Bill Kiene semi-retired
08-01-2014, 04:02 PM
STRAIGHT FROM THE LINEUPS—Herb Burton
Is there any water? Are there any fishing opportunities? Are fish biting? Questions
we here at the Trinity Fly Shop are asked daily. The drought alert has obviously
impacted vacationing and fishing plans for many this summer; at least on the
Westside. Popular campgrounds are suspiciously less than half full and boating
and fishing pressure on the lakes has been light. Despite the adverse effects of the
drought and the fact it has been smoke’n hot the past few weeks the bright side is
the answer to the above is yes, there is water, yes, there are fishing opportunities
and yes, fish are hungry and catchable.
Released from the bowels of Trinity Lake, the icy cold tailwaters of Lewiston Lake
have been firing off. Damsel/dragon fly hatches have dominated the lower flats
early morning thru mid-day. Clear Camo intermediate lines and olive/black bugger
style imitations in sizes 8-10-12, have been very effective. Our Mr. Pimp patterns
have been deadly! (Remember damsels/dragons have a hollow body cavity,
sucking water in their mouth and blowing it out their rear, expressing jet pulsing
movements through the water). Key to imitating them is targeting their habitats
while incorporating a swift twitching retrieve. Adult damsel/dragon activity is all
but nonexistent; not enough adults on the water. Small soft hackles and midge
pupas have also worked well in the film (floating lines) as well as fished in deeper
water columns (clear camo intermediate sink lines) mid-mornings and evenings.
Quality Lewiston activity should last well into September.
Because of cold water releases, from Lewiston Lake, the upper reach Trinity
River (Lewiston to North Fork) is supporting desirable cold water temps and
also been supporting some quality summer salmon, steelhead and resident
trout opportunities. Despite the heat and minimum flows, 450 cfs., most anglers
are having fun and stick’n a few. Salmon anglers, both conventional and fly,
fishing the crack of dawn and dredging deep are scoring on the occasional
summer chinook pressing 8-12 lbs. Fresh baits and hardware dominate the
conventional approach while high speed sink- tips and orange/gold comets and
small attractors have been scoring for fly fishers. Most fish are colored however
a few fresh fish are trickling through each day. Residual trout are accepting small
muddlers (hopper time) and responding to late afternoon-evening burps of PMD
hatches. Nymphing with golden stones, burlaps and soft hackles are effective
for fish grazing on the bottom as well as emerging aquatics in the evenings. The
occasional summer steelhead is always an added bonus, more often than not,
catching the unsuspecting angler off guard and trembling; wondering what was
that chrome fish jumping multiple times after an arm-wrenching grab and parted
tippet. Streamer and leech patterns are excellent choices for summer runs as well
as a few are keying in on evening hatches. Recently Steve Findley got his world
rocked, releasing a chrome bright eight (8) lb. native hen. Hats off to Steve, they
don’t come any nicer! TRINITY FLY SHOP Your Local Source.
.
Is there any water? Are there any fishing opportunities? Are fish biting? Questions
we here at the Trinity Fly Shop are asked daily. The drought alert has obviously
impacted vacationing and fishing plans for many this summer; at least on the
Westside. Popular campgrounds are suspiciously less than half full and boating
and fishing pressure on the lakes has been light. Despite the adverse effects of the
drought and the fact it has been smoke’n hot the past few weeks the bright side is
the answer to the above is yes, there is water, yes, there are fishing opportunities
and yes, fish are hungry and catchable.
Released from the bowels of Trinity Lake, the icy cold tailwaters of Lewiston Lake
have been firing off. Damsel/dragon fly hatches have dominated the lower flats
early morning thru mid-day. Clear Camo intermediate lines and olive/black bugger
style imitations in sizes 8-10-12, have been very effective. Our Mr. Pimp patterns
have been deadly! (Remember damsels/dragons have a hollow body cavity,
sucking water in their mouth and blowing it out their rear, expressing jet pulsing
movements through the water). Key to imitating them is targeting their habitats
while incorporating a swift twitching retrieve. Adult damsel/dragon activity is all
but nonexistent; not enough adults on the water. Small soft hackles and midge
pupas have also worked well in the film (floating lines) as well as fished in deeper
water columns (clear camo intermediate sink lines) mid-mornings and evenings.
Quality Lewiston activity should last well into September.
Because of cold water releases, from Lewiston Lake, the upper reach Trinity
River (Lewiston to North Fork) is supporting desirable cold water temps and
also been supporting some quality summer salmon, steelhead and resident
trout opportunities. Despite the heat and minimum flows, 450 cfs., most anglers
are having fun and stick’n a few. Salmon anglers, both conventional and fly,
fishing the crack of dawn and dredging deep are scoring on the occasional
summer chinook pressing 8-12 lbs. Fresh baits and hardware dominate the
conventional approach while high speed sink- tips and orange/gold comets and
small attractors have been scoring for fly fishers. Most fish are colored however
a few fresh fish are trickling through each day. Residual trout are accepting small
muddlers (hopper time) and responding to late afternoon-evening burps of PMD
hatches. Nymphing with golden stones, burlaps and soft hackles are effective
for fish grazing on the bottom as well as emerging aquatics in the evenings. The
occasional summer steelhead is always an added bonus, more often than not,
catching the unsuspecting angler off guard and trembling; wondering what was
that chrome fish jumping multiple times after an arm-wrenching grab and parted
tippet. Streamer and leech patterns are excellent choices for summer runs as well
as a few are keying in on evening hatches. Recently Steve Findley got his world
rocked, releasing a chrome bright eight (8) lb. native hen. Hats off to Steve, they
don’t come any nicer! TRINITY FLY SHOP Your Local Source.
.