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Author Topic: How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake  (Read 8726 times)

tburns

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How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake
« on: May 13, 2014, 09:27:13 PM »

Hey Guys,

I'm going up to ruby lake for the long weekend on the sunshine coast (past sechelt if you are unaware) and am hoping to get some good fishing in.  I'm not sure if now is the right time to be fishing for these guys but I'm bringing my rod for sure.

Could someone describe to me what setup I should have?  I've got a 6wt full floating rod that I'm sure is incredible overkill, but that is the only option outside my 8wt.  I'd potentially be open to getting a new spool with a full sinking line before the weekend.

Could someone also describe the technique I should use?  What flies?  I have access to a tinny boat and have a float tube.  Would be more enthused to use the float tube but I will go with what is effective. 

Thanks in advance!  I'm pretty excited for the weekend as I know you guys will get me up and running
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Ian Forbes

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Re: How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2014, 12:58:33 PM »

If you don't have a sounder then I suggest getting one if you want to fish kokanee. They tend to suspend at one level and if you don't get your lure to that level then you are wasting your time. The Kokanee in Ruby and Sakinaw Lake tend to be smallish... about 8 to 10 inches.
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RalphH

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Re: How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2014, 07:30:04 AM »

There is some very nice cutthroat in that lake. Why waste your time on the kokanee?
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"The hate of men will pass and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people!" ...Charlie Chaplin, from his film The Great Dictator.

tburns

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Re: How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2014, 09:39:25 AM »

TBH i was just unaware.  I'm always up at there since my friend has a cabin there, but have only tried fishing it once.  I am equally enthusiastic to try fishing for cutthroat...  How would you recommend I target them?
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RalphH

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Re: How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2014, 08:38:03 AM »

there are nice shoals in some of the bays and around some of the Islands. One weekend I stayed at the resort I used a type 1 clear line and either a Mcleod Stickle back or an olive wooly bugger concentrating on where the water got deeper ie where the bottom wasn't that visible to obvious drop off to deep water. Toss the fly out let her sink and strip it back. The cuts I took home had been feeding on crayfish.
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"The hate of men will pass and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people!" ...Charlie Chaplin, from his film The Great Dictator.

tburns

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Re: How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2014, 12:15:20 AM »

there are nice shoals in some of the bays and around some of the Islands. One weekend I stayed at the resort I used a type 1 clear line and either a Mcleod Stickle back or an olive wooly bugger concentrating on where the water got deeper ie where the bottom wasn't that visible to obvious drop off to deep water. Toss the fly out let her sink and strip it back. The cuts I took home had been feeding on crayfish.

I was at the island not too far from there.  Caught 2 nice cutties casting from the dock on the strip.  I was using leech patterns with a red tail that seemed to work (at times). 

Quick questions


1)  How fast a strip do you find to be most effective?  I had a MAMMOTH fish follow my fly in the morning sunday and almost had a heart attack when I saw it.  He ended up turning away though and my heart attack turned into heart break when I couldn't coax him out of the deeps again.

2)  On Sunday night after a day of hard fishing and no luck I was out in my belly boat.  I saw fish rising all over to take insects on the surface and I would cast to them and strip in my leech.  I had zero luck with that...  So what method would you suggest to target them in that situation?

3)  I was trying to troll my leech by just stripping out 50 feet of line and kicking with my flippers.  Do you think that would spook the fish i'm going over top of?

Thanks a ton!  I had a great weekend with some great friends and family.  Would have loved to catch more fish but I cannot complain.
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RalphH

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Re: How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2014, 07:36:22 AM »

I usually start with a long slow strip - 12 to 18 inches  at a count of one or slower per pull. Speed it up if that doesn't work & vary the length of the strip. Try to be systematic about the variations. Can't really tell you how to target the rising fish you noticed. Change your fly if it doesn't work within a few casts. Smaller nymphs like a half back or chironomid would be worth a try as would a attractor style such as a Coachman.  A small dry such as an Elk Hair Caddis or griffith gnat.  They may have been kokanee and a small bright fly like a pink shrimp in a #10 may be worth a shot if other options don't work.

Fish are largely unconcerned by the presence of a float tube. I don't fish out of a tube anymore but when I did fish would regularly feed directly under my tube.
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"The hate of men will pass and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people!" ...Charlie Chaplin, from his film The Great Dictator.

tburns

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Re: How to fish Kokanee... Ruby Lake
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2014, 05:30:02 PM »

I usually start with a long slow strip - 12 to 18 inches  at a count of one or slower per pull. Speed it up if that doesn't work & vary the length of the strip. Try to be systematic about the variations. Can't really tell you how to target the rising fish you noticed. Change your fly if it doesn't work within a few casts. Smaller nymphs like a half back or chironomid would be worth a try as would a attractor style such as a Coachman.  A small dry such as an Elk Hair Caddis or griffith gnat.  They may have been kokanee and a small bright fly like a pink shrimp in a #10 may be worth a shot if other options don't work.

Fish are largely unconcerned by the presence of a float tube. I don't fish out of a tube anymore but when I did fish would regularly feed directly under my tube.

awesome thanks RalphH.  I'll have to read this all over again before I go up there in a couple of weeks, though it may be a little late and hot to fish then.
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