Last Saturday around 0600, Dan and I met Blair at Matahina. Blair was bringing his canoe and trolling motor, so I made the call to launch at the dam end. The idea was to have one person run the electric motor while the other two fished the edge up the lake. We would simply tie the bow of the trailing canoe to the stern of the first.
So much for that plan as Blair forgot to charge his battery! We still tied the canoes together. It was just that someone had to paddle while the other two fished. It was a gorgeous morning. The air was still, the hydro lake was low and everything looked picture-perfect. Unfortunately, the trout did not agree to join the party. The lake was as still as a mill pond yet not a ring could be seen on the water. In the first two or three hours Dan had missed two fish and neither Blair or I had a touch.
We were quite a way up the lake when the first rays of sun peeked over the steep ridges that surround the lake. As the rays penetrated the water, the first signs of life were seen. I hooked and lost the first trout of the day. Then Blair hooked and lost one. Shortly after I hooked and landed a great brown on a Bead Head Black Woolly Bugger. Blair went off on his one and started targeting risers. Dan and I did the same.
Blair and Neo wandered away so Dan and I took turns fishing. Fish were cruising and feeding freely in the sunlit water. Dan got a brown on a bead head krystal olive bugger. I got one on a short shanked epoxy eyed Jack Spratt. Dan got another on the same fly. I finally got one on a short shanked epoxy eyed green orbit after losing two. By this time the Go Pro had run out of battery and Blair had my canoe and gear. We did not really want to go find Blair while the fishing was red hot. I made Dan change flies then he caught one on a short shanked epoxy eyed grey ghost.
We went and found Blair for a catch up. He still had not landed a fish! Then this big brown was cruising right in front of him. Do you think he could put a fly in front of it? You may have to watch the video to see.
We had a short break then I jumped back in my canoe, solo and the boys went ahead for another go at the rising trout. The northerly had come up making it a bit challenging for me to paddle and fish. But, I managed three more trout on the epoxy eyed short shank grey rabbit, egg sucking leech, and the short shanked Parson's Glory. It was a pretty lucky run while those poor souls got nothing.
I put my rod down and towed the boys around for a while. They hooked and lost a couple then I cut them loose. The northerly was just too strong to tow another canoe into. I sent them back for one more sweep of the productive stretch while I slowly began my slog back into the wind, many km away. It was very hot ever since the sun came out and I was dreaming of a cold beer...
While filleting a couple of rainbows for the smoker, damsel nymphs crawled out of their mouths. Then I checked guts. They literally had just started feeding as there was nothing except a few fresh damsel nymphs in there. This type of feeding mode I expect to see in spring... every day there is something new to observe and learn.
