Something Different

Most associate fly fishing with trout and streams, but as most of you know the sport has evolved into much more.  Near my Alberta home I have numerous opportunities from rivers to lakes, trout to pike.

Alternate species on the fly adds to your fly fishing repetoire

When I moved to Alberta I was intrigued by these opportunities, walleye and pike on the fly in particular.  Over the years I have enjoyed many successful outings particularly for walleye, a species most don’t think of chasing with a fly.  I have discovered that walleye are more than cooperative and on at least two separate occasions I have had large tournament boats pull up to ask me just exactly I am up to!  Most non fly fishers associate dry flies with fly fishing and are surprised that we can work flies effectively to 20 feet or greater.
Interest has been so great in my walleye quests that I am often asked by my guide clients to chase them on the fly.  A change I enjoy!

Little if anything has been documented about catching walleye on the fly, at least locally, so I had to learn by studying what methods traditional anglers used and adapt them to fly fishing.  For the most part is has been a straight forward transition. 

Walleye share numerous similarities with trout.  They like the same water temperatures, eat the same things, hang out in the same spots (drop offs, sunken islands, weedbeds, humps) and can be very soft feeders challenging your strike detection skills.

Trout and walleye share a number of similarities

My favourite method involves using a floating line, both with and without indicators.  This approach works well when walleye are in 15 feet of water or less such as the early spring to early summer timeframe.  Suspending small balanced leeches and minnow patterns below a Quick Release Indicator in and around weedbeds or on flats adjacent to deep water works well in the same manner traditional anglers use a slip bobber.

Walleye are a challenging fly rod quarry

This past week I spent a day on the water guiding chasing walleye using both floating lines and clear intermediate lines.  I often begin with a Camolux or Aqualux clear intermediate, covering water using Clouser Minnows and Popsicle Leeches in the same manner as an angler using a crank bait.

Temperatures were warm, the water was 70 degrees so the walleye weren’t as active as I had hoped.  It was going to be a tough day.  In the mid-morning I moved across from a favourite point to fish a weed bed next to the shore line that tapered into deeper water.  Fish were moving at the surface and after catching a glimpse of a few some were lake whitefish.  Lake whitefish are a salmonid and make excellent fly rod quarry as they love mayfly nymphs and chironomids.  They are hard fighters and in the lakes around my home reach appreciable sizes, over 4 pounds in many instances.  They are an excellent challenge when my local trout lakes are slow.

Believing the rolling fish to be Lake Whitefish we swapped our clear intermediates for floating lines and Quick Release Indicators.  I put a burgundy/red Balanced Leech on my client Brent’s line and set him up to suspend roughly 12 feet down.  Together we stared, waiting for the indicator to show signs of a take.  After a few minutes Brent’s indicator disappeared. It took us both by surprise and the fish was missed. 
Frustrating, but at least the odd fish seemed interested.  After a few more minutes Brent’s indicator plunged once again, this time he hooked up.  The fish battled hard taking line and then tried to run around the boat. Based upon how the fish was fighting we believed we had hooked a lake whitefish.  Finally the fish came up to the surface and much to our surprise it was a nice walleye, Balanced Leech stuck in the tip of its upper jaw!

Brent's First Walleye

Things slowed down again after that initial excitement so we began exploring again.  We bounced around to my favourite haunts and none produced.  This included a spot that has never let me down, until today.  As the day progressed we decided to head back to the scene of our only fish and wouldn’t you know it we hooked fish again. Brent hooked and landed another nice walleye.  An old adage popped into my mind that has proven itself on more than one occasion, “Don’t leave fish to find fish!”

Walleye Number Two!

If you have different species in your area, give them a try.  Many alternate species are both challenging and enjoyable on a fly rod and the skills you learn more often than not improve your traditional trout skills too!

Idaho Stillwater School with BS Flies

On Wednesday July 20^th I headed south, boat in tow, for Island Park, Idaho.  I was looking forward to a stillwater school with Lynn Scott from BS Flies based out of Lakeside Lodge on the shores of Island Park Reservoir.  The drive was long, roughly 14 hours.  I took my time to enjoy the sights of this scenic drive down the eastern side of the continental divide.  The drive takes you across and along some of the most famous trout waters in the west such as the Missouri and Madison Rivers.

Lakeside Lodge, located on the shore of Island Park Reservoir

As the seminar didn’t start until the evening of July 21^st I had time to fish a lake I have long wanted to fish, Henry’s Lake.  Henry’s Lake is steeped in history and known for producing large Yellowstone cutthroat, brook trout and hefty cutthroat/rainbow hybrids.  As we prepared the night before, Lynn informed me we would have to be on the water early.  Now I have been up early many times before but we were up and on our way by 4:15am heading to the boat launch at Henry’s Lake State Park.  The temperature gauge read a brisk 49F!  It was definitely cold and dark.

Henry's Lake at dawn

The boat launch area was deceivingly quiet.  I thought for a moment we might have Henry’s somewhat to ourselves.  I was mistaken.  Henry’s was starting to warm so the outflow at Targhee Creek was our first stopping point.  As we motored into position I could see were late as in the early morning light I could count over 20 boats had beat us to the punch.  The ‘boat hatch’ as Lynn referred to peaked at 32 boats!  Not to worry, we found a suitable spot, anchoring in roughly 8-10 feet of water.  I began with my Rio CamoLux line and a black Balanced Leech.  The new CamoLux is a fantastic line, I can’t believe how well this line has performed this season.  After letting the fly sink for roughly 10 seconds I began a steady 4-6 inch strip retrieve with prolonged pauses. About halfway through my retrieve I felt a snagging sensation and decided to set the hook.  My rod bounced to life and I soon landed my first Henry’s Lake trout, a two pound Yellowstone cutthroat.  A fish on my first cast, this could be the start of a great day or a dark omen.  I have taken fish on my first cast in the past only to struggle for the remainder of the day.  On this day it was to be the former as we all began to hook trout.  After a while I tried hanging a Balanced Leech under an indicator with limited success.  On this day the Henry’s Lake trout wanted motion to their flies.  Throat pump analysis revealed no active feeding at all.  We figured that the somewhat brisk retrieve appealed more to the trout’s aggressive predatory nature than a feeding impulse on this day.  We didn’t mind.

Henry's Lake cutthroat

We fished until just after noon.  I had over seven hours on the water catching predominantly cutthroat and few hybrids.  No one in the boat crossed path with any brookies.  After fishing Targhee for a couple of hours we moved once the sun was above the horizon.  Lynn toured me to some of Henry’s more famous spots including Pintail Point, Staley Springs and Duck Creek.

I took a good fish on a Cruncher at Pintail point as I ‘hung’ the flies at the surface prior to recasting.  The 20 plush inch hybrid rocketed from the depths as my Cruncher dangled just beneath the surface.  After every retrieve always get in the habit of hanging the flies prior to casting.  Any fish following pounce on the flies as they change both direction and speed as they angle up towards the boat.

In the afternoon we wanted to launch my boat on Sheridan and give it a bit of a pre fish as this would be the featured lake for our stillwater school.  Sheridan is a private lake located just west of Island Park noted for its trophy rainbows.

Adult damselfly

 

As we prepared the boats we were smothered in a swarm damselflies.  Nymphs were gathering in the shallows and clambering up the cattails and emerging all around us.  Needless to say we hastened our pace to get on the water.  We found the largest concentration of fish in the inlet bay taking advantage of the cool oxygenated water from a small feeder stream.  Lynn and his guide Chris were using clear intermediate lines.  As we were fishing in skinny water, at times only two feet, I opted for my Midge Tip line.  Callibaetis shucks and spinners also greeted us on the water so I opted for a #12 Gold Bead Pheasant Tail (GBPT) on the point and a light olive #12 PearlyDamsel on the dropper.  On this day the Pearly Damsel outperformed the GBPT by a considerable margin.  My best fish came in less than two feet of water and weighed an estimated nine pounds!

Damsels were emerging everywhere!

The stillwater school went well.  Students were provided over eight hours of classroom instruction and on the water instruction and assistance with both Lynn and I.  Everyone caught fish, in both good numbers and size.  Jim Fawcett caught and released a beautiful 6.5 pound fish while he was with me.  Clay Hash had a great couple of days using a clear intermediate line and Denny Rickards Callibaetis nymph.  For a student’s perspective on the seminar please visit Clay’s blog.  It also includes a step by step tying sequence for the Rickards Callibaetis Nymph Clay put to such good use.

Jim's 6.5 pound rainbow

Even though damsels were still present in good numbers Callibaetis nymphs was the preferred choice.  Throat analysis on some of the fish we caught revealed feeding on leeches, small chironomids, damsel nymphs, snails and Callibaetis nymphs, duns and spinners.  Of all the prey items I sampled Callibaetis nymphs were the least common but the trout seemed to want more!  I did well with a tan version of my Herl May from my Stillwater Solutions Recipes book.

One of our students Clay holds a good Sheridan Lake rainbow

Student feedback from the course was excellent and Lynn and I are already planning another event for 2012.  We hope to build on the success of this inaugural event perhaps including time on Island Park for focused chironomid fishing and Henry’s Lake in addition to the trophy opportunities on Sheridan.

Sherdian Lake rainbow returned for next season

 I delayed my return by a day for the opportunity to spend a day on the water with Rio’s Simon Gawesworth.  As one of Rio’s Advisory Team members I was looking forward to catching up with Simon to catch up and talk a little ‘shop’.  Simon and I had talked on a number of occasions about getting on the water together but we could never seem to pull it together until now.

Simon enjoying himself on Hebgen

 Simon and I had a wonderful day drifting Hebgen Lake ‘loch style’ working nymphs and teams of dries to fishing fish.  It was one of the most enjoyable days I have had on the water in recent memory.  Simon’s casting prowess was humbling.  He casts equally well either left or right handed.  If a fish rose within casting distance Simon switched hands in the blink of any to present his fly quickly and efficiently, often at a staggering distance.  

In the near shore shallows brown trout cruised and sipped Callibaetis spinners that blanketed the water.  In the calm clear conditions these trout proved both challenging and frustrating but we did manage to coax a few to our flies.  As the day wore on the breeze increased and we were able to get in some great drifts working our team of dries into the long slicks that formed.  Believe it or not Simon and I were hoping the wind would pick up.  Using a team of three flies our goal would be to place the point fly in the slick the middle dropper on the seam and the bob fly in the adjacent ripple.  Just about every slick held trout.  Once the fly landed I would retrieve the dry using a super slow hand-twist.  The small movement this produced turned trout consistently.

I began my journey home thoroughly satisfied with my experience, particularly my day on the water with Simon.   

I left the boat launch at Hebgen at 7pm and got as far as Great Falls, Montana.  I checked into a hotel just after 11pm and was up and on my way again by 6:30am.  I made it home just after 4pm on Monday the 25^th.  Yes I was tired but I can’t wait to go again!

Be sure to check out my complete photo album from this trip on my Facebook page

Getting Started

Do you remember the first time you picked up a fly rod?  Last Saturday my first memories of fly fishing were all brought back to me.

Michael Short from Lets Go Outdoors

I was asked to film with a new TV show called Let’s Go Outdoors produced by Michael Short.  Mike had asked me to spend a day filming on Muir Lake, a small shallow productive water roughly 30 minutes west of home.  Water levels were up but Muir Lake had a suspected partial kill over the winter due to the drought years we had experienced prior to this spring, one of the wettest on record.

Water levels were up at Muir

Muir Lake was a rehabiltation project for a number of local groups and organizations including Trout Unlimited Canada through the Northern Lights Fly Tyers Trout Unlimited Edmonton chapter just over 10 years ago.  This conservation effort would be a backdrop for the show as I introduced Elma, a young lady to the art and mystique of fly fishing.  We would be fishing out of pontoon boats.  I would be in my Pac 9000 and Elma in my  Discovery IR10.  It would be Elma’s first time in a pontoon boat as well.

Elma is ready to go and only slightly frustrated!

Elma proved to be a terrific student who displayed great patience and a positive approach as she mastered a new series of skills including rowing a boat for the first time and casting.

As we filmed I walked her through the basic equipment, lines, rods, reels, waders, wading boots and flies. We then ventured to the water where I explained the dynamics of casting and how a fly rod differs from a traditional spinning or bait casting rod.

On the water, waiting for the indicator to go down.

Conditions weren’t great, the water was beginning to warm and fish had been moody at best according to the research I did prior. Suspending leeches under Quick Release Indicators would be the order of the day.  Indicators are not originally designed with fly fishing in mind.  Considering this fact I taught Elma the basics of roll casting and within minutes she was able to ‘flop’ out a reasonable cast and fish. Elma tried a few successful overhead casts as well but stuck with the roll cast.  The best bet for a weighted leech and indicator. By the end of the day she could easily get out almost 30 feet of line, more than enough for our presentation method.  Short casts work best when fishing indicators so any subtle takes aren’t missed.

We targeted a number of my favourite spots throughout the day but things were slow as I expected.  Talking to other anglers on the water no one was catching fish.  We finally ventured to my fall back spot, a deep hole in the western basin where we worked into 14 feet of water.  I opted for a balanced maroon Soft Blend Leech from my Stillwater Selections book on point and a #12 black and red Ice Cream Cone roughly 18 inches above.  Lady Luck was with me, as I managed to hook four fish over the course of the afternoon, the largest just over 20 inches.  Two came to the leech and two the chironomid.  A throat sample of the large fish revealed one tiny water boatman, one small leech and one caddis larva-all dead, a sign that fish weren’t actively feeding.  The leech/chironomid cocktail I presented always seems to work in tough conditions as these are two food sources that typically always receive an instinctive response.

Elma seems to have enjoyed her day on the water

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and introducing someone to fly fishing.  Hopefully Elma enjoyed it too.  Her smile at the end of the day suggested she did.  Elma promised to return to the water soon to continue her journey.

Fishing Local Water

Yesterday I managed to sneak out and fish a local lake with friend Brian Wiebe. With my travels so far this is only the second time I have been able to venture out locally. I was glad Brian motivated me to get onto the water.

Weather was overcast with a slight breeze from the north east. We were just experiencing the last of a low pressure system that has been bombarding us with rain and wind for the past few days. Thankfully the sunny weather is returning as I type.

I chose to fish out of my Outcast Pac 9000 as the launch was a bit dicey for my 14 foot jon boat. The PAC 9000 is a beautiful platform to fish from, very spacious and comfortable.

My Pac 9000 loaded and ready to go

We rowed down to the far end. As I got my exercise in for the day I asked myself, “Why is the fishing always the best at the far end of the lake?” About 10 minutes or so later I was in position ready to go, double anchored in 10 feet of water. 

During my paddle I noticed lots of small chironomid shucks on the water along with a few #14 Callibaetis duns. Taking my observations into account I began with #14 black and red Ice Cream Cone coupled with at #14 Gold Bead Pheasant Tail (GBPT) Flashback dropper roughly 24 inches above. 

Quick Release Indicator about to dissappear

I made my first cast settled into my seat and within seconds my Quick Release Indicator disappeared. One of the lakes smaller residents, barely 12 inches long had inhaled the Ice Cream Cone. Not a bad start I thought. From that point on the action was steady. The fish were small but scrappy and lots of fun on my 4 weight. A few fish later I managed to get one over 14 inches that I was able to obtain a throat sample. They were feeding heavily on #16 and smaller olive chironomid larva.  There were also half dozen #14 dark olive and black chironomid pupas contained within the sample, some of them inflated and silver. Despite the reasonable numbers of Callibaetis duns drifting there were no nymphs or duns in my samples. Chironomids were on the menu.

Fish were active and willing to play!

After a few more fish I took off the indicator as I was changing my dropper fly to a small Chromie. I took a fish on my first cast using the ‘naked’ technique and continued to take fish on a steady basis. I switched back to the Quick Release Indicator so I had something to stare at while I ate lunch. I never moved until it was time to go! It was nice not having to chase fish all over the place!

Brian has success working the shoreline shallows

Brian did equally well and diligently worked the shallow reaches near the shoreline bull rush.  He locked horns with a few larger fish and managed to land on of the larger residents the lake is beginning to produce. His larger fish took his suspended leech pattern but as with my smaller fish it too was stuffed with chironomid larva and pupa. Brian’s leech must have looked like the perfect desert!

Brian is pleased with his results

I fished until just after 5pm, all in all a rewarding day. I made a promise to myself to try and get out more often over the coming months. I am fortunate to have a number of great little ‘pot hole’ lakes within an hour or so from home. Often we travel great distances to experience what is lying in our backyard.

Spring Parklands Report

As some of you are probably already aware, I make a point of travelling to the Parklands region of S.W. Manitoba each season.  This region currently offers some, if not the best, stillwater fly fishing in North America.  From the diversity of the species, the remoteness of the region and the average fish size the Parklands is tough to beat!

An average Parklands rainbow

Earlier in June I had the pleasure of hosting two groups of fly fishers for a weekend and week-long adventure respectively.  Based out of Arrow Lakes Lodge we visited a number of quality stillwaters within the region.  Most within 40 minutes of our base, two of the better lakes are less than 20 minutes away.

Providing a casting and presentation demonstration

Each day I provided a seminar appropriate to the region or to the specific opportunities possible on the chosen lake for the day.  Subjects included strike indicator techniques, how to fight big fish, stillwater entomology, forage fish tactics casting and presentation techniques to name a few.  At the end of each trip the group gathered their images and after a photography seminar we all relived the fish and experiences of the trip.  The final night always proves itself the most memorable.  Check out my Facebook page for my Parklands Spring 2011 album for additional photos.

Bob and Karen Vanderwater

Good friends Bob and Karen Vanderwater provide invaluable assistance ensuring these hosted trips become a successful reality, both in the months prior and over the course of the event.  Frankly, I would be hard pressed to do it without them.  Their spirit, energy and organizational skills help keep all of us on track.
While on the water I spent time with each student as we worked together to unlock the challenges each lake threw our way.  Spending time with each student is perhaps my most memorable part of each trip.  I get a chance to get to know each student a little bit better and we both benefit from the inevitable exchange of ideas, information and experiences.  The look on their faces as they release the trout of a lifetime is the icing on my cake!

Now that's a rainbow!

The weather for the 10 days I was there started perfectly, sunny skies and light winds.  But as the weekend passed into the week our weather pattern shifted.  A good day always seemed to be followed by a rainy blustery day.  The up and down conditions did not deter the group from Spokane who joined Bob, Karen and I for the week.  Seasoned stillwater fly fishers, this group donned their rain gear or waders, shrugged their shoulders and soldiered on.  Our day on Pybus reminded me more of coastal steelhead or salmon fishing than the Parklands.  By midday I gave up trying to bail my pram as the steady deluge made it pointless. 

Our last day on Tokaryk, a lake we re-visited by popular demand, the wind blew from the N.E. at over 50 km/h.  Despite the ocean like swells trout responded with unbridled enthusiasm for our leech and baitfish patterns suspended beneath indicators.  The swells pitched our patterns aggressively and that’s just the way Tokaryk’s large rainbows and browns liked them.  The takes at times were just down right scary!

Karen's 28-inch brown

Fish size was large, typical for the Parklands. We had numerous fish in the 6-8 pound range.  A 23-inch rainbow for example, weighed between 6-7 pounds!  A number of nine pound fish were caught along with one 10 pound monster.  Karen took the largest brown of the trip on the final day of the week long trip.  It measured out at 28 inches!  Also during the trip Jason from Spokane caught the largest tiger I have seen to date while he was with me in my boat.  It measured 27 inches and topped 7 pounds!

Jason's 27-inch, 7lb tiger

I began the trip using 3X 8.2 pound FlouroFlex Plus fluorocarbon tippet which did a great job.  But there were a few instances where I had to switch to 2X 12 pound FlourFlex Plus to tame some of the Parklands trout I crossed path with.  We had one fish that I estimated in excess of 8 pounds snap the hook clean off the bend on a #12 3XL black and red Ice Cream Cone!

Chironomids and some caddis were hatching in decent numbers.  We apparently missed a spectacular chironomid hatch on Patterson Lake by a day.  The volume shucks that were clustered together on the surface the following day was almost biblical.  There were also clouds of fathead minnows gathered in the shallows.  The browns and rainbows seemed to enjoy mauling them, almost at will.

The shallows were thick with schools of fathead minnows

While on Patterson my first student asked if I would show him how to fish chironomid pupa without an indicator using the traditional floating line long leader or ‘naked’ technique.  Since chironomids were definitely on the menu we ventured out into deeper water targeting the sloped edge of the main lake basin.  Double anchored parallel to the ridge that ran between a main lake point and the western end of the island we targeted water between 15-18 feet deep.  I used a leader set up that was at least 25% longer than the depth of water we were fishing, 21 feet.  A #12 black and red ice cream cone went on the point and a #12 Chromie hung off my sliding dropper some 4 feet above the point fly.  After making a long cast roughly 30 degrees to my left I let the wind swing and drift the fly line.  I let the flies sink 30 seconds before beginning a painstakingly slow hand twist retrieve.  Conditions were calm.  I concentrated on the fly line, watching either the tip or a slight ‘squiggle’ in the line for a take.  Almost every take was seen before it was felt.  After two hours I had my first convert.

The ‘naked’ technique proved itself as deadly as it ever was.  Making me wonder why I don’t use this method more often.  It also works great for imitating mayfly and damsel nymphs, caddis pupa, even leech patterns.  By the end of both the weekend and week-long events almost all of my students had had the chance to take fish using the ‘naked’ technique.  Some had such confidence in the method that they discontinued using indicators for the balance of the trip.  I encourage you to give this method a try.  he largest tiger trout of the trip resulted from this presentation technique.  If you check out one of my previous blog entries you can find out more about this deadly stillwater presentation technique.

We are already planning on returning to the Parklands in 2012 for both a weekend and week-long hosted trip in both the spring and fall.  I will be returning in September with another group.  These trips have proven extremely popular selling out in a matter of weeks just through word of mouth.  If you are interested in joining Bob, Karen and me in 2012 let me know right away.  Our hosted trips include accommodation all food, seminars and one on one time with me on the water.

Spring Flurry!

The challenge with blogs is when you have time, you really don’t have much to say.  Well at least in regards to on the water fishing adventures.  This is often the case over the winter months when fly fishing is tough if not physically impossible.  Then once the season rolls around there is so much to communicate but no time to do so.  Such is my dilemma!

Since my last entry in late May I seem to have been in a constant state of travel to and from various destinations across western North America.  My travels have taken me to California for a Stillwater School with Bill Forward from Forward Bound Guide Service.  During my time there I also had the pleasure of speaking to the Davis Fly Fishers and even managed to sneak east for a day on famed Pyramid Lake.  Then back to BC to film an episode with BC Outdoors Sports Fishing T.V. on Horse Lake followed immediately by a Learning with the Pros Seminar with good friend Brian Chan at Ruddocks Ranch.  I was also back home briefly where I spent one day chasing trophy pike on nearby Wabamum Lake.  It has been a busy stretch.  Here is a summary of my experiences.

California Stillwater School Participants

On May 19th I hopped a series of flights from Edmonton to Vancouver, Vancouver to Seattle and finally Seattle to Reno for a stillwater seminar on Lake Davis California.  This was the second time I had the good fortune to be in the Sierra Nevada region of California.  The scenic peaceful beauty of the region is something to behold.  I once again partnered with Bill Forward from Forward Bound Guide Service to provide a comprehensive stillwater seminar over the weekend on May 20-22.  Over 20 enthusiastic students joined us.  Bill and I provided classroom sessions on a variety of subjects and students were able to practice what they learned on nearby Lake Davis.

Willows or cattails adjacent to deep water produced best

Compared to last fall when I was last on Lake Davis the lake had changed dramatically due to high water.  Lake levels were up at least three feet.  Areas that were high and dry last season are now new cruising grounds for trout.  The challenge is targetting the right regions.  Cattail or willow outcroppings close to deep water produced well.  Too far back into the freshly flooded areas and you were casting over barren water.  Few if any trout prowled these regions as the invertebrate population had yet to recolonize these regions.  Small black and red or dark olive #16 chironomid pupa suspended 5-7 feet beneath and indicator worked best. 

Bill and I plan on doing additional stillwater seminars, perhaps as early as this fall depending on my schedule.  If you are interested at all please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Fishing from ladders or 'high chairs' is part of the game when fishing Pyramid Lake

On Monday May 23rd, prior to a speaking engagement I had with the Davis Fly Fishers, Bill took me for a one day trip to Nevada’s Pyramid Lake.  Pyramid is famous for its huge Lahonton cutthroat trout and is one of North America’s hallowed stillwaters.  Though it doesn’t not contain Lahontan’s to sizes that first made it famous Pyramid Lake is still home to some pretty solid trout.

Fishing from a ladder is a Pyramid standard

For those not familiar with Pyramid fly fishing there is unique, done almost entirely from shore using step ladders to gain access to deeper water and the edges of the drop off.  Some season Pyramid anglers have taken step ladder evolution to new heights in comfort and functionality. 

Some have taken fly fishing from a ladder system to a whole new level

We arrived late in the season as the typically large schools of Lahontan’s that cruise the shoreline margins had begun to disperse.  We fished primarily at Pelican Point.  I only managed to land one 20 inch fish choosing to spend the windswept gusty afternoon talking with fellow fly fishers about my stillwater experiences.  One angler next to me managed a Pyramid grand slam, a number of Lahontans, a Tui chub and a large Sacramento perch!  Bill soldiered on and landed a 30 inch, 10-11 pound monster on #10 Zebra Midge suspended about seven feet below an indicator.  Pyramid is a unique fishery all stillwater fly fishers should experience.  Located on tribal land, an inexpensive one day $10 license gets you into the game.  I was pleased to strike Pyramid off my stillwater bucket list.

Bill Forward with a Lahontan monster 30 inches long and estimated between 10-11 lbs

After returning home from my California trip I was back on the water chasing pike with two clients on Wabamum Lake.  Wabamum is a trophy pike fishery located roughly 45 minutes west of home.  The weather was warm and the winds were light, near perfect conditions.  In years past Wabamum was noted for its warm water discharge that originated from a power plant.  The warm water discharge helped gather and concentrate clouds of baitfish which in turn attracted large numbers of hungry aggressive pike.  The plant shut down last year and the pike have since dispersed.  The large fish are still around but you now have to roam and hunt them down.  From a guide’s perspective it was nice to have fish concentrated in one area but for the resource it is better to spread the pressure out.  The good news was I found pike in every area we tried.  We even ran into a couple of larger females one of which I managed to hook on a fire tiger Half N Half of mine while taking a few casts at the request of my client.  She weighed out at just over 15lbs in my Moby cradle.  However, just as she first swam into the cradle she performed a quick unexpected about face and with the near vertical rod position I had my 10 weight snapped at the tip section just above the ferrule.  Bad angle it would seem.

After spending the weekend at home I was off to B.C. to film an episode of BC Outdoors Sports Fishing T.V. on Horse Lake located near the town of 100 Mile House.  As most of you know, winter decided to hang on this year so everything was about two weeks behind.  Water temperatures were cool and the lake level was up about two feet over last year.  Callibaetis where just starting to stir but I was quite happy taking fish on chironomids as you might imagine.  Horse is a long, clear lake that contains rainbows, kokanee and lake trout.  We were hoping for a grand slam of all three species but only managed rainbows and lakers on the fly.  The kokanee where still too deep for us to get at with our fly gear.

Bruno makes a few casts on Horse Lake

We stayed at Cariboo Bonanza Resort during our stay, a beautiful place for both those that like to camp or take advantage of their rustic and luxurious cabins.  Resort owners Bruno and Dora Sprecher were wonderful hosts and Bruno was keen to point out all the best spots to try.  If you ever need to find Bruno the best place to look is on the main dock that reaches out onto one of the better shoals.  Bruno loves to spend a few moments whenever he can staying in touch with Horse Lake and its residents.

After finishing filming host Mike Mitchell and I were heading to the Lytton area and Ruddocks Ranch to meet up with Brian Chan for our first Learning with the Pros stillwater seminar of the season.  Over 20 students joined Brian on the ranch’s private lake, Ruddocks Dam, an intimate body of water known for its trophy rainbows.

Brian releases a Ruddocks Dam resident

Students camped at the lake so provided all of our seminars lakeside, a beautiful backdrop for the weekend’s events.  Brian and I along with the BCO staff that joined us had the good fortune to stay at the ranch house, a short 20 minute drive from the lake.  The ranch house sits above the Fraser River and offers a stunning view.  The accommodation was wonderful and provided a welcome respite after a day under the sun.  If you have a group of anglers looking for a place to stay and fish Ruddocks Ranch makes an excellent choice.  Contact Kevin Estrada for booking information.

Over the course of the weekend Brian and I provided seminars on a variety of subjects including lake biology, entomology and specific presentation techniques.  Brian and I also spent time with each student on the water.  I enjoy these one on one exchanges with students and working with them on specific questions or challenges they may be having.  Often I learn as much as the students through the exchange of information and experiences.

Trout were in 12-15 feet of water feeding steadily but not heavily on a stream of small #14-#16 black and dark olive chironomid pupa. Hanging matching pupa anywhere from 10 to 13 feet below and indicator proved quite successful.  I also did well on an olive body burnt orange tail Balanced Leech suspended beneath an indicator. 

For the most part Ruddocks Dam trophies did not want to play but there were enough three pound trout to keep our students happy.  Gary Elgear from Riverside Fly and Tackle in Port Coquitlam was on hand to help out. He managed the largest fish of the weekend that was an estimated 10lbs.

As we were packing up for the return trip home carpenter ants began falling on the water in numbers great enough to garner the trout’s interest.  It was tough not to grab a fly rod and toss a large Chernobyl Ant at the fish that were taking the large ants in aggressive splashy rises!  You have to a love a lake or body of water that leaves you yearning for more!

On the Water at Last!

As most of you probably know, this past winter was one of most severe on record.  Only recently have the lakes in my area become ice free.   I have managed to keep myself occupied with a number of speaking engagements, seminars and schools.  Getting on the water has been tough both physically due to the snow and ice and mentally as the excitement that precedes a new season could not be satiated!

This past week I flew to B.C. for three days of fishing with my friend and colleague Brian Chan.  Brian and I don’t get to spend as much time as we would like together on the water so trips like this are a treat and we get to discuss future projects, seminars etc.

Six Mile Lake

Each day we visited a different lake.  Day one started at Six Mile Lake.  The weather was great, sunny and warm and a light breeze.  The trout were reasonably cooperative and the day began using small #16 olive or lime green chironomid pupa patterns such as my Pearl Pupa from my first book, Fly Patterns for Stillwaters.  Trout were shallow and we did best in the shallow water less than 10 feet.  Callibaetis duns also appeared in our throat pump samples and in the early afternoon they began hatching in earnest.  Anchored close to shore we watched the duns drift out over the deeper water on the shoal only to be consumed one at a time in splashy aggressive swirls.  Brian took a number on a parachute Adams and I took fish on a bead head version of my Turkey Quill Callibaetis, all in all a great start to the trip.

Callibaetis began emerging in decent numbers during the afternoon on Six Mile

Day two saw a weather change.  Temperatures dropped, the skies were gray, full of moisture laden clouds.  Deciding to stay close to Kamloops in case we had to beat a hasty retreat we launched the boat at Jacko Lake.  Chironomid pupa, black and red to be specific and balanced leeches were the order of the day.  Chironomids were hatching in reasonable numbers and swallows were working the shallows hard dipping and diving to pick off as many of the emerging adults as they could.  Swallows are an excellent hatch indicator to pay attention too.  Fish were not in a terribly cooperative mood due to the changing weather but we managed to do reasonably well in light of the conditions.  As with Six Mile the day before, fish were in the shallows.  By days end were both satisfied and saturated.  The warm shower at the end of the day provided a welcome respite.

Brian releases a small rainbow

Day three started with worse weather than day two.  We were greeted by steady rain and as we headed higher in elevation to Heffley Lake near Sun Peaks Resort the steadily declining temperature gauge in Brian’s truck got us worried about the possibility of snow.  Thankfully were a few hundred feet lower than the visible snow line.  Steady rain stayed with us all morning testing our will, raingear and choice of layered clothing.  By noon we decided to head for shore where we cooked smokies over a small campfire.  Although challenging to get going the heat it provided made all the effort worthwhile.  After lunch the clouds began to lift and rain abated.  Fish were on the shoals and in the relatively clear waters Heffley is known for our quarry could often be spotted cruising the lighter marl patches.  Trout were not concentrated and we moved often to keep in touch with the cruising trout.  Areas adjacent to deep water proved to be our most consistent strategy.  As with Jacko the day before fishing was steady but not spectacular.  Trout were feeding on small chironomids and we did have some success using pupa patterns.  But by far our best results came from hanging small black micro leeches beneath indicators.  Brian and I chatted back and forth as to the reasons for this preference.  We weren’t using balanced patterns for the most part and perhaps the small slender profile of our micro leech patterns suggested staging chironomid pupa?  Most of the pupae that were emerging were olive, dark olive and black.

Keep an eye out for swallows working low over the water, a sure indication a hatch is taking place.

The Kamloops area lakes are starting to get into full swing.  Water temperatures at Six Mile, Jacko and Heffley were all within a few degrees of each other, between 54F and 56F.  Good temperatures, as 50F is the typical trigger point for the season’s first chironomid hatches to get going.

Now that the stillwater season is at my feet I intend to spend as much time on the water as I can, both locally and afar.  Stay tuned for reports from California, BC once again and in June the magnificent lakes of the Parklands region of southwest Manitoba.