Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service
This report is for 7-2 thru 7-4. Averaging the rating to a 3. Pontoon fly fishing.
7-2, Set up camp at one of the more private spots on the lake. Got to fish that evening and the weather was cooperating. Didn't have any luck fishing chironomids so I pulled out some full sink line and tried to troll a few different patterns, no luck there either. Got to the far end of the lake and as the sun started to set I tried chironomids again and ended up getting a good little fighting rainbow 14". Tried to get more from that area but the sun was going down and I had to row across the lake.
7-3, Fished the morning. Trolled around with sink line. Didn't get far before the wind started ripping down the lake, I quickly put the rod away and rowed to shore. 10 minutes later we had lightning storms and raging winds. It came up pretty quickly but fishing the morning was beautiful and very peaceful. We ended up taking naps around 10-11am while the storm was doing it's thing. Weather didn't look to be getting better so we took a drive up to Loomis and checked out Forde, Reflection Pond, and Conners Lake. All look to be fun for the future.
7-4, Came back out to the lake with the family in the morning. I was rigged with some new fly line that had just came in so I was anxious to get out on the water and use it. Fished a few hours before lunch, probably 10:30-12:30. Had 4 fish to the net, lost around double that, and must of had 20 strikes. After a sandwich and snacks for lunch, went back out. Fished another several hours making my 2nd lap around the big lake. 7 more fish to the net. Lost only 3-4, and another dozen or so strikes. I'd safely say I'm loving the new fly line. I had one hookup at the very north end that took my line screaming... Unfortunately I was in a bad position because of inexperience and the wind blew me into the fish and I wasn't stripping fast enough to keep tension on. Would have loved to seen it, BUT... Later on and had a similar hookup. Screaming line right at the hookup, more fight halfway to me, then once in the net it turned out to be a little 12" trout!!! I was shocked, tons of energy in that little guy. So maybe the "big" one that got away wasn't so big afterall, hah. This day topped my best day out on the water since having the pontoon and fly rod. Fish were biting great and it was never at what I'd thought would be a peak time. Fishing was from 10:30am - 12:30 pm and then after lunch probably 2pm - 5pm.
Smallest fish 12", largest 15.5", I was fishing a good deal deeper then a lot of other people I saw trolling around there. Seemed to work for me. Was a fun camping experience but the flies are in huge abundance. Mosquitoes aren't bad, but they're there. Poison ivy is also around some of the sites. Drove over a 3 foot rattle snake near Fish Lake on the way back to town. Thought it was a stick in the road until it was right in front of the vehicle. 99% sure I missed it. I should have pulled over and taken a picture. One of the bigger ones I've seen around here. Only other comment, which puzzles me, is that I noticed a lot of fish looking a little beaten up. Scars on the top front of their body, eyes bulged, wondering if it escaped an eagles grasp. It looked to be healing and was active enough to hit my fly, didn't give much of a fight though. Another apparently had a large gash down the length of it. Then others like this one I netted looking a little ruffed up missing some skin. Maybe just some rough handling on a previous C&R?
Tight lines.
Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service