gxl
11/10/2008 4:33:00 PMChris, nice fish. My kids and I fished the 1st pen on Friday and killed them with flies. Did things slow down on Sat.? They did for us and most at the first pen. Are the flies you fish your own creation or can I buy them somewhere? I don't thisk that was a launch.
Nice fish!!!
Gxl
Nice fish!!!
Gxl
blufin loui
11/10/2008 4:37:00 PMNice report Chris, even better fish.
Your barbless pellet fly sounds like the "Terror of the Pens". I will have to try harder to get back up there, and have another go at them someday. I have no idea what I did wrong when I was there last but hope to remedy it in the near future. After seeing the obstacles around the pens where you fish, I have to compliment you and your fishing partners on fish fighting skill. There is a whole mess of cables for the fish to utilize while on the line.
Thanks for the report, and keep the hooks sharp
Your barbless pellet fly sounds like the "Terror of the Pens". I will have to try harder to get back up there, and have another go at them someday. I have no idea what I did wrong when I was there last but hope to remedy it in the near future. After seeing the obstacles around the pens where you fish, I have to compliment you and your fishing partners on fish fighting skill. There is a whole mess of cables for the fish to utilize while on the line.
Thanks for the report, and keep the hooks sharp
Fish On!
11/10/2008 8:10:00 PMNice job, there's some incredible fishing over there. I'm thinking of heading there in the next few days for the week. Do you know what the water temp. is now? When I was over there about 4 weeks ago I was surprised how warm the water was. Maybe they were dumping water off the top of Rooselvelt? Must have been 55-60 degrees. I need to tie into one of those hogs.
outdoor chris
11/11/2008 6:16:00 AMgxl, yes, the flies that I use are my own creation based on watching and seeing what the fish want to bite on and what they swim up to and leave behind. I have tweeked the flies a bit here and there in the last few weeks and think I am getting close to maybe the perfect pen fly????? Glad to know you had a good day at the first net pens fly fishing, there is nothing more fun that catching big trout on a fly rod !!! Both days were about the same but we caught more on Saturday because we spent more time at the pens instead of fishing the shore.
outdoor chris
11/11/2008 6:23:00 AMblufin, the flies we use are so good that the fish just merely put up white flags when we drop them into the water!!! Then we just get out the tape measure and pick out the ones we want!! ha ha Actually, its almost that good, we find ourselves pulling the flies out of the mouth and/or away from the smaller fish because we don't want to waste time reeling the small ones in, takes away from the time used to try to get the bigger ones to bite, its all so much fun. By the way, nice pic I saw of yours of that nice launch at roses lake.......what a ooops!!!
Using the heavier leader has really helped, hope we can go heavier this weekend over there, it sure does help in keeping the fish away from the lines and cables, every day we fish there we have been loosing 3 or 4 very very nice fish due to the cables, but when the fishing is this good, who cares? We just put the line back in and catch another, several times I took the fly out of the fishes mouth and flipped the fly into the water and by the time I picked up my fly rod again, there was a fish on already, .....the place really is the craziest place I have ever seen to fish!!!!!!
Using the heavier leader has really helped, hope we can go heavier this weekend over there, it sure does help in keeping the fish away from the lines and cables, every day we fish there we have been loosing 3 or 4 very very nice fish due to the cables, but when the fishing is this good, who cares? We just put the line back in and catch another, several times I took the fly out of the fishes mouth and flipped the fly into the water and by the time I picked up my fly rod again, there was a fish on already, .....the place really is the craziest place I have ever seen to fish!!!!!!
outdoor chris
11/11/2008 6:32:00 AMFriday the water temp was 59.5 degrees and Saturday it cooled off just a bit to 58.3 by the end of the day and the temp was pretty much withing a half of a degree between bridgeport and the third set of net pens. As far as the big fish coming up to the shorelines, I think that it will take a nice really cold snap to trigger that to happen....right now the fish are in somewhat sparsely and they are definetly on the small side. The movement of the bigger fish should be happening just about any time now though and our nights are getting a bit cooler so the really good shorline fishing is not that far away now. Good luck fishing in the future!!!
Anonymous
11/11/2008 8:53:00 AM
Anonymous
11/11/2008 8:59:00 AMThats 31 fish per hour for eight straight hours, you would need to boat over a fish every two minutes for eight straight hours. I know the fishing is great at Rufus,but when it comes to counting fishermen are almost as bad as golfers.
outdoor chris
11/11/2008 9:23:00 AMYes, I know that it sounds unbelievable, however, its the truth, with 3 of us in the boat we will have many many doubles,....two fish on at the same time and lots of triples,....3 fish on at the same time. As I said in the report, there is no time hardly at all to eat or even have a drink of beer or juice!! And the much bigger fish, they take a lot longer time to get in just because they are so much stronger, the one pictured was on for almost a half hour before he was netted.
When I put the fly in the water, it sits there most of the time for about 5 - 10 seconds before I either have a fish on or a hit. Last Saturday, Pat was getting ready to flip his fly to the fish and one of them was watching his fly swinging out over the water and we watched as the trout tracked the fly and took it just before it hit the water on the cast, the fish was swimming under the fly in the air until it got close enough for the fish to jump up and get it.........you just have to get in the ole' boat and check it out!!
Like I said in an earlier report, it does seem too good to be true, but if you are in one of the other boats in the area, you will see our rods bent over all day long with fish on them, that's why we find ourselves pulling the flies away from the smaller fish because we don't want to "waste time" catching them when there are bigger ones around.
I have had other fishermen offer me cash, checks, credit cards....we don't take american express!!! ha ha, for a few of our flies we are using.
Like I wrote earlier, when the fishing is so good that you take the fly out of a fish and before you can pick up your fly rod there is a fish on it already....that's the kind of fishing we have with these flies and in that area.
Here is another one for you.....we have had a few days, with 3 people on the boat, where we have caught 300 or more fish........., we have tried to get to the 400 mark, but you just get too tired and your arms and shoulders sore from catching so many fish!!! ...........Believe it...Or not!!!
When I put the fly in the water, it sits there most of the time for about 5 - 10 seconds before I either have a fish on or a hit. Last Saturday, Pat was getting ready to flip his fly to the fish and one of them was watching his fly swinging out over the water and we watched as the trout tracked the fly and took it just before it hit the water on the cast, the fish was swimming under the fly in the air until it got close enough for the fish to jump up and get it.........you just have to get in the ole' boat and check it out!!
Like I said in an earlier report, it does seem too good to be true, but if you are in one of the other boats in the area, you will see our rods bent over all day long with fish on them, that's why we find ourselves pulling the flies away from the smaller fish because we don't want to "waste time" catching them when there are bigger ones around.
I have had other fishermen offer me cash, checks, credit cards....we don't take american express!!! ha ha, for a few of our flies we are using.
Like I wrote earlier, when the fishing is so good that you take the fly out of a fish and before you can pick up your fly rod there is a fish on it already....that's the kind of fishing we have with these flies and in that area.
Here is another one for you.....we have had a few days, with 3 people on the boat, where we have caught 300 or more fish........., we have tried to get to the 400 mark, but you just get too tired and your arms and shoulders sore from catching so many fish!!! ...........Believe it...Or not!!!
outdoor chris
11/11/2008 9:29:00 AMI am contemplating starting a fishing guide service ......when and if I do, I would be happy to take folks out for this kind of fishing!!
outdoor chris
11/11/2008 9:46:00 AMOne more thought on the number of fish caught, if you do the math that way, with 3 people on the boat, all fishing, that's only 10 fish per hour per fisherman, although my wife and I have had a few 250 or more fish days with just the two of us. With the exception of the fish we are going to keep, we don't bring the fish into the boat, instead we take the hook out of the fish while its still in the water at the side of the boat, its so much easier and less shock on the fish that way when you don't touch the fish. Using barb-less hooks makes releasing the fish very easy.
If the net comes out on my boat, there is something big on the other end of the line!!
Hope to see you up there sometime and good luck!!!
If the net comes out on my boat, there is something big on the other end of the line!!
Hope to see you up there sometime and good luck!!!
blufin loui
11/11/2008 10:00:00 AMhi ya chris
glad for your last comments. I just finished one of my "Long winded" comments on the mathematical breakdown of the numbers, along with more, then I hit the wrong button. Somewhere out there in cyberspace is a good read. But you hit all the remarks I was going to make. Good job.
Smashmouth, If you've seen these fish feeding as described, it would make reasonable sense that these numbers are possible. As my wife and fishing Buddie says, if they're biting, you better have a hook in the water. Also we've quit keeping a daily tally, because I find it to taxing on my brain to multitask. I rather fish than count LOL.
Keep fishing and have fun doing it.
glad for your last comments. I just finished one of my "Long winded" comments on the mathematical breakdown of the numbers, along with more, then I hit the wrong button. Somewhere out there in cyberspace is a good read. But you hit all the remarks I was going to make. Good job.
Smashmouth, If you've seen these fish feeding as described, it would make reasonable sense that these numbers are possible. As my wife and fishing Buddie says, if they're biting, you better have a hook in the water. Also we've quit keeping a daily tally, because I find it to taxing on my brain to multitask. I rather fish than count LOL.
Keep fishing and have fun doing it.
bigbowkes
11/11/2008 1:54:00 PMsign me up right now for your guided trips!! After seeing this photo myself and 2 other buddies want to go fish there asap! Name your price for 3 guys w a days worth of fishing!
outdoor chris
11/11/2008 3:42:00 PMhey Louie
we are thinking about getting a little clicker to push every time a fish is caught so we can get an exact number, your right, when the count starts to get over 200, it is way too hard and taxing on ones brain to keep track. The numbers I put down here are usually about 50 fish on the conservative side, for what its worth. You can be at like......219, then we get a big one on, two doubles, a triple, another double a single another fish while the others are fighting theirs, one gets off, another hits, one jumps in the boat...actually had that happen once........its just too damned hard to keep track of all the fish you can catch out there sometimes!!!
Don't you just hate it when you push the wrong button and all your typing gets blasted out into cyberspace somewhere, but not where you wanted it to be......I feel your pain!!!
we are thinking about getting a little clicker to push every time a fish is caught so we can get an exact number, your right, when the count starts to get over 200, it is way too hard and taxing on ones brain to keep track. The numbers I put down here are usually about 50 fish on the conservative side, for what its worth. You can be at like......219, then we get a big one on, two doubles, a triple, another double a single another fish while the others are fighting theirs, one gets off, another hits, one jumps in the boat...actually had that happen once........its just too damned hard to keep track of all the fish you can catch out there sometimes!!!
Don't you just hate it when you push the wrong button and all your typing gets blasted out into cyberspace somewhere, but not where you wanted it to be......I feel your pain!!!
GoingtoFish
11/11/2008 7:04:00 PMOK I gotta go! I have never fished Rufus Woods. What's this talk about pens? PM or email me to explain.
Tight Lines!
Tight Lines!
blufin loui
11/11/2008 7:35:00 PMThanks for the empathy chris.
I have to say, I think it a BAD idea for you to consider guiding. I Personally feel you should write stories, or make films (you know, like the funniest home videos) of the trips. LOL not only educational, but think of the Comic relief factor. :o). I can't imagine the chaos sometimes experienced, as there have been times as you described with just two in our boat. OH, and think of the therapeautic value to those persons reading or watching your productions. that's gotta be worth way more than just guiding (jk).
Always enjoy your posts and those of others, so keep em coming.
I have to say, I think it a BAD idea for you to consider guiding. I Personally feel you should write stories, or make films (you know, like the funniest home videos) of the trips. LOL not only educational, but think of the Comic relief factor. :o). I can't imagine the chaos sometimes experienced, as there have been times as you described with just two in our boat. OH, and think of the therapeautic value to those persons reading or watching your productions. that's gotta be worth way more than just guiding (jk).
Always enjoy your posts and those of others, so keep em coming.
outdoor chris
11/12/2008 8:20:00 AMGoing to fish.....
There are several net pen operations on Rufus Woods Lake. These are companies that raise rainbow trout for market. They are mostly responsible for this fishery that we have now thanks to the fact that a fisherman tied his boat off to the actual net on one of the pens and then motored away after his day of fishing without untying from the net, ripping the nets open and thus releasing thousands of triploids into the reservoir. When the state saw how much fishermen liked fishing for these fish, the states triploid fishery was born.
The triploid fish is a genetically altered fish. It is sterile but the result of that is these fish put on weight instead of eggs so they can get very large, very fast. This is by design so the trout farms can get the most fish for their money spent on feed.
Because they feed the fish in the floating pens, there are large numbers of fish that stay around the pens looking for free food, leftovers from feeding the thousands of fish in the pens.
Thus comes into play the trout pellet fly, an imitation fly that looks like the trout feed coming from the net pens. They think they are getting a free meal when in reality, they are giving us hours of entertainment and excitement!
When fishing around the pens, you can tie up to buoys, lines, cables but never to the nets themselves. These nets hold upwards of, in some pens, 160,000 - 180,000 fish each and this inventory of fish is worth millions. At times you may be asked to move your boat so they can get into a spot they need to work, if so, just move to another spot out of their way. The people that work there are very easy going, but I cringe at the thought that at some point in time there may be fishermen that could cause damage or a bad rapport between fishermen and the net pen employees that could put an end to fishing at the pens altogether.
So, when fishing the area around the pens, just be courteous, use common sense, be very careful not to damage any of the property there and have a great time fishing!!!
There are several net pen operations on Rufus Woods Lake. These are companies that raise rainbow trout for market. They are mostly responsible for this fishery that we have now thanks to the fact that a fisherman tied his boat off to the actual net on one of the pens and then motored away after his day of fishing without untying from the net, ripping the nets open and thus releasing thousands of triploids into the reservoir. When the state saw how much fishermen liked fishing for these fish, the states triploid fishery was born.
The triploid fish is a genetically altered fish. It is sterile but the result of that is these fish put on weight instead of eggs so they can get very large, very fast. This is by design so the trout farms can get the most fish for their money spent on feed.
Because they feed the fish in the floating pens, there are large numbers of fish that stay around the pens looking for free food, leftovers from feeding the thousands of fish in the pens.
Thus comes into play the trout pellet fly, an imitation fly that looks like the trout feed coming from the net pens. They think they are getting a free meal when in reality, they are giving us hours of entertainment and excitement!
When fishing around the pens, you can tie up to buoys, lines, cables but never to the nets themselves. These nets hold upwards of, in some pens, 160,000 - 180,000 fish each and this inventory of fish is worth millions. At times you may be asked to move your boat so they can get into a spot they need to work, if so, just move to another spot out of their way. The people that work there are very easy going, but I cringe at the thought that at some point in time there may be fishermen that could cause damage or a bad rapport between fishermen and the net pen employees that could put an end to fishing at the pens altogether.
So, when fishing the area around the pens, just be courteous, use common sense, be very careful not to damage any of the property there and have a great time fishing!!!
ownedbyalab
11/12/2008 7:32:00 PMGotta few q's about Rufus Woods. Been there e few times with a buddy and my 9 year old son and done ok. Caught some fish 2 and 3 LB range. We used rapalas, Dick Nites with power bait and plain ole power bait. I only have a 14 FT boat with a 15 horse honda and i would love to fish near the pens. If i were to launch from Seatons Grove how long of a trip would it be to the pens? Or is there areas to fish launching from above the dam. Going up on friday with my girlfriend and a buddy and I been hearing flies are working good, is that the case also above the dam and can line? Thanx!!!!
GoingtoFish
11/13/2008 2:45:00 PMOutdoor Chris,
THANK YOU! That was very informational and now I have a better understanding of what it means to fish the "pens". Two more questions. First (and I think I already have my answer) you state that you can tie up to buoys, lines, cables but never to the nets themselves. I assume that you are also not allowed to "Intentionally" cast into the pens for fish. Only around them for the fish outside the pens. Correct?
Second, I was checking the regs for this lake:
RUFUS WOODS LAKE (Douglas/
Okanogan Co.)
ALL SPECIES - chumming permitted.
Closed to fishing from Grand Coulee Dam downstream to SR155 Bridge.
State license required. For fishing on Indian reservation boundary waters, please also consult the Colville
Confederated Tribes, (509) 634-4711.
KOKANEE Year-round No min. size. Daily limit 2.
All Other TROUT Year-round No. min. size. Daily limit 2. KOKANEE not included in TROUT daily limit.
Other Game Fish Year-round Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Can you fish most areas of the lake without the reservation license? Or is it a good idea to get one of those too?
Tight Lines!
THANK YOU! That was very informational and now I have a better understanding of what it means to fish the "pens". Two more questions. First (and I think I already have my answer) you state that you can tie up to buoys, lines, cables but never to the nets themselves. I assume that you are also not allowed to "Intentionally" cast into the pens for fish. Only around them for the fish outside the pens. Correct?
Second, I was checking the regs for this lake:
RUFUS WOODS LAKE (Douglas/
Okanogan Co.)
ALL SPECIES - chumming permitted.
Closed to fishing from Grand Coulee Dam downstream to SR155 Bridge.
State license required. For fishing on Indian reservation boundary waters, please also consult the Colville
Confederated Tribes, (509) 634-4711.
KOKANEE Year-round No min. size. Daily limit 2.
All Other TROUT Year-round No. min. size. Daily limit 2. KOKANEE not included in TROUT daily limit.
Other Game Fish Year-round Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Can you fish most areas of the lake without the reservation license? Or is it a good idea to get one of those too?
Tight Lines!
GoingtoFish
11/13/2008 5:21:00 PMOK Another question. :) If I launch at BridgePort State park or the Upstream ramp how far to we have to run to get to the first set of nets? Or would it be better to launch over at Seaton's Grove and come from the other direction?
outdoor chris
11/13/2008 7:34:00 PMG-T-F.....if you launch on the reservation side, you need a permit to fish, if you launch at the state park or other than the reservation side, you do not need a tribal permit.
Am still not sure if I should write this, but......I think I must!
No, you may not fish in the net pens, laughing, but sorry, now that ...would be cheating for sure!!! Go up there and you will see, you don't have to worry about fishing in the pens, there are plenty of fish around them!! Besides that, the fish in the pens are private property, it would be like stopping on the side of the road and picking some apples from an orchard. I don't want to put myself on a soapbox, but just use common sense at the pens, don't ruin property or fish and be courteous to others....there are plenty of fish there for everyone.
Use this link to get a map of Rufus Woods .............. http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ViewPhoto.aspx?m=3&pic=2417457_Rufus%20Woods045_1.jpg
Am still not sure if I should write this, but......I think I must!
No, you may not fish in the net pens, laughing, but sorry, now that ...would be cheating for sure!!! Go up there and you will see, you don't have to worry about fishing in the pens, there are plenty of fish around them!! Besides that, the fish in the pens are private property, it would be like stopping on the side of the road and picking some apples from an orchard. I don't want to put myself on a soapbox, but just use common sense at the pens, don't ruin property or fish and be courteous to others....there are plenty of fish there for everyone.
Use this link to get a map of Rufus Woods .............. http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ViewPhoto.aspx?m=3&pic=2417457_Rufus%20Woods045_1.jpg
GoingtoFish
11/17/2008 10:07:00 AMoutdoor chris - Thanks! I really would not have fished in the pens but thought I would ask for clarification as some might be inclined to do so.
At any rate I had to cancel my plans to head over there next week. :(
Looks like I will have to wait to experience this lake for a few more months. Maybe next spring.
At any rate I had to cancel my plans to head over there next week. :(
Looks like I will have to wait to experience this lake for a few more months. Maybe next spring.