The surface temperature was 54 degrees, mostly sunny with air temperatures in the upper 70’s, and some wind. The hatch was chironomids, light olive, lime green, and black predominantly, sizes ranged from small, 26, to large, size 12. Most seemed size 18-20. From several throat samples, however, it appeared the numerous recent plants were eating daphnia and would therefore eat almost anything cast their way. The holdovers were feeding on the chironomids—I guess they had been in the lake long enough to appreciate a chironomid hatch—although they would also take a well-presented suggestive pattern.

Although I caught a few fish on chironomids, I found this slower and less effectual than retrieving a leech or damsel imitation. I used Denny’s Stillwater Nymph, olive, and Seal Bugger (same as Woolly Bugger but tied with imitation seal’s fur).
I caught one Tiger Trout, 15 inches, innumerable “catchable” rainbows, size 11-13 inches, and a dozen or so holdovers, range 14-17 inches. As I was kicking back in my tube, stripping my leech pattern, the water exploded and foamed as a giant tail waved and thrashed repeatedly in disgust and anger as the 22-inch buck Rainbow revolted to the sudden shock of a size #10 Sealbugger buried deep inside his upper jaw. Although it didn’t run as much as the other holdovers, it was still more reluctant to come to the net: every time it came within ten feet of my tube, it would run out another five feet. It took some time to break it down.

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