[Eric Reesor]

One technique that I have not tried up in the BC Cariboo is shallow water shrimping. On several of the best lakes we fish the Gammarus can be breeding in the shallows in the fall just before the lake starts to freeze around the shoreline. The best lakes at higher elevation on the west side of the Fraser River can start to freeze around the shore in late September up around Williams Lake and further north and some are full of Gammarus.

At the same time fall chironomid can occur. I will be up there again this year so I really want to try shrimping instead of just indicator fishing for fall chironomid.

The debate is if using a dry line in shallow water whether or not to tie up bead headed scuds is a better choice. I have never used a type two slime line but have read that it can be used effectively for shallow water shrimping. Is it worth purchasing a type two clear sinking shrimping line and what are the best ones available? They seem very hard to find here in BC.

 

[hiddentalus]

I fish scuds in lakes around Kamloops a fair amount. Mostly fish them in the shallows early morning or late fall. For me line type and bead or no bead depends on pattern, speed of retrieve and depth. Late fall in the shallows, i.e. < 6 ft, I use a floater and my favourite pattern has no bead/unweighted and a slow retrieve. In deeper water floater with a brass bead scud pattern or a type 1 using a pattern with or without a bead. If the fish want a fast retrieve I will use a type 1 and a larger bead head scud pattern.

 

[Eric Reesor]

I fish scuds in lakes around Kamloops a fair amount. Mostly fish them in the shallows early morning or late fall. For me line type and bead or no bead depends on pattern, speed of retrieve and depth. Late fall in the shallows, i.e. < 6 ft, I use a floater and my favourite pattern has no bead/unweighted and a slow retrieve. In deeper water floater with a brass bead scud pattern or a type 1 using a pattern with or without a bead. If the fish want a fast retrieve I will use a type 1 and a larger bead head scud pattern.

There is a nice little lake up past Edith that I might see you on in late September or early October.
Two years ago I didn't have boatmen in my fly box and they were really active in September so I have a score to settle with that little pond and I know that lake has scuds and fall chironomids.

I don't know if the big lake down the hill off HWY 5a works with scuds. Every time I have tried scuds on the big lake on 5a nothing happens. I am stumped as to whether or not the fish actually eat them on that pond but I know that small dragons work well on it in the shallows when the water cools down in late September and early October. That is if you don't get blown off the pond!

Thanks for the heads up on going with a dry line setup. Casting slow sinking lines for any distance can be a royal PITA especially on some of the best lakes south of Kamloops that are really prone to being windy as hell. I really like the option of not anchoring and is seems to me that moving around with my Outcast stealth with fins might just be the best option for shallow water shrimp fishing. If the wind gets too difficult then I can just anchor up and fish one spot at a time.