By Don Daniels
It seems like yesterday we were talking about needing rain to get salmon up to their spawning pools.
At the end of October, we got rain and the temperature got cooler along with shorter daylight hours. The days of wading into local waters with a pair of wading boots and shorts are long gone and out come the neoprene waders that can be used for beach fishing and fishing in local rivers.
With the drought-like conditions, local rivers are shut down for fishing and the locals will have to wait it out to see when rivers will open; you have to check regulations to see when that will happen.
I recently made my way to Salmon Point to check out the nature trail that goes between Salmon Point and the Estuary at the Oyster River. I saw very little fishing action along the beach areas but a number of dog walkers were out on the sunny afternoon. I headed to Pacific Sands Marina and noticed a few anglers throwing out lures in hopes of hooking into a coho that were holding up near the fresh water intake but there were no takers. With the recent rain, they moved into the Oyster River and they were gone the next day.
For the most part, the locals who fish here are now in a deer hunting mode and salmon fishing gear and boats have been put away for the winter months. Some snow had been in the forecast for upper elevation areas the first week in November and soon it will come down to the lower elevation lakes.
This time of year the wind can blow you off the lake such as McCreight and Stella along with Roberts Lake. Last week I found a package of pink scented worms on a stump at Roberts Lake along with a number of split shot weights; there is bait ban on Roberts Lake 12 months of the year. I know that a group of Campbell River trout anglers go on their seven-day trout fishing trip up north this time of year. Fred Masson had mentioned loading up a wheelbarrow with wood and fishing a shoreline is in order this time of year.
Creel observer Sam Peake had talked with a number of anglers at Browns Bay Marina during the Chum Derby, other areas the creel survey was done was at Discovery Harbour, Kitty Coleman and in Comox.
Catchable size trout have settled in at Echo Lake and now is the time to get out and try your hand at hooking into a two-pound size trout from shore using a worm and bobber or casting out a lure from the dock.
Kayak anglers can get off the shore and try a few wet fly patterns this time of year. One of the fly patterns I have been using in November is a size 6 to 8 hook with a few rubber legs for the tail and the same material is used for the body. The wing is three strands of black rubber tied in front, get it down in water 20 feet deep – 1,250 trout are there to be caught in November.