BC mid August

Thought I'd pass on some Meadow Lake FC info - so you won't be surprised when you get there...... (like I was......)
Francesco had a stroke this past winter while he was in Germany. I don't know the exact date of his stroke, but I do know he "regained consciousness" on March 17. His right side was affected. Speech as well. His cognitive ability was not affected in any way. He just started physical therapy two weeks ago and is "on a waiting list" for speech therapy. Hayden and his niece, Annika, are there working their butts off with Francesco to keep things running just as before.
For me, only two things were "different": one, I missed Francesco sitting at the head of the dining table, keeping things lively/interesting, and two, Hayden can't make Schnitzel nearly as well as Francesco. I was amazed at how much had been done with construction since last August: all the "old" log buildings are now gone and there are several additional new buildings/cabins. Francesco, given his regaining consciousness just last March 17th, has made impressive progress with getting back to his old self. Make sure you bring an arsenal of sinking lines. All new Marlon boats will be waiting for you at most all the MLFC lakes!!!! One more thing: MLFC is a bargain compared to many of the other FF destinations out there. Just say'n....

Stopped at Corbett Lake to meet up with some Puget Sound Fly Fishers on the way back. Fished 4 days there. Caught lots of 18/19" bows on Purple Hazes and Damsel nymphs & drys. Put Corbett on your list: it's a very well-managed fishery. Our '23 reservation is in........ Life's Good.
 
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Ron McNeal said:
Thought I'd pass on some Meadow Lake FC info - so you won't be surprised when you get there...... (like I was......)
Francesco had a stroke this past winter while he was in Germany.
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Sorry to hear about Franchesco's stroke. He's a big reason the camp is so enjoyable. How many people chuck a successful TV and movie acting career to buy a fishing camp? Here's franchesco building on of the cabins in 2019...
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And entertaining the morning breakfast line...
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Hoping for a speedy recovery.
 
Anyone fish Thuya Lakes up in that area recently? I just returned from there and I couldnt buy a fish over 10 inches. I gave up trolling full sink lines and tried casting near shore amongst the lilly pads. I think one day my average fish size was 7 inches. The rustic resort we stayed at was a great experience, good value and excellent service. None of the 6 in our group was able to catch fish of any size. There were just a couple of other anglers there and they didnt seem to have any better luck. Just curious if anyone on this forum has any experience on the lakes in that area.
 
My best memories are fishing with my Dad just before he passed away. BC was a huge part of that.

I hope you all create memories close to mine. They are special for sure!
 
tatross said:
Anyone fish Thuya Lakes up in that area recently?
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A trip down memory lane. Took several trips to Thuya in the 90's. Found the fishing was better in some of the outlying lakes away from camp (e.g. Dot, Jackpine, Buck and Summit) as opposed to Thuya and Island. My best fish on all those trips was an 18" fish from Summit. Many of the lakes has 8-12" fish. In the first week in July you could fish for most of the day with a floating line and a size 8-10 olive sedge fly. At dusk there would be rises everywhere and I did well with a size 20-22 black midge fishing to rises.
 
Ron McNeal said:
Thought I'd pass on some Meadow Lake FC info - so you won't be surprised when you get there...... (like I was......)
Francesco had a stroke this past winter while he was in Germany. I don't know the exact date of his stroke, but I do know he "regained consciousness" on March 17. His right side was affected. Speech as well. His cognitive ability was not affected in any way. He just started physical therapy two weeks ago and is "on a waiting list" for speech therapy. Hayden and his niece, Annika, are there working their butts off with Francesco to keep things running just as before.
For me, only two things were "different": one, I missed Francesco sitting at the head of the dining table, keeping things lively/interesting, and two, Hayden can't make Schnitzel nearly as well as Francesco. I was amazed at how much had been done with construction since last August: all the "old" log buildings are now gone and there are several additional new buildings/cabins. Francesco, given his regaining consciousness just last March 17th, has made impressive progress with getting back to his old self. Make sure you bring an arsenal of sinking lines. All new Marlon boats will be waiting for you at most all the MLFC lakes!!!! One more thing: MLFC is a bargain compared to many of the other FF destinations out there. Just say'n....

Stopped at Corbett Lake to meet up with some Puget Sound Fly Fishers on the way back. Fished 4 days there. Caught lots of 18/19" bows on Purple Hazes and Damsel nymphs & drys. Put Corbett on your list. Our '23 reservation is in........ Life's Good.
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Wow, thanks for the info. Francesco has had a rough go the last several years, first losing his awesome wife Uli and now this. I always brought him a nice scotch, but will have to rethink that for my trip there coming up. Again, thanks for the heads up.
 
Ron McNeal said:
Stopped at Corbett Lake to meet up with some Puget Sound Fly Fishers on the way back. Fished 4 days there. Caught lots of 18/19" bows on Purple Hazes and Damsel nymphs & drys. Put Corbett on your list: it's a very well-managed fishery. Our '23 reservation is in........ Life's Good.
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thanks for the update on MLFC and Francesco, hoping he recovers well. I was last there in 2015. If it weren’t 1300 miles from me I’d be there every June.
As to Corbett Lake, I seem to recall they were involved in a controvery with the Crown regarding access to the lake, has it been resolved or does one have to be a paying guest of the camp to access the lake?
 
Robert Engleheart said:
thanks for the update on MLFC and Francesco, hoping he recovers well. I was last there in 2015. If it weren’t 1300 miles from me I’d be there every June.
As to Corbett Lake, I seem to recall they were involved in a controvery with the Crown regarding access to the lake, has it been resolved or does one have to be a paying guest of the camp to access the lake?
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Good question........ and I'm a bit mad at myself for not having asked Ann about that.... Just based on what was going while we were there: new, tall fencing around the lake between the hwy. and the lake and along the "Merritt end" (no one fishing from shore at all) & it seemed all those fishing were registered/paid "guests' of the Lodge. Also, Ann added a chain across the lane at the Lodge to dissuade unwanted (read "unpaid") "visitors". I'll bet there are others here that can offer a more well-informed answer to your question.......
 
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stevesflyfishing said:
I'll be there is 2 weeks. In the past I have done well there with Little Fort Special's, trusty Hale Bop leech, Doc Spratley (red) and very small chartreuse damselfly nymphs.

Also, this is my first time posting here.....
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I just got back from MLFC last week and fishing was great as always. I normally expect caddis to be the dominant hatch by the 1st of July, but it was still mayflies when we left on the 7th. Hatches are definitely a few weeks behind normal, so if you are heading up in late July you might still get some good caddis action. Think big with dries up to size 6. Six-pack fly on sink-tip or intermediate if you are trolling.

For those going in August I'd have dragon nymphs and Spratleys ready. Also, try a booby fly down deep. The higher elevation lakes should be cooler water temps and better fishing especially during the day.

Piggybacking on Ron's report, the staff up there is doing a great job and Francesco is making progress. Francesco has trained Hayden well in the operation and it shows. It's hard to believe how much work they have put into the camp over the last several years. It is a great value compared with others in the area and COVID hit everyone in that industry hard, so if you love fly-fishing stillwaters I can't recommend enough giving them your business.
 
Just returned from Meadow Lake yesterday. Fishing was very good, particularly the first 3 days. The last 2 days were very hot, and fishing (and my stamina) slowed down quite a bit. I'm the only one in our group that fishes a float tube almost exclusively so thankful the winds were not too bad. Hale bop (olive and black), Little Fort specials and damselfly nymphs worked best for me a different times. Didn't catch any reasonable hatches where I was.

There is a resident Moose (teenager but independent) at Meadow Lake that we watched take an evening swim and that I came very close to while paddling my float tube around after dinner.

As stated, the camp is in great shape and operating almost normal given Francesco's condition. I think he is making good progress, but might be a lengthy journey to recovery for him. Hayden and Annika are doing great and helping everything to run smoothly.

All in all, another wonderful trip. Looking forward to sharing some tasty smoked trout with family and friends today..............
 
Robert Engleheart said:
thanks for the update on MLFC and Francesco, hoping he recovers well. I was last there in 2015. If it weren’t 1300 miles from me I’d be there every June.
As to Corbett Lake, I seem to recall they were involved in a controvery with the Crown regarding access to the lake, has it been resolved or does one have to be a paying guest of the camp to access the lake?
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Must be a paying guest and we'll worth it.
 
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