[dryfly]

After reading the postings here about the stream levels up high and fast - I was thinking of hitting one of the local lakes Sunday.
I'm in Kirkland, so meaning local (King, south Sno County etc.).

Its a toss up between Pine, Beaver, Rattlesnake, Alice or Chain Lk (near Monroe).
Anyone have recent trips to these waters?

Most of my spring fishing has been in the Central Basin (DryFalls, Lenice, Nunnally etc.) - but I just can't take the time to drive over there tommorrow. I have not done any of the "local" lakes over this side yet this year so fill me in...

Thanks much, now back to tying up some more #6 purple wolley buggers.
What?!? Yeah, that's right, PURPLE buggers. When wet, they actually do a fairly decent job as dark leeches on a sink line

 

[twistaround]

go any where but rattlesnake.

 

[Dan Reynolds]

I've had pretty good success at Rattlesnake...pretty much any small green fly, wooley bugger patterns, carey's, six pack etc. Black leech pattern when it gets dark.

I haven't fished beaver yet this year, but an olive wooleybugger works very well there. Heck, you can catch a bass or two around the lilly's with a fly.

 

[Kel]

A good friend and I fished both Beaver and Pine lakes (near Issaquah) on June 1st. Fished Beaver from mid morning till lunch. Had a fantastic time! Lots of action. The fish were healthy, colorful and full of fight. Both in float tubes - we used Six-packs, and black and olive Woolie Buggers to good effect. Took a break in the afternoon, then hit Pine after dinner. Different story entirely. Lots of hits, very very soft hits. Hard to hook.

The one exception was a nice triploid taken just after dark right in front of the public access.

Hope this helps. This was my first time on either of these lakes. Had a blast. Lots of amazing wildlife at Beaver too - Heron, Bald Eagle, Goshawk, and Osprey. Surprising considering the number of houses ringing the lake.

Have a good time.

Kel
Bellingham :THUMBSUP

 

[dryfly]

Hey, thanks for the input guys!

I wound up going to none of the above Not that any suggestions were bad, I just didn't get back to checking replies here till tonight. I'm thinking of Bev later this wk after work sometime.

Anyway, I wound up at Alice Lk. on Sunday (late afternoon till sunset). Not bad. I'd been there past yrs. Fist time out this yr there. Only few others on lake (counted 3 small boats w/ bait& hardware folk - but they all seemed friendly and well behaved).

Using a Type II SA sinktip, 5x florocarbon and #8 dragonfly nymph, headed out from put-in to the shallows in back part of lake. Cast and strip in the 3' water around the lilly pads. Lots of bumps (the planted bows or bass?) Finally hooked up with smallish (10"?) LMB.
Oh well..

Back into the deeper water (although the lake is rather shallow in general) I trolled about. Still with sinktip, but switched to light gr. wolley bugger. Landed 2 of the planted rbt - sort of small, largest was "12. Got one big hit too, and lost him - snapped my 5x! Dang! For lakes over here, I rarely use larger tippet than that. Holdover? Non-stunted hatchery triploid?? Whatever it was, I thought I was on an Columbia Basin Lk. with that hit! Actually bent my rod!

All in all a plesent afternoon, saw bald eagle land in tree on edge of lake, and blue heron also. Pretty spot, even with the houses that edge the lake. Not much activity on surface insect wise, only spoted few very tiny midge later in day. I suspect the vast majority of what the fish feed on are leeches, dragon nymphs, etc. (short of the pink powerbait they are fed by the bait crowd:-0)

 

[saltchuck]

FYI for your next local trip. I managed to catch some decent (15-17 inch) brown trout out of Pine this season so far. No that was not a misprint those were brown trout, out of a west side lake that was not named Pass. Try streamers in the shallows either AM or PM and prepare for some fun.