JOHN'S FISHLOG: Lake Fishing

[John Pierce]

2018-03-07 GRR FISHOUT & HOTDOGS @ DURRANCE LAKE

• WHAT: Went trolling with Member Dave Robinson using his zodiac boat and Dave's supplied sinking line.
• RESULTS: Caught and kept one rainbow in middle of lake @ ~11AM.

[John Pierce]

2018-04-22 DURRANCE LAKE

• ACCESS: Lot full and cars on street when arrived @ 11AM, spaces in parking lot when left at 3PM.
• WHAT: Trolling with Member Ron Duncan on christening trip of new Belly Boat.
• CONDITIONS: Sunny, 10C, light breeze, Martins in West end near their bird boxes very active on lake.
• METHOD: Fished with floating line + Ron's Sinking Tip + Leader + Tippet + Brown Fly changed to John's Popcorn Fly.
• RESULTS: One bite @ 11:30AM in middle of lake on way to logs on S side, nothing by logs on S side, one strike @ 2:30PM with Popcorn Fly on way back, spat hook before landed. Ron got one Rainbow Trout and gave to John, made nice supper.

Photos Attached: Ron Duncan on his pontoon boat at East end of lake.

[John Pierce]

2018-04-23 DURRANCE LAKE

• ACCESS: Few cars in parking lot.
• WHAT: Trolling with Member Jim MacDonald,second time using new Belly Boat.
• CONDITIONS: Sunny, 15C, light breeze, Martins in West end near their bird boxes active on lake. Mayfly hatch ongoing, lots of shells on surface.
• METHOD: Trolling and casting/stripping with floating line + Jim's 3 IPS Sinking Tip + Leader + March Brown Fly changed to John's Popcorn Fly and back to brown fly.
• RESULTS: In SW corner of lake in shade Eagle washing and drinking plus mayfly hatch ongoing + fish rising frequently around. Landed one Bass @ 1:30AM and one rainbow @ 2:00PM. Jim landed several rainbows, gave two largest to John, made nice supper for family.
• OTHER: GRR Members Barry Freeman, Sandy McElroy, and Lev Berenshteyn also at lake, Lev trying out his new inflatable boat for first time.

Photos Attached: 1) Nearby Bald Eagle on submerged log washing and drinking. 2) John's first-in-life Bass catch. 3) Jim's two Rainbow Trout and John's Rainbow Trout and Bass. 4) Cooked dinner with wide & daughters.

[John Pierce]

2018-04-30 12>3PM PROSPECT LAKE

• ACCESS: Echo Land on SW corner boat ramp, parked on road, very limited parking.
• WHAT: Trolling with Member Jim MacDonald, third time using new Belly Boat.
• CONDITIONS: Cloudy, ~54F/12C, water measured at 48F/9C, light breeze, few Martins now and then, no sign of hatch.
• METHOD: Trolling with floating line + new 1.5 IPS Sinking Tip + Leader + March Brown Fly.
• LOCATION: In SE corner of lake between two white buoys had most hits.
• RESULTS: Several hits around 1PM and landed 2, Jim several on both floating with 1.5IPS Sinking Tip and 3IPS Sinking Line and kept a large Rainbow for me.
• OTHER: Fishing couple from shore at boat launch, boat with fly fisher putting out when came ashore.

Attached Photo: 3 fish, Jim's large Rainbow Trout and John's two smaller trout, mercifully killed by thumb in mouth and lifting head to break neck.

[John Pierce]

2018-05-07 10>1PM LANGFORD LAKE

• ACCESS: Shelby Place on NE corner of lake, small park with lake aerator pumping station, 3 parking spots (more across street) then walk down to water, access good for carry boats, none for trailer boats. Port-A-Potty in park.
• WHAT: Deep trolling with Member Jim MacDonald from belly boats.
• CONDITIONS: Sunny, 15C, breezy, no emergence or birds.
• METHOD: Trolling deep towards lake bottom with Jim's 6 IPS sinking line + Jim's 4 lb fluorocarbon coated floating Leader + Jim's orange Booby attractor type fly (as Jim said had good success with it vs Chironomid fly at depth), switching to John's Snow Cone Chironomid fly at half time. Pulled fly several times to check no weeds thus too deep on bottom.
• LOCATION: SE corner of lake S of large aluminum Aerator.
• RESULTS: No hits for John or Jim.
• OTHER: Only one other boat on lake with three teenagers, trolling with electric motor and think using tackle. Jim says 1) for big fish, best fishing is at lake sweet depth which is normally the thermocline between low O₂ deep cold water where Chironomids pupae are coming from and shallower normal O₂ water which trout like, 2) small Perch in SE corner near wood walkway, could fish from walkway, daily catch allowance is >2 as invasive species, and 3) invasive weed that is pruned with machine shared by several Langford Lakes friends of groups.

Attached Photos: Jim in his Belly Boat near shore & Jim's Chironomid flies.

[John Pierce]

2018-05-16 11:30AM>1:30PM DURRANCE LAKE

• ACCESS: Main parking lot, sandy beach.
• WHAT: Shallow trolling with Wing-Kee Chan, both from belly boats.
• CONDITIONS: Sunny, 20C, breezy 24 kph, no emergence, minimal birds. Saw only 4 fish surfaced in 2 hours.
• METHOD: Trolling with floating line and integrated 6 IPS sinking tip + 5X Leader + Royal Coachman > March Brown.
• LOCATION: S side of lake in middle and edge.
• RESULTS: No hits for John, 2 for Wing-Kee, 1 small rainbow landed.
• OTHER: Report that Durrance recently stocked with catchables plus some large broodstock. Only one other fishing boat on lake, few kayaks and SUPs, several people swimming.

Attached Photo: Wing-Kee in his Orvis tube style Belly Boat and two rods.

[John Pierce]

2018-05-17 8:30AM>11:30AM DURRANCE LAKE

• ACCESS: Main parking lot, sandy beach.
• WHAT: Shallow trolling from float tube, with Barry Freeman & Colin Chadwick, both in zodiac style row boats.
• CONDITIONS: Sunny, 17C, minimal breeze, no emergence, minimal birds. Saw only 3 fish surface in 3 hours.
• METHOD: Trolling with floating line and integrated 6 IPS sinking tip + 5X Leader + Wooly Bugger > John's Popcorn fly.
• LOCATION: S side of lake in middle and edge.
• RESULTS: No hits for John, 1 fish landed for Colin, none for Barry.
• OTHER:
  
  
  
  • Two other belly boats on lake, one guy Dave landed 3 rainbows using spinning reel and Metts brand blue 1.5" Swivel with treble removed and single large hook installed as easier to release fish from. Hook surrounded by hairs on which landed 3 Rainbows, lure rigged with 4" line then swivel so easy to change if fishing near surface or deeper. Dave said his "honey spot" is NW end just outside Lillie's where two logs cross and fish hide underneath, where caught one. Lure is little thicker than other lures so easier to cast, uses a range of sizes 8-16-24 with lighter for shallower depths. Used to buy lure at Can Tire but no more think buy at Cabelas. Same lure also come in green but blue more success, in blue comes in solid blue and diamonds which is better. Other guy in belly boat was Jim Pearson who said he got 5 on hook using sinking tip and small red nymph.
  • Yesterday Colin and Barry and other GRR Members fished on Prospect Lake, Colin only 1 fish landed as floating line and sinking leader so could not get deep enough, Barry landed 8 rainbow on full sinking line, flies used wet Royal Coachmen.
  • One person shaw fishing with tackle. Few people on beach.

[John Pierce]

2018-05-24 Thursday 7:30AM>10:00AM DURRANCE LAKE

• ACCESS: Whitehead Park parking lot and beach, N end of lake.
• WHAT: Shallow trolling from float tube, with Barry Freeman in zodiac style row boats.
• CONDITIONS: Sunny, 17C, minimal breeze, water @ 6" at 21C, no emergence, minimal birds. Saw only 1 fish surface in 2.5 hours.
• METHOD: Trolling with a) floating line and integrated 6 IPS sinking tip + 5X Leader + orange Booby > Wooly Bugger and b) 6IPS sinking line + 4# leader and Orange Booby fly.
• LOCATION: N end of lake between 3 white buoys towards boat launch.
• RESULTS: No hits until 9AM then busy and caught and kept limit 4 Rainbows by 10AM, 2 on Woolly Bugger & 2 on Orange Booby. Barry trolling primarily in middle of lake caught two Bass and a Rainbow.
• OTHER:
  
  
  
  • Two other fishing boats on lake appeared ~9:30AM, could not tell fishing style or results.
    

[John Pierce]

2018-05-27 Sunday 7:00AM>9:45AM DURRANCE LAKE

• ACCESS: Whitehead Park parking lot and beach, N end of lake.
• WHAT: Shallow trolling from float tube, no other GRR Members.
• CONDITIONS: Sunny, 14C, minimal breeze, water @ 6" at 20C, tiny fly emergence, minimal birds. Saw only 2 fish surface in 2.75 hours.
• METHOD: Trolling with a) full 3 IPS sinking line + 5# Leader + black Woolly Bugger and b) 6IPS sinking line + 4# leader and Orange Booby fly.
• LOCATION: N end of lake between 3 white buoys towards boat launch.
• RESULTS: No hits until 8:45AM then 3 strikes, only landed one medium rainbow on orange Booby.
• OTHER:
  
  
  
  • Four other fishing boats on lake.
  • One guy said a) only use full sinking lines on Prospect, b) fish at 10-15ft, and c) preferred fly is orange Pumpkin Head Woolly Bugger.

[John Pierce]

2018-06-22 Friday 10:30AM>2:30AM LANGFORD LAKE

• ACCESS: West end boat launch, out at aerator power station at East end of lake.
• WHAT: Shallow trolling from float tube, daughter Rebecca and GRR Colin Chadwick.
• METHOD: Trolling from float tube with a) full 3 IPS sinking line + 5# Leader + black Woolly Bugger and b) gang troll, wedding ring and Powerbait worm. Rebecca and Colin from boat.
• LOCATION: Across lake, mostly East end of lake between near aerator machine.
• RESULTS: No hits for any of us.

[John Pierce]

2018-08-23 Thursday 7:30AM>11:15AM PROSPECT LAKE

• ACCESS: NE end Whithead Park, walking float tubes.
• WHAT: Trolling from float tubes, Colin's inaugural fishout with new Outcast brand Float Tube, and GRR Barry Freeman.
• CONDITIONS: Overcast, 17C, minimal breeze, very very smoky, water @ 6" at 22C, tiny frog spawn on surface, minimal birds, just eagle. Couple fish surfaced early in morning. Weeds noticbly further out from shore than in spring.
• METHOD: Trolling with a) full 3 IPS sinking line + 5# Leader + several flies, Orange Booby > Red Woolly Bugger > Wiggly Worm and b) casting with floating line + Orange Woolly Bugger.
• LOCATION: East end of lake between 3 white buoys towards boat launch.
• RESULTS: Four small bass and one small sunfish, mostly with Wiggly Worm.
• OTHER:
  
  
  
  • Barry caught one Bass, few small Bass, mostly down towards Island and one nice trout.
  • Colin landed caught 5 nice trout trolling with Orange ball fly from Robinson's (see photo), one jumped out of stripping apron, gave two alive to John. Colin says orange ball works on Prospect not other lakes.
  • John used new large rectangular mesh fish bag, one trout swam out!! Lessons, 1) kill trout before bag, 2) tie loop around top bag.
  • Three long distance swimmers swam past buoy to other end of lake and back!

[John Pierce]

2018-09-10 Monday 9:00AM>11:45AM DURRANCE LAKE

• ACCESS: NW car park, walking float tubes.
• WHAT: Trolling from float tube, with GRR Members Colin Chadwick, Barry Freeman, and Winston Jackson.
• CONDITIONS: Overcast, 15C, medium breeze, water @ 6" at 18C, no emergence, minimal birds, no fish surfacing.
• METHOD: Trolling with a) full 6 IPS sinking line + 5# Leader + orange Blob fly and b) floating line with 6IPS sinking tip, leader and orange Blob fly.
• LOCATION: East end of lake between 3 white buoys towards boat launch.
• RESULTS: Four small bass and one small sunfish, mostly with Wiggly Worm.
• OTHER:
  
  
  
  • Barry caught one Bass, few small Bass, mostly down towards Island and one nice trout.
  • Colin landed caught 5 nice trout trolling with Orange ball fly from Robinson's (see photo), one jumped out of stripping apron, gave two alive to John. Colin says orange ball works on Prospect not other lakes.
  • John used new large rectangular mesh fish bag, one trout swam out!! Lessons, 1) kill trout before bag, 2) tie loop around top bag.
  • Three long distance swimmers swam past buoy to other end of lake and back!