Nunally Report 3/13

[darik]

From the looks of the parking lot, nobody really needs to read this! But just in case you were the one who wasn't there today...

Arrived about 9:00, nice day, no wind (OMG!) Finger test put the air temp mid-50s or so. Got all dressed up and started to pack the tube toward the lake, but then figured I'd better use the john. Seems like every trip I'm a couple hours into fishing and I'm ready to burst. Anyway, I was doing my thing in the corner urinal and...
Holy Crap! A big ol' Black Widow spider perched right at the top of the ceramic depository! Took the forceps and got hold of a leg (very carefully, mind you), then took that bad boy outside. Okay, I know it was a female. Set it on the ground and thought about stomping it, but it started making its way toward the grass so I let it be.

The wind finally picked up as soon as I got in the water of course, but it was tolerable. Finger test put the water at about 50 degrees. (I don't need a thermometer of course, scientists calibrate their instruments by my finger.) Hooked into my first fish as I was arriving at the other side of the lake. I was just slow trolling a Shane Stalcup-ish olive nymph (I'll share the recipe if anyone really wants to know). It was a decent 18" rainbow, pretty dark.

About 10:30 the chironomids started hatching. Lots of sz14 grey miges, some seemed to be pretty red (don't know if these were hatching from bloodworms or what). Quite a few smaller ones hatching as well, about sz20. I used my trustworthy Elk-Hair Chironomid Emerger dry for a while, but it let me down. Finally tied on a sz14 Callibaetis parachute pattern and got one on top (yay!). Guess they weren't all that picky after all. Another 18" fish, this one real bright and colorful, nice red stripes down the sides.

Everyone else on the lake was kicking my butt though. Sounded like most people were bobber-watching, a few others having luck on top as well.

The hatch lasted for hours, but I had to get out for a bit. Needed a coffee/foot warming break. Saw a damsel nymph in the water next to shore, took notes for tying patterns.

I got skunked a while longer, then caved and went bobber watching. I've NEVER gotten anything like this mind you, I think I'm just too impatient for it. That's why I wasn't even looking when the stupid yellow thing disappeared. Lifted the rod, and holy crap! A fish! That didn't last too long, though. He was just teasing me. I guess they take chironomids real softly, just like everyone says...very strange how that happens. But eventually I got one. Another 18" rainbow, pretty dark. This one didn't fight very hard though, and looked underweight for the size of his head. Let him loose as quickly as I could, figured he needed all the help he could get. Missed a couple more hits on the chironomid, but that's okay. Finally got some faith in the little buggers. I had on a size 14 tan thread-bodied guy with a little puff of fluff on his head.

Around 4:00 I decided to start heading back. Tied on a big ugly experimental dragonfly nymph for the trip back, but nothing. At least I experimented I guess.

By the time I hit shore, I had to pee again like a madman and I was really damn cold. I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to the cold. Finger test put my internal body temp about 40 degrees. (okay, that one's a joke.)

Overall a decent day for me, though. I'm not a master of the lake by any stretch, but it was a nice day to be on the water.

Damn, sorry to be so long-winded about it!:dunno

[Wayne Jordan]

Great report, I'm thinking about heading over there on Thursday.

[fly15]

I had a similar encounter with a big black widow that had a web just under the porta potty seat at Rocky Ford.

fly15

[hikepat]

Fished Lenice myself this weekend both Saturday and Sunday. Some nice sized Rainbows 16"-18" on Saturday and no wind yea.
Sunday. The wind was blowing good and I left the rope for the anchor at home. All I caught was 1 nice sized Tiger Brown of about 20" plus some range that was very large around. I could not tape and I will explain why. Caught the fish in the back bay while trolling a wooly. At first I thaught I had caught more lake weed, I was catching alot Sunday, but then the weed gave a head shake. The trouble was while I am reeling in the fish I quickly am being blown into shore into the reeds and a tree that over hangs the lake. At this point I am fighing both the trout and the wind while trying to make sure I do not get a broken rod on the tree limbs right above me and the kayak. After a long trying battle with both the fish and the wind I finally get the fish into the net. I get the hook out of the fish. It took the pattern deep in its jaw which is why it did not throw the hook on the many occations I had to stop fighting the fish and keep myself, boat and rod from getting deep into the tree by using one hand on the rod and the other on the paddle and pushing of the mud bottom. By the time I got the hook out and the fish revived the line was wrapped in the tree with the hook remover hanging from the hook in the tree, my rod was scrapping the tree branches itself back in forth as the wind rocked the kayak. After getting the fish on its way I first got my hook remover which was hanging with the fly still attached from the tree then pulled the line free by cutting the hook off and pulling the line from the tree. Then I sat there and laughed for awhile. The wind by then had the kayak well on to what there was of the shore and deep in the reeds. I fished for just awhile after that and just figured one fish for the day was enough. A quick wind blown high speed troll back to the pull out and my fishing for the day was done.
A quick check of the other 2 lakes showed only a few die hards fishing in the wind that was blowing pretty good Sunday. That one fish and the strange fight we two had, made sleeping in the front seat of my truck and fighting the wind all worth while. Its a fish that I will not soon forget.

[darik]

A tiger? Man, I keep wishing I'd hook into one of those. After seeing that beautiful photo posted on this site (my apologies, I forget who took it), I've been dying to see one. I overheard a couple others on Saturday who caught one though.
Nice job!

[Ron Olsen]

Nice reports! Also spent the day at Nunnally on Saturday. A bit windy in the AM, but died at 1:30. At dusk there were fish all ocer the surface. No luck on those. Great chiron bite from 12;30 to 1:30. When the wind died, so did the bobber fishing. Maybe a little wind gives better action to the fly, or creates a bit of cover for the fish to cruise in more shallow water. A #14 red and black in 8' of water; set at 7'. A pleaseant day, lots of nice conversation and a dozen fish up to 20". Had two hot ones on, but lost them both. Impression is that a lot of the fish are in poor shape. Competition from sunfish? Stress from the ice cover? Hope with some warming the food supply will increase and those bad boys will recover!

Ronbow

[Kent Lufkin]

Anyone happen to measure the water temperature (with a thermometer, not your finger)?

[angler88]

Well, I spent the weekend on the eastside, I was going to do a separate report, but I will put it here. Tried the yak above the Teanaway on fri. for two hrs. Water was a little high, but not bad. Clarity was good, very windy and no action. Sat. fished the very crowded Nunnally lake. Temp was about 44, action was slow for me 1 big brown (23") on bugger in the am. About 1pm noticed a slight chironomid hatch. Picked up 2 bows on black chiro. near the shoreline. Things slowed around 3 for me so I left. Checked out Beda lake, temp 44-45, picked up 2 nice bows on my cob fly. Sun. fished Rocky Ford from 10a-3:30. It was alittle crowded. Parked at the middle lot w/facilities. Started with my scuds, nothing. Hmmm, they worked last time. There was some surface activity, but I could'nt dial it in. Caught 1 16" bow on sz. 20 griffith gnat. Highlight of the day was this pig that kept wandering around about 20ft. above me in the shallows. He must have rejected me at least 4 times over about an hour, but finally persistance paid off and he fell for a damsel adult. Go figure, show em something different(sometimes it works)but then I got so excited, I promply broke him off my 6x. Went back to nymphing, landed 9 more fish on midge larva, and a nymph that turned out to be a silver bullet. Also lost about 4 or 5 fish, and broke off just as many. That is the first time I have experienced such a nigth and day difference with a certain "fly" there. All I can say is its not a scud. Happy fishing---Jon

[Shawn Seeger]

So can a guy get a pontoon boat (8ft) with a cart down the path/trial to the Nunnally?

[Kent Lufkin]

>So can a guy get a pontoon boat (8ft) with a cart down
>the path/trial to the Nunnally?

Yep. But a single-wheel is probably easier than a two-wheel cart since the trail gets a bit narrow and rocky in places. Save some energy for the climb back up through the sand at the edge of the lake on the way back to your car.

[jabseattle]

Jon,

Nice report. Let me know when you want to hook up on the Yak.

My report: hit Lenore last Sunday w/ a couple buddies. We did pretty good considering the nuclear winds with 2 ft swells for most of the day, but from about 8am to 10am no or very little wind.