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Learn To Fish: A Beginner's Guide To Freshwater Fishing in BC
Learn To Fish: A Beginner's Guide To Freshwater Fishing in BC
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GUIDE
Get off to a good start by choosing the right rod and reel combo – for you,
and for the type of fishing you plan to do.
Two basic rod and reel set-ups are spincasting and handle
spinning. It’s important to match the rod with the bail
proper reel.
Spincasting
A spincasting rod has the reel mounted on top of the
rod, with the line guides facing upwards. On a matching
spincasting reel, notice that the line is stored under a cover,
and feeds from a small hole in front. These reels are very
inexpensive and easy to cast, making them ideal for
young children.
Take a look at our ‘Casting and Retrieving’ guide (page 8)
for information on how to cast properly.
handle
cover
thumb button
line opening
drag
reel seat
Fusion and braided lines: With these lines, the materials are
either braided or fused together to make a single strand of
line. This makes for an extremely strong line with a very thin
diameter, and very little stretch. Since these lines are highly
visible, they are generally used only as main line.
Fluorocarbon Line
Strength
Line strength is expressed in terms of “test,” and is measured
in pounds or kilograms. The higher the test number, the
stronger the fishing line. This number will be clearly labelled
on any line you buy, and it’s important to use the right test
line for your targeted species and fishing conditions. Most
rods and reels are also labelled with a suitable line weight
or test, and following what is recommended will help the
equipment to function properly.
Braided line
Visibility
This simply means how visible the fishing line is to the angler
(not the fish). The fishing line box will generally be labelled as
high visibility, low visibility, or invisible.
Size
This is the diameter of the line. It will be labelled clearly on
the box, and is measured in either thousandths of an inch or
hundredths of a millimetre.
Here’s a simple guide to the basic tackle you’ll need. Let’s work backwards, starting from the
hook. Remember that your local tackle store is a great place to ask for advice on what works
best for fishing in your area.
shank
in B.C. require the use of single
barbless hooks. If you buy a lure Lures
point or spoon that has a treble hook
Spoons: These wobble and dart in the water as you reel in.
you can easily replace the treble
Their movement makes them look like wounded baitfish,
barb with a single hook, and pinch the
which entices fish to bite. Depending on the water and type
bend barb flat on any hook with a pair
of fish you are targeting, there are hundreds of different
of pliers.
designs, colours, and sizes of spoons to choose from.
Bait
Bait is any food or substance used to attract the fish
and tempt them to bite. Bait falls into two categories:
QUICK TIP
Fish can be picky eaters. If you’re not having much luck,
try changing lures to increase your chance of catching fish.
Weights
Weights (also known as sinkers) are usually made of lead or
tungsten, and come in various shapes and sizes. Weights
help you to cast further, and sink your bait or lure down to
the fish.
QUICK TIP
Floats Depending on the season, it’s also a great idea
to pack sunscreen, insect repellent, sunglasses,
Floats (also known as bobbers) help keep your hook off the a baseball cap, and extra clothes for changing
bottom, and allow you to adjust the depth you’re fishing. weather conditions. If it’s a family day out,
Easily moved up or down your line, floats let you place your remember the camera!
bait, lure or fly right where the fish are swimming.
Here are some simple and effective ways to set up your equipment for different types
of fish and water conditions.
1. Pass your line through each of the guides on your rod. 1. Pass your line through each of the guides on your rod.
2. Clip or slide a float onto your line. The amount of line 2. Attach a sliding weight so that it slides freely on the main
below the float will depend on the depth you want line.
to fish. 3. Attach a hook and leader set-up to a swivel, then attach
3. Tie your hook directly to the main line with an improved that to the main line below the sliding weight. Your
clinch knot (see next page), or attach your hook – tied leader should be 50 to 60 centimetres (1.5 to two feet)
to a short leader – to a swivel attached to the mainline. in length.
4. Attach split-shot weights to the line at least 30 4. Cast and test to see if the weight of the sinker will
centimetres (one foot) above the hook. Add enough hold your bait in place near the bottom. If not, add
weight so that the float sits upright and low in the water. more weight.
float bait
hook
water surface
floater
split-shot weights
QUICK TIP
Knot-tying can be tricky, especially if you have cold
hook fingers! Time spent tying knots while at the water also
means you’re not fishing! To maximize your fishing time,
pre-tie extra leaders onto several hooks or lures, and
pack them along with you. Many tackle companies offer
bait handy and inexpensive leader organizers.
QUICK TIP
If you see fish chasing your lure but not striking, stop
winding, and allow your lure to flutter down for a moment
or two – to resemble wounded prey – before reeling in
again. This might goad a fish into striking what looks like
an easy meal before it escapes. STEP 3: Before tightening, moisten the knot with some water
or a little saliva. Hold the tag end and the line going back
to the rod, and simultaneously pull slowly and smoothly.
The coils will form tight spirals. Use your fingers to slide the
spirals back against the eye of the terminal tackle, making
sure that the spirals are not overlapping each other. Give a
final, smooth pull to securely tighten the knot, and then clip
the excess tag end.
QUICK TIP
Moistening the line before completing your knot prevents
the friction of tightening from burning the line and
weakening it.
Casting correctly allows you to explore different areas of the water where fish might be
lurking. With a little practice you’ll soon be able to control your casting and place your bait
or lure right where you want.
STEP 1: Hold the rod handle with your casting hand, with the STEP 2: Hold the line against the rod handle with the tip
guides and reel pointing towards the ground. Wind in your of the index finger of your casting hand, and then use your
line until you have about 15 centimetres (six inches) between other hand to flip the bail over until it ‘locks’ in the open
the tip of your rod and your terminal tackle (float or lure). position. The reel is now ready for casting.
The rod should be pointing upwards slightly from the ground.
Look behind you to ensure that no one is in your way.
STEP 3: Smoothly bend your arm at the elbow, and raise your hand holding the rod. When the rod is brought past your head,
it will be bent backwards by the motion and weight of your tackle. At this point (about the “ten o’clock” position), without
hesitating, move your forearm forward with a slight wrist movement similar to throwing a ball overhand, and gently sweep
the rod forward in one smooth motion.
STEP 4: As the rod moves forward to about the “2 o’clock” position, release the line from under your index finger, allowing the
line to go free. When your terminal tackle hits the water, wind the reel handle about one turn; the spring-loaded bail will unlock
and flip over on its own, allowing you to continue rewinding your line onto the reel spool. Reel your line taut between your rod
tip and the tackle.
BASIC BIOLOGY
lateral line dorsal fin adipose fin kidney stomach swim bladder
gill plate gills
gonad
pectoral fin pelvic fin anal fin caudal / tail fin heart liver spleen vent
FISH IDENTIFICATION
Below are the most common fresh water fish targeted by anglers in B.C.
Many species not traditionally recognized as sport fish are abundant and easy to catch. Here’s a quick guide to some other
fish that you can catch – and where to look for them.
PEAMOUTH CHUB – You can catch peamouth chub from CARP – Carp feed on or near the bottom, searching for the
the lakeshore, riverbanks, or piers. Look for rock piles, food by using their barbels. You’ll find them in sloughs, small
wood, bays, and any backwaters that may shelter them. lakes, shallow bays of large lakes, and slow-moving streams
During the summer months, peamouth chub can be found with abundant aquatic vegetation and sandy to muddy
in the shallow, weedy areas of rivers, streams, and lakes. bottoms. These fish are common, and can be easily caught
using basic still-fishing techniques.
NORTHERN PIKEMINNOW – This species can be found SUCKERS – The largescale and common sucker are the
in most of B.C.’s major river systems, and in many lakes most plentiful of this species in B.C. The Salish sucker, which
throughout the province. Although not generally identified lives only in the lower Fraser Valley, is a species at risk
as a sport fish, they will eagerly take flies, lures, and bait. (this is an example of why it is important to know your fish).
These fish are great fighters, and can be easily caught Suckers are characterized by round mouths surrounded by
from shore, docks, or piers. fleshy, protruding lips, which they use to suck up their food.
While fishing, you might catch any of the following non-native species. These fish often compete with native fish
species for resources, impacting resident fish stocks. Many B.C. water-bodies contain non-native fish which have
been illegally stocked.
QUICK TIP playing the fish, or you may pull or tear the hook right out.
Remember that kokanee like to “school,” or travel in a group;
Determining a fish’s food source is the key to angling if you catch one, try trolling through the same area again.
success! For example, are the fish eating insects, other
fish, or plants? Are they feeding near the surface, or
close to the bottom? Once you know, you can choose Sunfish (Bass, Crappie, Pumpkinseed)
the tackle that best imitates their favourite food, and These warm-water species are usually found in shallow
decide where in the water column you should put water containing weed beds, logs, stumps, or rock piles.
your lure or bait. Sunfish hang around these structures because they are
also home to insects and small fish, their main food sources.
Both jigs and worms, fished with a float, are good choices to
FINDING FISH IN LAKES catch sunfish. Remember, these fish are aggressive feeders;
if you don’t get a bite in five to 10 minutes, try another spot.
The most productive, or nutrient-rich, part of a lake is the
shoal area. These shallows, home to sunlight-dependent
aquatic plants and insects, make them a “grocery store”
FINDING FISH IN RIVERS
for fish. Fish will often be found cruising along the drop-offs
at the edge of a shoal. Look for fish surfacing or jumping as Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Salmon, and Whitefish
clues to whether this is a good place to start fishing. In flowing water, these fish prefer pools or runs created
below boulders or jams of woody debris which deflect or
slow the current, creating back-eddies and backwaters.
Rainbow Trout and Brook Char
Fish (trout in particular) like to hold in these productive spots,
As a rule, the best seasons to fish for trout are the spring and since they need only use minimal energy while waiting for
fall, when water temperatures are moderate. Although trout their next meal to be swept downstream. Mornings and
and char can be caught at any time during the day, morning evenings are the best times to fish for these species.
and evening are best: fish feed most actively then. These Casting lures, or using a float and bait (like worms or fish
fish can be caught still-fishing with bait or by casting and eggs), are good techniques in these waters. Keep in mind
retrieving a small lure or fly (page 6). If you’re fishing from a that even though rivers are generally not as deep as lakes,
boat, trolling a lure or a fly is a good method, because you you’ll probably need a little extra weight on your line to
can cover a large area in search of fish. When setting up your offset the pull of the current and get your baits or lures
tackle, remember that trout and char are generally found in down to within 30 centimetres (one foot) of the bottom,
the mid- or top-water area. where the fish like to hold.
QUICK TIP
Suckers, Northern Pikeminnow, and Chub
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC stocks over 800
These species can be targeted year ’round in the warmer
lakes and rivers each year. Many lakes are stocked with
regions of B.C. In rivers, they tend to favour slower water,
‘catchables’ – trout that are large enough to be caught
and are commonly found in backwaters or sloughs. Since
as soon as they are stocked. Get up-to-date stocking
these fish are usually located on or close to the bottom,
information at www.gofishbc.com
still-fishing with a worm can be very productive. All of the fish
in this group are relatively easy to catch, and can be caught
throughout the day.
Kokanee
These fish prefer deeper water with cooler temperatures,
usually less than 10°C. Kokanee are generally found in the QUICK TIP
open areas of a lake, at depths of five to 10 metres (15 to In streams, fish often lie just off the edge of the main
30 feet), where they search for their primary food source: current or behind bottom structure (like boulders), where
a very small organism called plankton. The best way to it’s easier for them to swim. While almost hidden, and
fish kokanee is from a boat, slowly trolling a set-up like the feeling protected by the cover of the overhead current,
one pictured below. These fish are renowned for having a they can easily dart out to snatch a meal as it drifts by.
small soft mouth, so be careful when setting the hook and
Catching-and-releasing
CLEANING YOUR CATCH
If you’re planning to practice catch-and-release, it’s vital that
you don’t injure the fish by mishandling it. Always follow • Using a sharp knife, insert the tip of the blade into the
these rules: vent, and cut through the belly all the way to the gills.
• Play and land the fish as quickly as possible.
• Try to keep the fish in the water while removing the
hook; if you can’t, return the fish to the water as
quickly as possible.
• If you use a landing net, buy a rubber, soft nylon,
or cotton net designed to protect the fish’s
sensitive scales.
• If you must handle the fish, wet your hands first, • Remove the guts.
and be as gentle as possible; try not to squeeze.
• Use barbless hooks, and be prepared to cut your
leader if the hook has been swallowed too deeply.
The hook will dissolve over time.
• Revive an exhausted fish by holding it upright in
the water until it swims away on its own. Never just
throw a fish back into the water.
8 Angling Ethics
Good anglers respect the environment and their quarry, and realize that we all have a
duty to protect both. You can become a better angler by understanding and following
the Angler’s Code of Ethics:
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC was created in 2003 as North America’s only private, non-profit fisheries service
funded by licence revenues. We manage six freshwater fish hatcheries (which stock over 800 lakes and streams each year),
help restore fish species at risk, and deliver programs to educate anglers – including Learn to Fish.
Provincial Fish and Wildlife Regional Offices Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia (SFI)
To pick up your copy of the B.C. Freshwater Fishing SFI can provide valuable information about fishing B.C.’s tidal
Regulations Synopsis or ask about in-season changes waters, including all-inclusive vacation packages to saltwater
to the regulations, visit or phone the office closest to you. fishing resorts, and information on charters and guided trips.
FORT ST. JOHN Rm 400, 10003-110th Avenue, V1J 6M7 Website address: fishingbc.com
250⋅787⋅3411
18 LEARN TO
LEARN TO FISH
FISHGUIDE
GUIDE
We help make fishing even better.
When you buy a fishing licence, you help us stock more than 800 lakes a year and create
more fishing spots close to home. You also help fund important research, conservation
and education programs. To learn more and purchase your licence visit gofishbc.com
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