I was headed up to BC to fish a lake in the Cache Creek area, but didn't realize that there was a big wildfire in the Lytton area that had closed Hwy 1 completely. I had to detour from Hope through Merritt, Logan Lake and Ashcroft to get to my destination. Here's a photo from just north of Merritt where the smoke from the wildfire was thick, like a scene from the Lord of the Rings movie:
Finally arrived at the lake just in time for a nice sunset (you'll likely recognize the lake from this photo if you've been there):
The water temperature was in the 58 to 62 degree range, even in this hot summer weather, due to the high altitude of this lake. As you can see from the above photo, the water level was very low, which made it almost impossible to launch my pontoon boat from in front of my campsite due to the thick mud. There was a moderate algae bloom which reduced water clarity.
The fishing was ok, but I was expecting to find more fish and larger fish in my 2 full days of fishing:
I was also hoping to encounter the elusive Traveling Sedge hatch, but only encountered a light hatch the second day when I spotted 7 adult Traveling Sedges in a hatch that occurred between noon and about 1:30 p.m. Still, it was better than nothing. Those sedges were huge, maybe the largest I've ever seen.
Here's a photo of the nicest fish I landed (on a Traveling Sedge pupa pattern); most of the fish were quite thin, but most fought quite well and jumped a lot:
Here's the pupa the fish took (I didn't tie it; I think I bought it from the Logan Lake Fly Shop years ago; the shop is now closed, unfortunately):
Wildlife sightings: At the lake I saw or heard 2 Deer, Douglas Squirrels, Ground Squirrels, lots of Snowshoe Hares (maybe 10), Common Loons (that magically appeared whenever one was fighting a fish), Swainson’s Thrushes, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Spotted Sandpipers, Bald Eagles, Osprey, a Northern Harrier, Ravens, Canada Geese, Mallards (with lots of ducklings), Lesser Scaup, Blue-winged Teals, Belted Kingfishers, Northern Flickers, 1 Turkey Vulture, Gulls, American Robins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Killdeer and Song Sparrows. The Merlin app also identified by sound (but I could not confirm) the following: Cooper’s Hawk, Western Warbling Vireo, Canada Jay, Dusky Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Bohemian Waxwing, Brown Creeper, Brewer’s Blackbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Pine Siskin, Mourning Dove, Wilson’s Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, American Goldfinch.
On the drive I saw lots of Snowshoe Hares (maybe 30), 4 Deer, 2 feral Horses, Columbian Ground Squirrels (at the Britton Woods Rest Area), Canada Geese, Mallards, Dusky Grouse, Crows, Ravens, Swallows, Gulls, Pigeons, an American Kestrel, Osprey, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Raptors, Common Loons, a Northern Flicker, Brewer’s Blackbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings, American Robins, Killdeer, Song Sparrows, House Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. The Merlin app also identified by sound (but I could not confirm) the following: Pine Siskin, Chipping Sparrow.
Here's a photo of the Dusky Grouse (don't see one of these very often, much less get a photo):
Wildflower sightings: At the lake I saw Seep Monkeyflowers, Western Water Hemlock, Fireweed, Canadian Bunchberries, Western Red Columbines, Lupines, Yellow Waterlilies, Paintbrush, Oxeye Daisies, Meadow Buttercups, Twinberry Honeysuckles, Rocky Mountain Groundsels, American Brooklimes, Woodland Stars, Heartleaf Arnicas, Yarrow, Wild Roses and wild Strawberries.
On the drive I saw Daisies, Queen Anne’s Lace, Hawkweed, Sticky Geraniums, Foxgloves, Toadflax, Himalayan Blackberries, Blanketflowers, Snowberries, Alpine Fleabanes, Showy Milkweed, Western White Clematis, Morning Glories, Field Bindweed, Knapweed, Pearly Everlasting, Cow Parsley, California Poppies, Teasels, Chicory, Sweet Peas, Vetch, Ragwort, Fireweed, Paintbrush, Alfalfa, Lupines, Spirea, Buttercups, Trefoil, White Sweet Clover, Yellow Sweet Clover, Canadian Thistles, Goat’s Beard, Ocean Spray, Mullein, Yellow Salsify, Wild Roses, wild Strawberries, Goldenrod, Butterfly Bushes, Evening Primroses, Himalayan Balsams and Yarrow.
Anyway, it was a good lesson to check the wildfire maps before leaving home. Hwy 1 was still closed on my return trip, but the smoke was not as bad.
Rex
Finally arrived at the lake just in time for a nice sunset (you'll likely recognize the lake from this photo if you've been there):
The water temperature was in the 58 to 62 degree range, even in this hot summer weather, due to the high altitude of this lake. As you can see from the above photo, the water level was very low, which made it almost impossible to launch my pontoon boat from in front of my campsite due to the thick mud. There was a moderate algae bloom which reduced water clarity.
The fishing was ok, but I was expecting to find more fish and larger fish in my 2 full days of fishing:
I was also hoping to encounter the elusive Traveling Sedge hatch, but only encountered a light hatch the second day when I spotted 7 adult Traveling Sedges in a hatch that occurred between noon and about 1:30 p.m. Still, it was better than nothing. Those sedges were huge, maybe the largest I've ever seen.
Here's a photo of the nicest fish I landed (on a Traveling Sedge pupa pattern); most of the fish were quite thin, but most fought quite well and jumped a lot:
Here's the pupa the fish took (I didn't tie it; I think I bought it from the Logan Lake Fly Shop years ago; the shop is now closed, unfortunately):
Wildlife sightings: At the lake I saw or heard 2 Deer, Douglas Squirrels, Ground Squirrels, lots of Snowshoe Hares (maybe 10), Common Loons (that magically appeared whenever one was fighting a fish), Swainson’s Thrushes, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Spotted Sandpipers, Bald Eagles, Osprey, a Northern Harrier, Ravens, Canada Geese, Mallards (with lots of ducklings), Lesser Scaup, Blue-winged Teals, Belted Kingfishers, Northern Flickers, 1 Turkey Vulture, Gulls, American Robins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Killdeer and Song Sparrows. The Merlin app also identified by sound (but I could not confirm) the following: Cooper’s Hawk, Western Warbling Vireo, Canada Jay, Dusky Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Bohemian Waxwing, Brown Creeper, Brewer’s Blackbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Pine Siskin, Mourning Dove, Wilson’s Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, American Goldfinch.
On the drive I saw lots of Snowshoe Hares (maybe 30), 4 Deer, 2 feral Horses, Columbian Ground Squirrels (at the Britton Woods Rest Area), Canada Geese, Mallards, Dusky Grouse, Crows, Ravens, Swallows, Gulls, Pigeons, an American Kestrel, Osprey, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Raptors, Common Loons, a Northern Flicker, Brewer’s Blackbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings, American Robins, Killdeer, Song Sparrows, House Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. The Merlin app also identified by sound (but I could not confirm) the following: Pine Siskin, Chipping Sparrow.
Here's a photo of the Dusky Grouse (don't see one of these very often, much less get a photo):
Wildflower sightings: At the lake I saw Seep Monkeyflowers, Western Water Hemlock, Fireweed, Canadian Bunchberries, Western Red Columbines, Lupines, Yellow Waterlilies, Paintbrush, Oxeye Daisies, Meadow Buttercups, Twinberry Honeysuckles, Rocky Mountain Groundsels, American Brooklimes, Woodland Stars, Heartleaf Arnicas, Yarrow, Wild Roses and wild Strawberries.
On the drive I saw Daisies, Queen Anne’s Lace, Hawkweed, Sticky Geraniums, Foxgloves, Toadflax, Himalayan Blackberries, Blanketflowers, Snowberries, Alpine Fleabanes, Showy Milkweed, Western White Clematis, Morning Glories, Field Bindweed, Knapweed, Pearly Everlasting, Cow Parsley, California Poppies, Teasels, Chicory, Sweet Peas, Vetch, Ragwort, Fireweed, Paintbrush, Alfalfa, Lupines, Spirea, Buttercups, Trefoil, White Sweet Clover, Yellow Sweet Clover, Canadian Thistles, Goat’s Beard, Ocean Spray, Mullein, Yellow Salsify, Wild Roses, wild Strawberries, Goldenrod, Butterfly Bushes, Evening Primroses, Himalayan Balsams and Yarrow.
Anyway, it was a good lesson to check the wildfire maps before leaving home. Hwy 1 was still closed on my return trip, but the smoke was not as bad.
Rex
