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Early Season Fly Fishing in British Columbia Canada

by FishFinder · June 2, 2023

Early Season Fly Patterns

By: Zach Copland and Brad Knowles.

Living in the South West corner of British Columbia definitely has it’s perks when it comes to early season fishing. Sometimes as early as February and for sure in March and April, we are able to hit local still waters while the rest of the province is still covered in ice. If you’re able to get out after a few days of warmer temperatures in the double digits you would be surprised as to how productive our waters can be at this time of year. Not only can the fishing be super productive but if we haven’t had a super cold winter the quality of the fish can be astounding.

Not prone to winter kill

Instead of having a winter kill on some of the lakes, these fish continue to feed during warmer winters and the fish that survived the winter can get abnormally big. A lot of the lakes from Squamish to the Lower Mainland to the East of Harrison Lake are usually stocked in the fall with fish in the 10-12” range. I have caught fish over 16” before while fishing early on in the season. The other benefit to fishing early in the year is that you can usually have these lakes all to yourself.

If you venture further North to the village of Pemberton and surrounding areas there is a great possibility of hitting double digit trout while fly fishing. The great news is that Pemberton itself is only 2 hours north of Vancouver and there is tons of camping and accommodation options. There are loads of beautiful little alpine lakes with short or long hikes. A good selection of 4×4 access lakes and a few just off the pavement. There is a great sporting goods shop as well with a fantastic selection of all your fishing and camping needs. Spud Valley Sporting Goods Ltd has been a staple for all your early season fly fishing in British Columbia Canada and has been serving the community for nearly 50 years.

Here are a few things you should have in your fly box

Now that we have you all excited about fishing in March, here are some of our favorite fly patterns for fishing early in the spring.

Bk Damsel Nymph

The Bk Damsel Nymph Fly is a great still water pattern for trout. This damsel nymph pattern is best fly fished in and among the weed beds and structure that includes; fallen trees, docks and Lily pads. Trout feed aggressively on damsel nymphs throughout the year and are a staple food for trout during the Winter months.

Check out the tutorial here

BK Dragonfly Nymph

Like the damsel nymph, Dragonfly Nymph’s are a staple food source for trout around the World. We use them in every lake across the province of British Columbia with huge success. Always tie them in a variety of sizes and colours. First thing when fishing a new lake is to comb the shoreline and lift any structure that touches the water. They love to climb out and shed their husks, then fly away. They leave their husks behind, this will give you there size, shape and color.

Check out the tutorial here

FNF Mayfly Nymph

The FNF Mayfly Nymph came be while playing around with left over materials from another fly that Brad likes to tie a lot, the Moto Minnow. This mayfly nymph is very effective during the early ice off months through the Month of May. In May you are probably better of using the adult version of a Mayfly.

Mayfly

Bloodworms

One of my favorite patterns to fish early season is the Bloodworm. You can troll them you can cast and strip them or you can even hang them under and indicator. Here’s some thoughts on bloodworms from Phil Rowley. “Bloodworms often live in oxygen poor regions such amongst the bottom debris and detritus where they live and feed. Larvae, in need of an oxygen supplement, generate hemoglobin in order to survive that turns them scarlet or blood red. As a result, red and maroon are the most common larval colours. Other larval colours include olive and green. As lake water cools during the fall and is re-energized through the turnover process hemoglobin infused larva return to their natural colours. It is common to see transitional larva featuring distinct alternating bands of red and green.”

Red Beadhead Leech

This leech is tied with mohair marabou on a size 8 streamer hook. This pattern is very deadly for the small lake of British Columbia in late fall and early Spring.

Check out the tutorial here

Princeish Nymph

The Princeish Nymph is inspired from a Friday Night Flies original, the BK Mayfly Nymph. On the lake there is no other choice for early season fishing than this pattern. This milkshake brings all the big boys to the yard. Slow trolling this pattern down deep is your best tactic but when the fish are rising this fly will produce on a top water line.

Check out the tutorial here

If you have not visited our instructional fly tying website Friday Night Flies, now is the time to do so. Much like the recipes about, there are endless tutorials of proven fish catching flies and some designed just for lakes and rivers of the pacific northwest. Enjoy!

Tags: BC fishing reports Fishing in Pemberton Fishing in Whistler Fly fishing Fly fishing BC fly tying videos lower mainland fishing pemberton fish finder spud valley sporting goods ltd winter kill

FishFinder

I was born and raised in Pemberton, British Columbia. As a young boy, the small town of Pemberton didn't offer the youth many things other than great fishing. So every waking moment I would be seen fishing the local rivers and lakes on a daily basis. In 1976 My Father "Ivan Knowles" opened Spud Valley Sporting Goods Ltd, and how fitting he had his two boys running the shop who were both very avid in hunting, camping and most of all ... fishing. Everyday people from all over the World would come in and get the local scoop, buy their gear and be off to catch fish. Later on My local knowledge and ability to help people catch fish would come in handy. Soon I ventured away from the family business to work as a angling guide for 5 years. In those 5 years I stared in my own fishing show called ELITE FISHING which was seen by 100,000 people a week on Whistler Cable. I have made a name for myself as the man to see if you want to catch fish. Now back working at Spud Valley Sporting Goods Ltd, "The Family Business", I love working with my brother Sheridan and father Ivan. Also a proud member of the fisheries committee for Pemberton Wildlife Association - helping make local decisions on local fisheries. I have a passion for fishing and seeing other people catch fish and this shows with my New Business venture The Pemberton Fish Finder, Visit my website for the Best fishing Tours and Fishing Reports for Whistler, Squamish, Vancouver, Lillooet and Pemberton BC, Canada. Book a Fishing tour of a lifetime today call toll free 1-877-905-8121 or email info@pembertonfishfinder.com Visit our website http://pembertonfishfinder.com for more information and rates.