Weekend Trip

[zonker]

Some of you are probably getting tired of seeing wrong colored trout but at the moment it is the best thing I have going. This past Friday I made a trip to the ponds I've mentioned previously and caught a few nice trout. We've been locked into a cold, heavy fog weather pattern so daytime temps don't get up very high. Fish are only active in these shallow ponds for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. I managed to be there for this period and got these to take an interest in my flies. This is the first one, caught on the second cast of the day.

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This guy with a bit of a kype was found when I dredged my fly along the bottom.

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I don't remember the details on this one.

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I was not alone on the ponds this time. These two Super Fat Cat floaters came in a little later but due to the dropping water temperature, they missed the party.

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Oh, and I did manage some regular rainbow colored fish. This one was the biggest of the lot.


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I'm hoping for some good old fashioned 50 degree Oregon rain for this weekend to warm things up.

zonker


s
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good report (as usual). Don't sweat the repetition (of species). Some of us would like to have that problem. This is the time of year that wimps and wage slaves (with wives...another W) have trouble getting on the water. Either duty calls or the weather is not suitable for those who suffer when they have to put on rain gear.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Looks like that orange headed black pattern is still holding up for you. Are the fish still responding best to a fast strip, or do you change up your presentation on some of them? [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Too bad you had to settle for some of those trashy regular rainbows. But, the pic of the spawn-minded male golden is impressive. A lot of rainbow strain trout around the country right now are developing eggs and milt, and spawning colorations. The big rainbows in Yuba Lake here in Utah are visibly in that mode. Some of the larger males taken recently are starting to look like salmon, with their big old hooked jaws.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Nope. You just keep on fishin' and keep on postin'. Until someone complains, don't worry your pretty little head about it. And, if someone does complain, I'll smack 'em for ya.[/#0000ff]
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[OldJigHead]

I agree with TubeDude, you just keep on keepin' on and post those stories and good pictures. They are some fine looking fish. Besides that, you caught them from a tube or pontoon, so who cares what color they are.

Enjoy yur efforts, Zonker!

[url "http://flyfishseidaho.net"]http://flyfishseidaho.net[/url]
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[zonker]

It is a good "problem" to have, TD. Given the general lack of competion among fishermen in the winter and most of them being AWOL, in some ways I look forward to winter. Once you set your mind to it and gather the appropriate clothing and gear, its really not a difficult thing. But maybe I should keep my mouth shut about that so I can continue to enjoy the solitude.[]

The Orange Bead Headed Black Wooly Bugger is the fly they like, though they have not pursued the fast strip as readily as the water temps have dropped. A guy must alter his methods to please the fishies. The waters in a couple of ponds I've been fishing are a little colored so the black/flourescent orange is a good combo for visibility.

The gnarley male was a very hot fish. He hit, ripped all the slack off my stripping apron in a flash, buzzed the reel for a few turns, then jumped twice. Testosterone, I suppose. Feelin' his oats. I let him go to fight another day and do his thing.

I'll post when I have something to put up until I hear a loud complaint. Maybe some others will do so also as they see that it is really enjoyable to have a place to do a little braggin'.

Hey OldJigHead. I visited your site last night. Great start. I've heard you have some great stillwaters there in Idaho.

z~
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[Fishhound]

Hey zonker,

Beautiful fish ! Go ahead and keep on posting the photos and telling us about the details. It's kind of like I'm there when I can't be.

I guess you shot the pic of the tubers from the shore as you were leaving - did you stick around to see how long they fished or if they ever got into any ? Or, is that kind of how that water works - good early a.m. bite then it goes away as the day wears on ? I'm not sure if you mentioned it, but how deep is that pond ? And were you fishing right off the bottom for that one ? What kind of line were you using ?
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[zonker]

Fishhound,

Yeah, I got out after a couple of hours of fruitless fishing and took the photo from the shore. By the time my gear was put away they were coming in. I've seen this pattern before in winter conditions - the best time is in the warmest part of the day. There was little sun on the water due to the fog and low clouds. There was only a 3 degree difference in range of water surface temp (45-42) throughout the day but this was enough to shut them off when it cooled down.

The lakes are typically about 12-14 feet at the deepest. Not much place to go to find warmer water. I prefer a clear camo intermediate 5 or 6 weight line for this kind of fishing and use it most of the time for shallow lakes. It casts well once it stretches out and soaks up some water. The theory is that it sinks slowly enough to let it stay in the fish zone longer rather than continue to sink on the retrieve. Fish were scattered at different levels, following no set pattern. I use a Fishin' Buddy with side finder also for this kind of fishing which allows me to be aware of areas where fish are cruising in shallow water.

z~
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[Bluegillman]

[#0000ff][size 1]complain .... not me! I'm enjoying every bit of it[][cool][][/size][/#0000ff]
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