Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing Reports => Members' Fishing Reports => Topic started by: Rodney on May 20, 2007, 09:40:05 PM
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Carlo, aka Chrome Mykiss, is truly a die-hard stillwater fisherman. Every year, he specifically schedules his holidays in May and June so he can hop from one lake to another in several weeks. In the last few years, he has been taunting me with photos of these big healthy mykisses (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/member/gallery/Stillwaters) and asking when I would take the time to come up. Every year, work has seemed to get in the way, but I decided it shall change this year, so I headed up to Leighton Lake and met up with Carlo who was stationing there in between his trophy lake outings. We figured Leighton Lake would be a good introductory lake to start this season.
By the way, the trip was undecided until the last minute as May 17th was Nina's 25th birthday, but I had permission to go. Happy birthday Nina. :-*
Part One
With the cartopper loaded, sleeping bag, tent, food and of course fishing rods packed, I arrived at Leighton North Campsite at 2:00pm on Wednesday. The strong southerly gust created constant moderate chops that didn't seem so enticing for a flyfisherman. I looked out there, no other boats could be sighted except Mr Chrome Mykiss' little wooden pram, which he and his dad built up last winter, rocking in the middle of the lake. I radioed him and asked if he would like to come in and unload my boat with me.
"You want me to come in right now? I just anchored.", he replied, but being a good fishing companion as he is, it didn't take long before he was on dry land again. ;) Once my boat was unloaded, we headed out immediately to see if a trout would pull our strike indicators down.
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_01.jpg)
A sunny but windy day on the lake
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_02.jpg)
Enjoying the first day in the sunny Interior BC
The waves seemed to be getting larger once we anchored. Although tolerable, it sure made things difficult on a boat. The wind made it harder to cast, blew the lines all over the place when I tried to adjust the depth. When everything was finally organized, the boat seemed to be shifting as I had not anchored properly. After re-anchoring, the whole process repeated itself. Meanwhile, I looked over to see what Carlo was up to. Sure enough, he was wasting no time. A school of biting trout was found and he was hauling them in like a commercial fishing boat. Within a few minutes, several other boats showed up after seeing what was happening, but the old saying “it’s the angler, not the location” was certainly the case here. After ten minutes of idling, all the boats left again while Carlo continued bringing in fish. ;D
I was frustrated, but not disappointed, as success is never instant when fishing a new piece of water. I decided to motor into a sheltered area where I had a brief bite earlier and see if I could entice another one. With both indicators sitting at exactly where I wanted, I began the staring game while the waves bob them up and down.
A few casts later, the left indicator completely disappeared. At the same time, the trout had already leaped out of water on the right side of the right indicator, meaning that it had darted under the right line already! Although I was very focused on those two orange dots, or at least I thought I was, my reaction was still a millisecond slower than what this fish was capable of. Before my hand reached the rod, the Islander began screaming away loudly, mixing in with the “clunk, clunk, clunk…” sound as the rod was being dragged on the boat floor. :o
Once I grabbed the rod, the fish performed several more leaps in front of me as it sped toward the boat. I stripped the line in as fast as I could without burning my fingers. Once I regained connection with the fish, it decided to turn around and dart away again. I started feeding it line as fast as I could without burning my fingers, again. Within seconds, all the spare line was gone and the reel began singing again. :o
After a few more minutes of excitement, the trout finally behaved and came into the net quietly. I grabbed the camera and snapped a few close-up shots, which was rather difficult with the waves constantly rocking the boat. I was rather relieved with the first fish finally landed. The next few would hopefully come more easily. :)
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_03.jpg)
First fish of the trip
With a fish landed, I decided to return to camp and wait for the battering wind to die down. We decided to have an early dinner and hopefully go back out again for a few more hours before dark.
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_04.jpg)
Carlo's mini-mini-mini stove, good for a 1/2 meal
Once dinner was done, I headed straight back out as I was quite motivated. I returned to the exact same spot to see if my luck would strike again. Sure enough, while turning around to adjust the anchor, the reel began screaming behind me! I jumped up and grabbed onto the rod instantly. A smaller fish had fallen for the fly this time. I quickly brought it in and set it free. Two fish in the first few hours of the trip, it sure was satisfying. I returned to camp soon after to join others around a warm campfire, where I met Tom Lam. Tom, as many of you already know, is a seasoned interior lake fisherman who has hosted many interior lake courses at Riverside Fly and Tackle in the past. He and his wife were spending their holiday at the same campground, so I had the pleasure listening to many of his past adventures. :)
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_05.jpg)
A picture perfect sunset at Leighton Lake
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_16.jpg)
A good campfire is a must when camping in early spring
The first night in the tent was, cold! Without realizing that we were at a higher elevation, I woke up in the tent several times by the cold air throughout the night. At first I was too lazy to figure out why I was waking up, but eventually I got up and re-adjust my sleeping attires. ::) In the morning, I found out that it was -2C overnight. :o
To be continued...
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Excellent report Rodney, nice fish and well. ;) That may be a half meal for Carlo, but looks like it would be a full meal for you!! ;D
Also Happy belated B-day Nina! :) You shouldn't have let Rodney go.... ;D :D
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Part Two
The second day started rather relaxing and late for me. I emerged from the tent at 9:00am, only to find dozens of boat sitting in the middle of a flat lake already. Meanwhile, Carlo was sitting in his fish mobil tying up some flies to match the day’s hatch. Being such a generous guide, he even handed me a sandwich that he made with a few of those freshly tied flies. :D
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_06.jpg)
Eager flyfishermen on the lake early in the morning
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_19.jpg)
The stillwater fleet
We leisurely ventured out at 10:00am to the spots. According to Carlo, the timing was just right as the hatches don’t really start much earlier than that. He was rather spot on. Within minutes after I anchored at the same spot, I was into several fish right away. This went on for about an hour before things started to quiet down. I then moved to the shallow spot where Carlo was also bringing in many fish, but it seemed like the bite was turned off in the afternoon. :-\
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_07.jpg)
Awaiting for more bites
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_08.jpg)
Small but feisty
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_11.jpg)
Chrome-looking rainbow trout
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_10.jpg)
Carlo searching for more fish
Even when the bite was off, these trout didn't disappear. In fact, it seemed as if they wanted to show themselves more. I was amazed from the minute when I saw the first jump. Each fish jumped with such enthusiasm, clearing the water by up to two feet, wiggling the tail while airborne. At times the amount of air time was so long that I could count the number of spots on the fish's body. The sound of the splashes also indicates the size of the fish. The small ones made these lovely drops, while the big ones sounded as if someone had thrown a boulder into the water. ;D
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_09.jpg)
A high jumper, notice the exit point on the surface
After only connecting with one fish in the afternoon, I decided to head in and check out some of the nearby scenery. The creeks where water exits from Leighton Lake are apparently a must visit according to many. They were absolutely right as I found myself looking at many spawning rainbow trout at the creek mouth. Some of these fish are easily 5lb+, which will be great fighters this summer once they complete this phase of their life. :D
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_13.jpg)
A school of spawning rainbow trout
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_14.jpg)
Close-up of a spawner
I was also amazed by the amount of bird life in the area. For twenty minutes, I watched several ospreys hovering above me and eventually diving into the water for trout. One successfully came out of the water with a large fish in its claws. For a few seconds, it lost altitude but regained instantly and made its way back to the trees. :)
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_12.jpg)
A satisfied osprey
Our second day finished off with a very fine dinner that Tom and his wife invited us to in their camper. :o :D Not only is he a good fisher, he seems to know a thing or two about cooking too. ;D Catching a dozen or so fish, being treated with lunch and dinner, now that is a good fishing trip. ;)
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_15.jpg)
Playing catch with Tom's best friend
To be continued...
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awesome pics! sounds like ALOT of fun! ;D
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Thanks for the report rod! Awsome pics!
Sounds like you had a blast!
All this stillwater fishing is getting me excited for fawn!
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Part Three
On Friday morning, I woke up briefly when Carlo took off to another lake at 5:00am. After dozing off for another hour, I woke up at 6:30am to start my last day of fishing.
What a lovely time of the day by the lake it was! Some birds were still sleeping on the trees around my tent, while others were busy singing away. The warm sun on the far horizon was very welcoming, as the air was still extremely cold!
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_17.jpg)
Frosty car
With a bowl of cereal and a cup of hot tea in the stomach, I began packing up everything so I could be on the water soon. By 8:30am, there were a few boats out, so I returned to my lucky spot once again to see if more fish would fall for my flies, or I should say Carlo’s flies that I have been given.
The lake was flat calm, making it rather easy to watch those tiny indicators. The disadvantage would be the lack of movement on the flies without the slight chops. To counter this problem, I twitched the flies several times once every few minutes as told. The trick sure worked well. While other boats around me were still quiet, my indicators began their dipping right after when I twitched them every time. ;D
With two rods out, things were starting to become hectic. One indicator would be pulled down, followed by my hook-set. Meanwhile, the other rod started moving as another trout had taken it for a ride. I couldn’t really complain, other boats that were anchoring in deeper water were not doing as well.
With a few fish landed, more boats were starting to creep in closer, so I decided to move to another spot where Carlo was doing well on the day before. The first 30 minutes were quiet, rather discouraging in fact. I eventually realized that I was anchored too deep. Once I shifted myself closer to shore and switched the fly size from 14 to 16, the bites came almost immediately. Again, indicators were diving faster than I could set the hook. ;D At times lines were tangling up with each other. After this commotion went on for about 30 minutes, I decided to dump one rod and only hold onto the other one.
With all attention focused on one rod, the hook-up and landing rates improved. The bites were on until 11:00am and switched off as if someone had turned off the light. Satisfied, I decided to head back to camp and end my trip on a positive note.
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/album34/050518_18.jpg)
Colourful
All the trout caught were between 14 and 18 inches in length. Enjoy your Interior BC stillwater season.
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Finally, for those subscribers who have managed to read until this part of the thread... ;) You get to watch next month's video on this trip now.
Ten minutes of ups and downs of fishing at Leighton Lake (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/subscriber/20070600.html)
(Some have asked why they were unable to access the above link. These videos are for subscribers only. Subscription on the website is $20/year, and can be purchased at http://www.fishingwithrod.com/shop if interested)
For those who are wondering what's in these ten minutes, click here (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/video/leighton.html). ;)
Enjoy!
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Enjoyable 3 day journal with great pictures. The videos certainly enhance the report as well. I have not watched my video but it is a blooper reel I think. I should have come your way but I would be a novice among you experts however I believe my top fish was bigger than yours. ;D ;D ;D
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great 3 day report....glad you got into lots of fish! ;D
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Great read Rod. However, I can't believe that you fish with chironomids without holding a rod! I guess you have to do that if you're fishing two rods! Sometimes, the indicator doesn't dive - but just "twitches". Anyway, I was at Leighton last weekend and did pretty well on small chironomids as well. You're right about the big brutes hanging out in the creek. We saw some very big fish jumping in there. I tried to look into the stream, but it there was too much of a glare to see any fish. So I'm glad to see you got a nice photo of it! Nice work! :)
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Excellent report Rodney, nice fish and well. ;) That may be a half meal for Carlo, but looks like it would be a full meal for you!! ;D
That's not true, I actually eat a lot more than most people expect me to eat. ;D I just eat very, very, very slowly. Those who have dined with me must have experienced waiting for me to finish a meal before clearing the table. ;) :-\
Enjoyable 3 day journal with great pictures. The videos certainly enhance the report as well. I have not watched my video but it is a blooper reel I think. I should have come your way but I would be a novice among you experts however I believe my top fish was bigger than yours. ;D ;D ;D
Definitely no expert here. ;D Without Carlo's flies, the trip would have not been too successful. ;) :P It was certainly a motivation booster to fish with someone who already knows the game. :)
Great read Rod. However, I can't believe that you fish with chironomids without holding a rod! I guess you have to do that if you're fishing two rods! Sometimes, the indicator doesn't dive - but just "twitches". Anyway, I was at Leighton last weekend and did pretty well on small chironomids as well. You're right about the big brutes hanging out in the creek. We saw some very big fish jumping in there. I tried to look into the stream, but it there was too much of a glare to see any fish. So I'm glad to see you got a nice photo of it! Nice work! :)
I think it'll take one rod going into the drink before I finally learn to hold onto the rod. ;) Yes, sometimes I found the indicator just twitched, wiggled, nudged a bit on the surface. :D Most of the time, I turned to check them, they were usually either not to be found, or the drag was already screaming. ;
The glare in the creek was definitely a problem on viewing those fish. I actually went back a few times to get the photos and videos that I wanted. Other campers were probably having a good discussing on why I was walking around with so much camera gear all the time. ::) What I really forgot to do was, to put on the polarized lens that I have for the video camera, but I was too lazy walking about to the tent to get it once I realized that. :-\ Here is a short footage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7weyHuEU2aE) of the creek spawners.
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I think it'll take one rod going into the drink before I finally learn to hold onto the rod. ;) Yes, sometimes I found the indicator just twitched, wiggled, nudged a bit on the surface. :D Most of the time, I turned to check them, they were usually either not to be found, or the drag was already screaming.
A little tip for you Rodney.... Instead of placing the rod you're not holding or both rods for that matter on the bottom of the boat lay your rods down so that the reels are behind the boat seat you're sitting on. They'll never get pulled into the drink that way and you'd be surprised at how fast you can grab them when the indicator submerges. Cause once you've gone with two rods you'll never go back to just one when chronie fishin'.
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Thanks mastercaster. ;) I'll keep that in mind, once I get a boat seat. ;D The setup right now is actually quite satisfying. My boat is quite deep so if the rod gets pulled, it falls down from the compartment/float to the boat floor and usually stays there while the drag is being pulled.
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Good report, we also had some fun times up there this weekend, aside from the gale force winds and the chilly temperatures at night. We stayed at Tunkwa resort but spent most of the time on Leighton because of the winds. Aside from the excellent fishing we also got to take in some neat wildlife, driving up near Merrit I looked off the road and saw a big moose crossing a small stream but was unable to get a camera in time. At Leighton there were many osprey picking fish from the lake and we also spotted a big white pelican flying around the lake. I was really impressed by the hospitality from the guys at Tunkwa resort, they gave me some great advice and awesome flys that made for a most memorable weekend.
here are some random pictures from the weekends adventure.
http://community.webshots.com/album/559134773ECqarX
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Lucky and Mary's fish are bigger than mine. :-\ :'(
Glad you two had a good time, that area sure is lovely. :)
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Thanks mastercaster. ;) I'll keep that in mind, once I get a boat seat. ;D The setup right now is actually quite satisfying. My boat is quite deep so if the rod gets pulled, it falls down from the compartment/float to the boat floor and usually stays there while the drag is being pulled.
Hey Rod - do you have carpet on your boat? Nothing scratches up a nice reel than the bottom of a boat with no carpet! Then again - that might not be a big deal for some... :D
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Also Happy belated B-day Nina! :) You shouldn't have let Rodney go.... ;D :D
Oh, he'll pay in due time ;)
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Hey Rod - do you have carpet on your boat? Nothing scratches up a nice reel than the bottom of a boat with no carpet! Then again - that might not be a big deal for some... :D
No carpet yet, but will come soon I hope. :)
Oh, he'll pay in due time ;)
I've already paid, and you've been enjoying it the last couple of days. :P
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Good show , good show ;D
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Here is a two minute video of some footages of the osprey that I captured during the trip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLjd49APUao
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Nice music, I couldnt see if he caught dinner but cool anyways. Reminds me of the pelicans in Mexico which dive bomb just off the beach's.
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Yeah it definitely caught one. Notice that at first it lost altitude but regained right away.
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Here is a two minute video of some footages of the osprey that I captured during the trip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLjd49APUao
Soon you'll be rivalling THIS video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNczf3GJObs
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Still a long way to go before mine can rival with that. :-\
Look at the size of that fish it picked up near the end.
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Those are some nice looking fish ;)
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Still a long way to go before mine can rival with that. :-\
Look at the size of that fish it picked up near the end.
Yeah - that was a MONSTER I'm suprised the poor osprey didn't hit a low branch trying to clear the lake :o
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Ospreys are amazing birds, I have seen them attempt to grab some large trout only to have to abort the mission when they can't get out the water with them ::) The loons can be a nuisance at times on some lakes. Just this past weekend I had a loon attempt to chase down my 4 Lb rainbow, but soon realized that fish was way to big for his mouth :P
I had an awesome trip, spent 9 days on the road chasing interior rainbows ;D The last few days I was actually worn out from playing so many trout, guess thats a good problem to have ;) Here are a few pics from my trip:
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/Stillwaters/Humperback.jpg)
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/Stillwaters/Chironies.jpg)
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/Stillwaters/NewNosePiercing.jpg)
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/Stillwaters/NetBow.jpg)
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/Stillwaters/AnodaAvrgbowie.jpg)
I think I got Rodney hooked on interior stillwater fishing now. He's already wanting all these mods on his pram ::) A definite must is rod holders, only takes a split second for one of those spunky trout to drag a rod into the drink. I have had it happen once, luckily I got that one back.
Carlo
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Were nice photo's. I guess you better put on a flyfishing clinic for us rookies. ;D ;D I fished the good part of two days to have only 20 chances and land only 3 but that may change in the next few days as making that annual lake trip with "The Master". The rest of the forum may be able to travel on that fishing trip via a video. Rodney is trying to get away from his work load to film a show called "The Master, on Fishing With Rod". It will be a special treat I am sure, but maybe I am putting too much pressure on as we all know fishing is never predictable.
For example yesterday Nick and I float fished for springs from 8:30 to 5 and I was the only one to connect and that was a 2 pound pike minnow but maybe today it will change. ;D
Back on topic, Carlo, please keep your excellent pictures coming from your lake forays this summer.
We sure enjoy them.
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Yep, Carlo's trout photos are always worth waiting for. If you look in the latest issue of Canadian Flyfisher magazine, you should see a couple of his photos. :)
The closeup photo of the chronies is a really useful reference for tying flies. We should encourage him to take more photos like that. ;)
The rest of the forum may be able to travel on that fishing trip via a video. Rodney is trying to get away from his work load to film a show called "The Master, on Fishing With Rod". It will be a special treat I am sure, but maybe I am putting too much pressure on as we all know fishing is never predictable.
Talk about pressure! ;D Never promise anything when the video camera is around, just ask Randog how many fish he caught during his film session last week. ;D
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Video: Rainbow trout at Leighton Lake (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/video/0710.html)