Why I love fly fishing in a river

 

Whenever I tell my friends about one of my fly fishing adventures, they always have the same blank look on their face. You can tell they are either thinking “Ew, I can’t believe you touched a fish” or “I can’t believe you enjoy harming a fish.”

For me, fly fishing isn’t just about trying to catch a fish – it’s an intimate experience with some of the most beautiful places on Vancouver Island. Getting to a wild river is an adventure that usually involves some hiking, which is one of my favourite things to do. The forest is often packed with ferns and big trees coated with moss. It feels like stepping into another world.

At the river, I study the water to see if there’s any signs of fish. Sometimes it’s obvious where they are holding since there’s usually fish jumping or splashing every few minutes during salmon season (August to November). This is a magical sight. But often there’s no signs of life, which means I need to search for areas the fish might be hiding – like a pool or back eddy near some rapids.

Walking along the river searching for prime fish habitat is fascinating since I often see a variety of life. During the spring, I see hundreds of aquatic insects hatch and fly out of the water, then hover above the surface. Schools of minnows hide in the weeds along the shore while birds sing beautiful melodies in the trees above. This is nature at its finest.

Once I find a place that looks promising to fish, I slowly walk into the river until the water comes up to my knees or mid thighs. The current pushes against my legs. The sound of running water is all around me, calming my busy mind.

Casting my fly into the water is one of the most enjoyable aspects of fly fishing (if you don't get tangled in nearby bushes or trees). The flowing loop of line dances in the air before gently landing exactly where I want. Then the current whisks my fly down the river as my left hand pulls the line in short bursts.

I remove my line and cast again, closely watching my fly drifting down the river.  Then I do it again. And again. And again. When I’m in the fishing zone, nothing else matters. I am completely focused on casting and watching my line until I feel the slightest tug. It might sound corny, but it feels like I’m one with the river because I can sense what’s happening under the surface of the water.

A wave of excitement ripples through me when I finally feel a tug. Sometimes that excitement turns to panic, depending on how big the fish is. If I’ve hooked a chinook salmon in the fast-flowing Campbell River, I usually have an “oh crap” moment since I now have the enormous challenge of reeling in a monster fish that can easily rip off my leader (and it usually does).

Landing a fish isn’t easy and requires a lot of patience. But when I do get a fish in, I can’t help but admire the magnificent creature. Seeing a wild fish up close is a special moment that makes me want to protect it, not harm it. Watching the fish swim away fills my heart with joy.  

It’s incredibly rewarding when everything comes together (figuring out where the fish are, what they will eat and the correct set up of my lines), but most highlights from a fishing adventure have nothing to do with the actual fish. I get to spend the day immersed in nature, observing life in and along a gorgeous river in a gorgeous part of B.C. To me, that’s a perfect way to spend a day on Vancouver Island.    

Want to see what it's like fly fishing on Vancouver Island?  Watch Fishing with Pamela episodes on my Youtube channel!