One of my favored lakes was Dry Falls. I use the past tense because I have not been able to fish it for a few years. I remember some beautiful mornings fishing out of my float tube in that lake. Fish were numerous and fun to catch, and the catch word was anything green would work. Well, I caught fish on olive and blackwoolies, black leaches, dramselfly nymphs and a few on Carey's. I doubt that it fishes the same today.
Doc Spratley slayed em at my favorite local lake this year. Sometimes it was all they wanted. If you're thinking of which of all these flies to tie for lakes right now, I'd go for big flies that you can fish slow and deep. Winter fish want an easy, filling meal.
The Doc Spratley, now that brings back some old memories. I still carry some in my box, but haven't used them in years. I learned how to tie that pattern from Roy Patrick when I was around 12 years old. Just a couple years later, I introduced my father to fly fishing on Pinantan Lake near Kamloops BC. He was a dedicated gear fisherman at the time, but the Doc Spratley was the ticket, and made him a believer! The Doc Spratley and Nyerges Nymph were always my 'go to' lake flies years ago. I am going to give them a fair shot again next year.
Gregg, Thanks for mentioning the Nyerges Nymph, a great local lake pattern. I'm going to follow your lead and bathe a few myself in 2011.
Yep. I had forgotten about the nymph. Gil did us all a favor with that one. I think a will tie a few for spring.
The Nyerges nymph is a good one. Try tying some with an orange body. The Werner shrimp is another good fly to have along. Then there is the variant of an orange partridge with a yellow floss rib that can be dandy. The Steiner Duck Tail is a good one to throw in the box. Probably the only limiting factor regarding fly selection is the number of fly boxes you can cram into your vest! Or you can be like a friend of mine that has made it simple. He uses 2 flies. A black wooley bugger on a long shank 8 and a black wooley bugger on a standard 8. Pretty boring if you ask me but he catches fishes. Dave
Some guys just have the touch, Dave. My take on it is, suppose you decide that you want a chinese at 8PM. You get in your car and drive over to the Take out. Well on your way, you pass the Deli and your mind says Hot Pastrami sandwich, and before you know what happened, you are back in your car with a wrapped sandwich on the seat beside you, headed home. I think it must be a lot like that for fish. They been feeding on shrimp all day and and along comes a tasty wooly bugger. Wham. With this cabin fever, I just don't know if I can hold out till spring.
I think fish for the most part are like toddlers. If it looks like food or arouses their curiosity it goes into their mouth! Dave
Just go to Hill's (site sponsor) and get one of there "lake packages".....has most of the good stuff for stillwaters. I know as I was the one that helped design the package. I've been standing on the shore of a basin lake talking to a gentleman about flies and he said "boy Hill's really put together a great lake package"....I took that as a vote of confidence!
hard to beat the prince nymph for still water flys. purple is my go to fly. with a bead head i caught 6 different species on the same fly in less than 1hr. large mouth, small mouth, perch, crappie, blue gill and rainbow! now i start and end my outings with a #12 purple bead head prince nymph. doesnt seem to matter when, where, temp, wheather ect.
Scottflycst, these old bones will not tolerate the cold so much. I think I will wait for warmer weather when I can enjoy the great outdoors. Getting old is no fun, but it is more funner than the alternative. Being old and being cold is never fun.
I had to go to out this morning. When I came home, I decided to see how the lake and stream were holding up. Cottage Creek is completely out it's banks and the road just south of the lake is closed. No fooling. The lake is up to the bottom of the fishing pier that they put in. I have never seen that lake that high before. Almost in the parking area. Now, tonight we got more rain beating on the skylight. It isn't pretty out there. I am wondering if all the plants in the lake will wind up in Lake Washington. Or maybe we could get some steelhead in the lake. Naaaaa.
I fish Cottage a few times each year. I like that little lake. The Dept. stocks both bows and cutts in it. Those 12 & 13" cutts put up a great fight on a 4wt. We should fish it next spring, got some guarateed flies (thats what the guy that tied 'em said).
Well, we could do that. I will need to get my new float tube before we do. I can do that. I would like to give it a good shot. Maybe start to tie up some flies for it. Now I got to figure what they might like. I have never fished it with a fly. In fact I have drove past it to get skunked on other lakes in the past. Wonder how a carrot nympy would do in there?
Olive willys and small black leeches or buggers work well for me. Also the six pack sz 12. Later in the spring/summer damsel nymphs on the south end.
Chef - Go Pac Fly Fishers - Catalog - Stillwater Flies and scroll down. Click the fly for a nice photo + description.
