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[Bone]

Does any one know what the meat quality of a Dolly Varden is? And are they only found in rivers?

[Double Underhooks]

Dolly Vardens can be found in lakes as well. Their close relative are bull trouts and they are found in the Fraser. Some people use the names Dolly Varden and Bull Trouts synonomously but they are 2 different species.

For the Fraser they are catch and release only, not sure about the lakes. I've seen a Dolly/Bulltrout that had a big gash and its meat is pink if that helps.

[Bone]

Thanks Double underhooks. Does anyone know what flies or lures work best for dollys?

[Schenley]

There are a lot of searun dolly populations in the Province too.  They can be found almost anywhere you find seasrun cutthroat.

[DionJL]

dollys are excelent eating. i had one from teh kootneys that was great. As for flies i use minnow patterns and egg sucking leeches.

[fishfinder]

Years ago when we were allowed to retain Dollies we’d catch dozens of them a day barfishing using mushy  salmon roe tied in mom’s scrap stockings. We’d keep the odd one  for eating and they were really good. I’ve seen  some monster  dollies caught in Chilliwack and Cultus Lakes, about 15 to 20 pounders, brought in by guys fishing in boats using downriggers. I’ve also seen huge ones in the Peace River and  the Skeena systems.

[No_way]

My family has caught dollies many times in lakes.  Legend has it that Chilliwack lake used to have some real monsters back in the day.

In interior lakes the way they are often targeted is by trolling flatfish lures.  Ugly colour combinations like green-yellow-black seem to work best.  Anyplace where water enters the lake is a good spot to troll.  Never caught one in the rivers, but in lake that I have fished there is a limit on 1/day and that counted toward your trout limit too.

[Rodney]

Just to elaborate Double Underhooks' post a bit regarding retention of dolly varden and bull trout. When you're freshwater fishing, in Region 2 you are not allowed to keep any wild trout and char from streams. There are no hatchery raised dolly varden and bull trout therefore all of them are required to be released. You are however allowed to keep wild trout in lakes, please check the daily quotas. The online freshwater fishing regulations can be found on this page.

When you are saltwater fishing:

South of a line due west from Cape Caution, wild trout and char: catch and release only. Hatchery trout: 2, none of which may be less than 30 cm (so you can't keep any dolly varden and bull trout in Southern BC, as again, there are no hatchery raised dolly varden and bull trout).

North of a line due west from Cape Caution, hatchery and wild trout: 2, only one of which may be greater than 50 cm. None may be less than 30 cm.

Note: Wild trout are those with an adipose fin. Hatchery trout are those with a healed scar in place of the adipose fin.

Other saltwater fishing regulations are listed on this page.

Anyways, I've never tasted one so can't really offer any thoughts on that. I've never caught them in lakes so can't really comment on that either. I have however caught quite a few in streams and it is one of my favorite species to target. Most dolly varden, bull trout are not picky, any large spinnerrs, spoons and flash flies will do the trick. Many times you'll see them following your lures before engulfing it. The fight is not too spectacular, I find the fish in June in the Fraser are the fiestiest ones.

[THE_ROE_SLINGER]

nice fish rod