The
Concept
If you haven’t fished Van Isle in June
you need to put it in your fishing itinerary. That’s because it is one of the
best months for trout. The concept is this: rainbows spawn in June on Vancouver
Island. That means they are in rivers May, June and into July in big numbers. There
are 123 watersheds and that’s a lot of opportunity. The best place to fish is
in an outlet stream from, or inlet stream into, a lake. Vancouver Island has
hundreds of lakes so there are hundreds of streams/rivers/places to ply your
fly.
Pick up a copy of the Backroads Mapbook
and find the lakes. As the Island is 500 km long and as much as 150 km wide
there are oodles of lakes. Often you will be on your own in beautiful weather –
an altogether idyllic day. Another advantage is that most of the rivers and
lakes are open for fishing 12 months of the year – but do check the freshwater regulations
for specific closures. This contrasts with many main-land rivers and lakes that
typically open June 1, and some even later.
The most well-subscribed fishery that
demonstrates the concept, and one that is no longer a well-kept secret, is the
Elk River west of Campbell River on the Highway to Gold River. The Campbell
Lakes, Buttle and John Hart all join and there is an impassable falls that
becomes the Campbell River at the lower end along with a hydro facility. No
fish is getting in, no fish is getting out.
So there is no outlet stream that
rainbows can investigate on the bottom end, but as you drive west and find the
upper end of Upper Campbell Lake you will find a long flat valley where over
the eons gravel has been pushed out of the mountains and resulted in several
miles of easy access, easy fish and highly useful spawning gravel – the Elk
River.
The rainbows come gravid to the Elk,
rather chunky males in their fighting colours and the females of their
interest. It is best to scout the river the day before you fish, then rise
early and go directly to the section you wish to fish. One example, would be
the Cervus Creek access where this stream passes under Highway 28. The stream itself
will be full of fish and it is a five minute walk to the Elk River into which
Cervus flows.
But there are many other places to stop
and access the Elk as the highway drives along the river until, at the upper
end, it passes into its canyon section where one finds Dolly Varden char in the
deep pools – but a much more difficult fish.
The reason for getting to the river
early is that many anglers and guided anglers will fish in the day, and so you
want to be the first person to the section you wish to fish. Do plan for the
eventuality that later in the day fly fishers may start fishing below you, and
hence, pick a section that passes some distance from the highway. You will have
more time on your own with your fish.
One final concept. It’s an easy one: rig
your rod and reel, nymphing tip and tie a fly to the tippet the night before
finding your beat on the river. There is nothing more annoying than getting up
in the dark, being the first to the river, and then already rigged arrivees
snag the best water you had savoured for yourself.
It has to be kept in mind that while the
Elk is good for the June nymphing concept, there are many, many others and you
will find the same fishing, but not the crowds. Often you will be alone.
Other
Lakes
The concept of taking rainbows on the
fly in June in outlet/inlet streams is not limited to the Elk. Other examples
include the well-known Cowichan River. And, in this, as well as other rivers,
you will find other species of trout, including, below Lake Cowichan, lake
cutthroat and brown trout.
The entire Cowichan has trails on one or
both sides. At the top, the first section is from Greendale Road, an easy place
to find. It presents a lovely June day with a half mile section of turned on
trout. A mile or so below, the road gives walking access to the Spring Pool.
Trails by the river take you up or down stream. In fact, the upper section is
from Skutz Falls, and if you are on foot, a couple of days of angling. In
between, the railway grade gives a long flat walk into roughly half way between
lake and falls.
Above the trestle is fly only, but with
most fly guys on the north side. This means drifting the Cow from Greendale to
Skutz, which requires two cars, gives you access to the other side of the river
that is seldom targeted.
And there are more lakes with rivers. Horne
Lake’s inlet stream, the Big Qualicum River, bears lots of bows in June, as
does Cameron bear cutthroat on the way to Port Alberni. Note that Cameron’s
brown trout, and all those on the Island, spawn in November. Same concept, but
swung fly and different flies.
One that I am in the process of nailing
down is where the Nimpkish River, the Island’s largest, empties into the lake
of the same name. Downstream, after 20 km of windy lake, the Nimpkish River
flows out the bottom for five kms to the ocean – but does not suit this kind of
fishery, as it is half a mile wide. The obvious water for rising rainbows is at
the upper end.
It will take you some time to figure out
the access to the easy half mile walk to where the river empties into the lake.
The best day I was there, the river was too high and, although I waded out, it
was clear it was taking my life in my hands, as the dropoff into the lake is
precipitous and drowning a likely event.
But, on that day, there was an otter at
the outlet, and also a seal. That seal had swum up more than 25 km from
saltwater. So that means the opportunity must be pretty great for it to use
that much energy just to swim up and wait.
To close, find the lakes and their
streams. A good bunch that will give you many years of learning and high return
are the lakes of the Somass River. It is formed by the Stamp and Sproat, two
rivers with large lakes. So, as they say, fill your boots and get out there.
Technique
June is high-stick nymphing time. The
drill is a 4- or 6-weight fly rod, floating line, poly tip ending in light
tippet, and bead-head nymphs for flies. In nymphing, the intention is to make
the fly float dead-drifted past the fish with as little drag as possible.
First you surreptitiously find the fish,
then quietly stand beside them. The fly is cast slightly above the fish, rod
tip high in the air. The rod tip follows the fly as it naturally tumbles, like
a larval/pupal insect that has come loose from the rock to which it clings
until emerging.
During its tumble, the fly drops in the
water, and a firming of the line, or slowing of the drift, indicates a fish has
been fooled and touched the fly. Set that hook and the rest is smiling time.
Photo only one or two fish, as it is stressful for them, and return them all to
carry on their day.
Nymphing is a delightful light method of
fly fishing, with short casts so even beginners can be successful. Rod tip high
in the air, following the fly, keeping drag off it is essential to make the fly
present with the proper motion. And you will catch many fish, most less than 16
inches, but every location will have some larger rainbows, and other species.
The opposite to this style of fly
fishing is swung fly where the fly is cast out, quartering downstream, above
the lie and then, after an upstream mend, under tension, swung across the
river, to directly below you, where the fly sits for a few seconds so a
following fish has time to catch up and nip. This is a very common approach for
steelhead, and for any anadromous fish, because in their first few weeks into
freshwater, they don’t know what the food looks like. So a fly, say a leech, or
bunny pattern with contrasting colours is intended to give the fish something
easy to see, track and attack.
Other
Species of Game Fish
Most of Vancouver Island rivers/streams
have more species than rainbow. As noted, there are also browns (meat-eaters
that want bigger meals) freshwater cutthroat and resident Dolly Varden. In some
northern drainages there are brook trout.
In addition, as rivers are often short,
anadromous fish will rise from the ocean: searun cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden
Char, summer and winter steelhead, along with early sockeye salmon. I have
taken the occasional silvery brown that suggests anadromous browns in a few
places. These species are less likely nymphing targets, and this also suits
beginning fly fishers as a swung fly is an easier technique to learn. On the
other hand, those new to fishing tend to leave their rod tip too high, like in
nymphing, and need to be reminded to drop their rod tip into the water, for
striking purchase.
Also note where the Freshwater Fisheries
Societly of BC has stocked pothole lakes, meaning ones without inlet or outlet
streams. An example close to the Elk River, is Echo Lake just west of the town
of Campbell River. You could give this a try later in the day on return from
your river of choice. The stocked lakes are also a solid bet when planning a
several day trip.
The Campbell River itself has stocked
sea runs, most earlier than June. I have ended my fishing early, so as not to
prick anymore fish – meaning I’d caught more than I thought possible and had to
drag myself away with fishing morals. The Campbell’s stocked summers have a
split season with a good portion arriving in January – that’s both species.
Helicopter
Rainbows
There is nothing cooler than helicopter
fly fishing. Getting dropped on a river no one else can get to, with
unpressured fish in gorging mentality, is a peak fishing experience to which
you should aspire.
Vancouver Island is a wilderness area
with some fish only accessed from the air. They are waiting for you. Helicopters
open up the mainland inlets where the only access is, well, a helicopter. That
says it all. From Gold River and Campbell River the Lodge at Gold River targets
such rivers.
On the mainland east of Campbell River, there can be as much as 40
miles of fishing. You hop from run to run and pool to pool. Just you and your
fly rod against sea-run cutthroat trout to five pounds and Bull Trout to eleven
pounds. Yes, eleven.
Flies
Nymphing is about larval stages of
freshwater insects, typically caddis and mayflies, but also damsels, stones and
dragons. Bead head nymphs are the ticket. In June the rainbows are less picky
than at other times of the year. That’s because each one is one mouth among
dozens of mouths, and zapping to the food is important.
Try Prince Nymphs, Gold Ribbed Hare’s
Ears and Pheasant Tails. Keep your eye on the hatches and follow with dries,
also dead drifted. A few that would give you a hand are: PMDs, Elk Hair Caddis
and the generic Tom Thumb. The latter is particularly useful should you run
into anadromous Dolly Varden char in your day – their flanks are silvery blue.
I had only one Tom Thumb one day, and it
got smacked to smithereens. I kept putting on floatant and the blob the fly
became was just as hot as it was on the first mouth it encountered. Another
usual suspect to keep your eyes open for, on a particularly warm day is: an ant
pattern, a floater. June is too early for termites, and there are next to no
grasshoppers on Vancouver Island.
Fly
tying books:
Fly
Fishing BC,’s Interior, Brian Smith,
Caitlin Press. Has a very good 30 page colour section of flies, with tying
instructions.
A
Compendium of Canadian Fly Patterns,
Robert H. Jones, Paul C. Marriner, Gale’s End Press, 2006. Covers all of the
flies used in Canada.
Useful
websites:
2. Here
is the Vancouver Island stocking reports for 2014, updated several times per
year, as many lakes are stocked several times from March to October: http://gofishbc.com/fish-stocking-reports/recent-fish-releases/ReportOutputResult.aspx?
3. Here
are the stocking reports for all of BC: http://gofishbc.com/fish-stocking-reports/recent-fish-releases.aspx.
4. Here
are the Vancouver Island freshwater regulations: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/1315/fishing_synopsis_2013-15_region1.pdf.
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