Vancouver celebrated its 125th birthday last week.
Two Vancouver daily newspapers published a collection of interesting historical highlights, but what I missed seeing were the contributions of Vancouver city to B.C. sport fishing.
Since I didn't see anything printed on the subject in those papers, I have decided to share over the next few columns what I know on that very subject.
Rufus Gibbs, of Gibbs/Nortac Tackle, settled in Vancouver in 1908 and established his Gibbs-Delta Tool & Stamping Works on Main Street.
The business was destroyed by fire in 1912 and reopened at 56 Dufferin Street, where Gibbs experimented in making fishing lures, in addition to his regular work, with his most famous being the Clendon-Stewart and Stewart salmon spoons.
Aside from business, Gibbs enjoyed fishing and philanthropy and was noted as generous supporter of the Vancouver Boys Club.
Among his ongoing general support of church works was a generous donation to the historic St. John The Devine church in Yale, which saved it from demolition in 1945.
A man of curiosities, Gibb chose to live his life alone -- 42 years of which were spent on an entire floor of Vancouver's Patricia Hotel, without a television or a car.
Gibbs is not just a Vancouver icon. He was -- and still is -- a B.C. sport fishing icon.
The report
Fishing on our Lower Mainland lakes is good. Try working the northeast area of your favorite lake from late morning through mid-afternoon.
For rainbow and cutthroat try Chironomid, Bloodworm, Black Gnat, Royal Coachman, Coachman, American Coachman, Professor, Woolly Bugger, Micro Leach, Sixpack, Dragonfly Nymph, Halfback, Doc Spratley, Baggy shrimp or Zulu.For kokanee try Red Abbis, red Micro Leach, San Juan Worm, Bloody Butcher, Blood Worm or Red Spratley
The Fraser River is good for cutthroat and dolly varden.
For cutthroat try Rolled Muddler, Mickey Finn, Eggo, Tied Down Minnow, Epoxy Minnow, Professor, Lioness, Coachman, Zulu, Chez Nymph.
For dolly varden try Large (#4 to #1) Eggo, Dolly Whacker, Bucktail, Epoxy Minnow, Big Black, Muddler or Zonker.
The Vedder River fair to good for steelhead, dolly varden and rainbow.
For steelhead try big Black, Popsicle, Steelhead Nightmare, Polar shrimp, GP, Thor, Squamish Poacher, Kaufmann Stone, Purple Peril or Eggo. For rainbow try: Eggo, Kaufmann Stone (black or tan), Zulu, Sixpack, Tom Thumb, Irresistible, Chez Nymph, Big Black or Renegade.
The Stave River is good for rainbow and cutthroat. The Harrison River is fair to good for cutthroat and rainbow.
