Michelle Lakes is an amazing place to fly fish. Last year on the exact same day, we had 10 cm of snow but yesterday it was shirt sleeve weather. We loaded up the at Icefields Helicopter at first light. Ralph took us up to Michelle Lakes on the short 15 minute flight. When we landed, it was already 8C at 8:30 am. Wow, it was going to be a perfect weather day. A large group of curious mountain sheep were hanging out at the lake.We wandered down to the water and rigged up. The golden trout were already rising as the shadows were slowly leaving the lake. We were there to celebrate Larry's brother, Ken's, 70th birthday. What a perfect way to do just that!
The golden trout in Michelle are not large but they are colourful this time of the year! Small micro leeches like a size 16 Glen's Leech worked great. Today we made another discovery. Small Ice Minnows on Head Turner Beads got the attention of the goldens. I threw a few ice minnows into our kit for the day on a whim. As it turned out, they were the ticket. Tying ice minnows on a size 14 jig hooks with a head turner bead turned out to be the fly of the day. Small brassies in a variety of colours work great too.
Karen and I took the time to explore most of the lake today. The golden trout were quite aggressive in several areas. The drop offs along rocky shores are quite productive. The water was so clear that you could see the trout 5 or 6 feet down turn onto our flies and strike. Sight fishing is a lot of fun.
Well the helicopter picked us up at 5 pm. The flight out was amazing. Our day was picture perfect. What a way to celebrate a 70th birthday!
Happy 70th Ken!
Tiny Ice Minnows Worked Great Today
Larry's First Trip to Michelle Lakes
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