[Guest]

I'll be in Victoria April 6th for a few weeks and was looking to get out onto Elk/Beaver and the Cowichan.

I'm just wondering if anyone could recommend any other spots (within an hour or two drive of victoria) that would be worth checking out. I'm bringing my float tube, as well as wading gear along.

Does anyone think this mild winter will get those big hawg smallies on their nests a little earlier ?

Can't wait to get out there. Hopefully it will be enough time to melt the ice here in Manitoba so I can stop limiting my fishing to an 8" hole.

 

[ThaSandman]

For tubing, Durrance is nice and small, good action, but smaller fish. Langford Lake was amazing last year, and if you park on the North side, you don't need to flipper too far. There is also Matheson, Blinkhorne, Spectacle, and a few other small ones..... I hear great things about Kemp Lake, especially for Bass, but I haven't been - it's a bit further from Victoria. All of the lakes around town have just been stocked, so there's lots of stupid 8" fish just waiting to be caught....

Another thing is that there is a Trout/ Bass derby on April 11 on Elk/Beaver Lake put on by Island Outfitters. Tix are $25 for adults, and $10 for kids. $1000 for biggest of either species, and there are lots of draws, including an aluminum boat with motor and a 10 foot pontoon boat....
...I have two final exams the next day, and I am still entering!

PM me if you want to "hook up"

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info and I will definately PM you to make it out there!

In terms of bass flies, do you mostly fish leech / minnow / hoppers / etc? or have they adapted to more of the trout fly diets? I've got a few Crawfish patterns that just hammer them in the Whiteshell (Manitoba) and Northwest Ontario that I wouldn't mind bringing along.

 

[ThaSandman]

I'm not a big bass fisherman, maybe someone else could give some tips....

I usually use a spinning rod for the bass (I know, I know....) with a YUM worm - seems to work OK.... I'd love to catch one on a fly rod though. I've seen some videos on poppers that looks really fun....

 

[stapler]

Hey Andy:

I have been fly fishng the lakes around Victoria for about 5 years now and the best tme od year is when the weather warms up and the bass start getting active. Lakes that have served me well for bass are Prospect, Langford, Elk/Beaver. If you are in for a little adveture then i hear St Mary's on Saltspring Island is awesome. April 6 may be a little early for the bass....they don't start spawing til the summer and it's them when they are extremely territorial and aggressive. Olive or black wolly buggers is a great attractor pattern on these lakes....either trolled on a wet line for trout or cast toward shoreline with slow retrive for Bass.
I would recommend hitting the cowichan river also that time if year...hatches will have start and you may have some luck with some dry fly action, if not stick with nymph patterns. It's worth checking out Island Outfitters website, they have a local reports link and will give you a liitle insight on the conditions.
Hope this helps...good luck!

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info! I picked up a back country fishing map for the island the other day and can't wait to get out there! It'll make the 1.5 month break till fishing season opens much much easier.. haha