Jul 15 2008
That time of year is here again (Summer Doldrums)
Well, that time of year is upon us again. SUMMER DOLDRUMS!!!
The lakes of the Pacific North West region of North America is now starting to heat up to the point where the fish are starting to go into hiding during the day, and the fishing is starting to slow dramatically.
This is the time of year where I (along with many others) start hitting the rivers. I Love my Stillwater flyfishing in the Lakes of British Columbia and Washington, but I look forward to the summer doldrums every year to give me the chance at the great rivers that the area has to offer.
Now for river fishing around the area I live (Vancouver) I need to do a bit of travel due to the fact that the rivers close to the city are not the best for flyfishing success. One of my favorite places to go that does not require too much travel, is the Skagit River here in BC, Canada. It is a catch & Release only River, and holds some beautiful small to mid size Rainbow Trout, with the odd Dolly Varden thrown into the mix.
If I have the time and feel like doing a bit of driving, I head to the eastern part of our beautiful province. The rivers of the area are second to none (IMO) and can hold some very nice, hard fighting fish.
There are many rivers that are located within a few hours of each other that I spend a few weeks every year there to explore them all. Some of my personal favorites are;
- The St Mary
- The Bull
- The Granby
- The Michelle
The one that is missing from this list that MANY of my readers would know is The Elk.
Many people come from around the world to fish this river system, but because of this fact, I try to stay away. I have fished it many times, but I prefer solitude when fishing, and the last time I was fishing the Elk (Last Summer) I saw 10 drift boats go by my location in 5 hours. This is NOT what I like when fishing, so I avoid the Elk as much as I can. When I am in the area of the Elk and the Michelle, I also head over into Alberta to fish a few rivers like the Oldman, the Highwood, and the Bow.
I love river fishing, that is what I grew up doing with my father in Alberta, but because of location of good rivers in the province, I got into lake fishing many years ago. Lake fishing (IMO) is much more challenging then rivers, but the thrill of getting a 3-5lb Westslope Cutthroat trout in a river draws me back to the rivers every year.
I hope to hit a few this weekend on Vancouver Island, and I will post a report as soon as I get back.
