting teenagers were roughly equivalent to howling coyotes, I loaded up the bike and rode down into sleepy Kamloops for a Bagel and a Double Double. Thus fortified in the traditional cowboy way, I roared up the hill out of town and turned North along the huge lake that started it all.<br /><br />You don't even have squint to imagine Kamloops Lake as it looked two hundred years ago. The ancestry of the grass and sage you see today could probably be traced plant by plant back through time immemorial. Stare at the windswept water and lonely hills long enough and you begin to understand what a brief blip in time we men occupy and how quickly we will be erased after we are gone. I find it hard to imagine a more suitable location for the birth of a legendary fish and I am mystified by the endless lines of motor-homes and transport trucks that stream by without even seeming to see it.<br /><br />The road through the hills past Tunkwa, Leighton and Logan lakes is a delight on the bike. I glance longingly at Tunkwa through the trees with its grasslands reserve, feral horses and epic Bomber hatch and regretfully continue south to Lac Le Jeune. My newly discovered aversion to performing the twenty or thirty thousand strokes it would take for my small emergency pump to make my floattube seaworthy have made me shift the focus of this trip away from fishing and into pure sightseeing. If I hurry I can still get home with enough time off to grab my truck and get back out here for some fishing that doesn't involve more exercise than playing ping pong with a troop of caffeinated spider monkeys.<br /><br />I've been to Lac Le Jeune before so I knew what to expect. The large provincial campground has been ravaged by the Mountain Pine Beetle but it is still a nice quiet place for family camping thanks to the vigilance of the Parks staff. The lake is ringed in cottages and private resorts and bucket sized swirls in the water attest to the fact that LLJ still fishes well.<br /><br />It's been a long time since Lac Le Jeune was known as Fish Lake and supported a commercial fishery where a good fisherman could pull in $500 a month trolling for Kamloops Trout. There are accounts of incredible catches and nobody ever had too much trouble catching their 50 fish per day limit. Well I'm here to tell you those days are long gone and I for one am thankful. It's hard to picture Lac Le Jeune as it was back in those heady days but its pretty nice now and what would I do with 50 fish anyway? <br /><br />On the ride back to Vernon I found myself reminiscing about my all too short trip through old Kamloops and I wondered if those early pioneers had any idea or real appreciation of what an amazing gift they had received in those first few years after they had sprinkled Trout across the Interior like Jonny Appleseed on a cider binge. Then I think back to the pictures of the smiling men and women with their long greenheart rods and planks covered with fish and I think, “Oh yeah, they knew alright”Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-19701525109288736132010-09-06T09:52:00.000-07:002010-11-07T15:19:39.985-08:00The Summerland-Princeton road - Published BC Outdoors Sept/Oct 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcNL31TWCGeAQtzf6iyGQxttcT0_2fgKYF4Plo_4Wxqq6eJ5boIm5SH7SRQH9k7fnFNvk3x0GHngclxv6eqN8kQqZG7WJ8dy7psw3H5oUTcib_GSF1UIW1KxdFOkT0uDN3hiipcK33A/s1600/old+cabin.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcNL31TWCGeAQtzf6iyGQxttcT0_2fgKYF4Plo_4Wxqq6eJ5boIm5SH7SRQH9k7fnFNvk3x0GHngclxv6eqN8kQqZG7WJ8dy7psw3H5oUTcib_GSF1UIW1KxdFOkT0uDN3hiipcK33A/s200/old+cabin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513845312983104034" /></a><br />The Summerland-Princeton road<br />A kinder, gentler backroad experience<br /><br />Story and photos by Trevor Shpeley<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Roughly following the old Kettle Valley Railroad which has recently become a popular section of the Trans/Canada Trail, the Summerland-Princeton road isn't the longest backroad you will ever see chronicled on these pages. Nor is it the most rugged, in fact this road is very well suited for most any type of vehicle including big dual purpose touring motorcycles as long as they are driven sensibly and with caution. What it is however is a riveting, beautiful drive past cottage ringed lakes, meandering streams and emerald valleys that lie beneath grass covered mountainsides that would not seem out of place on a Swiss postcard. <br /><br />The Kettle Valley Railroad was completed in 1914 to allow for the transportation of silver from the bustling mines of the Kootneys, through the mountains and down to the BC coast. Considered an engineering marvel even today, the KVR was decommissioned in the 1980's and it's 600KM of track, bridges and tunnels left to fade gracefully into disrepair and eventual oblivion. Happily however this was not to be the fate of this understated treasure and in recent years, community fund raising and contributions from both provincial and federal governments have combined to partially preserve the historic railbed for multi-use recreation.<br /><br />In 1992, large chunks of the KVR were proposed for incorporation into the Trans/Canada Trail network and what was once a little known rail right-of-way has since become known the world over as a unique sought-after destination for adventurous cyclists and hikers. The Summerland-Princeton road crosses the KVR railbed several times and many relics of the golden age of rail travel are visible from the road where the two paths run in proximity. You can even ride in a lovingly restored 1912 steam engine train along 16 kilometres of scenic track on the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. Check the website for schedules and more information. http://www.kettlevalleyrail.org/ <br /><br />The Summerland-Princeton road can be travelled in either direction but for the purposes of this article all kilometre references will be made from the Summerland end. Distances are approximate due to the vagaries of odometer calibration and an off road mapbook used in conjunction with a GPS device is highly recommended.<br /><br />Every journey has a beginning and ours is in the sleepy village of Summerland. The quiet town of 12000 residents rests in the cool green hills above Okanagan Lake, just north of the city of Penticton. It is the perfect place to load up on fresh Okanagan fruit and locally sourced ice cream before you head out on your backroad adventure. From downtown, take the Prairie Valley road until you reach Denike road. When you come to a “T” intersection, turn right onto the Summerland-Princeton road. Set your odometer to zero at this point. <br /><br />The first part of the drive has you climbing up from the Okanagan valley as Trout Creek descends through the valley to your left. Cattle roam freely beside, on and across the road and running over one is unlikely to win you any friends with the local ranchers, your insurance adjuster or the cow for that matter. Drive with care and expect livestock on the road at every turn. <br /><br />Hawks surf the updraughts over the fields looking for tasty rodents on the ground while the local deer do their best to ignore you completely as they wander around doing whatever it is deer do when they aren't in any particular hurry. To treat this road as a 'point A” to “point B” thoroughfare would be to totally miss the point of the trip. Wildlife and scenic vistas are all around you every step of the way and it would be criminal not to open your eyes and take it all in so by all means, take your time and enjoy everything the area has to offer.<br /><br />At K11, you come to the first of many Forestry Recreation Campsites. At the time of this writing there is no sign to be found on the roadside either naming this site or pointing out the access road however you will have no problem spotting the half dozen or so clean well-spaced campsites perched on the top of a precipitous hillside overlooking the Trout Creek valley. Watch for the access road that crosses the field to the camping area. The view is expansive, the breeze refreshing and there is plenty of room in the undeveloped area for overflow or a quick game of Frisbee with the dog.<br /><br />20 kilometres in, the road drops down to cross Trout Creek for the first time. A small rec site of four campsites runs alongside the creek. Like most of the roadside recreation sites on this trip, there are outhouse facilities and visitors do a pretty good job keeping them clean. This seems like as good a place as any to ask you, the visitor, to also do your part. If you pack it in, pack it out. Nobody is going to clean up after you so a little consideration will go a long way towards keeping this area a destination worth travelling to.<br /><br />For the next 10 kilometres you will travel alongside Trout Creek as it meanders through low brush and forested canyon on its wandering journey through the valley. Scattered unimproved campsites line the creekside and if you look carefully, you can see the continuing efforts of the Okanagan First Nations peoples and local forestry companies in rehabilitating Trout Creek to improve habitat for its namesake. Both Rainbow Trout and Brook Trout exist in the creek and although the fish have recently faced significant challenges, work continues towards this goal.<br /><br />At K29, the valley opens up to fields of long grass sprinkled with the ruins of old pioneer cabins, rickety bridges and fences that look like they were made the hard way. Nesting boxes from the Northern Interior Bluebird Trail pop up here and there along the roadside and it goes without saying that the boxes should be left unmolested, even by people with the best of intentions. <br /><br />This area is a photographers dream and on a sunny day the siren call of the burbling stream and the lush green field can be overwhelming but please remember that much of this area is the private property of a working ranch and should not be trespassed upon except by permission of the ranch owners. If you do secure permission to cross private property be sure to respect the gates and never, ever, leave an opening in a fence where a person’s livelihood can escape.<br /><br />A large open camping area popular with the ATV and off-road motorcycle crowd sits just off the road at K32. This is also where the Glen Lake FSR meets up with the Summerland-Princeton road and leads up into the hills towards the Headwaters lakes, Brenda Mine rd and points beyond including Hathume Lake, Penask Lake and many others before finally dropping down into Bear Creek Park across the lake from the city of Kelowna. To take this route you would want to have a high clearance vehicle and a solid understanding of how to use the previously discussed mapbooks and GPS.<br /><br />At K36 you can look through the trees and spy the impressive newly rebuilt spillway and curved concrete wall of the Thirsk Lake reservoir dam. The dam and spillway were raised 15 feet in 2006 in response to crippling water shortages downstream in Summerland that necessitated the complete shutdown of water flow in Trout Creek for a time during the summer of 2004. The 2005 Trout Creek Water Use Plan Agreement which called for a 96% increase in water storage capacity, expanding the Thirsk Reservoir by 3100 million litres also set triggers for water restriction that have helped to ensure the water is never again turned off to the fish in the creek while still maintaining a reliable water supply for the residents of Summerland.<br /><br />Reports suggest that fish populations are rebounding in Trout Creek however the expansion of the Thirsk reservoir has resulted in the flooding of the recreation campsite there and the decommissioning of the lake access road. Visitors are greeted by a tall chain link fence that runs alongside the road the whole length of the lake but happily, there are a number of traveller friendly waters just a short drive down the road.<br /><br />K46 is the end of the dirt road and the start of the Osprey Lake cottage country. People have been vacationing in the Osprey Lake area for a very long time but the area has lost little of its slow paced country charm. Bruce Merit, owner of the Osprey Lake Retreat has lived on Osprey Lake for five years and in that time has seen the fishing improve significantly in numbers if not in size. Four pound rainbows are still found occasionally among the generally medium sized fish more commonly encountered and trollers happily rub elbows with flyfishers on this popular lake. Bruce recommends flyfishers bring along some Pumpkin heads in various colours, a selection of micro-leaches and to tie their Chironomids with a peacock or dubbed fur thorax. <br /><br />B&B's and private campgrounds are sprinkled liberally throughout the lake zone and range from the rustic to the truly decadent. Travellers with time on their hands could do far worse than to spend a few days enjoying this area.<br /><br />A quick left turn onto Aguar rd at K49 will lead you down a short drive to the recreation site on Link Lake. Smaller than its neighbour Osprey Lake, Link is much better suited to flyfishers and is reputed to have somewhat larger fish. It is also better sheltered from the prevailing winds and on the day I was there earlier this year there was a huge Chironomid hatch in progress. The recreation site is roomy and trailer friendly. The Mountain Pine Beetle has had its way here but the site has fared better than some of the other campgrounds in the interior.<br /><br />At K50, You will come to the Tee-Pee lakes store and resort. The three semi-private lakes collectively known as Tee-Pee lakes have had a continuously operating fishing lodge since at least the 1940's. I remember seeing their ads in BC outdoors for as long as I've been reading the magazine and as a young teen, I finally got to go on a trip to this fabled (for me anyway) destination. The trip marked a number of firsts. It was my first trip to a real fish camp, the first time I got to accompany my Dad and his cronies on a guy weekend and the first time I ever had a fishing rod yanked out of my boat by a fish.<br /><br />I had only turned away for a moment when there was a scrape, then a splash, then nothing but a ripple where my fishing rod had been. I was devastated, fishing rods didn't grow on trees in those days, even less so than now, but after only about 10 minutes of making long faces at the water, the bubble float my nymph had been suspended under popped to the surface and I was able to grab it and the fish that had tried to steal my gear. The Rainbow was all of nine inches long and it was delicious, made more so by the heartfelt relief of recovering my rod. <br /><br />I learned two important lessons that day. One, it aint over till it's over, a little patience will often get your gear back provided something on it floats and two, always hang on to your rod, a fish doesn't have to be huge to pull it over the side.<br /><br />It's been more than 30 years since that trip but other than the addition of some fancy new cabins and the subtraction of a few trees, the resort hasn't changed much at all. There are the same old wooden cabins and the lakes still look and fish pretty much exactly as they did back then. A happy half hour spent watching the spawning channel proved to me that there are still some decent fish to be had. If you go, be sure to pick up the key to the gate at the store BEFORE you head up the road to the lakes.<br /><br />For the truly adventurous, Eastmere and Westmere lakes are two walk in lakes being managed as quality fisheries in the hills high above Osprey lake. If you decide to try and find them, you are going to need a good four wheel drive (a truck, not an AWD soccer-mom special) and you are going to need that mapbook and GPS. You are also going to need to bring a friend that you can talk into walking back down the mountain to get help if you get stuck.<br /><br />BTW – If you see a pair of jeans with mud soaked up to the pockets stuck to some branches over a washout, you probably shouldn't take that as a challenge and try to cross it anyway. Don't ask me how I know.<br /><br />Back down in the valley on the paved road heading west once again you pass through the community of Bakier and alongside Chain Lake. Chain is very long and narrow and has cottages and B&B's most of the way around it. The fish are not huge here but it's an idyllic lake to putt along in a small boat on a long afternoon and it's not always about big fish right?<br /><br />Several small to medium sized campsites line the roadside on Chain Lake and these are the last rec sites before Princeton.<br /><br />From Chain Lake to the grasslands near Princeton and beyond the road is a motorcyclists dream but would not be too big of a handful for travellers with large trailers or motorhomes. The valley is carpeted in Lodgepole Pine and hidden driveways discourage high speed travel. The inhabitants are an eclectic mix of rugged iconoclasts, gentleman ranchers, sprawling retirement estates and plain hard working country folk. They co-exist in a harmony that shouldn't really work but does somehow. Million dollar homes stand next to house trailers and nothing looks out of place.<br /><br />10 kilometres from Princeton the terrain turns to wide open range land and the rest of the trip is a roller coaster ride past cattle grazing the grassy hillsides among the groves of birch trees whose leaves twinkle in the breeze and narrow wooded ravines with their resident deer, hawks and porcupines.<br /><br />At 87K the Summerland-Princeton road ends and this phase of your trip is over. From this point you can take a short drive into the historic town of Princeton and take advantage of all the amenities it has to offer. If you haven't had enough backroads travel, continue on across the hwy and take a drive up to Coalmont, Tullameen and beyond on one of Southern BC's most scenic lightly travelled roads, but that would be another story for another day.Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-4515510676042336692010-06-25T16:46:00.000-07:002010-06-25T18:58:02.544-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lG11UTbuKr_PFy36vuATNNxl7-YOxRc-Q6gK9qfbKz5bSyqVKZXcSk7w3y2gIwENkJhbyFsEJ-poWOQsfNkMbn3i-H8odL5ik3QxpRXiCPY2L8Bc7whdLrVQi_NMVfG_8pZlKc3kKA/s1600/Author+fishing+lassie+lake+sized.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lG11UTbuKr_PFy36vuATNNxl7-YOxRc-Q6gK9qfbKz5bSyqVKZXcSk7w3y2gIwENkJhbyFsEJ-poWOQsfNkMbn3i-H8odL5ik3QxpRXiCPY2L8Bc7whdLrVQi_NMVfG_8pZlKc3kKA/s320/Author+fishing+lassie+lake+sized.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486863172120986114" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Published BC Outdoors, Summer 2010</span><br /><br />Fishing the Christian Valley<br />More lakes than you can shake a graphite stick at<br /><br />Story by Trevor Shpeley<br />Photos by Travis Shpeley<br /><br /><br />It was a summer long weekend two summers ago and I had a yearning for a couple of days fishing at a quiet lake I had never fished before. The location I chose is six kilometres up a remote 4x4 road, there are only about four campsites and the fish aren't reputed to be particularly large. This meant that the chances of multitudes of casual car campers or trophy hungry fishermen invading my mountaintop getaway was fairly slim. I was all set for a peaceful weekend with only a couple of like minded souls for company, or so I thought.<br /><br /> I arrived to find the lake shrouded in thick morning mist, not a soul in the campground and only the sounds of dripping dew and the soft plop of rising fish to keep me company. I hit the water without bothering to set up camp and was having a great morning until the tell-tale clatter of an approaching vehicle caused me to pull anchor and head for shore to claim my campsite.<br /><br />When I arrived I took in the unlikely sight of an old van and about 22 feet of vintage American automobile pulling into the common area. How they got those two overloaded, completely unsuitable vehicles up that road I'll never know but as soon as they had shuddered to a stop they split open and spilled their contents like hatching spiders on an unsuspecting garden path. <br /><br />A whirlwind of teen testosterone tore through the open doors of the two vehicles, each armed with swinging hatchets and cracking voices permanently set to maximum volume and within seconds, the peace of the mountain lake was destroyed by the thwack and wang of dull steel turning dead trees into kindling, in preparation for what could only be a long sleepless night for yours truly. <br /><br />I shared a shrug with the two harried guardians of our shining future and loaded up my boat to set out for greener pastures, greener in this case meaning with much less of a boisterous youth-group presence. Luckily for me I had chosen to spend my long weekend in the Christian Valley and with 16 of the Boundary Country's approximately 20 lakes in close proximity, I had plenty to choose from.<br /><br />The Christian valley is located in the sparsely populated area between the Okanagan and West Kootney regions of Southern BC. The fishing described in this article is mostly to be found on a rolling Plateau of lodgepole pine that lies in the shadow of Big White mountain. For detailed directions and helpful information such as road conditions, local history and other points of interest, check out Murphy Sawchuck's excellent backroads article in the May 2010 issue of BC Outdoors Sportfishing.<br /><br /> Lakes in the Christian Valley tend to be Mesotrophic which means they are considered “Moderately productive” and will generally support a smaller, slower growing fish population than those of the more fertile Eutrophic lakes such as those found in the central interior and Kamloops regions. That's not to say you can't find big fish here, it just means you are going to have to work a little harder to find them. However if catching plenty of small to medium sized fish in idyllic surroundings is to your taste, you would have a hard time throwing a rock in any direction here without it making a splash in a lake that would meet your needs.<br /><br />Before we get to the lakes themselves, a few tips to make your exploration and fishing more productive. <br /><br />Buy an outdoor map book AND a portable GPS. Back in the day I would never have bothered with either. I don't get lost easily and I know enough about BC terrain that I have little difficulty finding my way out, or to, anywhere. I've since come to understand that venturing into the woods without either of these indispensable tools is not only foolhardy, it's self limiting. A good set of backroad map books such as the fine offerings from the Mussio brothers and a half decent GPS with removable storage and backroad mapping software will set you back about as much as a good flyrod and I guarantee it will do more to improve your fishing than any $300 stick of high end plastic could ever hope to do. <br /><br />Using the maps and a GPS unit together will make the task of forest navigation much easier than using either one on it's own. I use the books to figure out where I want to go and the GPS to make sure I'm on the right track to get there. I find it very useful to be able to look at the GPS and see that the road I thought was the right one is actually leading me away from the lake I was trying to reach. I've lost track of how many times I've found a lake I didn't know existed within 100 meters of a roadway I had travelled dozens of times just by watching my GPS as I travel.<br /><br />The one thing the map book and a GPS won't do is tell you which lakes have big fish and I'm not going to do that in this article either. Tracking down the big fish water is half the fun of catching a big fish and there are a few tricks you can use to make the task a little easier.<br /><br />The first place you want to visit online will be Fishwizard. (http://www.fishwizard.com) Fishwizard is a website run by Gofish BC that will tell you how many fish and more importantly, what kind of fish have been stocked in any of the lakes they service. I recommend viewing the tutorial and be patient, the Fishwizard site can have it's off-days. <br /><br />When big fish hunting you are looking to find lakes stocked with AF3N or Triploids. These fish are altered in the egg to be sterile when they mature resulting in a longer living, faster growing, brighter fish since no energy is lost to the reproductive process. They also tend to be larger, sometimes much larger than their unaltered, sex crazed brethren.<br /><br />High numbers of stocked fish usually represent high angling pressure and an out of the way, hard to reach lake with regular stocking of smallish numbers of AF3N fish is usually worth checking out.<br /><br />The second place to look would be the fishing regulations. Look for special regs such as “fly fishing only” “catch and release only” and restrictive bag limits such as “one fish over 50cm” These special regulations suggest that that water is being managed as a quality fishery and it would be reasonable to expect larger fish to be present. <br /><br />Of course the usual fish hunting rules apply. The farther a lake is from the road, the better chance it has of having quality fishing. It's a sad commentary on our fitness as a society but the face of the average angler staring down a 3k hike with 40 pounds of gear on his back is likely to become the face of an angler staring down at his map book trying to find a decent lake closer to the road. Your lazy neighbours loss is your gain when you take the path less travelled to the lake less fished.<br /><br />The lakes of the Christian Valley<br /><br />*Be sure to check the freshwater fishing synopsis for closures and special regulations for any water you are considering fishing.*<br /><br />Bisson <br />Bisson lake is at the far Northern end of the Christian Valley/Kettle River roads. Accessed by a rough 4x4 road this smallish, high mountain lake is bordered by fields of crumbling basalt, old growth fir and Cedar trees. The fish in this scenic lake can be moody as with any high altitude lake but the beautiful surroundings make the trip worthwhile. A forestry site tucked in the trees at the side of the lake has room for four or five small camps. I wouldn't try to reach this lake in a car or other low clearance vehicle unless I had a real strong desire to find out exactly how much it costs to get an off-road wrecker out into the middle of nowhere.<br /><br />Clark <br />Clark lake is a walk-in reached by a 1k trail starting near Lassie lake on the Lassie FSR. As with most of the lakes identified as “walk-in” the trailheads are marked by brown 4x4 poles at the side of the road with the lakes name in white lettering. There is a small forestry recreation site available for those that make the trek.<br /><br />Upper and Lower Collier <br />The Upper and Lower Collier lakes, are also being managed as walk-in lakes. Lower Collier lake is reached by a 1k trail from Sago Creek on the Beaverdell/State FSR. Upper Collier is approximately one kilometre past the first lake.<br /><br />The Collier lakes are popular with folk who don't mind a little exercise along with their fishing and visiting anglers would be well advised to stock their boxes with a good selection of Leeches, Flying Ants and Mayflies. Both lakes have good shoals and fishing is best in Spring and Fall.<br /><br />Copperkettle <br />Copperkettle lake is a short hike from a trailhead located off the kettle River road approximately 66km North of Westbridge. The lake has a small campground and a self sustaining population of Rainbow trout. Chironomids work very well here as do Sedge patterns in the early summer. Copperkettle fishes well throughout the open-water season and visitors can expect lively top water hatches all summer long.<br /><br />Cup <br />Cup Lake sits right on the side of the Lassie FSR and as you might expect, receives a fair amount of angler pressure during the summer months. Visitors in the late fall and early spring however can expect to have this pretty little lake almost entirely to themselves. For something a little different, set up your camp on the larger island out in the middle of the lake. A small forestry site gives you somewhere to park your gear while you tease a leech past either of the islands or bob a chironomid over a muddy bottom for steady action on the heavily stocked lake.<br /><br />Joan <br />Another walk in, Joan lake is a medium sized lake with a small picnic area and lovely sandy beach beside lightly tea stained water. I walked the 1km to the lake earlier this year about two weeks after the snow had melted off the nicely groomed trail that winds through the wetlands and old blowdowns. The smell of wet earth and standing pine that scented the cool breeze was exactly the medicine I needed after a long cold winter and I left the lake in a much better frame of mind than when I started out.<br /><br />Fishing can be good on this lonely lake and it is large enough that you will have no problem believing you are the only person there, even if you are not. Pick flies with a little flash in them and if you are like me and you have a spouse who enjoys a sandy beach, bring them along for a picnic and a lazy day in the sun.<br /><br />Lassie <br />Lassie lake has the largest campground in this part of the Christian Valley and that combined with the inspiring view of Big White looming over the North end of the lake make this one of the most heavily visited lakes in the area. Stocking numbers reflect the heavy angling pressure and ensure the fishing will be good no matter how many people show up on a long weekend.<br /><br />Don't be fooled by the abundance of pan-sized fish in the lake, there are bruisers in there that will drag the rod of an inattentive fisherman over the side and into the depths forever.<br /><br />Maloney <br />A rough gravel road will take you to this small lake which can be found a couple of kilometres South of Cup Lake. There is a small Rec site at the lake.<br /><br />Nevertouch <br />Nevertouch was once very popular with the generator and 24 hour Elvis-station crowd. A large forest fire in 2007 changed all that but the lake with it's feisty top water loving trout still remains and fishes well. Flying ants, Elk hair caddis and other high floaters are all good bets throughout the summer. Check with BC Forestry as to the status of the recreational site if you plan to camp. If you go, beware of the standing burnt timber which can come crashing down without warning at anytime. This is not a place to let your kids run free.<br /><br />Sandrift 1,2,3 <br />The Sandrift lakes are three very pretty lakes with very different characters. Sandrift 1 has extensive lily pads and a family friendly campsite with approx eight clean campsites. This is a great lake for the kids to fish and just about anything chucked in the general direction of the water will bring in a tasty breakfast. Sandrift 2 is more of a grasslands sort of lake with a a few campsites while Sandrift 3 is a walk in off the Sandrift FSR.<br /><br />The fish in these three lakes aren't real picky but don't be surprised if the “snag” you feel when your line stops dead starts to swim away.<br /><br />State <br />A popular walk-in, State is located just South of the Sandrift lake chain. The fish population is self sustaining and the lake is managed as “Flyfishing only”. Dredge a Leech along the drop-offs or fish a mayfly nymph or Chironomid on the shoals. The ever popular flying ant, is also a good bet .<br /><br />Thone<br />Thone lake sit alone in this article as the only lake accessed off the East side of the Kettle River. Reached up the Thone creek FSR, just off the East Kettle FSR, Thone lake is relatively deep with steep drop-offs quite close to shore. The fish in this tiny mountain hideaway are feisty and quick to bite. There is a good Caddis hatch in early summer and shoreline fishing is quite possible.<br /><br />The Kettle River<br />The Kettle river in the upper reaches supports a reasonable population of small trout and whitefish and for a nice getaway from the kids before they wake up it's tough to beat an early morning stroll up the river with a light fly rod catching and releasing a few of these surprisingly picky fish. Check the regulations before you go as rehabilitation efforts are underway and regulations are subject to change.<br /><br />One quick note on the trails used to access the walk-in lakes. Many of these trails are wide enough for quad off-road vehicles. Please respect the spirit of the term “walk-in” and use your feet instead of your wheels. Walk-in lakes provide a special sort of relatively untouched outdoor recreation and many go out of their way to experience it. Don't ruin the experience of your fellow outdoors persons by introducing engine noise to what should be the natural sounds of an undeveloped lake.Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-31776478083186753222010-03-30T16:52:00.000-07:002010-03-30T16:53:18.090-07:00The filthiest joke ever told<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0HW4mPZmKPM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0HW4mPZmKPM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-8317118384469084442010-03-29T11:45:00.001-07:002010-03-30T06:37:14.475-07:00One toe over the line,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJzxFe7v-5UTFbs8pXVK9VtDRJf0O1RU1Xh9jo5AqvIHoddD3hsGzUmCqUtMStCRTMFLZQ1K63TDjSRmHlOo6Td7cKXjtdiW7rt2EEEWAU273y14bSXfhgUmn1XPH7T0DnpSlWLth0Q/s1600/one+toe+over.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJzxFe7v-5UTFbs8pXVK9VtDRJf0O1RU1Xh9jo5AqvIHoddD3hsGzUmCqUtMStCRTMFLZQ1K63TDjSRmHlOo6Td7cKXjtdiW7rt2EEEWAU273y14bSXfhgUmn1XPH7T0DnpSlWLth0Q/s320/one+toe+over.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454419872900185442" /></a><br />One toe over the line,<br />\<br />A fisherman's primer for middle age <br />By Trevor Shpeley<br />Photos by Travis Shpeley<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Published BC Outdoors Magazine, April 2010</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My doctor made a face like that of a bulldog chewing a wasp. <br /><br />With the enthusiasm only a person who is sure they have an inoperable tumour can muster I detailed the physical problems that had been plaguing me. Every morning I hurt as though I had worked out yet in reality the closest I had come to a gym was picking up Blizzards from the Dairy Queen next door. My joints hurt, eyes were fuzzy, someone was regularly hiding my car keys. He let me ramble on for about 15 minutes and when I was done he asked me, “How old are you?” I had just turned 45 and told him so. He informed me with far more brevity than I had allowed him, “go home, get over it, you're getting older. It happens to the best of us” I left his office to face my life as a middle aged man.<br /><br /> I don't feel middle aged but my body is telling me that I am; so is the cute girl at the grocery store when she calls me sir and offers to carry my groceries. Certain irreversible changes occur in most people at around 40 years of age. Your eyes lose their ability to focus on close objects even though your long range vision might be perfect. You can't consider a hike up a lonely mountain trail without thinking about the heart you've been ignoring for four decades, and your fingers, former wizards of manipulation, start to feel like hotdogs wrapped in rubber bands. You've reached your best-before date and it's time to make a few adjustments.<br /> <br /> If the preceding paragraphs don't describe your own recent experiences, please go back to your x-box and skinny-leg jeans, the grown ups need to talk. <br /><br />I've been fortunate in my life to be blessed with exceptional eyesight. You can imagine my shock when I tried on a pair of reading glasses at the grocery store and looked at the palm of my hand only to see dozens of little lines that simply weren't visible without them. I took off the glasses and looked again just to be sure and there was no mistake, my vision was flawed. The $10 reading glasses declared it and the $75 opticians appointment confirmed it. The $75 Optometrist suggested I buy a pair of $10 reading glasses....<br /><br />Cheap reading glasses work fine if you don't mind swapping them back and forth with your regular polarized glasses but why not pick yourself up one of the really nice polarized lens/reading glass combos available at your local flyshop? The optics in these bifocal type glasses are superb, but like most things in life you can expect to pay for quality. If you would rather not contend with bifocals you can get very good clip-on readers that attach to your sunglasses and flip out of the way when not needed.<br /><br />These speciality lenses are available in a wide range of tints and coatings and a quick internet search will help you to find a suitable pair in your price range. Be sure to stop at the grocery store and try on a few pairs of reading glasses to find the right magnification before you order. <br /><br />When you are at home tying a few flies you can't beat a large magnifier with a light around the outside of the lens. Your tying will improve, and you will tie more flies and not become fatigued as quickly due to eye strain. There are plenty of smaller magnifiers that attach to your bench and are widely available but I find it hard to beat the large unit that looks like you stole it from your dentist. In fact go ahead and steal one from your dentist, it will teach him for jamming needles the size of umbrellas into your gums for the last 40 years. When you are middle aged that's called “being a character.” <br /><br />Now that you can once again tell the difference between a #12 black/red rib and a #14 black/copper rib, it's time to focus on the balloon animals you use for hands on cold days. I feel your pain, when the weather is cold I will sometimes leave an unproductive fly on my line for hours because I can't face the prospect of tying another microscopic fly on an invisible thread with fingers I can't bend. Fingerless gloves help a lot and there are some fine ones available, but the flexibility you had even 5 years ago just isn't there anymore. Fortunately, there are solutions as long as you are willing to stretch your sense of tradition.... just a bit.<br /><br />The first thing you need to accept is that a tiny piece of metal is not going to turn your carefully tied fly into a hideous beast that no self respecting fish would cross the pond to spit on. We've all seen the little kid with the giant brass snap swivel bolted to a #10 Spratley out-fish everybody else in the boat. Repeatedly.<br /><br />A very small clip or barrel swivel is not going to scare a fish under most conditions. Tiny steel loops that allow you to quickly and easily change flies are readily available in almost any tackle store and are nearly invisible in the water. I overlooked these little gems for years until I noticed that a friend of mine who also happens to be one of the finest fishermen I know uses them regularly and still catches more fish than me. I use them now, my fingers thank me and yours will too.<br /><br />Another dexterity related problem can be tying tippet to leader. To solve this, buy a pack of barrel swivels in the smallest size you can find. (Buy them in black and pay the extra 50 cents for the good ones.) Tying on all new tippet becomes a snap and there is the added benefit of eliminating the floro/mono line cutting issues sometimes encountered with direct line connections. A swivel placed between leader and tippet will also aid in turning over extremely long leaders while chironomid fishing. <br /><br />All fishermen take pride in their ability to tie knots; not just any knot but the right knot for the right application at the right time. That sounds great in theory, but once the age-train starts building up steam and chugging up the long hill towards checkered pants and bad hairpieces it's time to accept a little help in the knot tying department. <br /><br />Knot tiers have been around almost as long as knots, and are well worth the frustrating few minutes of fiddling required to become proficient in their use. Whip finishers in particular are very easy to use, once figured out and nail knot tools are absolutely indispensable on the river when your leader gets so short the fishes teeth are actually cutting your flyline. Fly shops carry many varieties and the proprietors will be happy to point you in the direction of the models that are the easiest to master.<br /><br />In true frontier fashion and in light of an almost legendary reluctance to spend money on things I can build myself I put together a real nice boat rack that allows me to load and unload my boat by myself. Unfortunately this process is usually accompanied by a lot of grunting, swearing, slipping and back wrenching twists as the boat teeters between peacefully resting on the top of my rack and violently tumbling back down to the water leaving nothing but a dented truck and a fisherman shaped smear in it's wake.<br /><br />Of course there is no need to put yourself through that kind of annoyance, (and danger.) When you absolutely must put your boat on top of something by yourself, automatic boat loaders take all the grunt work out of getting your boat on and off your vehicle. These devices work from the front, back or side of your vehicle and generally work very well. Autoloaders don't run cheap but how much is six months recuperation from injury worth to you? After you decide which type of loader suits your needs your local boat or RV dealer will be able to set you up and your days of fearing the end of day pack-up are over.<br /><br />Once the boat is on the ground, you need a decent set of wheels to move the cumbersome beast to the water. These come in a number of varieties from the type that permanently attach to the transom of your boat to those that attach with brackets to the sides. Very light dollies that make long treks to the water with a fully loaded boat nearly effortless are also available. <br /><br />Don't forget that although your boat moves like it's weightless on a good set of wheels, it still has mass. If that boat has your motor, battery, lunch, safety equipment, fishing gear, dog, etc loaded into it then it has a whole lot of mass, and if the path to the lake is steep you better have a friend to help you or at least have a total disregard for personal safety and property loss.<br /><br />It's hard to believe when you look at me now but I used to race mountain bikes; I could hike all day into far away lakes and many times I did. The farthest thing from my mind was the family history of heart disease and diabetes but I think about that a lot now that I'm pushing 50. In fact it's a factor in every decision I make these days. I've learned to enjoy multi-grain bread, I try to avoid fast food, I walk to the store and I no longer think vegetables are something food eats. I look at every hill I walk up with an eye towards it's survivability, and I think a lot about how long it would take an ambulance to find and rescue me given that I spend most of my free time as far away from pavement as I can manage. If you are over 40, it's time to add a new dimension of safety to everything you do outdoors.<br /><br />When far away from civilization everybody should have a reliable method of communication. Satellite phones are nice but not really practical due to cost. Normal cell phones have range limitations but are still better than nothing in a pinch as small bands of coverage can be found in the oddest places. <br /><br />The best bet for my money and it really doesn't cost a lot of money is the “Spot Messenger System.” For the price of a good flyline you get a small waterproof satellite messenger unit, and for about that much money again you receive a year of Spot's monitoring service. With the Spot unit you can send messages such as: “I'm OK”, “send assistance”, “a prerecorded special message,” or “send search and rescue, emergency!” Your messages go to whomever you want and they get a google earth map with your location pinpointed on it; they can even follow your progress online if you choose to allow it.<br /><br /> OK, I know that the last time you were able to get a good look at your legs they were like mighty tree trunks. Well, guess what? Things have changed over the last few years. Your legs may turn to jelly halfway across the river you used to cross at will and before you know it you'll be swimming and shedding gear like a sinking shopping cart full of pop cans . The old tree trunks just ain't what they used to be and you'd best take some precautions before you tackle the flow.<br /><br />Firstly, you'll need a wading staff; your favourite tackle shop will have plenty to choose from. A good wading staff should be collapsible and have a good long loop to wrap around your wrist. It should be longer than a typical hiking staff or ski pole, and about shoulder height will allow you to get some decent triangulation when the river starts to push. <br /><br />You will also need a good inflatable vest or harness. The type that auto inflate when they hit water are the best and they should all have a manual inflation valve in case of propellent failure. Vests typically have roomy pockets, and harnesses can be quite comfortable on hot days because of their open design. This is not an area where you want to try to save money so you should go with a vest that your dealer or fellow fishers recommend. When the water starts tickling your nose is a lousy time to find out your fancy new vest is useless.<br /><br />So is middle age a big deal? Not really. It would be foolish to ignore the fact that your body is changing with age, but you're not going to fall apart like a cheap lawn chair the day after you turn 40. As long as you are willing to make a few changes in your normal routine and maybe pick up a few gadgets designed to make your life easier there is no reason why you shouldn't be buying cheap licenses and telling outrageous lies about the fish you never caught for many years to come.Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-76423320554825290902010-03-02T14:29:00.000-08:002010-03-02T14:31:20.808-08:00Book Review<span style="font-weight:bold;">Stillwater Selections, a collection of proven patterns - By Phillip Rowley<br /><br />Learning with the Pro's, Stillwater Fly Tying Volume One – By Phillip Rowley and Brian Chan<br /><br />Reviewed by Trevor Shpeley</span><br /><br />The first time I met Phil Rowley outside of watching one of his presentations was at a course he was teaching at the ski resort in Fernie. I was immediately struck with how friendly and unassuming he was in real life as opposed to some other media personalities I have been acquainted with who were one person for the camera and another for the stream. I was also struck by how easy it was to pry him away from his teaching duties and get him into the nearby St Mary river for a little “on the water training” When push comes to shove Phil fishes because he loves to fish and he talks about fishing because he loves to talk to people who love to fish. He is very genuine and it shows.<br /><br />Phil is no stranger to the members of FlyBC. In the 25 years since he started fly fishing he has written for most every fly fishing magazine in North America, put out a number of benchmark DVD's, marketed a line of stillwater specific tying materials and is currently splashing around in the waters of television while working on the New Flyfisher series.<br /><br />He is also, should you happen to have not been paying attention, one of the prestigious members of our very own pro-forum where he takes time from his busy schedule to answer your questions both big and small with the kind of enthusiasm you just can't fake. I was therefore thrilled when I was asked if I wanted a copy of his new book “Still Water Selections” and his new DVD, “learning with the pros” to review for the FlyBC website.<br /><br />Stillwater Selections, a collection of proven patterns:<br /><br />By Phillip Rowley, published by BC Outdoors Magazine<br /><br />book coverThe first thing you will notice about Stillwater selections is that although they are not fraternal twins, there is a definite family resemblance between this book and his previous offering, Stillwater Solutions Recipes. Gone is the cool little self propping feature of the recipe book but the chocolate brown, spiral bound heavy gloss paper and landscape orientation feels both familiar and welcome on the tying desk.<br /><br />The second thing you notice is that this book isn't just “all about Phil.” As Phil himself says in the books forward, “this book was written to inform and educate fly fishers” “it is intended to be an educational reference to BC designed and inspired patterns.” Phil's goal in Stillwater Selections was to introduce the readers to new patterns, new techniques and new tiers that they might not be familiar with. FlyBC veterans will recognize many of the names attached to the various patterns, names such as Ken Woodward (Woody), Todd Oishi(Tyson), John Kent(JohnK) and Ron Thompson(Phisherman). There are also more well known names you would expect to see in any collection of this type, Brian Chan, Gord Honey and Steve Jennings. Together they add up to an exciting blend of proven ability and burgeoning new talent.<br /><br />Phil confesses in his introduction that while he has in the past been guilty of tying flies that look great but are complicated to tie and not as lifelike in the water as they could be. In this book Phil leans towards simple patterns that display a lifelike silhouette and exhibit convincing behaviour in the water. Stillwater Selections assumes the reader to posses a basic understanding of fly tying but honestly, I feel that any reader who has mastered putting a hook in the vice and can tie a knot of some variety is going to be able to tie flies that will work well on almost any BC lake if they follow the instructions as written.<br /><br />The first pages of the book are given to knot tying. You can have the best fly in the world but it's just a decoration if it comes off your line the second a fish takes an enthusiastic interest in it. Stillwater Selections shows the reader in intricate detail how to tie enough knots to handle almost any fly fishing requirement as well as a short tutorial on how to use a nail knot tool, a skill valuable to all fumble-fingered fly fishers and one never properly explained in the instruction manual that comes with the deceptively simple little devices.<br /><br />From knot tying the book is divided into eight sections laid out roughly in order of importance to the fish's diet:<br /><br />Chironomids (20 patterns)<br /><br />Scuds (3 patterns)<br /><br />Damsleflies (3 patterns)<br /><br />Leeches (8 patterns)<br /><br />Dragonflies (5 patterns)<br /><br />Caddis (7 patterns)<br /><br />Mayflies (4 patterns)<br /><br />Waterboatmen and Backswimmers (5 patterns)<br /><br />All sections start with a chart showing the availability of a given insect to the fish throughout the seasons as well as when you can expect the most activity from any stage of the insects development. There is also, (and in my personal opinion this is the books real strength,) a number of bullet points for each insect that pretty much cover everything you really need to know about the food source without having to fight your way through a lot of text just to find the nuggets you want. A good and very typical example would be this excerpt from the section on Chironomid Pupae:<br /><br />Size:<br /><br /> * 3/8 to one inch, hook sizes #8 to #18<br /><br /> * Chironomids tend to be larger in mud bottomed algae type lakes, try pupa patterns from #12 to#8<br /> * In clear water marl/Chara type lakes, chironomids are smaller, #10-#18 work best<br /> * #12 standard hook is an average pupa size and a good starting point<br /> * If trout do not appear to be selective on size, try using a pupa pattern one size larger so your fly stands out from the naturals.<br /><br />Colour:<br /><br /> * Black, maroon,brown,olive, shades of green, tan<br /> * Dark day, dark pattern, bright day, bright pattern.<br /> * Pupae use trapped air and gasses to aid pupal ascent and adult transformation which gives pupae a distinct silver glow.<br /> * Pupae can change colour as they absorb or replenish trapped air and gasses.<br /> * Chironomid pupae have prominent white gills. Chaoborus pupae do not have white gills.<br /> * Use super white beads in algae stained waters, they do not foul with algae as natural or synthetic materials do.<br /><br /><br />With this simple yet effective technique Phil manages cram a lot of valuable information in a relatively small space without forcing the reader to decide what is trim and what is tasty steak, it's all steak, no fat here and no trouble digesting what you take in.<br /><br />As I mentioned earlier, this book is laid out in a “landscape” orientation. The pages are wider than they are tall and are stiff enough that propping them up against your vice or back wall while you tie is not only possible, it's the obvious way to use the book.<br /><br />boatmenOn the left page of the opened book is a large clear picture of the fly being presented. A short biography on the flies tier or originator is followed by a history of the fly itself and some tips on how, where and when to fish it. A separate window displays the materials needed to tie the fly and for many experienced tiers this is all you will need. For those that would like a little more instruction, especially since many of the techniques discussed are relatively new to most people, a detailed step by step photo-intensive tutorial occupies the facing page for each pattern.<br /><br />All in all Stillwater Selections is a very useful book, especially to someone like myself who places high value on flies that work well and are simple to tie rather than flies that may dazzle your fishing buddies but have all the life and appeal of a coat hanger tied to an extension cord when in the water.<br /><br />I daresay most will find something they hadn't thought of within it's pages and for those just starting out, you could save yourself a lot of time and trouble by starting here.<br /><br />I enjoyed Stillwater Selections very much. I will (and do) recommend it to anybody wishing to both simplify and improve their stillwater fishing.boatmen2<br /><br /><br />Learning with the Pro's, Stillwater Fly Tying Volume One<br /><br />By Phillip Rowley and Brian Chan,<br /><br />produced and directed by Mike Mitchell<br /><br />dvd coverIn addition to Stillwater Selections, Phil and his longtime friend and fly fishing legend, Brian Chan have released a DVD titled “Learning with the Pro's, Stillwater Fly Tying Volume One” produced and directed by BC Outdoors senior editor, Mike Mitchell<br /><br />Learning with the Pros showcases a dozen or so very effective BC Stillwater flies and focuses on several tying techniques that may not be familiar to all BC tiers. Each fly demonstration is preceded by a verbal description of the materials needed as well as a recipe screen you can pause on to ensure you have everything you need. The macro video is very clean and well focused and the background is neutral enough that detail is not difficult to follow.<br /><br />Phil and Brian take turns demonstrating various ties and both have a soothing, easy to follow narrative style. It is worth noting that while they are both master tiers, their techniques differ enough that it is to the viewers benefit to observe them both do the same techniques in very different ways as it demonstrates very well that there is more than one way to scale a fish.<br /><br />I learned many things I either didn't know or didn't fully understand just by watching them tie on the crisp high definition video. I learned for example how to properly hold scissors while I tie, how to double up materials very neatly and how to glue a Peacock thorax without making it a matted crusty mess. I've been tying quite awhile, you would think I would know those things but I didn't. I do now though.<br /><br />Every fly demonstration is followed by a trip out to a very rainy Morgan lake to discuss and demonstrate how to properly fish the fly that was just tied. If you ever wanted to know how to fish chironomids naked, what leader to use and how to tie it, etc, you won't want to miss these sections. I love that it's obvious they couldn't care less about the rain, they're there to catch a few fish, have some fun and spread a little of their knowledge while they do what they would probably be doing on that day anyway. It's clear that Brian and Phil love their jobs.<br /><br />So there you have it. Stillwater Selections and the Learning with the Pros DVD. To be honest I was a little nervous about accepting the assignment to review this book and DVD. I don't know Brian and Phil real well but I know them both at least casually and I respect them both tremendously so I had to ask myself, “what if I don't like the book?” “What if the DVD is as sleep inducing as some of the other tying videos out there?” “What if Brian and Phil know where I live?” I'm happy to say all those worries turned out to be a non-issue. I thought the book and the DVD were great. I'd buy them myself and actually use them which is a little unusual for me, I tend to do my own thing but this book and DVD merge seamlessly with my own style of tying and fishing so I expect to see these on my desk for some time. Check them out for yourself, I think you will too.<br /><br />Stillwater Selection and Lerning with the pros are both available on the BC Outdoors website:<br /><br />http://www.bcosportfishing.com/Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-23472193463242631132009-11-24T11:42:00.001-08:002009-11-24T12:01:27.187-08:00Snapes on a plane<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOUkgSqgqs5l1w_ft23PX2ojlTZlFP6lAHzbHLNaNqJUcMvBAFwNkkUU9dAIk9OKOqoahGUUycPMbRjc3Z2_f-xJgC71AexBOxpnxJMZuBqZb0hjrsQT0nULzNvQI8KhfIN3Unxt61Q/s1600/swnapes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOUkgSqgqs5l1w_ft23PX2ojlTZlFP6lAHzbHLNaNqJUcMvBAFwNkkUU9dAIk9OKOqoahGUUycPMbRjc3Z2_f-xJgC71AexBOxpnxJMZuBqZb0hjrsQT0nULzNvQI8KhfIN3Unxt61Q/s320/swnapes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407762695907561634" /></a>Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704146018117876339.post-2074853312116625762009-11-24T01:18:00.000-08:002009-11-24T11:05:29.576-08:00I am NOT a geek!I am NOT a geek!<br /><br />I am a nerd.<br /><br />I get called a geek all the time. My own wife calls me a geek. I am not a geek. I'm not smart enough, educated enough or ironic enough to be a geek. Sure I am an early adopter of technology, I like science fiction, fantasy and animation, I dress like I don't own a mirror and I don't play well with others but I'm not smart enough to write software and if I make any kind of effort to dress like a hipster, I look like an idiot. I do not work in a start-up. I live in the dark bathed in the glow of my computer screen. I am probably looking at porn not writing code. I am a nerd.<br /><br />Nerds are the great wannabes of the social underclass. They are typically 30 IQ points, 40 pounds and 3.5 years of schooling away from being a geek. They are so close, they can almost taste it and they want so very badly to taste it. A geek has legitimacy, they are so uncool they are ultra cool. They can be hot,,,,very hot. A geek girl is as alluring as she is unattainable, beautiful without seeming to know it, casually rumpled, bespectacled and as impossible to ignore as a dead raccoon on a hot sidewalk.<br /><br />It doesn't help that friends and family who don't know any better insist on calling you a geek. Do you know how to format windows? Fix a simple virus? Connect a router? Maybe even hook up a printer and find a driver for it? If you answered yes to any of these questions then as far as your technology-phobic family is concerned, you are a geek.<br /><br />Never mind that you know better. Never mind that a real geek would sniff you out in a heart beat. Never mind that you may not even be a nerd much less a geek. As far as the civilians are concerned, you are a geek forever doomed to dispensing computer advice you are not qualified to give while occupying the no-mans land between normal people and people who think they are normal people.<br /><br />You are a nerd. You are lonely because nerds are not herd animals. We walk the empty streets alone, well, mostly alone. We communicate on social media sites, we rarely meet in person. When we do it's awkward, short lived and uncomfortable. We can smell our own kind, see the shame and envy in each others eyes as we tickle the edges of the unselfconsciously techno glitterati, the true geek masses, the no-go zone for those such as you or I.<br /><br />You are a nerd. I am a nerd. We are not pretty, we are not proud. We grind no axe and we leave no lasting mark. We are lovable in movies but only in the first one, the sequels always fail. By the second movie people have stopped emphasizing, stopped feeling sorry for the hapless nerd, stopped wanting to see the underdog “pull one off” there is nothing romantic or enviable about being a nerd.<br /><br />But,,,,<br /><br />Being a nerd is still being “something”. We do enjoy ourselves. Chocolate milk, pizza, a couple of bong hits and a stack of firefly DVDs is a spanking good time and well within the reach of even the most poverty stricken of the socially impaired. No need to dress up, nerd culture is almost never a face to face affair. Come as you are, nobody knows or cares that you haven't left your bedroom in two days or that your nuts are currently stuck to the cold vinyl of your computer chair as you sit typing out pearls of wisdom and pithy hilarity to “friends” you may or may not have ever actually met in person.<br /><br />To live the life of a nerd is to live the life of the chronic underachiever. A nerd is typically under less pressure than the shower nozzle at a Super 8 motel. Nobody expects anything from a nerd. We are undependable, we promise solutions we cannot provide, nobody with any common sense depends on a nerd to come through in the crunch and therein lies the problem.<br /><br />Geeks do get the job done. Geeks have the tools, the drive and the confidence to do the job and do it right. In fact, they will usually do it better than you originally asked for it to be done. Geeks are overachievers in an understated way. It's part of what makes nerds wish they were geeks even though none of us really have the energy to follow through with it were the geek faerie to wave her magic wand and give us what we think we want. Call a nerd a geek and you place expectations on his or her shoulders they cannot possibly live up to. It's not fair and it's beyond our control.<br /><br />Geeks are geeks. I am not a geek, please stop calling me one. ;)Twotentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869545064009227737noreply@blogger.com0