Whiteswan Lake, in southeastern British Columbia, is a beautiful lake surrounded by high, craggy mountain peaks. One of two amazing lakes in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park, Whiteswan Lake offers excellent fishing for rainbow trout. Kelly Laatsch at St. Mary Angler Fly Shop in Cranbrook reports: Whiteswan Lake has come alive and is producing lots of rainbows! As has been the case so far this spring, we again decided to chironomid fish. We casted out the chironomid rigs and let them sink slowly down into the water column. The retrieve was a slow and deliberate with 3 pulls then a stop, then repeated again and again until retrieval was complete. The biggest catch of the day was a robust 21-inch rainbow that fought well and jumped many times. This fish did not like being hooked up and had plenty of energy to fight hard until he finally gave up. It was fun to have a big fish pull on the line like that! The dominant hatch of the day was a smallish chironomid hatch in the afternoon. The flying ants were not very evident today, so the black, red and green chironomids all worked quite well. We also had success with the micro–leech, as well as some ant patterns. The Springbrook Resort Motel & Campground is located a short 30 minute drive from Premier lake and offers all the amenities needed to make yours a success.

Fly Fishing in the East Kootenays What do you look for when selecting a new fly-fishing destination? Great scenery? Accessibility? Productive water? Sometimes we have to sacrifice one for the other, but there are places where that trifecta truly exists … and they don’t all require a plane ticket or long days of bushwhacking to get there. Tucked between impressive, jagged mountain peaks, pristine alpine lakes trickle into tea-stained creeks and gin-clear freestone rivers boiling with aggressive, surface-feeding trout. No more than a day’s drive east of the Lower Mainland, the East Kootenays often enchant anglers fortunate enough to experience these exceptional fisheries. The East Kootenays is home to a variety of species that fly anglers covet, including rainbow trout, bull trout, eastern brook char, kokanee, Rocky Mountain whitefish, and bass. Perhaps most notably, it’s home to the westslope cutthroat trout. Every summer, fly-fishers from around the globe travel to the town of Fernie to drift the renowned Elk River stalking these big topwater “cutties.” Targeting rising trout with dry flies categorizes the epitome of mindfulness and, like all fisheries, poses some challenges. Many factors can influence a good day of dry fly-fishing: time of year, temperature, weather, location, and insect hatches. As spring turns to summer, and summer to fall, all of these variables are constantly changing. However, with time, experience, and consideration of all the factors, anglers can look into their fly box with almost mathematical precision, and select the correct flies to meet the conditions. The southeastern corner of B.C. is also a major destination for lake fishing. The Rocky Mountain landscape creates a diversity of stillwater fishing that ranges from long, deep lakes (like Whiteswan and Alces) to small pocket lakes (like Norbury, or Campbell Meyer), each with unique species and strains of fish. These lakes are notoriously productive, offering many fun opportunities for dragging leeches or setting chironomids on trout, or even stripping poppers across warm, shallow ponds for aggressive bass. The Freshwater Fisheries Society’s stocking program creates great fishing throughout B.C. In the Kootenays alone, the Society stocks approximately 110 lakes with rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, eastern brook char, and kokanee. Whether you like to spend your afternoons bobbing in a float tube, cruising in a tinny, or straining to watch your tiny Callibaetis imitation as it drifts along a frothy seam in the current, chances are there is a lake or stream that will meet your needs (and it probably has a boat launch, too). And let’s face it; we’re not always out there for the fish. Catching them is a much-welcomed bonus. The allure of fishing often comes from the environment, the scenery, the challenge, and the charm of a life-long journey of infinite learning. Every day on the water with a fly rod in hand is another chance to learn something new, and connect with your surroundings. The East Kootenays is where all of those dynamics work together to create incredible fishing experiences for every angler. Author: Jen Dunphy Original Post: https://www.gofishbc.com/Blog/Where-to-Fish/Fly-Fishing-in-the-East-Kootenays.aspx

Lakes fishing well

Kelly Laatsch at St. Mary Angler fly shop (www.stmaryangler.com) in Cranbrook reports on May 25: Whiteswan Lake has come alive and is producing lots of rainbows! Today the shop was closed so we decided to head up to Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park located northeast of Cranbrook in the East Kootenay region. It was a beautiful drive up the valley and into the Rocky Mountains to Whiteswan Lake. The weather was not as good as we would have preferred, but hey, when you have a day off you need to take advantage of it! It was overcast with a little rain now and then, with temperatures reaching highs of 60°F (16°C). But when you are dressed for the weather with proper rain-gear and warm clothes you can easily handle a day like today… so remember to “be prepared”. The water conditions and clarity of Whiteswan are now excellent. One can see at least 10 feet into the water, which is very helpful in spotting cruising fish in the shallows. The water temperature was 53°F (11.7°C), which was also good. When it goes over 50 the fish become active. As has been the case so far this spring, we again decided to chironomid fish. So we cruised around the one end of the lake and found a drop off ledge were we could see some fish cruising along. We set up our rods to the desired depth and positioned ourselves with the wind at our backs. We casted out the chironomid rigs and let them sink slowly down into the water column. The retrieve was a slow and deliberate with 3 pulls then a stop, then repeated again and again until retrieval was complete. We had heard about a sizable flying ant hatch the previous Thursday on Whiteswan so we were wary the fish might have already gorged themselves and would be resting and digesting. However, we were fortunate that they were starting to eat again. Between the two of us we caught more than 20 rainbows and they all looked very healthy and strong. The biggest catch of the day was a robust 21-inch rainbow that fought well and jumped many times. This fish did not like being hooked up and had plenty of energy to fight hard until he finally gave up. It was fun to have a big fish pull on the line like that! The dominant hatch on the day was a smallish chironomid hatch in the afternoon. The flying ants were not very evident today. So the black, red and green chironomids all worked quite well. We also had success with the micro–leech, as well as some ant patterns. The only wildlife seen on the day was a bald eagle protecting its nest and patrolling the land and water for food. Lakes Update: Premier and Whiteswan lakes have been fishing very well. Whitetail Lake is also fishing okay, but one has to go very deep using the deep line technique to get down to where the fish are. Overall the lakes are still fishing very well, but it can vary day to day. They tell me that is why they call it fishing and not catching. Columbia River Update: The Columbia River is fishing great and we will be guiding there all of June. If you want to chase big rainbow trout come and fish the Columbia with us, you will not be disappointed!

An October Morning at Whiteswan

A beufiul October Morning at Whiteswan Oct 08.