Corkies Indicator Mod - Later Toothpick!

I've made my own home grown indicators for the last 12 years, and while they have their high points there is a flaw in the design - And I'll be the first to admit it.  The attachment method is of the first indicators that were available on the market where a loop of rubber comes out and your leader is doubled up and wrapped around it.  It works great and does not slip until you need to change the distance down to your fly.  Being able to change the distance between your fly and bobber is everything whether it is fishing a river or a lake!  It allows you, the angler, to pin point at what depth the fish are feeding by trying different distances.  Being able to quickly do this without any hassles is what you want and you'll spend more time fishing!

There is a new indicator on the market and these "Quick Set" bobbers do just that.  So with a bunch of Corkies and a few miscellaneous items around the cabin I copied them and came up with this;

All one has to do is thread a fresh rubber band through the hole on the Corkie and your ready to go.  To load it with the rubber band I take a 20" length of 3x tippet and put both tag ends through the hole.  Then      pull both ends so a loop is formed by the 3x, load the strip of rubber band through the loop and pull it all the way through to the other side.  Trim the tag end of the rubber band to your desired specs.  To use the improved Corkie slide your leader through the loop of rubber band, set your distance, and pull the tag ends of the rubber band - This will tighten the rubber loop and will "set" the indicator.  To move the Corkie just pull the rubber loop and move it to where you want and re tighten.  The rubber bands will wear out from use and UV rays, but a bag of rubbers is a cheap date.

It's ideas like this I love to share with my readers and the entire fly fishing world, the sport is what it is today due to some innovative anglers that thought outside the box and did not care about making a quick buck but rather just shared a little info.....



Lake Davis Fishing Report - 6/20

What a gorgeous day at the lake today, warm temps, sunshine, and just a ripple of wind on the water.  Surface water temps ran 62.5 to 66.8 and this is a big spike since a few weeks ago when water temps were much colder.  The north end of the lake is still a bit off color from runoff.  rainbows are adjusting to water temps and surface area/habitat and are still spread out through the entire lake.  Some pods of rainbows are rising in 19-22 feet of water for blood midge adults and emergers.  I also sight fished to active trout in 1-3 feet of water hunting tadpoles.  There is many ways to fly fish the lake right now but fishing midge and calibaetis patterns under an indicator in deeper water is having the best results.  I only saw a few damsels nymphs today, and there is not many adults flying around at all, this seems to tell me that the hatch still could happen, or be a complete bust.  Skeeters were out and these small dark and fast flying bugs were bad!    Effective patterns are Blood Migde pupa, emerger, and adult size 10-12  Pheasant Tail bead head flash back size 14-16 - Chocolate Snowcone Midge pupa 12-18 - Wiggle Tails in Black, Brown, Olive, and Burnt Orange size 10.  Use floating lines for the skinny water and clear Int. lines for stripping in the deeper water.

With the full moon phase passing expect the fishing to improve on a daily basis with having productive evenings just around the corner! 

Eagle Lake Article Featured In Sierra Fisherman

The new Summer issue of Sierra Fisherman magazine features an article on Eagle Lake I wrote. It's a piece that touches the basics of this grand stillwater and to get you, the reader, so pumped on the pond your leaving in the morning!  There is so much more to Eagle Lake than a 1,000 words can say, and in the near future I plan on writing a book on this great treasure.  Besides my article there is a great piece that Frank Pisciotta did on "The Big Truckee River", Lance Gray's "Fly Fishing Is Easier Than You Think", and Bill Forward's "On Trout Vision" plus a slough of other interesting articles.  Sometimes the pen or keyboard I should say, is mightier than the rod.

Sierra Fisherman

Frank Pisciotta

Lance Gray

Bill Forward

Product Review, Korkers "Darkness" Boot

I've been using Korkers older boot, the Eco model for a few years now.  I was impressed with the overall durability and the option of running different soles for different conditions.  There were a few things I did not like about boot though, like the Velcro tab on the rear of the boot that held on the interchangeable soles.  The tag end of the tab would catch my fly line at the most inconvenient moment.  But then came their flag ship fishing boot - "Chrome" and fishing footwear changed forever, and the the few bugs the previous boot had was addressed and fixed.  The "Darkness" boot is basically the same boot but in another color, bad ass black.  This boot was offered as a limited edition to industry friends of Korkers and I was lucky enough to be able to get a pair.

Their patented Omni-Trax Interchangeable Outsoles adapt your traction needs to meet changing terrain and river conditions. The Darkness and Chrome models includes Kling-On Rubber AND Studded Felt outsoles. The sleek, raft-like waterproof material reduces water absorption thus reducing drying time. These features contribute to Darkness' ability to help prevent the spread of invasive species. The low profile BOA speed lacing system easily adjusts with a turn of the dial both in and out of the water.  In my opinion BOA should be on all quality footwear, you can micro adjust the fit for any conditions.  Need more ankle support over a loose wobbly garden of granite polished boulders?  Just turn the the dial a few clicks and your there.  Feet tired at lunch time?  Just pull the dial and loosen the boot to let those toes wiggle and be free over their synthetic sarcophagus.

This is an extremely lightweight wading boot with integrated midsole drainage providing the most comfortable wading boot on the market.  I'm so pumped on this boot, only time will tell if it can take the abuse that Jonny B. will provide.  Be sure and check out the Korkers "Chrome" at your favorite family owned fly shop, try a pair on, and I'll bet good money you'll look no further.  For more info on Korkers products visit them at;   http://www.korkers.com/

Lake Davis Report 5/22

The west side road is open!  Patches of snow, mud, and fallen timber mat be encountered on access roads to the lake.

The ramp is in the water at Camp 5 boat ramp,  It is amazing how much water has come into the lake this  year.  The handicap fishing area is under water!

Run off from snow melt is still going strong, Dan Blough creek is fed from the Smith Peak water shed where there is still a large amount of snow.

Water temps are running 56- 59 degrees, water clarity is an issue and some areas of the lake are far clearer than others.  Fish are scattered due to the increase of the lake level searching for food.  Concentrations of fish have been found at the north end of the lake, Freeman Creek, and the first and second ledge off Cow Creek.  If you see rising fish by all means approach them slowly and quietly, present your fly to these active pods of feeding fish for best results.  Hatches are sparse but will be increasing as long as we get some warm weather in multiple days.  Hot flies at the moment are Blood Midge pupa #10-12, Coco Midge pupa #18, Sheeps creek #10, and Jay Fair wiggle tails in Brown and Olive #10.  Both floating and Int. lines have been effective as the levels of fish holding is from the top to the bottom of the column.   

Lake Davis / MFFR Update

Not much has changed since my last report at Lake Davis and with these new snow storms and cold weather it will only delay the much anticipated hatches.  Water temps are still hovering in the high 50's and pods of fish are rising to midges when the weather is warm.  Blood midge pupa #10 and the small chocolate midge pupa #18 under a bobber is producing.  Jay Fair trolling flies in rust and brown, along with standard buggers #6-8 have been fishing well with a int. line over known established weed beds.  Let's all hope for much warmer temps, we need the bugs to pop and the weeds to grow!

The Middle Fork Feather river is still high and cold but if you put in your time in the right water you can get a few fish.  Runoff through the end of June can be the best time to catch a trophy.  High sticking with plenty of lead using golden stones and brown rubber leg stones in slow slack water is your best bet.  Also try swinging streamers in slow deep tail outs of runs using minnow and crawdad patterns with a sinking line - You just may find your trophy.

My favorite small creeks are out of the question, large volumes of snow melt consume them now.  But these little gems will be prime July through Sept!

Bring on the sun, the warmth, and the hatches!

Fishing Report: Lake Davis

The lake just keeps on filling up! Check out the Lighting Tree boat ramp above, it will be usable once the snow goes.

The fish are in post spawn mode now and hungry. The creeks at Mallard and Lighting Tree had no fish in or in front of them. Water temps ranged from 48-51 degrees. I found a decent pod of rainbows near the dam and in a hour and a half I hooked 8 landing 4, 17-20" - all clean. Used a bobber with a #10 blood midge pupa that was hanging 7 feet under. Today was the first day I have seen some decent hatches, blood midge (huge - size 10) and a pale creamy olive midge size 18. There were fish rising for these bugs. Lots of fly anglers out and the guys I talked to all caught some fish, but they were way more stoked on the water levels!

Tying The Damsel Nymph

The damsel fly migration at our top still waters like Lake Davis is a hatch that brings out fly anglers from all over.  The migration itself is a miracle, how these fragile nymphs swim great distances to land, a willow, or some aquatic weeds that are above the water to hatch into an adult.  This fishing is some of the best all year, trout show themselves in the shallows and sight fishing opportunities await the observant trout stalker.  They call this the "Gentleman's Hatch" as the nymphs get active in the mid morning until early afternoon, there is no need to be out there at o'dark thirty!  Warm, windless days provide the best conditions for the hatch.

When tying damsel imitations a few key points should be made.  The fly should have movement, the right size and profile (think slender), and the right buoyancy to keep the fly in the strike zone.  The foam keeps this fly right under the surface in that 1-2 foot water column.  You can also just let this fly sit and rest just like the natural does without fear your fly is going to drop like a rock to the bottom.  When it comes to color these nymphs change as the aquatic vegetation does to camouflage themselves from predators.  Early in the season the weeds are dark so damsels will be a light coco brown or a brown olive.  Mid season more olive and green tones.  Late season pale olive to tan works well. 

This damsel nymph will never leave you in distress!

RECIPE:

Hook: Tiemco 2457 #12.
Tail:  Jay Fair marabou.
Body:  Jay Fair marabou dubbed on thread.
Head:  Closed cell foam.
Eyes:  Larva Lace body material.

Wetting A Line For The First Time - Lake Davis 4/16/11

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.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baiocchis-Troutfitters/148414798522644?ref=ts

Lake Davis Spring Report

Great News! Lake Davis is 90% open water and the Honker Cove boat ramp is cleared but no dock yet. Space is very limited to put in a big boat, but smaller boats should have no problem.

                           

Even the parking lot at Honker Cove is reduced in size, full of snow, timber, and heavy equipment.

Snow Creek and the rest of the seasonal creeks are pumping water.  The snow pack at the lake is still big, I do not expect the west side road to be open for another month or more!

The expert fisherman have already shown up prowling the mouths of creeks gulping down trout.  As you can tell the water level after this big winter has come up already as the willows are in the water - New trout habitat!

The road on the east side stops at Mallard Cove.

Some brave souls wheeled into Mallard Cove, but still there is so much snow a good snowshoe out to the water sounds better to me.  Water temps were 43-45 degrees.  The trout are already going into spawning mode as I saw fish rolling in Honker Cove (closed to fishing).  I hope to get out in the next few days to see water levels and wet a line with a hope a large trout will bite.

Product Review - VestPac's DriftPac Ultimate Fishing System

I was asked by VestPacs nor cal rep Monty Roach If I was interested in testing this new fishing pack/vest.  After reviewing it online and finally getting a sample to test, I was very impressed with the ideas this new company offered the fly angler.  I have worn a regular fishing vest since I started fly fishing and there is always one thing about them, with all those pockets your sure to fill them up creating a heavy burden to carry around.  The VestPac keeps it simple, and it's made in Jackson Hole Wyoming, USA, and not over seas.

The DriftPac Ultimate includes:

-Neoprene and 3-D Airmesh construction.
-Four pockets.
-Fold-down Velcro pouch.
-5 grommets for attaching tools and supplies.
-Three retractors.
-One T-tippet holder.
-Two fly boxes and two ripple foam fly holders with Velcro bottoms.
-Velcro starter kit to add to your own fly boxes.
-Hydration panel with reservoir.

The VestPac can be worn under your clothes if the weather is wet and cold out, or on the outside when temps are hot.  It is so comfortable and it weighs 23.9 Ounces, is 15 inches long by 11 inches wide by 1 inches deep.



This short video explains the advantages of using the DriftPac fishing vest.  There is also a velcro patch you can place on your drift boat or other water craft that the tackle bag hooks onto making all your flies readily available.

I'm so stoked on my DriftPac!  It's easy to use, lightweight, and fully functional!  I will be testing this out for the entire fishing season and will give an honest opinion then, so check back in around fall for a follow up post. 

To learn more about VestPac go here: http://www.vestpac.com/

To see the DriftPac model go here: http://www.vestpac.com/content/driftpac-ultimate

Retail shop inquiries in the nor cal area can reach Monty Roach at 530 277 3894 monty@surfsleeve.net

Midge Candy

Fishing midge pupa patterns is a basic standard on stillwaters, at some point during a trout's day they will be feeding on them near the bottom or foraging for them on top.  Tying midge pupas is a simple tie.  There are some key characteristics that a good pattern should have.  Size, profile, and neon lights.  Your pattern should be simple, and slim.  When it comes to color I have found that black, rust, brown, and dark olive to be the most effective.  I have been using clear beads with different colors underneath them since the mid 90's when I came out with my bubble head baetis fly.  I wrapped fine gold wire under the clear bead with amazing results.  My midge pupa patterns are no different but instead of gold wire I chose white glow in the dark thread.  When fished deep the head on this midge glows and brings in hungry fish like a magnet.  Midging does not have to be a pain in the ass, keep it simple and stay focused on every presentation.

RECIPE:


-2x strong pupa hook #14-22.
-Clear bead with Uni Glow thread underneath.
-Thread: black, brown, rust, and dark olive 0/8 thread or color to match natural.
-Tail: Uni Glow thread, sparse.
-Body: Thread.
-Ribbing: Large gold wire.
-Wing: 3D Rainbow flash.
*When done coat the entire fly with "hard as nails" for a shiny and durable finish.

Spring Has Sprung!

After this weeks warm and sunny weather many of our spring visitors are showing up like these evening grosbeaks.  I'm a huge birder and this time of year is the best with males fighting over the ladies, laying down the law.  In the last week I've seen turkey vultures, purple finches, red wing blackbirds, brewers blackbirds, kingfishers, marsh wrens, sandhill cranes, spotted towees, and robins - a sure sign that spring is indeed here.

The Middle Fork Feather River opened today from the A-23 Bridge down to the Mohawk Bridge.  The river is really chugging water right now and it's going to be a while until it is in fishable shape.  Once the flows come down and water temps exceed the 55 degree mark, we will have game.  If I were to fish though it would be sinking lines and streamers stripped in the slow tail outs.  With all this snow in the mountains and plenty of water we will see a banner summer of excellent dry fly fishing in the evenings.

This was the scene on the South Yuba above Bridgeport last week, the wildflowers had just began to "pop".

As our lakes and rivers come into shape I will keep you all posted on the latest changes as it will effect our fishing - Tight Lines!

San Jose Flycasters Presentation

Last night I had the honor of sharing my Power Point presentation on Lake Davis & Frenchman's Reservoir with the San Jose Flycasters (http://www.flycasters.org/) at their monthly meeting.  There was about 120 club members present and they were eager to hear what I had to say.  I talked about these fine stillwater's access locations, entomology & flies, and techniques & tactics.  This was a special night for me as I was born in 1965 in San Jose, and this is the same year that the Flycasters started their club.  Until last night I have not been in San Jose since 1967 when my family relocated to Paradise, Ca.  I reunited with old friends like NCFFF Hall Of Famer Marty Seldon, and made new ones who share the same passion for Lake Davis as I do.  I would like to thank all the club members and president, Wade Goertz.  A special thanks to vice president Bob Laskodi who set the whole deal up.  I had such a great time!

If your a member of a fly fishing club or would like a presentation done on site, please feel free to contact me about future presentations at http://www.baiocchistroutfitters.com/  "Knowledge is power!"

More Snow!

Another 3 feet of light snow has fallen on top of the 4 feet we got last week!  It's deep and dangerous as I had a small avy in my backyard bury the blower and myself up to my waist.  It was quite exhilarating!  I ran the blower for 8 hours yesterday and have another 2 hours to go today.  Once I'm done I will be going up to Lake Davis to check out the ice fishing tournament, parking will be an adventure I assume.  There is another storm slated to hit next week though this one will have more water content.  I sure hope Eagle Lake is getting some of this, that pond is in need.

The Fish Gods Have Spoken!

The latest storm "The Massacre After Valentines Day" left 4 feet, 4 inches at my humble abode.  There is nothing like a good dump!  I spent 14 hours in three days working with snow, all this just at my house and private road.  There was a time in my life when I was a professional snowboarder and all I did was ride 7 days a week.  It was a sweet life and now realize how lucky I was.  Powder days now consist of plowing, blowing, and shoveling.  That's OK I guess, these are the cards I'm dealt with and I'll live with them.  The positive to this all is that my beloved lakes will fill up and those trout will grow bigger.  I've been busy getting all my paperwork, advertising, and flies tied for my guide service this year.  I've also put together a kick ass presentation for fly clubs on Lake Davis and Frenchman's reservoir, and have been writing feature articles for various fly fishing mags (Can't say a peep but you will see soon enough).  Plowing trout water is a tough job but some body's got to do it!

Tying The Parachute Midge Emerger

The PME was developed by long time guides Gary Willmott and Scott Sanchez on the upper Snake River.  The fly was born out of necessity from large trout that gave their usual flies a peek and a "I don't think so..... Dude!" response.  I have had great success with this fly locally at Lake Davis and the Lakes Basin area, and it shined in Colorado on the head waters of the South Platte River for brookies, and Tomahawk Lake for Greenback Cutthroats!  It's a simple tie and holds up well.  For Lake Davis in late spring and summer I tie a #18 in lime green after the little green midge and get great results.  Jack Dennis's book "Tying Flies With Jack Dennis and Friends" shows complete "how to" instructions for this fly plus so many more deadly patterns -  http://www.jackdennisflyfishing.com/ 

Fishing tips; Use a slip knot when you tie it on, so that the rear of the fly hangs down like a natural emerger does.  Apply floatant to only the wing and hackle, and not the body.  When it come to midging it's a hard game and the PME will get the job done, check it out!

RECIPE:

-Tiemco 101 dry fly hook straight eye #16-22.
-Black 0/8 thread or color to match natural.
-Body: Black, Gray, Red, Olive, and Lime Green.
-Ribbing: Pearl Krystal Flash, Red, Peacock, and Root Beer work well also.
-Wing: White poly.
-Hackle: Grizzly or dun hackle feather or color to match natural.

If You Can't Beat Em, Join Em!

I have donated a half day guided trip to Lake Davis for a lucky winner who will be attending the 1st annual Lake Davis Ice Fishing Tournament!  I'm backing this event as it is good for the community, and tourism.  For more information check out http://420incfishing.com/calendar.html, you can also find a link here that provides you with rules and your registration form.  This looks like a good time, I'll be there!

Eagle Lake Water Levels

Are we about to loose the greatest still water in the west and the ancient Eagle Lake Rainbow?  If you have visited the lake this year then you know just how low it really is. 

 This is the water level in the fall of 1998 at the airport tulles looking south east out to Pelican Point.

                                                                                      

Here is the same bucket shot from the same location on 1/31/10 and very high and dry, I estimated the lake being down by as mush as 10 feet since 1998.  Uncooperative weather patterns, a big leaking pipe, and upstream water diverters have left this jewel of a lake in peril.  You can help by joining the EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS who's mission is to ENHANCE & PROTECT EAGLE LAKE WATER LEVEL, WATER QUALITY, FISHERY AND AVIAN HABITAT.  Please contact Val Aubrey at;

530-249-1430 OR EMAIL eaglelakefishing@yahoo.com.  Memberships are just $15!  You can also join the Guardians on FaceBook and get the latest news on Eagle Lake  http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=1cec2169e1a48afb5aa88fadd5b2cce8&#!/profile.php?id=100001518486719

Thanks for all your support reguarding this special lake, we can make a difference!

The 2010 Eagle Lake Closure - 12/31

My fishing buddy, his loyal blue heeler "Lyle", and myself boarded the craft and set the coordinates for the south end of the landing strip at Spalding, When it comes to Eagle Lake it's like hyper leaping into another dimension of time.  It is such a different world up there high in the ancient basin, and for this time of year it's really cold!  We set out for an undisclosed favorite bucket of Jay Fair, it was -10 degrees out, and a slight wind at 5mph out of the north/north west.  We welcomed the 7am 40 minute walk out to the open water, we generated heat and warmed up nicely.

                           

Freezing fog or "Devil Fog" as we like to call it showed it's ugly face as we got close to the water, this fog penetrates you right to the bone, and every thing is coated in wicked patterns of white crystals.  When your casting out into the water you get a feeling of vertigo, and your face and eyes feel like you've just gone through an orb weaver's spider web out in the woods - It's some seriously nasty fog!
                            

Despite the extreme conditions, we were here to fly fish for the ancient trout.  You could get about 3 casts out before you had to "pop" the ice out of every guide on the rod but the top two that were held underwater.  Full fingered gloves were a must, it's cumbersome to use them but over time they become comfortable and one of your best friends.

Lyle got cold once the warmth of the hike wore off, he made a quick bivouac of gore-tex and foam, then curled up and waited patiently for the next hook up.  He is another member of the heeler/trout dog club. 

The Devil Fog just would not go away, we were catching fish but the iced up guides and full gloves proved to be a challenge.  Jay Fair wiggle tails in Brown, Floro Orange, and Peacock/Black all caught fish.  So did Jay's Trolling Fly #6 3xl in Rust and Copper.  We used 3x today, it was enough of a battle with the elements alone, so using rope sounded like good insurance.

Exposed hands lasted about 5 minutes before stinging pain saturated them.  We would fish for about a half hour before the hands could take no more, then peel our set of "wet" gloves off and put on the thick "dry" second pair.  At this time, and let it be known, I was dancing in place and running around until I could feel my hands and toes.  Where the hell is that sun!

When the Devil Fog finally started to lift, I could see faint colors of blue, and things began to break up around 10:30 putting on a show of up lifting plumes and surrounding misty landscapes.  We stood mesmerized when the sun first hit us, and let the warmth soak deep into our souls.  It was such an amazing event, and now we had a few risers who were also stoked to see some rays of light.  We marched right out there and began to cast with a few hook ups to follow.

I kept two rainbows for the smoker, we hooked 11 fish landing 5 17"-22". 

Lyle was also energized by the sun and was back to his usual ways of stalking trout, and keeping guard of the bucket.  This little heeler is half the size of my heeler and 22 pounds lighter, but he is a survivor, never did he whimper or whine - So loyal!

We had quite a bit of open water in front of us all the way over to youth camp, Fredonyer peak to the east was packed with snow -  I hope this lake comes up at least a few feet this year, since 1997 it has dropped about 10 feet.

About 2pm a stiff wind out of the south had come upon us and we fished until we could take no more.  I fired my cannon, the XP 7 wt. for the last time of 2010 at Eagle.  I gazed one more time and said my good byes and thanks, put on the pack and headed back through the lava beds of powder and ice for the craft - It was time to go.  There is a sense of fulfillment and victory after a day like today, by suffering you appreciate the day, the lake, and the fishing so much more!  Days like today are never to be forgotten.

The Hell Portal

The alarm sounded at 3:45 but I was already awake, when it comes to dreaming of fishing at Eagle Lake, sleep takes 2nd place to my memories on her waters.  Suited up in our fishing gear and coffeed up, we left for the lake from the Mancamp on the banks of the Hamilton Branch at O Dark-Thirty.  There was challenging conditions to drive through but we have done this same voyage hundreds of times, and we were prepared.

We arrived at our right turn to the Wildcat Point area, TC drove and I rode shotgun. The Chub King and

JoeBob were behind us in another truck. We chained up and headed in, and there was a good amount of snow, more than I have seen in several years. Chub King had laid down some tracks the day before and things were going well at first, then we could not stay on track due to a lost chain, This was not going to work!  After struggling down the snowy road for what seemed an eternity, we plowed into a turnout to let some other buddies go by to the buckets, they told us a truck had just flipped coming down the A1 summit! Chub King went forward to turn his truck around while JoeBob and I shoveled off a platform to turn the van around.

We had to take pause and check out this stunning sunrise, it lifted our spirits and gave us hope.

Turning around the power steering box pump failed, and our only chain snapped. Chub King came back and he towed us out but it was not easy as we got stuck several more times running with no chains. About halfway back JoeBob found the first missing chain, we put it back on the tire and the next big hill came up - and the last usable chain broke. With a little muscle we got back to the A1 road and headed for the Christie Fingers.  I'm so proud how the entire crew did not blow a fuse and solved the problems at hand.  It could have been really ugly!

At last we were on the water.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous with sunny skies, temps in the high 30's, and not a puff of wind.  The water temp was 37 degrees.  Upon reaching the fingers there were small pods of rainbows and strays rising here and there, but no mega pods.  Sparse midge flies floated on the water.  It was so warm out we were stripping layers, gloves, and the ice in our guides had thawed for good.

Effective flies were Jay Fair Wiggle Tails #12 in Black/Peacock, Floro Orange, and Leach Brown.  The trout were hanging on the first ledge and coming in periodically to feed in the shallows.  Long leaders and slow strips brought results if you were in the right spot.  The wind then came up at 5- 10mph but it was a workable wind.

It was slow today, we touched 12 fish, landing 8.  It took me all day just to get into my only fish.  This is the smallest fish we caught today but it is still a nice hard fighting Eagle Laker.

After getting fuel in Susanville, TC went to start the van and nothing but a small whirl.  He had been through this before as his cam sensor was going out, with a jiggle on the wires it started right up and we were bound for the  Man area at last, and with trout for the smoker I might add.

We were all smiles heading home and talking about today's fishing when we approached the west side of Fredonyer Summit and saw a closed road due to a severe accident.  After a 15 minute wait we were rolling, I hope the drivers and passengers of these "T-Boned" vehicles are all right.  Home at last we laughed at our misfortunes and triumphs during this bizarre day.  I'll be back up for the closure on the 30th and the 31st with my crew - It's payback time....