This week we have another lesson from the Canadian National Fly Fishing Championship.

Friday afternoon, Sept. 23, found me fishing Elk River 1 beet 4. This section of water looked to be the most promising of my assignments. The river ran tight to a rocky bank, much like my favored waters of the Thompson.

“I will find fish here,” I muttered to myself as readied my rod.

Working the pocket water in and around the rocks at the bottom of my beet, I quickly spotted my first fish. It was a cutthroat not large but a marker just the same. I drifted a Hopper over it and saw no movement, so switched to a Grey Wulff. The cutty moved for the fly and then rejected it.

My selection of flies like those of my team mates, through mutual agreement, had been culled to ten; none of which worked so I moved on.

Carefully moving along the rocks I spotted another cutthroat. This one looked to be a prime twenty inches or more. Again I made my first cast with a Hopper. The trout rose to mouth and rejecting the fly, it before I had the chance to set the hook.

After my second cast was rejected, I tried working all the flies in my box. Nothing worked.

“If only I had a Royal Coachman, or a Black Gnat,” I thought as I watched the fish reject the rest of my flies.

The remainder of the section followed this same pattern; spot a fish, raise the fish, and receive a rejection. After the final whistle, I compared notes with Team Canada Member, who had shared my beet and marked five fish. What pattern did he use? A Royal Coachman.

Lesson learned: wise men don’t argue with over 400 years of proven success.

Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is fair. For better success concentrate on the warmer north east sections of your favorite lake with: The Chironomid, Professor, Nations Black, Baggy Shrimp, Carey Special, Souboo, Zulu, Halfback, Caddis Nymph, Big Black, Wooly Bugger, Doc Spratley, or Dragonfly Nymph.

The Fraser River is fair to good for spring, Coho, cutthroat, and chum. For Coho try: Coho Blue, Christmas Tree, green or black Wooly Bugger, Bite Me, Blue Christmas, or Rolled Muddler. For spring try: Big Black, Popsicle, Squamish Poacher, GP, Flat Black or Eggo. For cutthroat try: Stickleback, Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Tied Down Minnow, Professor, Lioness, Coachman, Sixpack, Zulu, or Souboo. For chum try: Eggo, Holliman, Squamish Poacher, Mat green, Dec 25, Red Bull, Flat Black, or dark Popsicle.

The Stave River is fair for cutthroat, chum, rainbow, coho, and spring. For rainbow try: Eggo, red Spratley, red Carey, Mickey Finn, Kaufmann Stone, Chez Nymph, Royal Coachman, Zulu, or Black Gnat.

The Harrison River is fair to good for chum, coho, spring, and cutthroat.

The Chehalis River is fair for chum, coho, and cutthroat.

The Squamish River is open for chum and coho.

The Thompson River is good for rainbow and steelhead: Try: Steelhead Nightmare, Thor, Squamish Poacher, GP, Popsicle, Big Black, Flat Black, Polar Shrimp, Purple Peril, Eggo, Kaufmann Stone, or Steelhead Spratley

Until the next time, Keep your fly in the water.