Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Snowy Sylvan Lake on a Cold Late October Day


It was inevitable. Snowfall in October is not unusual for Central Alberta.  Doug and I headed to Sylvan Lake mid morning. It was still below zero but we hoped the air temperature would warm enough that we would not be wrestling with frozen guides on our fly rods. After launching we headed for a favourite weed line and started to fly fish with small bloodworms in 7 feet of water. We did not have a fish finder today but I suspect the water temperature was in the low 40sF.

It did not take too long before we started to connect with lake whitefish. We stayed in the same place for the entire time we were out on the water because the fly fishing was outstanding. Both Doug and I took the time to ensure our bottom blood worm was close to 6 inches to a foot from the bottom of the lake. We just use our forcepts attached to the bottom fly to adjust our depth.

We definitely had to bundle up to be comfortable and we were. The moderate wind caused us to readjust the boat from time to time. Luckily the sun came out just enough to help keep us pleasantly warm. The temperature eventually crawled up to 4C! 

We headed for the truck at 4 pm after a very satisfying day.

Sadly Sylvan Lake (and Gull Lake) closes on November 1st. There are only two days to get out there! It will not be too long until fly tying season begins.





Blood Worms





 

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