Finally after waiting 5 months through snow infested freezing nightmares, I was walking down to the lake full of hope and happiness. The rhythm of my snowshoes going clickity clack was a welcoming sound as was the silence when I stopped to gaze about. It was such a warm and beautiful day with expanding cumulus clouds, and not a puff of wind. The birds are back, my friends, the ones who answer my calls like the osprey. Cormorants, bald eagles, loons, and California gulls were joyous about their return. They were back to their summer home as was I. I fished off Mallard Cove and the first thing I noticed was my line drifting from right to left extremely fast, yet there was no north wind. I had learned later from a local I know from town that both gates were wide open on the dam creating a current in the Grizzly channel through the lake. After fishing I hiked down to see the release and it was a loud and thunderous noise. DWR expects rain Sunday night into Monday as there is still so much snow to melt up in the Grizzly watershed.
Prior to hiking down to fish I got to meet a fan from my business page on FaceBook, Ken B. From Reno, Ken is a "trout a holic" like the rest of us. I guess you could call it "social fly fish networking". I made my way out to the super spine, water temps were 46 - 49 in the shallows from 11am - 3pm. Pods of fish cruised by thinking one thing - SEX! But there were fish to be caught that wanted to eat. I got into a nice 17" fish that was dark, heavy spotting, and blood red sides. I was stoked to say the least.
I focused my presentations on the spine in about 5 feet of water, I was getting hits and they were light. At last a hook up, and this one had some weight to it. I was a bit shocked at first as it's been a long time since I've felt something like this here at the lake. Cradled in my hands was a 4+ pound 22" rainbow with good color and big wall meat. It was a handful just taking the picture above, I need a camera/angler buddy this year - That's for damn sure! I put Ken out on the spine, and just scouted around the many snow melt creeks in the area for trout, and did some birding. There was a good crowd at the lake, bankers, boaters, fly anglers, and folks just out for a nice ride with the windows down enjoying the mild breeze.
I'm so elated over the the amount of water the lake is getting, look already how the willows have provided habitat for the bugs, the birds, and the fish. Lake Davis is going to flourish and bloom in the years to come!
THE SKINNY - Hooked 4 fish, 17-22", all clean and colorful. Ken went 3 for 3, and this really cool older gentleman in a fatcat fishing an indicator with a Hare's Ear flash back C&R at least 10, but he said most were small. Effective flies included; Brown Jay Fair Wiggle Tail #10, and Floro Hot Orange Jay Far simple snail all fished on the floater. Fishing is a bit spotty, some areas produce and some do not. The majority of the fish will be on the east side for the next 3 - 4 weeks during the spawn. The only bugs out were #24 black midge, and midge emergers. Fishing will improve on a weekly basis all the way into July.
2 comments:
A post vape mericon hook up in the shallows presented no problem for the white locust.
No problems at all there Anonymous.
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