Columbia River Renaissance
Gear:
Winter to early spring:
Rod: 8 weight – 9 to 9.5 ft
Line: 8-weight type 6 or 400-grain super fast sink tip line
Tippet: 3 feet of 8-10 pd. fluorocarbon
Fly: Weighted Woolly Bugger, stonefly nymph or stimulator: Sizes 6 to 8
Late spring, summer and fall
Rod: 6 wt
Line: 6 wt, WF dry
Leader: 9-12 ft. 3X (6pd)
Tippet: 2 ft of 4X (5pd)
Selection of Flies:
Late spring: Flying Black Ant, Size 10 to 14, cicadas 8-14, Salmon Fly adult size 2-8
Summer-fall: Elk Hair Caddis, Size 12 to 18 (Orange or Black body), Mayfly Cripple Imitations, Size 14 to 18, Tom Thumb 12-18, Dave's hopper , Foam hopper and Madam X: size 6-10.
The best way to fish Caddis and Mayfly patterns on the Columbia River is from a boat. You should have an anchor system with 100 feet of rope and, at least, a 14-foot boat with 15hp motor. Riding the eddies is also a good way to fly fish for rainbows on the Columbia.
The Life of a River :
Recently, I went fishing with John MacGillivray, a long time resident and fly fisherman. He has fished the Columbia river since the early eighties and has witnessed the changes first hand, “Back then I wouldn't think of eating a fish out of this river. But now, no problem, they have really cleaned it up.” John remarked, as he deftly plucks a mayfly off the water and holds it aloft, “See, these are usually the first to go because of pollution, now look at them... they're everywhere.”
It is true, on that day, the mayfly hatch was prolific but it is not only the mayflies. In the past year, I have fished the Columbia River with a stonefly nymph in January and landed trout amidst gently falling snow. In the spring I have fooled fish with large salmon flies and cicadas at the mouths of streams and I have caught fish on tiny caddisflies in the twilight of a hot summer's eve, when all I could hear was the repetitive flop of rainbow feeding aggressively on the surface and though I could not see, I could feel and that made all the difference. And in autumn, when the large October caddis hatches burst upon the river amidst the fireworks of falling leaves, the splash of a trout, a tight line, a tip up, a rainbow lost or landed - it does not seem to matter so much.
I think of how often I see deer bounding along the shore, or Elk grazing on the grasses at Fort Shepherd, eagle and osprey soaring high above, tree swallows burrowing through vibrating clouds of caddisflies, and as I cast my fly, my constant companions the Canada goose, mallard, and merganser float by. I see it all in my quiet pursuit for wild rainbow trout on the Columbia River and I am thankful that the river heals and even now heaves with life. In this relatively small stretch of water in southern BC, flows a river reborn.
How to get here:
From Vancouver or Calgary, Highway 3A and 3B will take you to either Castlegar or Trail where you can find accommodations and all amenities. From the US side, Highway 22 will take you to Northport, Idaho and access to the river.
Here is some addition resources you may find useful:
Trail or Castlegar Chambers of Commerce: www.trailchamber.bc.ca (250) 368-3144 or www.castlegar.com (250) 365 6313.
And if you're in Castlegar, stop by the Castlegar Sports Center and Fly Shop , (250) 365-8288
Owner Rod Zavaduk can provide you with fishing gear, licenses, hand-tied-flies, suggest a guide and offer invaluable local knowledge.
