Epoxy minnow fly

When you fish salmon bearing streams at this time of year, you will notice the amount of salmon fry present on shorelines and back eddies. Nothing quite satisfies hungry trout and Steelhead like a protein packed salmon fry, so much that most fish won't even look at anything else.
This fry pattern utilizes Ostrich for the back and Diamond braid for the body with stick on eyes, simple ingredients that make it quick and easy to tie. The epoxy coating insures durability, weight and gives the fly a brilliant sheen, adding an extra touch of realism.

Start off with an appropriate hook for the size of the fry you will imitate. This is a size 4 straight eye 1750 Daiichi. Whatever works for you, though try to avoid down turn eyes. Using White or Grey thread, wrap a strip on lead along the bottom of the shank.

Tie in the diamond braid out the back of the hook and some Olive Ostrich herl out the front.

Wrap the braid forward, overlapping just a little bit and tie off close to the eye of the hook. Tie in some red "string", here I used larva lace, but red wire, yard or thread will work. Wrap a few times for the gill and tie off. Whip finish.

Tie in at the tail of the fly, pull the Ostrich back and tie town. Whip finish. Take a lighter and burn off all the long fibers from the back of the fly (not the tail). Any longer fibers will make the epoxy stick out and look pretty bad.

Pinch the tail about .5" back and rip off the excess Ostrich dangling from the back of the pattern. Ripping rather then cutting gives it a more natural appearance. Add stick on eyes and your pretty much done the fly.

Add your epoxy, it is good to epoxy a bunch at a time rather then just 1 or 2. 5-10 minute epoxy works, though it tends to shatter a little easier then 24hr cure epoxy. A rotating dryer is a great tool for the longer cure stuff. Add the epoxy evenly and don't add more then you need. If you can, try to keep more on the belly of the fly to insure it rides right side up in the water. Done!

The Alevin, sweet spring fly for hungry fish

Spring is when many Salmon fry start emerging from the gravel spawning beds they were born in. Warmer water temperatures generally start this "hatch" and it runs until summer runoff. When alevin start emerging from the gravel, the trout, Char and even Steelies really don't have a better source of food then a feeble swimming protein pack such as these young Salmon. Here is a pattern I came up with that with a little practice takes a couple minutes to tie. You will need: #10 or 8 egg hook, white thread, micro pearl Mylar tubing, orange yarn, Stick on eyes and Epoxy/Aquaseal = Krazy glue. The best way to fish it is like a Nymph or single egg. Floating line with some twist-ons and dead drifted with the occasional twich... be prepared to slay em!

Remove the yarn from inside the Mylar tube, it makes it to thick.

The hardest part of this pattern. Pinch the tubing and wrap a bit of thread close to the end of the tail and right up against your thumb were it is ridged. A few loose wraps followed by a couple tight ones and then hitch/ Whip finish and Krazy glue on the thread.

Put some thread on the hook, you don't need to work it any further down then the top 1/3rd of the hook.

Attach the other end of the tubing on the hook, try to keep it as thin and compact as you can. The body should be around 1.5x the hook length at max.

Fold a very thin strip of yarn in half and tie in under the head of the fly. Trim the excess.

Whip finish and throw some small stick on eyes on that sucker.

Add epoxy or Aqua seal on the head of the fly and let er dry. Looks killer in the water and the fish don't stand a chance!

Lots of snow, good for Skiing, good for the Fish

The view outside the Whistler Fly Shop, lots of snow everywhere

With all the new snow that we have here falling in our area, it's looking a little different then recent years with lower snowpacks. Thank La Nina. The snow is not only good for the skiing among many other things, but great for the glacial runoff rivers we have here as well, as long as it doesn't all melt at once.
The milder and wetter weather create favorable fishing conditions in our rivers during the mid winter. With cloudy overcast days the norm, the valley temperatures stay on the milder side and fishing is generally good. Sunny, dry artic outflows make for less then desirable days on the water, but a few fish will continue to bite until the rivers or your line guides freeze over. Globugs and fleshflies work really well right now, find the spawning salmon and you will find the Char and Trout.

When you start finding Bulltrout Popsicles, It might be a little cold to fish

Vancouver Steelhead Guided Trips

Whistler Flyfishing offers Vancouver Steelhead guided trips with some of the most experienced Steelhead fly fishing guides in British Columbia. A lot of the best fishing in the winter and spring is done in and around Squamish which is just north of Vancouver. We provide guided flyfishing trips for wild Steelhead and Char for our Vancouver clients, picking them up at their Vancouver hotels or meeting them in Squamish. Whistler Flyfishing guides are on the water every day, on the search for winter Steelhead and Trout. We supply all the gear, from waders to lunch. For more info call 1 888 822 3474 or 604-932-7221.

Squamish river salmon are here

With all the Pinks pretty much dead, its now time we can turn our attention to the Chum, Coho and Trout until the Steelies start rolling in later in the winter. And from what we have seen, this is looking to be a promising year. With the cold weather finally making a presence in the sea-to-sky corrider, the rivers are low and clear, but there is no shortage of salmon, especially with the Coho. These fish seem to be running strong everywere this year, Squamish river system being no exception. With the water low and clear, Rolled muddlers, sparse egg suckers and sculpin flies seem to work as well as anything else.
Chum are pushing up the river as well, with fishable numbers in typical Chummy water along the lower reaches of the Squamish and lower river mouths (like the mamquam). There are plenty of trout in the mix as well, and simple to catch (egg patterns, Flesh or egg suckers), If you can find them. When in doubt as what to use, tye on a purple or Black egg sucking leech and see how far that takes you, you shouldn't have to change up. 10-15 ' of type 3-6 sink tips with a 7-9wt setup for the Salmon, and a 5-6wt rod with floating line for trout would be the gear to bring about now.
As for up to date water conditions, check out the Squamish river levels here, or give the shop a call at 604-932-7221