The Gypsy Guide Tour; Part 2

My second leg of "LeTour" was a short 3 day run at Lake Davis where prior to my arrival a foot of new snow had fallen upon the region. The fall colors where either peaking or just starting due to our complicated Indian Summer. I had my concerns about the necessary baggage this time of year; the boat. Backing down an ice covered ramp with a potential for jack knifing your trailer into a dock is not a good thing. I'm fine about not using a boat and having a long hike to the buckets, but with paying customers they deserve the best service possible; I will deliver come hell or high water for them.

As I made my way down to the Camp 5 boat ramp on Thursday I helped remove a pine tree that some good old local boys started to wrestle with. This is pretty common after storms up at the lake no matter what time of year and a good reason to keep a saw in the truck.

The ramp was in pretty good shape due its location of a southern exposure with protection from the wind. Even though the sun would do most the work, I still shoveled off the ramp and sanded it in preparation for my trips.

The new snow was melting fast and the cold weather dropped the water temps from 55 to 43 degrees! Saturday the fishing was still good but those rainbows had to adjust to the quick drop in water temperatures so the catch rate was a little off. It was such a gorgeous day, a fresh coating of sparkling snow around the lake and the willows blazing in color against a cobalt blue sky. Mother nature continues to take my breath away no matter how many years I've been around her; what a sweetheart!

Sunday was "OFF THE HOOK"! Water temps started out at 44 degrees again but by afternoon they climbed to 55 degrees. I chose some spots away from the masses of tubers that crowded the north end of the lake that offered these trout some sanctuary. Quiet coves filled with floating grass, junk, and noisy Coots splashing about can be very productive.

Rainbows today ran 15-20", the color and condition of these trout have got to be seen; absolutely beautiful for being from a hatchery. It's the fertile waters of Lake Davis and the abundant food that make them what they are.

We also had plenty of risers in front of us today and the boys had never had so much fun casting to targets and stalking individual fish. Between the two of them they touched at least 50 rainbows and landed about 30 of them! Effective flies right now are the ones in your stillwater box; These trout are on the gorge trying to fatten up for winter and will hit anything. JUST GET YOUR FLY IN FRONT OF THEM! We did best on Baiocchi's Sheep Creek Specials, and Jay Fair wiggle tails in dark fiery brown and burnt orange #10 & #12.

There is a high for guides after a day like today that no drug or bottle of booze can replicate, your so pumped up; you glow! It is so satisfying to me to be able to share and teach the shallow water style of fly fishing stillwaters. I give my students a solid foundation that they they can grow from and have confidence on the water when they are out there on their own. That in its own is worth more to me than anything. I'm happily tired from chasing these two trout bums around with a net all day. Today was awesome, this trip will float around my head for quite some time.

THE FALL BITE IS PEAKING AT LAKE DAVIS AND WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR AND GET UP THERE TO EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC!