West Kootenay Flies
 

So I am Heading to catch come cutties in a week and just wondering what flies I should make sure and have when I head up. I have all the obvious stimmies, ants, hoppers, but what about green and grey drakes? Is it too early for them? What about nymphs? Ya ya Ive read cutties and nymphs are like an oxymoron but still.

Very new to fly fishing so just want to give myself a fighting chance to land a couple.

Last year and next week I will have success on the East Kootenay streams with Chernobyl Ants ( all sizes, bright colours) and Adams ( parachute, royal)...I am determined not to nymph those wonderful rivers and streams in August....unless absolutely necessary to relieve my depression from not getting any with the drys....which better not happen...

a little more info would help with fly selection. ants and caddis really cover most of the kootenay waters. nelson and area can have great hex hatches. the coumbia has a cicada hatch, timing varies. trico's can frustrate a guy, rises everyware with fish refusing best laid casts. a few selected spots also hold hopper days. go west and tight lines.

Large flying ant patterns can be deadly in the west kootenays (Columbia, Salmo and Kootenay River). Difficult to find a well tied pattern though. Hoppers and deer hair caddis are also good go to patterns. If the fish aren't rising, hard to beat a bead head prince nymph under an indicator :)

Probably well worth your time to stop in at the local fly shops and ask what is hatching and buy a few patterns. Size and color patterns can vary a lot from stream to stream

Go to one of the B.C. flyfishing forums.

It may be a bit early for the green drakes there in the east Kootenays, only because of the higher than normal water. But I wouldn't count them out. I always keep some in my box ready to go if I happen to see a few around.

If I was to use only one dry fly it might be the paracute adams in black. If you can't find any in black just take a black sharpy and make them black.

Keep your eyes open when your there. You just never know what you might see hatching.

If I were going to toss a nymph there it would be a bead headed prince of any size.

Have a great trip. Let us know how you made out. If I wasn't heading out to the west coast to do some salmon fishing I would be out there with you.

Rob

Ya its a trib off Arrow Lake, so west Kootenays. Just seems like the BC forums have a significant lower volume of people on them.

Columbia River
 

Hi guys July 26
The Columbia is very high right now and tough fishing with out a boat. To be safe you need a 14 ft. or bigger. Most of the holes and runs are blown out due to the high water. Any spot that can be fished is full of guys every night. You need boxing gloves to get a spot to fish. The caddis hatch is on size 20 to 14 Color and size change almost every day. If you don't have the right pattern, well , good luck.
Columbia Old Guy