The following tips/tricks/traps is submitted by Member Jim MacDonald:
Belly Boat, Flippers, Dress Warmly, Fly Boxes, Rods and Reels.
Hooking Fish
- Fish hooked in upper lip, Fly is at correct depth.
- Lower Lip, or tongue, 2 feet too deep.
- Side, mandible, too high by 2 feet.
Knots
- Clinch knot used to attach fly to leader.
- Lefty Kreh Loop Knot; used to connect a fly to leader with a loop connection. This allows the fly to move freely.
- Perfection loop used to attach tapered leader to looped fly line.
- Triple Surgeons Loop, used to connect tapered leader to looped fly line. This knot is stronger than Perfection Loop.
- Triple Surgeon Knot is used to splice, or, add tippet material to a tapered leader.
- The Lefty Kreh and Clinch knot, 5 turns are adequate for 4 pound test leader.
- A three to four foot section of leader material 4 pound test on sinking type lines with tapered leaders specifically used on floating lines.
Lines
- A Floating line with a section of type 3 sinking. The length will vary as to depth required so a variety lengths would be helpful.
- A floating line with a clear sink tip. Preferred would be a Rio Outbound. This weighted fly line has the ability to cast distances greater than fifty feet. It also has a sweet spot indicator with color change in the line.
- These two types of lines allow me to fish the surface by removing sinking tip section and add a tapered leader. Plus by adding or removing tips, thus a variety of depth options are available.
- A variety of retrieval speeds allows versatility instead of speeding up or propelling the float tube.
Leader
- For trout fishing the local lakes; 4 pound test. P Line works for me and I keep a variety of test weights up through 20 pounds.
- P Line is a monofilament line with a fluorocarbon covering.
- On the sinking lines three feet to four feet of 4 pound test.
- Any tapered leader up to 10 pounds. Cut off the bottom three feet and add three feet of 4 pound P Line.
- Leaders must be wrinkle/kink free. Either remove section, or, use a line straightener.
Rods
- Ten foot 5 weight 10 feet long medium action.
- Sitting very close to the water, the extra height allows you to keep the back cast out of the water. It also permits longer casts.
How to Fish
- Since you cannot always fish close to the deep water bottom. Fish within 50 feet from shore.
- The rod with the sinking tips, to start, lay out 15 pulls, if nothing happens, additional line can be released.
- The rod can be wedged between the side of the pontoon on the Belly Boat and the thigh.
- Rod tip will be close to the water.
- The Clear tip line requires casting and as such, a larger quantity of line must be cast. The amount is determined be the ability of the caster.
- When the shore is on the same side as the casting arm, cast toward to the shore. Retrieve the line using a cadence appropriate for weather conditions. Cold weather, fish are generally not quite as active, so a slow speed will work.
- As the weather warms up, increase the speed of the retrieve.
- When the casting arm is opposite the shore, fish toward the middle of the Lake.
- When retrieving the line, the rod tip should be quite close to the water. Hits can be easily felt. Set the hook by pulling the rod using a backward motion following the water level. If it was just a hit, this method could trigger the fish into another strike.
- On the other hand, the sinking line a typical lift method is used. Do not strongly jerk the rod, just a gentle lift. You don't want to pull the hook out of the mouth.
- Success can also be had in the middle of the lake, particularly when you see fish rising.
- Also look for casings as this will indicate a hatch is in progress.
Where to Fish
- Check using a Biometric Map to find shelves and depth. Durrance has a shelf that runs right across the Lake where the shore fishers are, quite close to the dam at the far end of the Lake. This section can be quite productive.
- Look and watch fellow fishers and don't be afraid to ask what they are using.
- When the temperature rises, the shallow end can be very productive for Dry Fly Fishing.
Fly's
- Hook sizes; size 8 with a preference to size 10, 12 and 14.
- May flies and sometimes caddis. Doc Spratley in a variety of colors. Nymphs and Wet Flies are my favorite with the March Brown topping the list.
- Leeches in a variety of types, Woolly Burgers, Ruby Eyed Leach, Egg Sucking Leach, Balanced Leaches, all work in a variety of colors.
- Micro leaches are also popular.
- Do not give up on a fly, perhaps it is not the correct size. Sometimes changing to another size works. Also depth. One needs to find the zone.
- Shrimp Patterns on Vancouver Island. The water is Alkaline and Shrimp do not habitat in this environment, so fish do not recognize patterns replicating Shrimp. Perhaps one, or two Lakes on Vancouver Island are acidic and host shrimp.