Info on fishing Stumpy Meadows

[neil]

Hi all, heading up to Stumpy next weekend (June 3, 2011), and looking for some info on fly fishing this lake. I'm a newby, and most of my group will be trolling with conventional gear, but I'd like to take a whack at some fly fishing.

Anybody had any success on this lake and want to share?

[DFrink]

I fished the back of the lake a couple of weeks ago (see my post), didn't have a lot of luck. Caught 1 nice rainbow (you will need some sort of water craft, i.e. tube, toon, kayak, boat). I was using an olive wiggle tail with an I-line. The back of the lack is protected from the wind, but you have to hike to it. This lake can be tough in general, but there are fish in it. Good luck.

Dan

[wineslob]

Powerbait at the ramp.............................................. ............:twisted:



Ok, in all seriousness, try the south side of the lake, working the small inlets toward the back.
On the North side, I've had very good luck from the shore (you cross the dam go about 1/4 mi and then walk in on the 4wd "trails" leading to the lake). There are some flats where you can watch the rainbows strike a stripped fly or, as I did, a chrome/blue Kastmaster.
Beware that there are some monsters in that lake (browns). They get fed well (planters).

[neil]

OK, here's the report: 40+ planters caught while trolling gear, nada on the fly. No browns spotted or caught.

We braved the weather this last weekend (June 4) and had two periods of very good action trolling crawlers. I spent some time working wooly buggers, small drys with a nymph dropper, and fast-stripping minnow patters, with no luck. No surprise, considering my level of newbiness. It was fun just to practice casting from the bow of a boat with no wind. There were periods with abundant fish rising, but I couldn't make out what they were feeding on.

I'll be back with my canoe, working the coves on the south side and up into Pilot Creek.

[wineslob]

OK, here's the report: 40+ planters caught while trolling gear, nada on the fly. No browns spotted or caught.

We braved the weather this last weekend (June 4) and had two periods of very good action trolling crawlers. I spent some time working wooly buggers, small drys with a nymph dropper, and fast-stripping minnow patters, with no luck. No surprise, considering my level of newbiness. It was fun just to practice casting from the bow of a boat with no wind. There were periods with abundant fish rising, but I couldn't make out what they were feeding on.

I'll be back with my canoe, working the coves on the south side and up into Pilot Creek.


Pilot above the lake is..............................meh. Very small, and probably raging right now till the end of this month. I've fished it a couple of times, but I think it nearly dries up in "normal" years. Never caught anything.
If you wait till later in the year, go up to the trail (past Stumpy) to the Rubicon, but NOT at the bridge, before it. You'll like it. :-D

Was the lake spilling?

[neil]

Pilot Creek didn't look like much, but the inlet cove looked great for browns. We plugged it pretty hard, and I threw a streamer on a sinking tip, with no luck.

Funny you mention the Rube...I drove down to Elicotts to have a look, but didn't feel like giving it a go. Water looked good, not as high as I expected, probably due to the cold weather slowing down the snowmelt. I'd love to come back later in the year, perhaps for a 2-3 night trip into the canyon.

On the road down to the bridge, I was looking for trails to the north leading down to the river, but didn't see anything. Did I miss them? I'd be appreciative of any info on the Rubicon...PM is fine.

And yes, the lake was spilling.



Pilot above the lake is..............................meh. Very small, and probably raging right now till the end of this month. I've fished it a couple of times, but I think it nearly dries up in "normal" years. Never caught anything.
If you wait till later in the year, go up to the trail (past Stumpy) to the Rubicon, but NOT at the bridge, before it. You'll like it. :-D

Was the lake spilling?

[woodguru]

OK, here's the report: 40+ planters caught while trolling gear, nada on the fly. No browns spotted or caught.

We braved the weather this last weekend (June 4) and had two periods of very good action trolling crawlers. I spent some time working wooly buggers, small drys with a nymph dropper, and fast-stripping minnow patters, with no luck. No surprise, considering my level of newbiness. It was fun just to practice casting from the bow of a boat with no wind. There were periods with abundant fish rising, but I couldn't make out what they were feeding on.

I'll be back with my canoe, working the coves on the south side and up into Pilot Creek.

What colors and types of rigs were you using? I've been told to use a Grand Slam Bucktail on a 32" heavy flourocarbon leader rigged with a wiggle fin, that the Browns won't leave that alone.

[neil]

What colors and types of rigs were you using? I've been told to use a Grand Slam Bucktail on a 32" heavy flourocarbon leader rigged with a wiggle fin, that the Browns won't leave that alone.

That sounds like a good combo...we were using stick Rapalas in rainbow patterns, toplining ~200 feet behind the boat at 4-5 mph.

[woodguru]

It's funny you said something about 200 feet toplining, I like to be at about 180 to 200 feet back, most of my friends go 80 to 90.

I fish a hot Brown lake that has skinny deep canyon arms and we have to pull in to turn around and put line back out to go back. Downriggers makes things a lot easier.

[terdog]

With the cost of gas getting so high, we should try to carpool up there. I live in Pollock Pines and own a couple of kayaks.