Fly Fish BC is launched and fishing

Fly Fish BC

Well my Fly fish BC site is launched. I still have a lot of work to do fixing links and adding content but check out the new look and let me know what you think. http://www.fly-fish-bc.com/

We had the good fortune of taking a holiday at the end of April and spending a week in Victoria, BC's capital city. Natasha and I had a wonderful time visiting old friends, golfing, whale watching, and re-visiting some of our favourite restaurants and pubs. As a bonus we were invited to stay at Fraser River Lodge and do some sturgeon fishing on the Fraser River courtesy of the lodge owner, who now owns my old website's domain name.

Sturgeon fishing is... well...different. It's not fly fishing, but it does have its merits. You speed out on a jet boat to get to the prime locations, drop four baited and heavily weighted lines to the bottom and then watch and wait. The slightest movement in the rod tip had me lunging towards the rod. It was entertaining but I missed more than I hooked. We managed to land 6 sturgeon though not what locals would consider very big, although I still have a difficult time calling a 4.5 foot fish small. They're great fighters and I can see why this type of fishing is becoming so popular on the Fraser.

As far as fly fishing goes, since May I have been hitting as many small lakes as possible: Rosebud, Champion, Jewel, Wilgress, Loon and just this past weekend Summer and Premier.

The early chironomid fishing was great on Champion and Rosebud. Jewel Lake also turned into a pleasant surprise as I landed more than expected, both rainbow trout and eastern brookies. I also spent a nice day fishing on Loon Lake near Ainsworth Hotsprings, hooking numerous cutthroat trout - a 4x4 is highly recommended though to access this pretty little lake.

I picked a bad day to hit Summer Lake, a high elevation lake in the East Kootenays. It rained torrential for most of the night and into the next day when it eventually threatened snow. I decided to pack up my tent and head to Premier Lake, a popular lake just off Highway 95 near Skookumchuck. The scenery at Summer was compelling however, and the few trout I landed were decent enough to prompt a return sometime in the future.

I'm looking forward to stream fishing. I'll be visiting the East Kootenies again as well as hitting local streams as soon as the freshet relents a bit.

As the fishing season progresses I'll be sure to post more frequent blogs on how the various rivers and lakes are fishing, and plan to contact other fly fishers to update me on those places I have yet the fortune of floating a fly.

Fly Fish BC emerging slowly but surely

Hello and Welcome to Fly Fish BC.

My name is Jim Bailey. I am an avid fly fisher and outdoor writer who lives in the Kootenay region of British Columbia Canada.

Formerly, with the help of friends and family we created a site dedicated to fly fishing known as www.fly-fishing-british-columbia.com. But after a few years another avid fly angler/fishing-lodge-owner desired the domain name more than I and had the persistence and means to wrestle it away.

And so with a view to streamlining and simplifying my former site, I have already started losing bulk with the less ponderous "fly-fish-bc", I have begun anew and the transformed site should be up and running soon.

But as before, the site will bring you information on fly fishing, fly tying, entomology and patterns as well as informative articles on where to fish in supernaturally beautiful British Columbia - particularly the Kootenay region.
So like a day of fishing, go slow, enjoy the peaceful rhythm of the cast as much as the excitement of the catch - check out my articles, the beginner fly fisher section, learn about bugs, or join me on my recent adventures on my blog as I go Fly Fish BC.