As previously mentioned, still learning the stillwater game. Have really been enjoying the float tube so far this Spring. It's nice that many of the vineyards I look at for work are very close to some good (at least in my limited knowledge opinion) fisheries. I enjoy starting work early, skipping lunch, hitting a lake for a couple hours, and then still being home in time to cook dinner or go watch my kids sporting events.
I feel like I have been succesful so far, but wanted to share some reports, observations, and ask some questions.
I hit the same lake I hit last time a couple Fridays ago. Holy Moly, it was windy. Not consistent, it would be calm for 5 minutes, and then you would hear it coming, and all of the sudden it was all I could do to keep my tube in the position is was hoping. I had very limited success this day. Trolling didn't work again. I took the advice of I believe @troutpocket? And tried stripping a bruused balanced leech with a damsel I have had success with in the past. I varied the tempo and rhythm, and no success, not a bump. I was using an intermediate, and also varied the time I let it sink to see if maybe they were deeper. Still nothing. This was after fishing the indicator for a while with mixed success. I feel like the wind made it difficult for me. I did have 4 fish on and landed 1, but other than that it was tough. No pics this day.
This past week I went to a Seep Lake I had some pretty good success on from shore last year. Never had fished it from a float tube, so was pretty excited to get to some inaccessible spots on foot. Hopped in the tube, took a few paddles back, threw the indicator out with a vampire leech and brown chironomid, and before it could even sink to the bottom I had a fish on, and it was a nice one. I almost saw my backing on his first run. Took me 15 minutes to get him in. I couldn't believe how strong he was. Ended up being a gorgeous, fat, I dunno 16" rainbow. Next cast, same thing. Fly is just settling in, indicator down, hook set, fish on. Almost see the backing again, but this one looks a little funky. After a few back and forths, I get him close enough to see I tail hooked him with the chironomid...that's weird, right? Takes a while to get this one in, he's about the same size, but a bit brighter. Next cast, same thing, indicator down, almost see the backing, when I get him close enough I see tail hooked with the chironomid again...is this a thing that happens often? I haven't had it happen once before this day, and then two in a row? Anyways, next cast, nothing...nothing...nothing, twitch, strip, etc., nothing. Ok, so the "bite" is over? Time to switch it up. This lake is small, so I decided I would just troll around and see what i see. Cast and strip in a few spots that look likely. Mix it up, depth, retrieve, etc. Nothing. Then it was time to go. A couple pics from the day:
The next day I met my buddy in the Ancient Lakes area. I fished once here last year from shore with zero success. Hiked to 3 different lakes and didn't see any sign of fish. But, the WDFW website says they are supposed to be decent, and my buddy and I didn't want to fish around other people, and last year I didn't see anyone else, so we decided to give it a go. Hiked in to the first lake, and it turns out that was the only one we would have time for that day. As we were getting our fins on and rods ready, we saw a few fish boil/rise, so thay was a good sign. When we got out on the water I noticed a couple callibaetis adults, and figured that must have been what the fish we saw were eating on top. If they kept going I said we would switch, but we had already set up with indicator rigs. Once we started fishing, we only saw one or two more rises and then nothing. My buddy hooked a fish real quick under the indicator, fought him for a bit, but he popped off. Then nothing for a while. Then he hooked another one, and landed that one. A decent 15"ish fish. Then nothing. I went to shore to relieve myself and noticed some empty dragonfly nymph shucks in the shallows, and that I had kicked up some fairly large (quarter size) snails. I tried to feel the stomachs of the fish for the crunch of shells (without putting too much pressure on them), but i didnt feel anything. I didn't have any snail patterns anyways, but decided with the mixed indicator results, I would try trolling around this small lake with a dragonfly nymph and then a callibaetis nymph behind that. Nothing. So then I decided to cast and strip for a while, again, varying depth and retrieve. Nothing. My buddy had hooked a couple more on the indicator that popped off, so I went back to the indicator and caught a couple on the leech. But few and far in between. We had a blast though. Decent amount of action to keep us interested, and the fish fought hard and were decent size, especially for the size of this lake.
I feel like I have found decent success so far this year, better than my shore adventures from last year. As a river fisherman (and comparing especially to the Yakima) I guess I can see the "bite turning off". In other words, maybe the fish are switching food sources/types, or even water types based on swithing their food type. I feel like I have tried to switch flies/depths/retrieves, etc. It just seems a little odd to me how hungry these fish can be, and then all of the sudden, like a light switch, they are not anymore. I'm also a little frustrated with the stripping game. I feel like I was mildly succesful with stripping from shore last year, and this year from the tube I have yet to even get a bite. Is the intermediate not getting down deep enough? Even if I let it sit for a minute before starting to strip? For the indicator game, if it stops going down, do you ever just start messing with the depth to see if they have moved up in the water column? Is there a technique I am not trying that is also succesful when all else fails? I don't have any snails or water boatman...are those flies that I should be tying (and trying) this time of year? Or do I just need a type 7 and a bunch of @Billy crawdad things and I'll be set? Hahaha! Anyways, any insights you guys are willing to pass along are appreciated. It just seems weird how quick it goes from hot to not even a bite. Maybe I am not switching chironomid colors enough? I know it's fishing, not catching, it's just crazy to me how quick things go from hot to freezing.
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any comments!
I feel like I have been succesful so far, but wanted to share some reports, observations, and ask some questions.
I hit the same lake I hit last time a couple Fridays ago. Holy Moly, it was windy. Not consistent, it would be calm for 5 minutes, and then you would hear it coming, and all of the sudden it was all I could do to keep my tube in the position is was hoping. I had very limited success this day. Trolling didn't work again. I took the advice of I believe @troutpocket? And tried stripping a bruused balanced leech with a damsel I have had success with in the past. I varied the tempo and rhythm, and no success, not a bump. I was using an intermediate, and also varied the time I let it sink to see if maybe they were deeper. Still nothing. This was after fishing the indicator for a while with mixed success. I feel like the wind made it difficult for me. I did have 4 fish on and landed 1, but other than that it was tough. No pics this day.
This past week I went to a Seep Lake I had some pretty good success on from shore last year. Never had fished it from a float tube, so was pretty excited to get to some inaccessible spots on foot. Hopped in the tube, took a few paddles back, threw the indicator out with a vampire leech and brown chironomid, and before it could even sink to the bottom I had a fish on, and it was a nice one. I almost saw my backing on his first run. Took me 15 minutes to get him in. I couldn't believe how strong he was. Ended up being a gorgeous, fat, I dunno 16" rainbow. Next cast, same thing. Fly is just settling in, indicator down, hook set, fish on. Almost see the backing again, but this one looks a little funky. After a few back and forths, I get him close enough to see I tail hooked him with the chironomid...that's weird, right? Takes a while to get this one in, he's about the same size, but a bit brighter. Next cast, same thing, indicator down, almost see the backing, when I get him close enough I see tail hooked with the chironomid again...is this a thing that happens often? I haven't had it happen once before this day, and then two in a row? Anyways, next cast, nothing...nothing...nothing, twitch, strip, etc., nothing. Ok, so the "bite" is over? Time to switch it up. This lake is small, so I decided I would just troll around and see what i see. Cast and strip in a few spots that look likely. Mix it up, depth, retrieve, etc. Nothing. Then it was time to go. A couple pics from the day:
The next day I met my buddy in the Ancient Lakes area. I fished once here last year from shore with zero success. Hiked to 3 different lakes and didn't see any sign of fish. But, the WDFW website says they are supposed to be decent, and my buddy and I didn't want to fish around other people, and last year I didn't see anyone else, so we decided to give it a go. Hiked in to the first lake, and it turns out that was the only one we would have time for that day. As we were getting our fins on and rods ready, we saw a few fish boil/rise, so thay was a good sign. When we got out on the water I noticed a couple callibaetis adults, and figured that must have been what the fish we saw were eating on top. If they kept going I said we would switch, but we had already set up with indicator rigs. Once we started fishing, we only saw one or two more rises and then nothing. My buddy hooked a fish real quick under the indicator, fought him for a bit, but he popped off. Then nothing for a while. Then he hooked another one, and landed that one. A decent 15"ish fish. Then nothing. I went to shore to relieve myself and noticed some empty dragonfly nymph shucks in the shallows, and that I had kicked up some fairly large (quarter size) snails. I tried to feel the stomachs of the fish for the crunch of shells (without putting too much pressure on them), but i didnt feel anything. I didn't have any snail patterns anyways, but decided with the mixed indicator results, I would try trolling around this small lake with a dragonfly nymph and then a callibaetis nymph behind that. Nothing. So then I decided to cast and strip for a while, again, varying depth and retrieve. Nothing. My buddy had hooked a couple more on the indicator that popped off, so I went back to the indicator and caught a couple on the leech. But few and far in between. We had a blast though. Decent amount of action to keep us interested, and the fish fought hard and were decent size, especially for the size of this lake.
I feel like I have found decent success so far this year, better than my shore adventures from last year. As a river fisherman (and comparing especially to the Yakima) I guess I can see the "bite turning off". In other words, maybe the fish are switching food sources/types, or even water types based on swithing their food type. I feel like I have tried to switch flies/depths/retrieves, etc. It just seems a little odd to me how hungry these fish can be, and then all of the sudden, like a light switch, they are not anymore. I'm also a little frustrated with the stripping game. I feel like I was mildly succesful with stripping from shore last year, and this year from the tube I have yet to even get a bite. Is the intermediate not getting down deep enough? Even if I let it sit for a minute before starting to strip? For the indicator game, if it stops going down, do you ever just start messing with the depth to see if they have moved up in the water column? Is there a technique I am not trying that is also succesful when all else fails? I don't have any snails or water boatman...are those flies that I should be tying (and trying) this time of year? Or do I just need a type 7 and a bunch of @Billy crawdad things and I'll be set? Hahaha! Anyways, any insights you guys are willing to pass along are appreciated. It just seems weird how quick it goes from hot to not even a bite. Maybe I am not switching chironomid colors enough? I know it's fishing, not catching, it's just crazy to me how quick things go from hot to freezing.
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any comments!
