2018-05-09: Haig Brown Presentation - Island Outfitters, Fishing Cowichan River

[John Pierce]

Following notes are incomplete and rough, use with grain of salt.

SPEAKER
Ward Bond, Co-Owner of Island Outfitters, who own acreage on Cowichan River fly fishing only section for 17 yrs.

NYMPHING
1) Method #1: Floating line and heavy fly with lead eye or tungsten bead. No sinking tip, have front coloured short section as strike indicator. High sticking, tie on flurocarbon tippet, no preference on type but like 5#. Tie small nymphs using tungsten dumbbell eyes.
2) Method 2: Sinking Tip, like light Scientific 10ft. Leader normally 1ft 20 or 30# then 4-5 ft 5#/4X leader. April-May use non-tungsten bead head flies. #1 fly is rubber legs bead headed Pheasant Tail with gold bead head and black rubber legs, no hotspot. Also use a Princess Nymph and Stonefly Nymph. Also Hairs Ear fly with small florescent yellow tail.

SWINGING STREAMERS
Two types line, May use straight floating line and fly with training wheels (dumbbell eyes) such as Rolled Muddler or Black Leaches.Use for targeting Brown Trout.

DRY FLY FISHING
Have to condition line to ensure it floats really well. Best fly is "floating" Godhair Caddis, dark bronzy brown. Easiest way is casting upstream and back to you. Parachute fly skips across water well. Need good forceps to remove fly as fish aggressively inhale dry flies. Like to use full 12ft leader to get longer drift (do get wind knots).

MISCELLANEOUS
Run "Condition" on fly line to maintain it.
Normally don't catch fish upriver, but in last 15ft of swing, do not pull in early, let fly do it's thing.
Mostly fish from boat in Cowichan as can cover a lot more ground.
June-Jul = Last hour before dusk Cowichan comes alive with trout
Oct & Nov = Fish Stoneflies or bead headed Egg Pattern as fish going after eggs.
Dec = Don't fish much.
Coho fishing though January spawning, use green-blue (maybe silver) Bead Headed Rolled Muddler. 9ft leader strip aggressively, normally fish in dead water.
Chum like any fly.
March = Fishing is harder.