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In case any of you wonder why my wife and I drag the boat up to Kootenay Lake to troll for trout, click on the site below. This is a site run by a tackle store in Balfour, B.C.
The picture speaks for itself. (Scroll to the bottom). Kootenay is a lake where they refer to 8 pounders as "dinks" !! And if you are wondering about Henry's Lake type crowds, don't.The lake is 99 miles long, and you might see another boat in a day's worth of trolling. You can also go to YouTube and type in Kootenay Lake to see fishing footage of the lake. Mike
[url "http://www.gillandgift.com/fishing.html"]http://www.gillandgift.com/fishing.html[/url]
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ok you got me thinking! That's pretty sweet! It's cool to see them all colored up like that too.
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Hi Flygoddess,
You might be interested in knowing that the majority of fish are caught on streamer flies trolled on the surface, just like our Lake Pend Orielle. In fact, the famous Kamploops (Gerrard Rainbows) found in P. O. were planted there from Kootenay L. Mike
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The passport I got a few years ago was $40. I think they are around $100 now. That would be a fun trip.
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That's a beautiful fish, Mike. The gill color is awesome. How long is the tow up and what route do you take? I've been on the Selkirk Loop tour up above Colville, WA and then back down through Bonner's Ferry. This B.C. lake is further west, right?
I've seen the monster rainbow photos at the fishing resorts on the east side of Pend O'Reille but have never fished it from my boat. Have you? Wondering if the keel weight/streamer system would work?
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Hi Burt,
Balfour, where we stay, is 4 hours north of Coeur d'Alene, plus a 30 minute (free) ferry across the lake. They fish it two ways: if there is any chop on the lake, they use side planers--I use the Sidewinders, which are on-line, and very cheap-- out about 100 feet, and back 200, with a streamer fly. They also go down on downriggers with either a plug, or a flasher/hoochie combo. There are both dollies, as they still call them, and rainbow, or gerrards. Both run into the high teens frequently and sometimes even in the 20's, as seen in the pic. Yes, I used to fish Pend Oreille, but it just isn't worth it any more. Kootenay is what Pend Oreille once was. Mike
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I've been going to Flathead Res. in Mt -might have to keep going NORTH!! Wow-those are beautiful fish!!
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Passports are $100. good for 10 years though
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I don't think you would be dissapointed, Ironrod. You could go to the websites of Reel Adventures, Kootenay Kingfisher, or Split Shot Charters, the three guides on the lake, for more info--and pictures! They have been having 15-fish days of late up there, but that's charter boat #'s with up to 4-6 lines out. I would be happy to answer any questions you have. Mike
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