Bamboo 6 weights at Meadow Lakes Fishing Camp

[Dave Westburg]

Took three bamboo 6 weights up to Meadow Lakes fishing camp in BC: a 9' Winston 4 and 7/8's oz hollow-build, a 9' Wright and Mcgill Waterseal and an 8'8" Sharpes. Snug recently built cabins which are a step above what you see at the rustic camps.


Some chironomids but no sedge hatch. We spent most of our time fishing scud patterns off intermediate lines over the shoals at Lost Horse Lake. This fish was a bleeder so I kept it for breakfast...

Visited a couple of the big fish lakes as well. Large Carey specials bought strikes. After breaking three fish off we switched from 4X to 3X tippet. Well conditioned fish which took to the air when hooked...


You can't visit Meadow Lakes without visiting the wall fish room which has a metal cutout of every fish landed in excess of 4 pounds...They should call this the Meredith Memorial Trophy room. PNW member Aaron Meredith @DryFly82 and his dad are both well represented...



Every fishing camp deserves a dog to sit in your lap...



Or play fetch...



Heard wolves howl and shared the lakes with loons, an eagle and an osprey. 5 minutes border crossing on the way up. 10 minutes border crossing on the way back. Mosquitoes not too bad. Only rained off the lakes once. A great time.

 

[DryFly82]

It's a beautiful place with beautiful fish and wonderful hosts (and dogs!). July up there is an exciting challenge because the fish could be keyed in on a different food source any given hour. Mayflies, caddis, dragons, damsels, scuds, leeches, or chironomids but that's what makes it such a great fly-fishing experience. Glad to hear you had a great trip and the fish, bugs, and rain mostly cooperated.

Thanks for the shoutout. Lots of hours sunk in that place, but it's where I learned the fly-fishing basics as a kid and I'll always consider it my home waters.

 

[kmudgn]

I never take my cane rods in boats. Bad things happen to rods in boats!

 

[Dave Westburg]

Haven't had a mishap in a boat so far. Fingers crossed. The risk to a rod (stepping on it, falling on it, having something fall on it) is the same in a boat whether the rod is cane or graphite. My cane rods are mostly medium priced used production rods (e.g. granger, phillipson, sharpes) which cost about a third as much as a new sage graphite. My used Winston bamboo rod cost about 25% less than a new Sage.

I might feel different if I were fishing a brand new bamboo rod from a contemporary maker with a $3,000-4,000 price tag or if I owned a $10,000 Garrison but I fish bamboo rods which I'm comfortable risking.