pass lake report 8/23

[Sean Beauchamp]

hit the lake at about 7:30 tonight all suited up in my new waders (siiiiick). first thing i noticed was the algae bloom clouding up the water a bit. :hmmm: i started tossin an olive clouser i had tied on from a little Sea run fishin earlier in the week. about 4 casts into it i brought a 13"er to hand. stripping real erratically with an intermediate line.

i switched over to my floater and start doing a little mousin'. ive been trying to talk myself into fishing that thing forever and well i finally did. the shallows were looking tasty and that mouse looked irresistable... but apparently i was the only one who felt this way. after an hour of splatting that mouse around without so much as a maybe i restrung with the intermediate and went with a big ugly.

as the light waned i picked up 5 more cookie cutter 13-14" in short order trolling a black marabou muddler. as it reached the headlamp hour an eerie fog rolled in and it got real dark :eek: i caught one more really feisty 17"er and had another good tug before i called it quits at around 9:30. i'll be back out tomorrow evening again late into the night. blue subaru, green tube, long hair. holla.

[Islander]

I should head up that way around 3 or 4 this afternoon. Black Dakota pickup, orange pontoon boat, old guy in a WFF hat.

[Chad Lewis]

Since I live about fifteen minutes from Pass, I've been fishing it on the regular lately. My experience has been the same as yours. When I first saw the lake and the heavily wooded/weeded shoreline I thought "terrestrials". I've got a soft spot for land lubbing bugs because I caught my first trout on one. Anyway, my typical Pass trip goes like this: get in the pontoon and spend two or three hours casting every floating bug in the inventory at the shore. Sometimes cast one into the middle of the lake, just for fun. After being bored from not catching fish I'll put on a sinking line, a black streamer (take your pick of black streamers) and catch a few 'bows. And that's how it goes.

[Jason B]

If you guys really want to catch a big trout here is the recipe:

Tie up a big ass streamer with a rattle attached. Little rattlers can be had for inserting in bass plastics and you can just tie it on with thread. Fish Pass Lake at 3:00AM with said fly in total darkness.

The best part is the is this: after you catch your first huge brown, start thinking about your legs dangling down there (if you are in a float tube). That is when things get weird.

[PeteM]

Are rattlers allowed under the "fly fishing only" designation by WDFW? It's something to check.

Pete

[PeteM]

I got curious and looked it up. Here's what it says...

FLY
A lure on which thread, feathers, hackle, or
yarn cover a minimum of half of the shank of
the hook. Metallic colored tape, tinsel, mylar,
or bead eyes may be used as an integral
part of the design of the fl y pattern.

I'm not sure rattles would qualify but it would be an interesting question to an enforcement person.

Pete

[scottflycst]

I doubt if rattles would pass the "furry bug" test b y most field agents however, if tied cleverly enough it might stand up in court. Question is, How much do you want to spend on a fly? (or a trip to Pass Lk).:rofl:

[Sean Beauchamp]

i still think there is a niche for mousin i just havent found it yet.

boy the fat head minnows sure are going crazy up shallow. there was schools of them swarming the shallows but i didnt find much feeding activity until the sun about dropped. we are almost there though... another month before i start getting real serious.