A pretty good first day on stillwaters this year.
I've had a pretty good first day out on Dragon Lake. The ice came off on Thursday, but today was the first chance I've had to get out. Weather was bad and then that damn inconvenience called work got in the way. Today however I arrived at the lake about 6:30 am, it was cold, around -2 *C, but nothing warm cloths couldn't fix. So, I rowed out in my new pontoon boat and anchored up in one of my favorite spots. I had heard that red chronomids were working so that was my first offering.
After no takers for about a half an hour I switched to a black super floss chironomid ribbed with red wire. I was slow on the draw with the first strike, but about five minutes later my strike indicator went down and I set the hook on a nice 14" rainbow. I landed it, removed the hook and admired my first fish of the season for a moment before slipping it back into the water. I lost another fish about the same size about ten minutes later then nothing for at least a half an hour.
I switched to a black acetate chironomid and on the first cast my strike indicator disappeared. I set hook on a beautiful bow that put up a great fight. After landing and measuring the beautiful 21" rainbow, I again slipped it back into the water.
Another slow period caused me to try a black micro leach. After about ten minutes I set hook again. This time though the fish, that felt like it was a good weight, ran right at me and spit the hook when he got some slack line.
I switched back to the black super floss chironomid awhile later. After a good 20 minutes I was about to change patterns again when the strike indicator went down. A very strong rainbow busted the surface several times and gave me the best fight of the day. I was about to land the great fish when he made one last charge and broke my four pound tippet. He was in the same size range as the 21" fish, maybe a little bigger.(at least he fought like he was bigger)
After that the wind really started to pick up, the weather website had called for gusts up to 50 kph today, and the fishing pretty much was over after that.
All and all I couldn't have asked for a much better start to the season. I would have enjoyed staying longer, but the wind just didn't permit.
Read more about why you should register.
Nice day
Grant,
Great to read about a good day out! I had e great day too today - not least because we had the first real spring day with mild weather and gentle winds. Too bad about the wind on your lake. But sure enough.. spring is here.
Martin
Sounds like a great day to me
Sounds like a great day to me. I have caught maybe a half dozen twenty inch trout in my life. Good show.
It was a good day, spring has
It was a good day, spring has sprung and I'm damn happy about
it, it was a long winter. Martin, did you get the bonus of catching any fish on that beautiful spring day?
I had today off work as well, so I just had to drag myself back to the lake again at 6:30 am. Today was equally as good as yesterday. I met up with another member of the Fish BC website and we both caught fish till about 2:00 PM when that dang wind came back up again.
Today was a little different as all my fish were taken on either black or purple micro leaches not chronomids. I landed 5 rainbows and lost 4. The fish I landed were between 18 and 25 inch. One of the fish I lost sure felt like he had some serious shoulders, but alas, he never showed himself so I can only imagine at his actual size. Dragon lake holds some damn big fish, I've caught them as large as 12 lbs. and they will top out over 20 lbs, although the average seems to be in the 3-4 lbs class. Almost glad I have to go back to work, I need time to replenish my stock of micro leaches at the tying bench at night.
Esox, for big trout, you must go west young man...... :wink:
No 25-inchers, though
Grant,
Yes I did catch a few fish on that beautiful spring day. None as big as yours and not nearly the number. But I wouldn't expect that when fishing for sea runs. Fishing as well as catching was good. My best fish of the day was probably about the size of your smallest, and probably a lot lighter. Those lake rainbows are often pretty fat.
Martin
I think that's why I tend to
I think that's why I tend to specialize on fishing still waters more than creeks and rivers Martin. I like the challenge of lakes more and the fish do tend to be larger in girth than their river cousins. I do think river fish are a prettier fish though with the more extreme colours and spots compared to lake fish than have the more chrome appearance. I like going to Dragon lake every spring to try and get one of the monster fish, but I have to say that my favorite lake doesn't have fish anywhere near the size of Dragon, but the entire fishing experience makes it for me. The remote location, no development on the lake, wildlife ( moose, bears, deer) always around and to top it off nice rainbows that top out in the 20" class.