Interior Stillwaters May 2011

       Stillwater fishing has officially begun. While locally we didn’t really feel the “El Nino” winter, the interior sure did. To put it into perspective, Horse Lake came off April 4th last year, but didn’t come off till May 5th this year. (Horse Lake being one of the lowest lakes of the “100 Mile area” plateau (3250′ elevation)). So don’t be surprised if the annual hatch cycles are delayed a week or two.

        Fishing won’t be fast and furious on lakes which have just came off, but you can have decent days and you may hit the double digit fish count. On lakes that have only been off a week or less, stick to chronamids from apprx. 10 am till 2pm and maybe switch up to micro leeches 2pm onwards, as the chronamid hatches will be small and short during the day. Moreover, on days with little to no hatches, try “offset” micro leeches under an indicator in black, olives, maroons, and purples. Anyways, get out there, good luck, and tightlines. 

Michael Thom

Trout Techniques on the Fly

For most people, the start of the new year begins on January 1st.  For myself, and fellow trout chasers, the beginning of a new year starts with ice off and trout  fishing.  Folks from all walks of life await this time anxiously as the warmer water temperatures kick-starts a new cycle of bug life.  We hit a window of opportunity as fish become more active, which trout bums dream of.  Trout  have a variety of insects to feed on all year as staples, such as shrimp and leeches, with many other bugs coming in and out of hibernation like dragons and damsels.  Early season brings with it the first chironomid hatches.  Think of your favourite  food and imagine  only being able to eat it twice a year – a small meal in the fall, and an all you can eat buffet in the spring.  You are going to gorge yourself come spring and that is exactly what the trout do, stuffing their stomachs on a variety  of all you can eat chironomids.

Most of us targeting this special time in life are usually fly-fishermen from all parts, converging into a mecca of trout madness, many with fly boxes stuffed in excess.  Too many choices in flies can make one lose confidence.   My suggestion is to minimize  your selection of flies to four essential  patterns that bring you confidence.  Now, you  don’t have to be a fly-fishermen  to fish flies.  Some purists may think that this could be sacrilegious , but, when it comes down to it, we’re all just fishermen with the same pursuit of happiness.  To accomplish this one task,,  all one needs is a rod with a nice casting line.   Make sure that you change your casting line every year to get rid of memory.  This is a perfect time to change those old fly-lines as well.  Remember, 50 percent of your cast depends on your choice of line, be it fly or spin.  To suspend your fly, I would recommend an adjust-a-bubble  float, and to set your depth properly use a float stop.   You can now target a depth of 20 feet if needed.  To get down to your desired depth, split shot is required,  first to cast and second to load your float correctly.  Just like most of the successful fly  fishers, we’ll taper our leader down with fluorocarbon.  This can be attached by a two way swivel to join your spin line to your final leader.

Opening my fly box to examine its contents you’ll  see four key patterns.  These four patterns are my  ‘confidence patterns’ during ice off.  You’ll notice that these patterns are tied in a variety of colours and sizes to match the hatch for different lakes.  During ice off chironomids are essential.  My favourite chironomid pattern is one that I tie  using a double tungsten bead pattern called  the Double Shamus, originated by  Dan the  Irishman’s son, a school teacher  from Kamloops  named Shamus Connely.  This chironomid pattern is  tied with basic colours.  Red for the bloodworm, natures first item up in the trout’s menu.  Other popular colours of ribbing  to imitate the segmentation of the chironomid.  These flies can be fished under a float (strike indicator), floating line or fished vertically with the use of a sinking line.  Most often, these flies are fished with little or no retrieve as the action to the fly can be imparted by the wind.

My second fly is my favorite fly to fish with – the leech.  Leeches can be tied in a variety of ways with marabouand rabbit in various colours and sizes being the mainstay.  For a smaller leech, I fish a Kaufmann mini – leech, usually with a bead on the head to get down and impart an action that resembles a leech swimming through the water.  The second leech of choice is the Pumpkin Head, tied in a Wooly Bugger style that imparts lots of action with its hackle pulsating in the water and its vibrant colours that drive the fish nuts.  This pattern has been my go to pattern, whether I’m fishing locally or halfway across the continent for trout.   My favourite way to fish  these patterns is by using a type – 6 sinking line, and varying the retrieve  to impart an irresistible action that the fish can’t resist.  This pattern can also be suspend under a float.

My final pattern is the shrimp.  Shrimp are one of trout’s staple foods, lasting year round.  My favourite shrimp pattern is a Jennings Shrimp.  It has an indestructible epoxy back which will allow you to catch fifty fish on one pattern.  To fish these crustaceans, my best results have been to use a clear intermediate sinking line and to target your quarry in the shallows.

Remember,  the key to success is to fish with confidence. I hope these patterns help your catch rate and remember that we are all out there together enjoying one common goal.

by

Garry Elgear