I grew up fishing in Cranbrook, BC which is a lot different than Victoria so my first step to my inquiry project was figuring out what type of fish are here, what rivers they are on, the fishing regulations, and how to be successful in catching them.
In Cranbrook I mostly fish for bull trout and cut throat trout. In this picture I am holding a bull trout that I caught last summer. I am used to fishing in the summer so being able to fish in the winter in Victoria is a lot different than what I am used to. Because there is different fish in Victoria and it’s a different season than I am used to, I have to find out different methods for fishing the rivers.
My first step was to go to the fly shop and ask about the rivers around here, the fish, and what set up I would need to catch them. I learned that there are also cut throat in the area, but I wanted to try catching a new type of fish. I was told that there was also brown trout and steelhead which I had the most interest in. My current line and rod that I had would work, I just had to get some new flies. I learned that bright colours like pink, orange, and blue are great for steelhead. The ones I decided to get are called tube flies and they are meant to imitate prey items like bugs or other small fish. I was told a few different river names to try out which include, Cowichan River, San Juan River, and Stamp River.
Since I am fishing in a new region (region 1, Cranbrook was region 4), I needed to find out the regulations for this region. Similar to region 4 and everywhere in BC, a single barbless hook is mandatory. The regulations will vary depending on the river I fish and I will have to check into them on each of my trips. Although my current fishing licence was valid, I needed a species tag if I wanted to fish for steelhead so I had to purchase one.
Now that I have a good idea of what it is like to fish in Victoria area, my next plan to my free inquiry is to try fishing Skutz Falls on the Cowichan River.
Love the photo!