Enjoy May Long Weekend

Its May Long Weekend! We are heading out to camp with our grandkids and their families. I hope you are able to get out on the water. Conditions are perfect in most places. Stay safe.

 

Post Cold Front Fly Fishing

Karen and I had 4 hours out on the water today at West Lake. We were wondering what the fly fishing would be like the day after a fairly strong cold front passed through Central Alberta yesterday dumping much needed rain.

We got on the water at 11 ish. We caught several trout that had empty stomachs and then we finally got a clue with a throat sample full of daphnia that were alive. Do we tie on blobs? I did while Karen continued to fly fish with a Rusty Nail chironomid. Karen was out fishing me by a wide amount. 

About an hour later and a boat move, we found trout that were definitely eating chironomids. Big chironomids. The hatch was light but the trout were on them. Trout has also been dining on shrimp earlier in the day!

After 2 hours (1 pm) the throat samples showed more chironomids. Chromie type chironomids as well as several darker chironomids. The chironomids were in the size 12 category!

So did the post cold front have lousy fishing? Not really. We caught more smaller fish but we did hook up with some larger ones too. The takes were soft early on and the trout seemed to be more aggressive later in the afternoon.

Blobs did work but chironomids for us worked even better!

Steve with a nice trout on. Steve tagged a dandy a few minutes before this shot using a blob!

 

Boat Launches at Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake opens to fishing on May 15th! Low low lake levels at Sylvan Lake will create boat launching challenges. Yesterday was a rainy day so Karen and I took a look at the two boat launching areas we regularly use at Sylvan Lake.

Sunbreakers boat launch had some improvements made but it will be tough to get a larger boat in and out! Remember that there is a boat launch/ parking fee if you are using a "trailered boat." If you are parking, there is a parking fee. Download the Hot Spot APP and go to permits to pay on line! I would put on a pair of waders and walk out to see if your craft can be launched there!

Palm Bay launch area is very very shallow. A pram, canoe, etc is launchable but you may have to wade or paddle out a bit before using a motor of any sort!  The road down to lake has a lot of erosion so do take care with you vehicle and park so others can launch too.

Remember these are mandatory on the lake

Life Jackets

Throw Rope

Whistle (or noise making device)

Flashlight (that works)

Bailer

and common sense/courtesy!

We need a lot of rain!

Lastly KNOW the regulations. So many don't bother. It is your responsibility.

 

Setting up a Custom Made Stillwater Leader with Rick Miyauchi

 Hi Everyone!

I have seen first hand how a leader set up can lead to success. Rick Miyauchi has kindly shared how he sets up his leader for stillwaters. I use a very similar set up where I use a swivel instead of a tippet ring. There are times that I do not use any swivel or tippet rings because the trout strike them. Take a look below. It is well worth it! If you do not have the top 3 feet of a Rio Indicator leader, use 2x tippet!

I use a modified Rio Indicator leader as the base for the majority of my stillwater fishing. The only exceptions are dry and emerger presentations. The red butt section is about three feet in length. I cut off the remaining level mono leader and discard to start. At the tip of the red butt section I attach a 1.5mm-2.0mm tippet ring. From the ring I attach 6-12 feet (depending on depth I’m fishing) of Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon 6 pound. If using a slip indicator i will attach now and then tie a second tippet ring to the end of the main level line. From the second ring I will tie two additional lines. One will be three to four feet in length (point fly) and the other six to twelve inches (dropper fly). Depth is regulated primarily by adding or decreasing the length of the main level. I typically do not fish this leader any longer than fifteen feet as it  can be very challenging to turn over into a headwind. If fishing at depths of fifteen feet or greater I will opt for dangling with a Di 7 line. Butt section is retained for two purposes. One is to prevent unnecessary damage to the fly line loop. Straight 6 pound fluorocarbon can cut into the loop damaging the line coating when playing an unusually large or strong fish. The butt section will prevent this plus slightly help turn over the long length of level 6 lbs. main line without having to ramp up to 8lbs. to assist turnover. Tippet rings make increasing and decreasing leader length easy enough and will never shorten your butt section. The second tippet ring (holding the dropper) can also act as a telltale dropper. See pictures.

Rick Miyauchi's Adaptations of a Black Sally Chironomid that Works Great

I have learned so much from spending time in a boat with Rick Miyauchi! In the last week and a half, we have been on the water 3 times. Often Rick fly fishes with a long leader and no indicator! That is fly fishing "naked" and it is a quite successful tactic. Rick also fly fishes with unweighted "dropper" flies that move in the water "freely". Many English Buzzers are not weighted! 

Take a look at these easy to tie chironomids that Rick regularly uses! The funny part is when I try to borrow these flies from his chironomid box, he only has one! It is on his line already! You should see his tiny "chironomid box. It would definitely make your eyes go crazy!

Point Fly (A Variant of a Black Sally)

Hook: Daiichi 1760 or your favourite scud hook. 

Thread: Black. 

Bead: Black or Black Nickle in brass or tungsten.

Gills: Doubled strand of Uni-floss 600 (1 ply) White. 

Rib: Anti Static bag or Super Fly Super Flash Grey. (or gunmetal flashabou 6916)

Thorax (optional): 1 strand peacock herl in dubbing loop. 

NOTE (1): This fly is a variant of Phil Rowley’s Black Sally with only the rib colour changing. 

NOTE(2): If you opt for a thorax coat the body/rib section before tying in the thorax. This prevents matting of the peacock. Do not coat the thorax tie in section as the smooth hard surface can allow the peacock herl to shift. 

Dropper Fly (A Variant of a Black Sally) -Unweighted

Hook: Daiichi 1760 or your favourite scud hook. 

Thread: Black.

Rib: Anti Static bag or Super Fly Super Flash Grey (or gunmetal flashabou 6916). 

Thorax: 1 strand Peacock Herl tied in dubbing loop. 

Gills: Doubled strand of UNI-Floss 600 (1 ply) White tied in single post or bow tie fashion. 

NOTE: I do not normally use beads on my droppers. Fly is connected to dropper with a loop knot. My reasoning is the non weighted fly can move more freely imitating life. But that is just me 

Some Video Clips of Betty and Steve's Adventure to Argentina

Steve and Betty MacKenzie shared some clips of video from their adventure to Argentina. If you love spring creeks, do take a look! Thanks Betty and Steve!

 

Leader Set Up- The Most Important Part of your Fly Fishing Day

Hi Everyone!

It is a rainy Monday. Thank goodness we have rain. We need all the moisture we can get!

The first part of this video has an excellent detailed description of how to set up a stillwater leader. The first 5-6 minutes of this video will help you a lot. The key is level flurocarbon between your indicator and your terminal tackle (fly). Of course in Alberta we can have three separate flies on our line (in BC just one). Get a coffee and take a look. 

The key is getting your flies exactly at the depth you want.

There is so much great details that will certainly help your stillwater success!

 

Dickson Trout Pond

Happy Mother's Day to every mom out there! I believe that every day should be Mother's Day! I hope moms every where have an amazing day with their family!

Karen and I decided to take a walk along the causeway along Dickson Trout Pond. I saw that over 16 000 stockers have been added to Dickson Trout Pond. I had a great time catching mostly stockers although I did catch a decent rainbow and tiger trout!

I also saw a ton of pin fry. I suspect the fry are suckers. I bet the tiger trout were drooling!

Pin fry-I suspect they are suckers!

 

Bobber Down! Fantastic Chironomid Action

Karen and I decided to head out to West Lake for a few hours this morning and we were so glad that we did. Chironomids were happening. Not a heavy hatch but large "chromie" like chironomids. The trout were devouring everything in sight! We tucked into a spot out of the wind that had a depth of 13 feet. We set our indicators at 10-11 feet down. The next 3 hours were incredible. Trout of all sizes were on emerging pupa. The takes were savage. I love watching our strike indicators disappear into the depths! Lately, we have tied on a Rusty Nail Chironomid size 14-2 xl but today the chironomids were large so we used size 12-2 xl. The wind came up and Karen and I decided it was time to head to the dock, then lunch!

Take a look at the throat samples below!

Most lakes in Central Alberta have been stocked. Have fun out there!

Just a reminder that West Lake is closed Saturday and Sunday 'til 1 pm because of a Black Powder event!

 

Another West Country Lake

Rick and I hit a lake out in the Caroline area. Today was windy and cccold! It didn't start off that way but a weak weather front moved in followed by a nasty bone chilling wind.  When we arrived, we saw trout rising everywhere, then came the wind. A strong wind. We both had to layer up to stay comfortable.

We decided to tuck in along an edge and set up in 13 feet of water along a drop off. We set up with chironomids. It did not take long to have a sizeable rainbow take my smoke buzzer wrap chironomid. Rick caught several decent trout and then he tied into a large brown. It took a long time to subdue this large trout. Below you can see the brown, I'm holding it in a picture below! It was a thick strong brown trout!

As usual, we took throat samples. We saw size 18-16 "dull" like chromies as well as some darker chironomids. One throat sample had several leeches as well as daphnia.

We caught lots of newly stocked fish and every once in a while, we tangled with a large rainbow or brown. The wind severely limited where we could go but we made the best of what we could set up in. Today we looked for drop offs and we also marked fish suspended over deep water. We suspected that they were eating daphnia.

Size 16 chironomids

Rick caught this beautiful brown.

 

Walleye Booby

Sylvan Lake opener is just around the corner and I had time to tie up some white boobies. I cast these with a type 7 full sink line, then let the line sink to the bottom, then strip. The stikes are hard. I have caught walleye and pike with these tasty little critters at several lakes. Thanks Brent for the great idea!

 

Chinook Arch Chironomid Action at West Lake

A chinook arch formed over the western sky but the wind behaved itself, unlike yesterday. Well Karen and I decided to head out to West Lake, aka; the Fish and Game Lake. We were out on the water at 11 am and we were into trout right away. We set up with Rusty Nail chironomids, one of my favourite patterns that was developed by John Kent!

We set up in 12 to 13 feet of water and fished 10 feet below our indicators with two Rusty Nails. We did not change our set up for the next 4 hours. The rainbows were definitely on our chironomids. The interesting thing was the rainbows had a lot of daphnia in the throat samples. I suspect the trout were straining daphnia earlier in the day, then chironomids.

 

Fabulous Last Few Days on the Water-Chironomids Were On the Menu

Karen, Wayne, Doug, Ken, Jay, Rick and I have been enjoying some early season chironomid fly fishing at a local lake. We had been using Tokaryk Specials 2.0 and Glen's Leech with success as well. 

On a hunch and seeing some chironomid shucks on the water, we decided to try chironomids. ...and we were  pleasantly surprised to watch our strike indicators dive down numerous times. Black Sally Chironomids got the job done as did a dull "chromie" we call the smoke buzzer. Lately we have also seen damsels heading for shore to become adults! There is a lot going on out on the water. It is an excellent time to get out to your favourite trout lake!

After taking throat samples, I needed to tie up a new chironomid, essentially a "dull" chromie. Smoke buzzer wrap over white thread makes for an excellent body for this pupa!

As usual, we had to find a spot and then the correct depth. Watching for emerging chironomids on the surface and shucks helped us figure out where to try! Once we had that figured out, it was game on.

Smoke Buzzer Wrap Chironomid

Hook: Alec Jackson Crystal Covert size 15 or 1760 Daiichi size 16

Thread: White 8/0

Bead: Black, 3/32nds

Gills: Uni Stretch

Rib: Black wire, small

Body: White thread with smoke buzzer wrap over top

"Double" Chironomid Black Sally

Sandhill Cranes

What?

Damsels are on their way to shore already!

Double Tiger!