Fish-Hawk.Net

Any hints for a newbie trying his hand for browns and specs in the next couple of weeks. Oh yeah I will be fishing on small lakes.

In most general terms you need to imitate what is available in those lakes. The water temperatures are still pretty high, so it's unlikely that you see much of surface action. Your best bet is to stick with nymphs and streamers. For nymphs I would suggest Gold Ribbed Hare Ear (size 8-16), Zug Bug (size 10-14), Carey Special (sizes 8-10). For streamers you may try Wooley Bugger (size 6-10, both olive and black, beaded versions - gold or black - can be particularly good), Marabou Black (size 6-10) and Muddler Minnow (size 4-10). In stillwaters the GRHE and ZB will work as passable imitations practically for any small creatures - chironomids, mayfly nymphs, scuds, damsels. Carey Special is a good imitation for dragonfly nymphs. Wooley Bagger can imitate leeches, dragonfly nymphs, small baitfish. Marabou Black and Muddler Minnow are baitfish imitations. There are tons of various patterns out there, and half of them specifically desighned for stillwaters. The patterns I mentioned are the most generic and easily available.
This time of year you will be better off fishing with sinking lines. If you have only floating line, weight you leader with split shots to get your flies down. Good luck.

Those are all excellent flies to try S.M.

If you want, try some hair wing streamers as-well. Mosquito already mentioned the muddler minnow which is a slim profile streamer that imitates baitfish. Patterns like the Black-Nosed Dace, Mickey Finn, and Grey Ghost also do the same thing. But do what Mosquito said and try to figure out what is in the lake then pick and choose your weapons and do some damage.

Oh, if there's a substantial amount of grasshoppers around your lake you might want to try just on the off chance that you might get one (plus topwater is always a lot of fun!). Beetles, damsels, and ants might work too but it depends on the water and also if they're still around. That being said, you'll be most successful going subsurface.

Mosquito, Pescatore1986 thanks for all the great info I will put it all to use. My buddy Luke was good enough to lend me his flyrod from a few years back. I will be spoolin some new line on it and hitting the water next weekend.
Thanks again thought I had posted a question on an dead forum.
I will post my results as soon as I get back the these lakes.

We've been nailing lots of rainbows with the good old black wooley bugger on sink tip line. Note: Our lake is small with the deepest part 20 feet. We fish from float tubes and troll the flies around gradual shoals and drop-offs.

Good luck!

Footnote to previous post: We use 6-8 foot leaders on the end of the sink tip with 3 feet of tippet.

If you have a larger lake with a deeper littoral zone, use a longer leader...don't be afraid to go 30-40 feet. Harder to play the fish, but you should get action.

i have been having lots of luck this year on some of my home brookie waters. wooley buggers in black and olive size 8-6 has been good, nymphing below a hopper patern has been great as well. the hoppers are everywere on my creek that the brookies are breaking the surface constantly and are very willing to take a joes hopper in size 10-8. also try some surface damsel fly patterns and move them along with quick twitches to look like the are traped in the water tension. good luck

Thanks for all the great tips.
I just have load up the fly box starting with wooley buggers and streamers as they seem to be favs.

Mikey.. There should be lots of wooly buggers in one of those boxes I lent ya!...

Your right Luke now that I know what Im looking for.