Ralph Shaw on Jack Shaw
In his lifetime, internationally-known fly fisherman
Jack Shaw changed the face of fly fishing in British Columbia. Author Ralph Shaw's reveals fishing tips and observations from the fly fishing legend in his latest book, The Pleasure of His Company.
Rods and Tackle
The fishing gear you need for saltwater fishing in B.C. is simple and inexpensive.
Rods
You can buy a basic adult casting rod and reel combination at most tackle shops or larger retail stores for under $30. Children's sets are cheaper still. Sometimes you won't even need a rod - many of today's professional B.C. anglers and guides started their fishing careers as kids, fishing off their local docks with a hand line!
Tackle
The right tackle for pier, dock or local beach fishing can be as simple as two or three different sized, shaped and coloured casting or jigging lures like buzz bombs, stingseldas or zingers - simple artificial lures that attract fish with sounds and motion.
Lures
A "jig' is a heavy, slender, metal lure typically shaped to represent a small bait fish. Jigs can are usually used with a medium weight spinning outfit and 8 lb - 15 lb strength line.
There are many different types available, and different anglers prefer different lures. Some of the most popular models for B.C. fishing include the Buzz Bomb, ZZinger, Stingsilda, Perkins, MacDeep, and Gibbs Minnow.
As a general rule, use lures in the 1/4 to 3 oz range for dock fishing.. For all species except pink salmon, jigs with green, or blue and silver finishes will produce the most consistent results for salmon and bottom fish. If you're after pink salmon, small pink, orange, and red jigs tend to produce better results.
Bait
Fishing bait such as small shore crabs, herring (either pieces or whole), bits of mussel or clam meat or pile worms can also be effective, especially for bottom fish such as flounders and bullheads, plus shiners and perch. For bottom fishing, try to keep your bait as close to the bottom as possible. Sometimes just looking into the water and seeing where the shiners and perch are can offer you the chance to watch the fish bite your offering. Typically, a small single hook placed below a couple of split shot sinkers is all you need.
Crab Traps
Fishing for crab using traps is a popular angling pastime off fishing piers. Most outdoors stores sell simple, collapsible crab and prawn traps that you can drop off a dock or pier with a length of rope and a simple marker float. You can buy a variety of baits can, or simply use the heads and guts of your fish catch.
Use the Sport Fishing Institute of B.C.'s Online Service Directory to find a tackle and marine retailer near you.
