Fishing Fun and Games > Angler Profiles

Daniel Erasmus

Daniel, who has been fishing since he was about 10 years old, picked up fly-fishing in his late teens. Now, that's the only kind of fishing for him. He especially loves dry fly fishing for trout in BC's small pristine rivers and streams, and takes great joy in introducing newcomers to this pastime.

Currently living in Prince George, Daniel is a Senior Lab Instructor with the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program at the University of Northern British Columbia, as well as serving as President of the Polar Coachman Fly Fishers of Prince George, Director with the BC Federation of Fly Fishers and Associate Member of the Osprey Fly Fishers of BC.

Questions:

1. What is your first fishing memory?
When I was about 11 years old and growing up in South Africa, a few friends and I decided to form a fishing club. Our first fish-out was on a pond at family farm. We camped next to the pond for a three-day 24-hour fishing tournament where the prize for the biggest fish was spinner bait (worth about $3 today).
I had to save up my money to be able to buy my first rod and then had to borrow a reel from fellow club member. The fishing was not so good and we only managed to catch five scrawny little fish until I caught a huge bass (750g) that won the tournament. To this day, I still have the spinner that I won.

2. Tell us about the biggest fish you ever caught.
This isn't necessarily about the biggest fish, but the best fishing experience I've ever had was on the summer solstice last year. Living in the north, a friend and I were able to fish for rainbow trout using dry flies until just before midnight. We caught and released several beautiful rainbow trout of up to 18 inches on that twilight evening.

3. Where is your favourite place to fish in B.C.? Why?
Oh, there are so many! BC is truly the capital for fly fishing. But if I have to pick, it would be the multitude of lakes and streams around Prince George near where I live. In the summer months I can leave work at five o'clock and still have a great night of fishing ahead of me. I am also lucky to be only four hours away from the Skeena system and its tributaries that have some world-class steelhead fishing.

4. Any tricks of the trade? (special bait, and lucky underwear...)
No, not particularly. I am not afraid to try out experimental fly patterns and I try not to be rigid in my thinking when approaching rivers and lakes. I pay close attention to what is happening around me when I fish and keep very detailed notes of each fishing trip - keeping a fishing journal helps tremendously.

5. What piece of fishing etiquette do you wish every angler abided by?
I wish more people would respect our natural resources and follow the rules and regulations set in place for protection and conservation. This includes taking your garbage with you - nothing spoils the fishing experience more than finding an old fire pit beside your favourite fishing hole filled with beer cans, plastic bags and garbage.

6. Why do you fish? What keeps you fishing?
First and foremost, I enjoy being in the outdoors and the solitude it provides. I like exploring the backcountry to find small streams and fishing spots that very few people fish.

7. What is your best piece of advice for a new angler?
Have perseverance, keep your ear to the ground, join the local fishing club and try to get involved in the local fishing community.

8. What are the three best resources for a new angler? (book, website, store...)
I came across a little book named "Which fly do I use?" by Darren Banasch a couple years ago. This book is an excellent resource for someone just starting to fly fish and keeps to the basics of the sport.

Online forums such as www.flybc.ca have some excellent contributors willing to share information and tips. The Internet is an amazing resource and you can take years off of your learning curve by using the web.

Click here to read Brian Chan's angler profile.