British Columbia

[Bill Carnazzo]

I'm planning on spending 3 weeks or so in B.C. this coming summer. This will be my first extended trip there, and the "maiden voyage" for my new 4-Wheel Pop Up camper.

Anyone willing to divulge good places to fish, best times, tactics, flies, etc.? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[OregonSalmon]

Bill,
I have a good friend in Washington who has been fishing the southern lakes for over a decade. Best fisherman I have ever met, also a fisheries biologist, and to make matters better, tells the truth. There are a ton of lakes to fish so I really doubt he would be tightliped on the matter, but respecting the disease "Feesherman's Paranioa" I will e-mail him so you can get in touch with him.
He is the one stop shopping place for southern B.C. lakes. From what he has told me: June, and a sheetload of chronmids. Oh, and bring the golf clubs...eh.

[alaskanfish]

Bill,

Though I haven't fished BC (yet), I am also planning a trip this summer (most likely the northern section of BC). I have read much about the Kamloops area and have even found a specific genre of flies. Do a web search for this or maybe search the archives of FlyTyer I believe, (maybe this spring?) for an article on Kamloops flies.

The distinguishing features for these flies were the color.. that beeing chartreuse (sp) dubbed bodies. The techniques were very similar to traditional flies. The flies that were highlighted were a scud, woolybugger and adams style flies.

I tied the Kamloops Baggie Shrimp (scud) and tried it here in Alaska and found phenomenal success. This is, in essence a dubbed body, with a piece of zip-loc bag over the back, wrapped with copper wire. The bottom of the body (not covered with the plastic) was picked out (sorry, I can't think of the term for using the dubbing needle to pull out the fur). Here is an image (apologies for poor quality) http://www.alaskanfishguides.com/Images/shrimp.jpg

Good luck.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hi Bill,

I have studied and fished BC for many years and did get to go a few years ago with Chris Pasley who Oregon Salmon talks about. John Hog and his wife Dea where on that trip too. We had a fun group of people from Sacramento.

May and June is the prime time for the lakes which we designed the trips around. We have three good contacts for that lake fishing around Kamloops, BC: Brian Chan the area biologist, Chris Pasley, our friend who run a big fish hatchery in WA and Al Long at the Kamloops Fly Shop.

Here is a link to an article I wrote for that trip:

http://www.kiene.com/articles/bclakes.shtm

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Next is the Bow River which our friend Nancy Sigler has knowledge about. She is taking a group up there this summer. She can tell you about that river.

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Next is the area in Canada where you have the Elk River and the St.Mary's which is fantastic dry fly fishing for Cutthroat trout. The timing here is in July.

http://flyfisherman.com/westerncanada/elkoriginal/

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Then you have BC Steelheading which is Sept/Oct for the most part. I am not sure you will be there that long?

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Sounds like a great adventure............

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[CPasley]

Bill,

I can provide info on southern BC lakes. Have fished a number of them over the last 11 years and live close to them...within 2 to 5 hour drive. Let me know when you will be there, if you are fishing lakes, and what areas. I'm most familiar with the Kamloops and Okanogan areas. I do not know much about the trout streams up there other than there are some really good ones at certain times of the summer, including the upper Columbia, Adams, and Thompson right through downtown Kamloops. I get so involved in lakes and there are so many that I still want to fish, that I have not hit the good rivers even though I hear tremendous things about them. Post your timeframe if you are heading to southern BC lakes and I will be glad to help where I can.

Chris

[Bill Carnazzo]

Thanks, Chris. I certainly will contact you when we go. A friend who has fished there a few times will be coming along too.

Hey Bill
I fish the Chilco Lake and the river. Big fish.
I have the information for you.
I will dig it out.
Sturm