FLYIN ON A LAKE?

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

FLYIN ON A LAKE?

drifter · Senior Member

i havnt fished any of those lakes but a general rule of thumb when fishing a lake is to use a sinking line and whooly bugger, simply throw it out, let it sink to the level of the fish and strip it in. Im sure with the levels of the lake it wouldnt be hard finding concentrated groups of fish. �Its also a good time to get out there and make note of the various structure of the lake that would otherwise be under water.

SK60 · Senior Member

Amador is a good lake, although it could cost you $40 to get out on it. They have 10 lb cutbows that will go after a fly. A great fly for Amador�is one called the booby. Its a British fly, hence the name. I posted some info and pictures last year, if interested. Search "mystery fly" or "booby".

S.

live2fish888 · Senior Member

I have done quite a bit of fly fishing on lakes up in canada and in yosemite area but havent done much down here. I suggest what drifter said but also try a damsel fly nymph. I have had a lot of luck with that in the yosemite area. you can also try some leech patterns and what has worked for me really effectively up in canada are some sedge emerger patterns like a green or red carey and a doc spratley. hope this helps!

Nohackle · Senior Member

Although I haven't done it in 5 or 6 years, I used to fish some of the bay area lakes like San Pablo Reservoir, Lafayette and Contra Loma.� I live only a couple of miles from San Pablo, but I've only had meager success fishing it.� When I did fish it, the guys who ran the concession were really jerks (although things may have gotten better).� I caught a few fish from Lafayette.� The best success was from Contra Loma (Lone Tree exit from highway 4 in Antioch).� When�it was fishing good, there were some nice fish in it.� My biggest was a 22 inch rainbow; it was the most colorless fish I have ever caught, but it still a good fish.� The interesting thing about Contra Loma is the fact that you can catch trout, black bass, crappie and even stripers in the lake.� One day I caught a 17 inch rainbow, 3 bass, a crappie and a carp (I think); all of the fish were over a pound, even the crappie.� I was slinging dark woolly buggers on a type IV shooting head.� I once saw a guy catch a 6 or 7 lb rainbow out of the lake; he was casting white jigs fishing for stripers!� Someone said that Lafayette was closed to float tubing now so check before you fish the lake.

-- Edited by Nohackle at 21:31, 2009-02-02

live2fish888 · Senior Member

nohackle. I live about 10 minutes from lafayette and yes it is closed to tubing. You have to have a boat that is atleast 7 and a half feet long. fishing for theose planters can be fun but they are no match to any of those wild fish.
Mt. lassen fish hatchery is the only place that stocks lafayette and in the spring they stock the ligthning trout and ive only caught one but it gave a nice fight. The lightning trout is a bright yellow trout and is a very cool looking fish. Most of the fish in these lakes are saught on powerbait and works so maybe something that looks like a big powerbait ball or a fat nightcrawler would work

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

nohackle.� I actually live 10 minutes from San Pablo Reservoir, and grew up fishing in that lake all my life till i found Putah.� I fish S P reservoir religiously, every year and i agree with you that before, the staff that they had were very inappropriate and rude.� They actaully have a very friendly staff now and they are also helpful.� Plenty of security and DFG driving around checking for license and all the regulations.� The only thing different from fishing Putah then going to the reservoir is, my friends and I do keep what we catch, but never limit out.� Therefore i would like to learn how to fly in these types of water, cause since fishing Putah with a fly rod, fishing has been more exciting.� Especially landing my personal record trout in Putah then releasing him back.........wow......what an awseome experience.

dave408 · Member

Hi Flyin: One of the best lakes is Lake Manzanita in Lassen Park - bit of a way to go and probably too early in the year right now - but planted with the Eagle lake strain of rainbow, also some browns. Fish spawn there, so it's self sustaining. Big Callabaetis hatch in the warmer months.� Single barbless hook, so 99% flyfishing. Call the FlyShop in Redding for an update. A bit further afield is Eagle Lake (open to all types of fishing) and Crowley Lake over by Mammoth. Also try Lake Davis (near Truckee - I've combined ski and fishing trips there) and Lewiston Lake (above the dam on the Trinity River). I may go up to Putah tomorrow - are you going to be there? Dave

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

Sup dave, i've been to Eagle Lake before on a house boat boat but never took the time to fish.� Great lake too.� right on for the info.� and i wish i could fly Putah tomorrow but duty calls and i gotta do the 9 hr thing......i think it's called work biggrin ........have fun tomorrow bro!!!!

LilWhippersnapper · Senior Member

Amador is a good lake to fish... They raise there own trout, and I swear they put those things on steroids. This time of year the fish are right on the surface, so you don't need a sinking line. You'll catch them on the surface until about april. What I usually do is tie a small swivel about 2 feet from a woolybugger. If you don't, you're gonna get a lot of line twists. Most people use a tube when fly fishing, but I usually take my boat to a point I know about and hammer them from there. Give it another month though, it's been kinda slow recently.

AbelBoy · Senior Member

Hi Flyin',
There has been good information given already, so I will just add a few things.

If you have multiple rods, have 2 or 3 rods rigged with different line and fly combinations.� This will make you able to adjust to different types of situations.� Stillwater fly fishing, at least to me,�is more of a line selection game rather than a fly selection game because it is important to get the fly where the fish are.� I usually take two rods with me:� one with a floater and one with a sinking line (mostly an intermediate line).

If you want a good place to learn how to fly fish from a small watercraft, spend a day on Fuller Lake in Nevada County.� I usually take my beginner friends on it because it is very difficult to get skunked there.� It's also stocked with Rainbows and has a wild Brown population.� Fuller is only 8 miles off of the�SR20/I80 intersection.� If you want more info on it, let me know.

AB

Edit:� Fuller is only accessible after the snow has melted off of Bowman Lakes Road.

-- Edited by AbelBoy at 22:01, 2009-02-03

Flying Dutchman · Senior Member

Many great suggestions above.� Like AbelBoy mentioned, line selection is key to lake fishing.�

I would check out LaFontaine's book, Fly Fishing the Mountain Lakes.� Offers many strategies besides slog-and-flog (his words for America's fascination with stripping a sunken fly)--and looks at some of his discoveries and Britain's approaches to lake fishing.� Techniques like Floss Blow Line, Hang-and-Bob, and Multiple Roll are other options to utilize when casting, counting, and retrieving are not drawing strikes...More to consider on a slow day always helps.

-- Edited by Flying Dutchman at 06:29, 2009-02-04

Tug · Veteran Member

I fished Baum lake in Shasta county two weeks ago. It was off the hook. I caught a lot of browns using midge patterns just under the surface. I saw two rainbows caught that were both over 20 inches. It was kind of crowded though. Lots of pontoon boats and kayaks but I caught all my fish wading from shore. The other thing was that it was very cold.
I have done very well there using wooly buggers.

the big j · Veteran Member

Glad you asked about SP Reservoir. I too live about ten minutes away and used to go hide at the far end of the place to practice my casting. Anyways, I asked the staff one day, if anyone fly fishes the reservoir, almost apologizing or even doing it there, should I be seen. He told me not really, but that the largest trout he'd seen come out of the reservoir was taken on fly?????????? That same day as dark was setting in, leaving I saw two large backs sliding just at the surface eating gnats............

WT · Senior Member

should we have a SPR reunion? I would love to meet you guys at SPR, and do some fishing because I live close to there.

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

hey big J and WT,
�� SPR is actually opening back at the alst Sat. of this month.� I will be there for opening day all day at my usual spot.� a little to the left of the cement stairs almost at the beginning of the pines.� My friend and i will be there waiting in line early in the morning.

Sup, let's all hook up and fish SPR.� My fly rod will be with me practicing my technique, while my 7' shimano med. lite set up will be there also with the usuall powerbait.� You know how it goes.

Holla back!!!!!

live2fish888 · Senior Member

haha lets do this! i also live about 15 minutes from san pablo and im sure when codym sees this post, he would like to join up to!

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

Are you guys for real? cause i fish there religiously during the summer.� I'll be flyin Putah tomorrow by the bridge around the staircase.� it'll probably be the last time i fly Putah for a hot second.�cause now it's time to chill under the sun with a brewsky and watch my bobber go up instead of my indicator going down.

Codym · Senior Member

I'd be up for that.

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

Oh yeah, we got SPR fishermens out there that still exists.� Good to hear that.

So if you guys are down and for real on fishing opening day, I can almost guarantee that i will be the first 7 vehicles parked out in line with my coffee waitng for good ol SPR to reopen once again.

I am driving a gray 2008 Toyota Tundra, with fly fishing and bait fishing decals on my back window.� Look for me and i'll offer you a shot of some of Grandpas medecine(crown royale) early in the morning to get the opening day started out right.

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

Codym wrote:

I'd be up for that.

Yo Codym,
�� I see that you're from the Oak.� ever fished Lake Chabot.?� I love that place to hike and ride my bike.� Landed a 7.5# trout there in 1998, and there are still some fat toads being landed in that lake.

Sup, wanna fish or troll that lake some weekend?

Codym · Senior Member

I fish Lake chabot from time to time, yeah I'd like to go and fish.