SHigSpeed
09-05-2011, 12:44 PM
I got a chance to head up north a bit this last weekend with my two sons to spend a night at Manzanita Lake and check out Lassen Volcanic NP.
I'd never been to the park before, and I'd also heard about how great a fishery Manzanita is so I jumped at the opportunity.
If you haven't heard yet, they just recently put in some new cabins at the lake campground and they're great. Bear boxes, fire rings, picnic tables, the works. The cabins have propane heaters and come with an electric lantern - no power hook-ups though. The store up front has food, ice cream, ice, coin-op hot showers, and the facilities is amazingly clean and the camp host was extremely friendly and helpful.
Pic of the cabin (kinda...):
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6116608949_be1bd29729_z_d.jpg
Best thing about these cabins are that they are a quick walk down to the lake. Put the tube on your back and in 2 minutes you're wet. They rent kayaks there as well but take your own if you want to fish. As a concession to us, they have an agreement that the boats can only go out after 10:00 and back out by 4:00 so we can have the lake to ourselves during the happy hours. Pretty cool...
One other bit of info: If you take your own kayak or pram, you can't leave it on the shore overnight, and you can only launch the boat at the designated launch to prevent trampling of the shoreline elsewhere (though I'd guess if you humped your tube around the lake on your back they'd look the other way).
Finally, being a "wild" lake, it's zero take, single barbless artificials, and no fishing in the inlet creek or within 150 feet of it on the lake. It's amazing that the browns and bows share this little creek to keep the quantity and quality of fish going in the lake. There were lots of little schools of fry about so you know it's working. No plants for many years from what I heard.
The cabin we rented had 4 bunks so you can sleep 8. Since they're new, it was in spankin' fresh shape. Laminate floors, clean matresses. All you need are a sleeping bag or some sheets and blankets and you're set.
Half of the cabins can be reserved and half are first come, first served. The store opens at 8 so get there early if you want a shot at picking one up.
I was the first to show up, way too early to check in so we decided to head down to the lake to check things out.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6071/6117129410_fed34eefbd_z_d.jpg
First impression: What a gorgeous place! Seemed really shallow with a very gradual slope into the water. Definitely an advantage to have a tube. Crystal clear water, and TONS of bugs. I saw some rises out past the manzanita islands so I figured I'd wader up and at least try to get the skunk off early. Why no tube? Well, I'd forgotten one of my fins at home - I took it out of my gear bag as part of my fin project! I was at ARCO Arena when I realized what I'd done and wasn't going to turn back. I called my friend who was coming up later and he was kind enough to drop by the house and grab it for me. Unfortunately I had to get my wife out of bed to set it outside for him - sorry honey!!!
The mud on the bottom is very soft, and I soon realized that I wouldn't be able to wade out as far as I'd hoped, and the rises were out of range, so I started walking around the lake looking for a better shot at something. Finally I found a spot where they were rising within range and got this little guy:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/6117132642_f1c7acfca1_z_d.jpg
Unfortunately these were about the size of all the ones rising within range and although I got a few other light takes, no more fish to hand in my first exploratory session.
Walked back up to the car for a bit of lunch. The ravens, chipmunks, and Steller's jays are very persistent in trying to share!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6203/6116595631_6b42e55e10_z_d.jpg
After lunch, it was finally check-in time and my friend had shown up with his family. We've car camped together a few times before and his son an mine are good camping buddies so they keep each other out of trouble (mostly). I had my second fin now so I figured I'd get a couple of hours of fishing in before dinner.
My first idea was to circle the lake and cast to shore. The callibaetis and midge hatch was INSANE. The entire lake surface was covered in shucks, spinners, and bugs. I wasn't really having any luck throwing a bugger followed by a PT or a GRHE. My friend had walked around the lake and casting a bubble/fly setup and was gesturing me to come over. When I got there he said that there was a "shark" cruising and slurping just in front of him and between two other fishermen casting from shore (no, I didn't shoulder in, there was plenty of courtesy space). Sure enough there were fish feeding actively, but I couldn't buy a strike on streamers, dries, nymphs. This aspect of lake fishing is definitely my weakness. Just as I was tying something else on, the one guy down the shoreline's reel starts screaming! After a few minutes, he finally hauls in a beast! I didn't see it up close, but he figured the big brown went 20"! On a #20 dry of some sort. Damn...
I think a pram would be great for this lake for anchoring and sight fishing.
At that point, I'd had enough of this so I resorted to a tried and true lake technique. I kicked out to where the weed tops were at least 5 feet down and started kick-trolling an intermediate line with my olive X-Mas bugger and a trailing PT. BINGO! Finally I got into one pan-sized brown:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6207/6117142004_fea7cdacf5_z_d.jpg
...and whiffed another and finally a really feisty 16" 'bow:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6116605771_0b94aa8e48_z_d.jpg
By that time it was getting on towards dinner so I kicked back to shore, headed up the hill, and we got our grub on! There was grilled New York steak, Hawaiian style teriyaki chicken thighs, rosemary grilled chicken breast, baked beans, grilled corn on the cob, tomato salad, fresh salsa and chips, and my wife made and sent with us some "worlds best cookies" for desert.
Unfortunately all the cooking and feasting prevented me from fishing the sunset bite, but I was full and happy. After dinner we all did the hike around Manzanita in the dark with some help from flashlights and the setting half-moon.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6116615537_1cd3338cd3_z_d.jpg
Cool millipede:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6072/6116612985_c6c148a9ee_z_d.jpg
Speaking of bugs, there were really no mosquitoes to be found. That made life a lot simpler. I was prepared for battle with nets and chemical weapons, but none were needed! :)
(to be continued)
I'd never been to the park before, and I'd also heard about how great a fishery Manzanita is so I jumped at the opportunity.
If you haven't heard yet, they just recently put in some new cabins at the lake campground and they're great. Bear boxes, fire rings, picnic tables, the works. The cabins have propane heaters and come with an electric lantern - no power hook-ups though. The store up front has food, ice cream, ice, coin-op hot showers, and the facilities is amazingly clean and the camp host was extremely friendly and helpful.
Pic of the cabin (kinda...):
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6116608949_be1bd29729_z_d.jpg
Best thing about these cabins are that they are a quick walk down to the lake. Put the tube on your back and in 2 minutes you're wet. They rent kayaks there as well but take your own if you want to fish. As a concession to us, they have an agreement that the boats can only go out after 10:00 and back out by 4:00 so we can have the lake to ourselves during the happy hours. Pretty cool...
One other bit of info: If you take your own kayak or pram, you can't leave it on the shore overnight, and you can only launch the boat at the designated launch to prevent trampling of the shoreline elsewhere (though I'd guess if you humped your tube around the lake on your back they'd look the other way).
Finally, being a "wild" lake, it's zero take, single barbless artificials, and no fishing in the inlet creek or within 150 feet of it on the lake. It's amazing that the browns and bows share this little creek to keep the quantity and quality of fish going in the lake. There were lots of little schools of fry about so you know it's working. No plants for many years from what I heard.
The cabin we rented had 4 bunks so you can sleep 8. Since they're new, it was in spankin' fresh shape. Laminate floors, clean matresses. All you need are a sleeping bag or some sheets and blankets and you're set.
Half of the cabins can be reserved and half are first come, first served. The store opens at 8 so get there early if you want a shot at picking one up.
I was the first to show up, way too early to check in so we decided to head down to the lake to check things out.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6071/6117129410_fed34eefbd_z_d.jpg
First impression: What a gorgeous place! Seemed really shallow with a very gradual slope into the water. Definitely an advantage to have a tube. Crystal clear water, and TONS of bugs. I saw some rises out past the manzanita islands so I figured I'd wader up and at least try to get the skunk off early. Why no tube? Well, I'd forgotten one of my fins at home - I took it out of my gear bag as part of my fin project! I was at ARCO Arena when I realized what I'd done and wasn't going to turn back. I called my friend who was coming up later and he was kind enough to drop by the house and grab it for me. Unfortunately I had to get my wife out of bed to set it outside for him - sorry honey!!!
The mud on the bottom is very soft, and I soon realized that I wouldn't be able to wade out as far as I'd hoped, and the rises were out of range, so I started walking around the lake looking for a better shot at something. Finally I found a spot where they were rising within range and got this little guy:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/6117132642_f1c7acfca1_z_d.jpg
Unfortunately these were about the size of all the ones rising within range and although I got a few other light takes, no more fish to hand in my first exploratory session.
Walked back up to the car for a bit of lunch. The ravens, chipmunks, and Steller's jays are very persistent in trying to share!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6203/6116595631_6b42e55e10_z_d.jpg
After lunch, it was finally check-in time and my friend had shown up with his family. We've car camped together a few times before and his son an mine are good camping buddies so they keep each other out of trouble (mostly). I had my second fin now so I figured I'd get a couple of hours of fishing in before dinner.
My first idea was to circle the lake and cast to shore. The callibaetis and midge hatch was INSANE. The entire lake surface was covered in shucks, spinners, and bugs. I wasn't really having any luck throwing a bugger followed by a PT or a GRHE. My friend had walked around the lake and casting a bubble/fly setup and was gesturing me to come over. When I got there he said that there was a "shark" cruising and slurping just in front of him and between two other fishermen casting from shore (no, I didn't shoulder in, there was plenty of courtesy space). Sure enough there were fish feeding actively, but I couldn't buy a strike on streamers, dries, nymphs. This aspect of lake fishing is definitely my weakness. Just as I was tying something else on, the one guy down the shoreline's reel starts screaming! After a few minutes, he finally hauls in a beast! I didn't see it up close, but he figured the big brown went 20"! On a #20 dry of some sort. Damn...
I think a pram would be great for this lake for anchoring and sight fishing.
At that point, I'd had enough of this so I resorted to a tried and true lake technique. I kicked out to where the weed tops were at least 5 feet down and started kick-trolling an intermediate line with my olive X-Mas bugger and a trailing PT. BINGO! Finally I got into one pan-sized brown:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6207/6117142004_fea7cdacf5_z_d.jpg
...and whiffed another and finally a really feisty 16" 'bow:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6116605771_0b94aa8e48_z_d.jpg
By that time it was getting on towards dinner so I kicked back to shore, headed up the hill, and we got our grub on! There was grilled New York steak, Hawaiian style teriyaki chicken thighs, rosemary grilled chicken breast, baked beans, grilled corn on the cob, tomato salad, fresh salsa and chips, and my wife made and sent with us some "worlds best cookies" for desert.
Unfortunately all the cooking and feasting prevented me from fishing the sunset bite, but I was full and happy. After dinner we all did the hike around Manzanita in the dark with some help from flashlights and the setting half-moon.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6116615537_1cd3338cd3_z_d.jpg
Cool millipede:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6072/6116612985_c6c148a9ee_z_d.jpg
Speaking of bugs, there were really no mosquitoes to be found. That made life a lot simpler. I was prepared for battle with nets and chemical weapons, but none were needed! :)
(to be continued)