Fishing Tips
By Brian Chan - Fishing Advisor, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC
It’s time to get serious about preparing for another great lake-fishing year. In April, coastal and urban lakes on southern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland are in prime shape for fishing, with cool, well-oxygenated water. And in another month or less, hundreds of lakes in the Interior will be ice-free, ready to offer even more great trout fishing. FFSBC hatchery staff stock catchable-sized rainbow trout in numerous locations every spring. Right now is the perfect time to take up lake-fishing, or to renew your interest.
Much of our springtime trout fishing is done in the shallow, or “shoal,” areas of a lake. Trout are abundant in shallower water – typically less than about five metres (15 feet) in depth – because this is where their food sources are most concentrated. Hatches of chironomids or midges keep the fish feeding on the shoals throughout early spring. Continually warming water starts a progression of hatches of other aquatic insects, including mayflies and damselflies. In the more nutrient-rich Interior lakes, there are also abundant populations of freshwater shrimp or scuds that live year ’round in the shallows.
Because anglers can expect to find trout in depths from less than a metre (three feet) out to five metres, many coastal lakes can be fished from shore: casting with spinning or fly tackle can reach adequate depth zones. Interior lakes, though, which typically have more gently sloping shoals, will require a boat or other craft to reach fishable water.
Tactics can be as simple as still-fishing from shore with a spinning rod combo rigged with a float, sinker, and natural bait (worms or single salmon eggs) or synthetic baits (Berkley PowerBait or Gulp, or Trigger X). Spoons and spinners can also be cast and retrieved using the same rod-and-reel combination. Another excellent way to cover the shoal zone is to use a boat to troll small spoons (Dick Nite, Luhr Jensen Krocodile, or Gibbs-Delta Gypsy) or spinners (Mepps Aglia, Panther Martin, Gibbs-Delta Silvex, or Luhr Jensen Bang Tail).
Fly-fishers should concentrate their efforts on imitating the various chironomid hatches that occur throughout the spring. Keep in mind the size and colour of the real chironomid pupae that are hatching, as that is what the trout are keying on. Use a simple aquarium net to catch the emerging pupae or emerged adults as they sit in the surface film, then match their size and colour. The most common chironomid pupal colours are black, dark brown, all shades of green, and silver. The basic setup for this type of fly-fishing is a 5- to 7-weight fly rod that is between three and 3.5 metres (9 and 10 feet) in length, matched to a floating line. Use a strike indicator to suspend the chironomid pupal pattern about 30 centimetres (one foot) off the lake-bottom. As the bites can be very subtle in this method of fishing, keep a close eye on the indicator, and be ready to set the hook.
Don’t forget to try leech patterns before the chironomids start hatching, and after the emergence ends for the day. Trout will be looking for appetizers before their big feed of chironomids … and dessert after.
Regardless the time of year you’re fishing lakes, it’s really important to be constantly watching for rising or moving fish. Keep your eyes peeled for jumping, porpoising, or splashing movements on the surface: these are often signs of feeding fish. Even if not, it is at least telling you that there are a decent number of fish in a particular area. The bottom line is that you want to move to where there are active fish.
Spring trout fishing offers some of the best action of the year. Whether it’s your first or tenth trip, be sure to bring your life jackets, small-boaters’ safety kit, raingear, and extra clothing – then get out to enjoy some fresh air and quality time on the water.