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[DragonSpeed]

I've got a detailed journal entry at my blog:

http://free-blog-site.com/dragonspeed/archive/2006/05/23/92434.aspx

Pics as well.

Executive summary:  No fish.

[Big Steel]

Executive summary:  No fish.

[DragonSpeed]

It's even more annoying when they're leaping around you, but not taking ANYTHING 

[Big Steel]

Hey, don't feel bad DS!!  I haven't caught a fish in about 2-3 months!!

[newsman]

I have seen that rise pattern many times Dragon. Usually a sing that they are feeding on emergers trying to make their way through the surface film. When i see that rise pattern my trick is use my dry line with my leader greased (coated with floatant) to about a foot from a wet fly. The trick is to get your presentation within 3 to 8 inchs of the surface. Good patterns for thses rise forms are soft hackles like the Carey family, or nymphs such as the Halfback, Fulback, Sixpack, 52 Buick or Pheasant Tail. Nice pictures I have always wondered what that lake looked like. 

[DragonSpeed]

Excellent tips.  I am NOT giving up on this lake.  I have a feeling I'll be back to give 'er another go as the year progresses.

So, huge leaping, "breach style" jumps are indicitive of the shallow emergers?  Interesting.

[THE_ROE_SLINGER]

thats a big bear

[Jonny 5]

Wow, those are nice pictures!

Too bad about the fish not biting, but when you figure out what it was be sure to let me know, I have the same problem most days 

[DragonSpeed]

thats a big bear

He was just a year or so old.  Now, the Mom and cub we saw later...THAT was big. 

[Xgolfman]

i was at tunkwa the weekend before, the fish were doing the same thing, big ones, sounded like boulders being thrown in the lake, i fished the first day with everything in my box, used sinking line and leech's, stillwater line with damsel nymphs, leech's, half backs etc. nothing, last day went out with one line and swallowed my stubbornness, put on a dry line and a 14 chironomid, once i found a decent spot got three decent fish and lost two in about 3 hours.
I'm very interested in hearing what Jeff said about the emergers, i could see the odd fish slurping and the odd dorsal rise, I'd bet even money an emerger would have gotten hits too....

[Randog]

Great report Brian, I know what you mean, it can be very frustrating when that happens.

[troutbreath]

Sometimes what looks like fish sucking flies off the surface, is the lake flatulating. Seen breaching bubbles as well. Use a small soft orange sponge, barbless of course, you'll catch one.

[sliverbullet]

did you see any hatches in the water

[Stone]

It's even more annoying when they're leaping around you, but not taking ANYTHING 

Dragonspeed:

Did you notice what was hatching when they were jumping around you?  When they jump clear out of the water like that, they are often taking pupa near the surface.  They see them and accellerate under them to take them before the pupa can breach the surface tension of the water and emerge.  When you see silent boils, that also usually means pupa being taken a little bit further from the surface.  That fish takes the pupa, and does a head-tail turn.  The boil is caused by the action of the fish's tail as it turns to swim for deeper water after taking the insect.  Porpoising fish where you see their head, then dorsal fin and back usually indicates to me that they are taking emergers that are sitting vulnerable on the surface of the water as they struggle out of their shucks.

What you throw out there would really depend on what insects you see hatching around you.  Sometimes, if decide to troll, try a tiny black spratley instead of a red one.  By tiny, I mean something like a #10 or #12 instead of the usual larger sizes that they are tied in.  The fish are feeding, because they are active...you just didn't key in on what the right pattern was.  I would highly suggest learning how to chironamid fish, on top of learning how to work the other major insect favourites, such as the mayfly, caddis/sedge, damselfly, and the dragonfly.  Invertebrates like scuds are also good to know, and more rarely the boatman.

Don't worry, I still remember how frustrating it was in the beginning  watching fish tease you on the surface and not getting any hookups despite throwing everything you have in your box at them.