Posts: 1,549
Threads: 44
Joined: Oct 2013
Reputation:
3
I fished Huntington Reservoir today from 7:30 until 3:30 from my kick boat. I used fly gear with a fast sinking line and various 4-8 size leeches in green and red, size 6-8 soft hackle patterns in tan/green/pearl and black/red/blue, and crystal buggers size 4-6 in black/green/pearl and black/red. The water temperature was 55-57 degrees and the visibility in the water was about 7'-8'. The reservoir level is at 93% full and stable, about 3'-4' from being full. I ended up catching eight fish, all tigers, from 13"-16" long. The fishing was much better than my results because I could not keep the fish on long enough to get them to the net. I figure I landed about 30% of the fish that I actually had on.[:/]
There were a couple of guys in a boat that got there about 8:00 and anchored up and bait fished. They left about 10:00 and I think they had there limits. The weather was great. Anytime you can get a day on Mammoth without much wind you better enjoy it.[fishin]
[inline P1040508(1).JPG]
[inline P1040510(1).JPG]
[inline P1040511(1).JPG]
[inline P1040512(1).JPG]
[signature]
Posts: 1,549
Threads: 44
Joined: Oct 2013
Reputation:
3
Your right about being cooler. When you get a breeze off 55-57 degree water it is pretty comfortable. This is the time to start hitting the higher elevation lakes to escape the heat, now that most of them are accessible.
[signature]
Posts: 36,033
Threads: 297
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
57
[#0000FF]Nice work. I love that pretty little lake. It is about the only Utah water with trout only that I even like to fish. I guess I keep hoping that some silly walleye will accidentally show up to bite a jig or fly. They do that, ya know?
I like the cool thing in the summer but my fave time to hit Huntington is November...just before iceup. Definitely a test of my Under Armor insulation but the fishing is usually memorable.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 399
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2008
Reputation:
0
I also love that lake, and in fact that whole canyon has several great lakes that I have a hard time choosing from. Out of curiosity TD what patterns do you use in November?
[signature]
Posts: 36,033
Threads: 297
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
57
[#0000FF]I make marabou jigs and tie flies...both in similar colors and patterns. I fish mostly spinning tackle so I often use a jig/fly combo...either with the jig on the bottom and the fly on a dropper above...or the jig on the dropper with about a 3 foot leader to the fly.
Basic black buggers are usually good. Also olive and some of my copper patterns. But I have caught fish on just about every color and pattern I have tried when I find the fish schooled and active.
The key is to find the area they are holding and then the depth. Once you know where they are you focus on finding what they want.
There have been some trips in late fall when I covered a lot of that small lake and only found a very few fish on sonar. Then suddenly there were fish from top to bottom in 30 feet of water...and both rods started bouncing.
Purple is also a good color in the fall...as is a black and orange combo...happy Halloween. One of my fave fly patterns is an old west coast steelhead fly...the silver hilton. See pics.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 1,549
Threads: 44
Joined: Oct 2013
Reputation:
3
Some other patterns that work well in the fall, or any other time for that matter, are leech patterns in black, purple, and red on size 6-8 hooks. Size 4-8 crystal buggers in midnight fire (black/red/blue), tan/green/pearl, and black/green/pearl. Soft hackle patterns in those same colors also work pretty well. Pat is right, the fish do congregate in the fall and sometimes it is difficult to locate them, but when you do it can be a lot of fun. It seems like tigers like darker colors and they like it to be moving, they don't much care for bait just sitting on the bottom.
[signature]
Posts: 1,207
Threads: 6
Joined: Mar 2008
Reputation:
0
2nd photo - BEAUTIFUL! Very nice.
Glad you got out. I'll be in the area tomorrow.
[signature]
Posts: 399
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2008
Reputation:
0
[quote TubeDude][#0000FF]I make marabou jigs and tie flies...both in similar colors and patterns. I fish mostly spinning tackle so I often use a jig/fly combo...either with the jig on the bottom and the fly on a dropper above...or the jig on the dropper with about a 3 foot leader to the fly.
Basic black buggers are usually good. Also olive and some of my copper patterns. But I have caught fish on just about every color and pattern I have tried when I find the fish schooled and active.
The key is to find the area they are holding and then the depth. Once you know where they are you focus on finding what they want.
There have been some trips in late fall when I covered a lot of that small lake and only found a very few fish on sonar. Then suddenly there were fish from top to bottom in 30 feet of water...and both rods started bouncing.
Purple is also a good color in the fall...as is a black and orange combo...happy Halloween. One of my fave fly patterns is an old west coast steelhead fly...the silver hilton. See pics.
[/#0000FF][/quote]
Thanks for the info...I recently used small black marabou jigs on my fly rod and did very well there.
[signature]
Posts: 1,549
Threads: 44
Joined: Oct 2013
Reputation:
3
Thanks.
Good luck when you go.
I have had better luck on the upper portion of the reservoir but then I'm fly fishing so the shallower water is easier for me to fish. Are you going to be fishing from shore? There was some surface feeding going on the whole time I was there but I think you are more of a hardware guy. The fish are eager to chase about anything. The crystal buggers that I was using were more effective when I got them down near the bottom and then stripped them back to the surface. Some of the fish weren't hitting it until the fly was within 15' - 20' of the tube. Let us know how you do.
[signature]
Posts: 399
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2008
Reputation:
0
Another question on that lake that you guys may know about...how is the south side compared to the north side. All the times I've been there (twice [crazy]) I have only had time to fish the north side (the access side).
[signature]
Posts: 36,033
Threads: 297
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
57
[#0000FF]As you can probably tell, the south side slopes down more and drops off into deeper water faster. There are times when you can do well in 30 feet of water only a short distance from shore. Or not. Seems to change all the time.
But there are two or three small areas along the south side where I have done well on most trips. There is a much longer productive area along the north shore. And the shallow bar in between the two inlet arms can be good at times as well.
Late in the fall I usually do better fishing a few yards out off the dam. I have to use my sonar to find the fish but when they start to school up there it can be great. A lot depends on the water levels. In years when the water level is low the area near the dam is the deepest on the lake and the tigers do like some depth at times.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 11,128
Threads: 4
Joined: Mar 2006
Reputation:
0
Great report. TD fishes that lakeoften enough for me to listen and learn.
[signature]
].
