I just returned from a week long vacation which saw me spend a couple of days fishing the Haliburton Forest Preserve. Needless to say, it was incredible!
Last Tuesday, I plunked the tube in ...... Lake. It was about 18C and partly cloudy with almost no wind to speak of. I had my 4-wt loaded with floating line, 4X leader, and 5X tippet. I noticed some rises and tossed a #8 grey ghost at them......nothing. I switched to a #10 humpy and within 2 casts a 2 lb speckled trout took the fly. Got him right up to the tube and he spit the fly. Five casts later same thing - fish on, fish off. I saw both fish and they were easily over 2 lbs.
I rested the spot for an hour and fished the rest of the lake unsuccessfully. When I returned to the spot, I saw them rising again. I tied on a huge ( #8 ) mayfly and only had to wait a second when a very big speck took the fly and broke my tippet!!! Another of the mayflies and I hooked into a nice 2 pounder. I fought him to the net when he decided to run and snapped my tippet!!!! I couldn't believe it....... I was 0 for 4!!!
Dejected, I called it a day and planned my approach for the following day. The next day was cloudy and blustery and generally miserable. I tried the lake again, but it was like it shut down. I decided to try another lake just a couple of kms away. It is slightly smaller and a little shallower. What with the windy conditions I decided to go with sink tip and used a 6-wt with a heavier leader and tippet. After about 2 hours of nothing I was getting pretty down. Then my rod bent over and line ran off the reel. The conehead marabou muddler always produces! After a minute long struggle, I landed this guy.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y263/B ... G_2778.jpg
He came to dinner, and cooked over the fire, he was delicious!
Back from Vacation
Back from Vacation
Time's fun when you're having flies.
Fishboy, that is one fat brookie! What was he eating? Sounds like you had a great trip, except for a bit of bad weather but I'd rather have wind in the tube than a canoe.
I just got back from the Diable near Tremblant. Sandy, Ivo and Chesley were there. Ivo and Chesley beat the pants off everyone (of course), but its a great river. Lots of browns were caught. They stock them big to begin with.
How long will Haliburton be OK for fishing?
bobfly
I just got back from the Diable near Tremblant. Sandy, Ivo and Chesley were there. Ivo and Chesley beat the pants off everyone (of course), but its a great river. Lots of browns were caught. They stock them big to begin with.
How long will Haliburton be OK for fishing?
bobfly
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northernfly
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need some more practice before I pick-up the fly rod for good. Being the rookie that I am what patterns, colours u suggest for Sept on the lakes. How deep are you fishing.
SM05,
We'll make a real fisherman out of you yet.......
For speckled trout, I usually go with streamers anywhere from size #4 to #10 hooks. Reliable patterns include wooly buggers and muddlers, regular and weighted. I find that black or olive coloured wooly buggers with a bit of cristal flash work well. As mentioned in my report, I find the trout love conehead marabou muddler minnows in sizes 6, 8, & 10. Black, yellow, and white marabou appear to work best. I fish them on class IV sink tip line at a very slow troll, almost loch-style (just drifting with the breeze or any current). You can reasonaby fish to a depth of about 6 feet with this equipment and method. I fish from a float tube with makes depth/line control much easier than you would have from a canoe.
If the fish are rising, almost any dry fly will take them. A tip I learned from an old pro is that almost all mayflies and caddis have yellowish abdomens, so almost any dry fly that has a yellow belly will produce if presented properly. BTW - when stillwater dry fly fishing, I rarely put out much more than 50 feet of line. Booming longcasts aren't really needed because you can usually get fairly close to rising trout without spooking them.
You ought to come out to the Ottawa Flyfishers Society meetings. No experience is necessary and they really are a great bunch of people. The next meeting will be on the 1st Tuesday in October (the 3rd) at the Champlain Fieldhouse.
We'll make a real fisherman out of you yet.......
For speckled trout, I usually go with streamers anywhere from size #4 to #10 hooks. Reliable patterns include wooly buggers and muddlers, regular and weighted. I find that black or olive coloured wooly buggers with a bit of cristal flash work well. As mentioned in my report, I find the trout love conehead marabou muddler minnows in sizes 6, 8, & 10. Black, yellow, and white marabou appear to work best. I fish them on class IV sink tip line at a very slow troll, almost loch-style (just drifting with the breeze or any current). You can reasonaby fish to a depth of about 6 feet with this equipment and method. I fish from a float tube with makes depth/line control much easier than you would have from a canoe.
If the fish are rising, almost any dry fly will take them. A tip I learned from an old pro is that almost all mayflies and caddis have yellowish abdomens, so almost any dry fly that has a yellow belly will produce if presented properly. BTW - when stillwater dry fly fishing, I rarely put out much more than 50 feet of line. Booming longcasts aren't really needed because you can usually get fairly close to rising trout without spooking them.
You ought to come out to the Ottawa Flyfishers Society meetings. No experience is necessary and they really are a great bunch of people. The next meeting will be on the 1st Tuesday in October (the 3rd) at the Champlain Fieldhouse.
Time's fun when you're having flies.