President’s Report – Myles Armstead
The BCFFF has continued to grow its reputation as a leader in quality angling and conservation in British Columbia. Our continued work on Steelhead is starting to see significant progress (as outlined in this report.)
Our Conservation Fund Committee is very active in supporting projects around B.C. and we have been able to donate funds to multiple Fly Fishing education programs around the province. I would like to thank Ken and the committee for their incredible work on this. Should you have a project that needs funding please don’t hesitate to make an application for the committee to review.
Flylines continues to grow and this year we were able to receive sponsorship from a number of organizations and companies ,so that Brian and I can continue to produce a quality Journal for our members. If you wish to support or write for Flylines please don’t hesitate to reach out to Brian or myself. Our goal is to produce a quality publication that can compete with the best digital fly fishing publications that are available.
The BC Federation of Fly Fishers is strong. Over the next year we must now focus on “board revitalization” which is crucial. If you have a project or passion, and are interested in joining the board, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, so we can discuss.
Finally, I would like to thank the board, for all their hard work and more importantly our membership who are passionate about quality fly fishing and conservation in British Columbia.
Treasurer’s Report – Chris Muir
Operating account balance
The BCFFF funds its operation with monies from our operating account. Expenditures above $1,000 require Board Approval. At the start of 2024 the BC Federation of Flyfishers had an opening balance of $14,000.00. At the end of 2024, the BC Federation of Flyfishers is reporting an operating balance of $ 7,945.1
Operating Expenditures above $ 1,000
Board approval is required for operating expenditures over 1,000. In 2024 the Board made major investments to recover the organization’s operating capacity and move forward on its mission.
- Website Rebuild and Support – $10,417.05
- Flylines Magazine publications – $1933.28
- Kitselas Donation Angling Equipment for Youth Training – $5765.50
- Travel Expenses to Kitselas Fish Wheel Presentation – $3574.02
Operating Revenue
BCFFF operating revenue comes from membership fees and donations.
- Donation Micheal and Young Spey Days – $6300.00
- Club Memberships
- Individual Memberships
Conservation Fund:
The BCFFF Conservation Fund operates from the interest generated by legacy endowments held by the organization in Guaranteed Investment Certificates. Current interest rates for our GIC’, which are held in varying terms range from from 3.75% to 4.5% At the end of 2024 our GIC’s held a present value of $221,420 and projected value at maturity of $236,011. Interest from the GIC’s is deposited into the Conservation Fund account, and made available to successful applicants to the Conservation Fund. At the end of 2024 the Conservation Fund Account Balance was $8434.70
Fundraising – Pete Caverhill
Michael & Young Fly Shop – Spey Day 2024
It’s hard to believe that Dave, Ryan, Catherine, and the crew at M&Y have been doing these Spey Day events since 2009. In the early days, the Fraser River was the event location. Sometimes we needed a high clearance vehicle to ford a flooded back channel so we could make it out to the site. Some of us got stuck and missed the BBQ.
Since those days, the event has become more sophisticated, the raffles more organised and the raffle prizes from M&Y’s suppliers more generous. The location has changed to the BC Parks “Entrance Bay” day-use site on Cultus Lake. Who needs to get stuck, and who really needs running water to try out spey casting gear!?
The only real “bug” in this long-running get-together has been Covid. This put Spey Day out of commission for three years. Thankfully, 2023 saw this fun day’s resurrection. The format has become better and better, with the sale of raffle tickets being brisk at two tents – Steelhead Society of BC and BC Federation of Fly fishers. Throughout the day, Spey casting demos are there to improve one’s two-handed technique. M&Y’s sales reps provide an opportunity to try the latest gear or to tune-up your own rod with just the right fly line. There is the risk of embarrassment when your heroic 100- foot cast piles up at 50.
Waistlines don’t suffer at Spey Day as hunger pangs are satisfied at the generous mid-day BBQ (burgers, salad, smokies, chips, coffee and soft drinks).
On Spey Day 2024 -Sunday April 14 it dawned cloudless and stayed that way – probably the best weather since this all began! Hatches appeared throughout the day – partially clad paddle boarders told the weather story along with groups of swimmers that appeared to be pushing the season a bit early. The odd ski boat roared by as a prelude to summer on Cultus. The BCFFF and SSBC “Raffle Tents” were stoked for action. The steelheaders sold tickets for the larger items and the fly fishers had the rest, plus a guided trip on the Upper Pitt River. It seemed that everyone wanted a classic “Burkheimer” Spey Rod! The other tackle delicacies were also tempting. About 150 folks dug very deep, as they scrambled for tickets over the day. Mid-day was BBQ time and the line-up for eats was long but quick, as Ryan and his daughters did a super job of dishing out the burgers and smokies to add to the buns, potato salad and other tasty condiments.
As afternoon closed in, it was time for the ticket draws- high end items first, followed by smaller items and the Upper Pitt River prize. There were wows and groans as expectations were rewarded or defeated. The final tally for dollars and cents? This was the most successful Spey Day yet, with record raffle proceeds being divided equally between BCFFF and SSBC!
A ton of thanks to M&Y for another great event and to the ticket sales volunteers (BCFFF’s Osprey Fly Fishers and Steelhead Society of BC members) who spent the day in the two tents, convincing customers to spend another $100!
Membership Report – David Mills
Overall, membership declined in 2024 due to a reduction in Club membership which makes up over 80% of the federation’s members. Individual memberships doubled and we began tracking youth membership.
- Club Members 373
- Individual Members 61
- Youth Members 14
- Club Leaders 9
- Corporate Membership 1
Conservation Fund – Ken Marsh
The Committee
In 2024 the Conservation Committee continued to consist of the same members. Ken Marsh, Chair with John Braybrook, Danie Erasmus and Bob Tait. Ken and John are from the Haig-Brown Fly Fishing Assn. on Vancouver Island. Danie is with the Polar Coachmen Fly Fishers of Prince George and Bob is with the Kalamalka Fly Fishers of Vernon.
Finances
The financial status of the Conservation Fund is outlined in the report of our Treasurer. At the end of 2024 the GICs in the fund had a balance of $221,420 with an operating balance of $8,434.
Applications and Disbursements
Applications were received from four organizations in 2024. These were the first in more than 6 years. The applications included:
- BCFFF – $ 5765 for fly fishing tackle in support of the BCFFF’s joint salmon/steelhead conservation project with the Kitslas First Nation Approved
- Carihi Secondary School $2500 for Fly fishing equipment and activities in support of their Fly Fishing Course Approved
- Divas on the Fly $1000 to support a workshop for Breast Cancer Survivors using fly fishing as a therapeutic approach. Approved
- Kamloops Fly Fishing Assn. $1000 in support of Fly Fishing courses at two Kamloops secondary schools. The review was not completed during 2024
The Committee is pleased that they have been able to reactivate the disbursement of Conservation Fund money for its intended purpose. We are hoping for applications that involve direct environmental or fishing enhancement work as well as education programmes.
Projects – Various Directors
Kitselas Fishwheel
BCFFF’s signature project – the selective fishing demonstration within Kitselas First Nation Community Food Fishery – will expand with a second fish wheel in 2025. Promotion of this Kitselas First Nation’s heritage initiative and its steelhead and other non-target species benefits will continue in 2025. This project significantly complements BCFFF’s partnership ambitions, and offers future policy influence potential.
Fisheries Advisory Boards and Partnerships
Sport Fishing Advisory Board / Provincial Angling Advisory Taskforce
Effective Provincial and Federal government policy and regulation is primarily accessed through the Provincial Angling Advisory Team (PAAT) and federal Sport Fishing Advisory Board (SFAB), respectively. Additionally, relations between BCFFF and executive staff of both BC (Water, Land and Resource Stewardship) and DFO were furthered. Monitored by advisory committees were: steelhead return data, drought response plan, BC hatchery policy, freshwater angling regulation challenges, angler surveys, guide reporting system, and status of whirling disease.
Notable 2024-5 accomplishment was chairing a SFAB-PAAT Communications Working Group which arose from 2 BCFFF Motions: to establish dialogue between SFAB/DFO and PAAT/BC ultimately improve steelhead management (remains in progress). The Committee also communicated on the BC steelhead hatchery issue, Skeena Forestry Landscape Plan, Cowichan River anti-hatchery debate, international Skagit River issues, and identified BC internal steelhead priority issues.
Partnerships
BCFFF continued an effective working relationship with BCWF, Watershed Watch, and Skeena Wild and greatly increased its relationship with the Steelhead Society of BC (SSBC). BCFFF also actively participated with BC’s Fish & Wildlife Coalition, Outdoor Recreation Council of BC, and Marine Conservation Caucus.
An extremely effective partnership with Kitselas First Nation grew in 2024-25, who, along with SSBC and Skeena Wild, launched a selective harvest-based Community Food Fishery utilizing a fish wheel. A community celebration honouring the fish wheel and its supporters occurred in August 2024 with BCFFF members in attendance. A formal agreement guiding this project and partnership was recently reached.
In late 2024 the BCFFF was invited to attend a meeting of Pacific Northwest steelhead-focused organizations in Oregon.
Committee Reports
Fly Lines – Brian Smith
With 2024 our second full year of publishing Fly Lines again under our belts, Myles and I are convinced it is the best fly-fishing magazine in BC, Canada and perhaps anywhere. The magazine has received outstanding acclaim from many critics, and we are very proud that we could make it happen for the BCFFF. Many members have been contributing volunteer time to write for Fly Lines; some, like Rory Glennie, can be counted on for an article for almost every issue we have produced, and it’s a real treat for us to be able to work with writers that can result in such solid material for us.
Fly Lines is the “voice” of the BCFFF. It sells memberships and gives the federation credibility–all we have to do when we talk about the BCFFF to outsiders, conservation groups, and prospective members is point them at Fly Lines, and their interest in the federation cannot help but be piqued!
Your Fly Lines team, however, cannot rest on its laurels. Like any good business, we must keep tilling the ground for new authors and that is our challenge for now and beyond–to keep our feet to the fire, to resist complacency, to be the best we can be, and to keep this burning flame alive for now and into the future.
Steelhead Committee – Michael Barr
BOD Members included: Myles A, Brian S, Pete C, Jessea G, Len P, David M, Michael B (Chair).
A previously established conservation strategy was updated in 2024 as the 3 P’s strategy: 1) Policy: Effective Provincial and Federal Government policy & regulation for steelhead and other species of interest, 2) Partnerships: Strong working relationships with other steelhead-invested NGOs and First Nations, and 3) Projects: Inspiring demonstration projects that advance policy and partnerships
Each P follows a discipline of: a) identify and understand key issues, b) establish effective working relationships, and c) lead or support change
Steelhead are the exclusive focus of the Conservation Committee at this time
Website and Social Media – David/Myles
Google Analytics were not implemented in 2024 during our new website’s first 6 months in operation.
Visitation Metrics – last 90 days
Instagram @bcfederationofflyfishers
Our Instagram account was not active in 2024. It was re-actived Jan 27, 2025 and has 1,139 Followers.
Facebook @BCFFF
In 2024 our facebook account had 2.3 thousand followers and reached 14,142 people.
2024 Resolutions
Motion to add the youth membership category to the Constitution:
- Youth Membership/clubs: Open to all youth who are 18 or under and a member of a youth fly fishing club and their clubs. All membership fees will be waived. Membership does not grant voting powers, nor eligibility to hold office, although members may attend Federation General Meetings and if they wish update the membership on their club and programs. They shall receive Federation correspondence and newsletters by email if they have supplied their email address to the Federation. Their clubs will also be allowed to use the BCFFF logo.