Usually this time of year I rarely talk about fly-tying for beginners but already some of the anglers who are shopping locally at tackle shops are wondering if the beginners lessons will happen this year?
The answer is yes.
A young man new to Campbell River inquired at Tyee Marine and the staff pointed him in my direction. There was an equipment sale a few weeks back at the Tyee Club, a lady with her son asked me if lessons will be forthcoming and I said, again, yes.
This is an ideal time to get out fishing the Campbell River for pinks. You can use light spinning rods and reels but I prefer catching these salmon with a fly rod and reel and fly patterns that we teach all winter long at no charge here in Campbell River. I will contact the local Library and confirm dates starting in November. Usually it's the last Sunday of the month for five months with exact dates to be announced in early September. Also at the Seniors Center at Ironwood mall I will have Friday dates announced in early September. All tools and materials are supplied at no charge for those who attend.
The IF4, International Fly Fishing Film Festival comes to Campbell River Thursday, Aug. 29 at the Landmark Cinema starting at 7 p.m. The event is hosted by Nile Creek Fly Shop and advance tickets can be purchased at the Campbell River Fly Shop. Advance tickets will be available at the Landmark cinema door on Aug. 29. The fly-fishing films are produced by filmmakers from all over the world and showcases the passion, lifestyle, and culture of fly fishing.
This month I have a fishing spot on the Campbell River and I get to see a lot of anglers chase after the pinks that are still coming in on certain tides. I prefer fishing about two hours after low tide. On high tide I couldn't get up the stairs because of deep water. Hook size can vary from size 6 to 12 and pink, blue, purple and green are the main colours and adding a heavy bead is a key to getting the fly down in front of their nose.
During my first few days on the river, my fly wasn't getting down deep enough but I changed the set up and the change was well worth the adjustment. A number of Vancouver anglers were in my pool and they were catching pinks using salmon eggs which is a no-no. Some teens were fishing the opposite side of the river and they were consistently snagging pinks with a treble hook and heavy weight, that is another no-no. Regulations require single barbless hook and no bait.
With the warm weather I get up to my waist in the river and with good sunglasses you can see the silver flashes and know where to put your fly. In my observation, the pinks seem to be a little smaller and this was confirmed by other anglers who have been fishing here for years. A 6 weight fly rod is ideal to hook into the pinks and have some fun.