The Memories Of Fly Fishing Lake Davis, 2010

Lake Davis - Game Over!

Thanks for a great season, and a killer fall sweetie.  You can be a moody girl at times, but I'll always love you!  See ya next spring when the alpine buttercups are in bloom.....

Planet Snow

November 17th marked my last day casting and stalking stillwater trout in Eastern Plumas Co.  For the past 9 days I have been shoveling, blowing, and plowing trout water - all 54" of it!  My own personal glacier is surrounding my house and it's going to be here for a long time.  The temps have been way below normal for this time of year as well, in fact it feels like January.  The north and middle basins of Eagle Lake are already frozen over, only the south basin remains ice free and the only game to play is off the bank, or in a personal water craft.  I've been in a real funk for the last week as well, depressed, lonely as hell, and I'm questioning myself if I can do another winter here - I've been living in a winter wonderland for most of my life.

At least I picked up a few snow removal jobs on my street to keep me busy and in shape, and snowboarding the local hills getting some pow pow.  I hope to get up to Eagle Lake after this next weather system blows through, if you are planning on going up there please check out Val Aubrey's site  http://eaglelakefishing.info/index.html - Nobody has better information for the pond than Val, she really takes it to the next level!  Well, today I get to remove an ice dam on my roof, oh the joys of living in the Sierras!

Fishing Report - Frenchmans Reservoir

The drive up to Frenchmans out of the town of Chilcoot is stunning this time of year, a little fall color left, and when you get to the canyon, the spectacle of the rock formations will stop you in your tracks.  I had to do a photo shoot for an upcoming presentation with the San Jose Flycasters (March 9th, 2011) and thought what the heck I'll wet a line.  I went to my go to spot, Snallygaster on the north west shore and the first thing I saw was some very low water levels, the lowest I have ever seen it.  Water temps were 46.3 degrees and the lake was glass.  I fished for a half hour from the bank and not a single bump.  "The fish are not here" I said and drove up and around to Crystal Point.  When I got down to the water I immediately saw a fish tailing in ankle deep water, and with one cast I had a hook up.  For the next two hours I had fish rising right in front of me, there was no reason to move.  I fished a Jay Fair trolling fly in brown on a #6 3xl hook, yep....BIG & UGLY!  The fish liked a fast retrieve with plenty of pauses.  I would cast to a tailing trout and you would think it would spook, but it boiled the fly!  The takes were fierce and aggressive and I was glad I had 3x tippet on.  I hooked and landed 17 fish 17-22", many fish were 3 pounders, and 1 gorgeous fish at 4 pounds.  These fish are way bigger and much more beautiful than the fish at Lake Davis right now.  I felt bad for the general fishing public as every hook up I had my blue heeler Madison would just go ballistic with the barking, then he would hear his echo thinking it was another dog and keep barking - He really is a nutcase, But I love him.  I don't fish Frenchmans that much as Lake Davis is only 12 miles from the house, but with the quality of the fish I saw today I will be back - If mother nature allows me to.

The Day We Could Do No Wrong

My fishing buddy Pete and I went up to Lake Davis today, he wanted to see my route I had found to get to one of our favorite coves in the north end of the lake.  It's a beautiful walk crossing old growth forest and wide open meadows.  We saw some new visitors today hiding in a quite cove - Snow Geese!  After a 20 minute walk we were on the bank and right on time at 11am when the fish start to rise to the little green midge.  We caught a few fish and then the wind came out of the north, the kind of wind that blows your cast right into you and your gun shy on every cast as you just might hook yourself.  NOAA forcasted a west wind and we knew it was coming, but for the time being we walked over to Freeman to put the wind at our backs, but it was dead.  We opted to walk around our special cove and put the wind at out backs fishing the north shore.  I saw one riser in a soft window and we started fishing.  First cast we both hooked a fish, then another.  Every cast was a bump or a hook up - We had a huge active feeding pod in front of us!  For the next 2 hours we had the best action I have seen all year.  Pete hooked 45, landing 37 and I hooked 40, landing 34.  We yelled, we laughed, and had 6 double hook ups!  We each brought home 5 fish for the smoker ranging from 15-18", all clean with nice olive backs to them.  Stomach contents revealed crawdads and midge.  I'll remember this day for a long time, it was the day we could do no wrong.

Fishing Report - Lake Davis; The End Is Near.....

Though it was very cold this morning, the sun was out and the lake was calling my name.  With ice and snow here and there I have put my boat away for winter.  Now I'll just be the shore fishing warrior till the lake locks up solid.  I got to my bucket a few clicks south of Mosquito Slough and sat and watched the water, a riser appeared, then two, and then multiple fish began working in front of me - I had an active feeding pod at my feet.  In the next 40 minutes I had landed 8 fish, all risers who I stalked and casted to.  2 of those fish ran 18 & 19 inches with nice olive backs and girth.  The rest were the cookie cutter 16"ers that have been podding up.  Water temps were at 44 degrees, and the inflow of Grizzly Creek ran at 40 degrees.  Sheep Creek Specials was the fly to have on the end of your leader - Love this fly!  I then walked the Grizzly creek side and spotted a few skinny water feeders, hooked 4 and landed one.  Ice is starting to form in certain areas and there is some snow on the ground where the sun does not shine.  Very light fishing pressure today as well.  There is still game at the lake, but it is going quick with the onslaught of winter fast approaching.  It's quite depressing to think it will be 6 months until things get going again here.  This year has been great for me at the lake, and I have fallen in love with her all over again.  What a sweetheart she is......

Fishing Report - Lake Davis

Water temps at 10am were 46 degrees rising to 50 by 2pm in the skinny water off the bank.  Fish were rising in 6"- 3 feet of water rising to Blood Midge, and a very small black aquatic beetle.  The weather was absolutely fabulous with air temps near 70 degrees, sunny skies, with a gentle east wind to 5mph.  Effective flies were Sheep Creek Specials, and Jay Fair Wiggle Tails in Med. Olive Shimmer - #10 scud hook.  Freeman creek and the north lake have the best concentrations of shallow feeding rainbows.  Look for rising fish, cast, and stalk.  Fish were very spooky today,  so stealth tactics need to be applied from the bank.  Hooked 12 and landed 7 today, 14-18".  I had the pleasure of fishing with my good friend Pete N. from Graeagle, he was all smiles chasing trout in the skinny water - What a game (kinda like last night's clincher for the SF Giants, Yeah...Epic!).  The next 4 days will be carbon copies of today, and I'll be out there in the thick of it!