Lance Gray
08-20-2015, 10:58 AM
Kirsten & I just got back from a week up at Manzanita Lake and the Lassen National Park. I would like to thank all the guest and friends that came up and joined us. We had a great time.
Manzanita Lake is a special place. It holds both wild browns and rainbows. The fish can be very selective - which that was the report I was getting before last week. The fish where very selective but we managed some great days. One guest hit twenty two fish another guest hit 17 fish one day. So the fish are there. The trick to Manzanita is fishing the transition zones. Also fish an adjustable deep water midge rig (like Rob Andersons). I like using my river rig with a smaller indicator that I can adjust. I also like using the Pop off indicator for this situation. My rig is very simple. 7 feet of 20# Fluorocarbon with a barrel swivel at the end. There I tie in my tippet material. I use three flies with 24" or so 6x tippet between the flies. This rig allows you to fish deep, but also lets you fish shallow over the weed beds.
A couple of thoughts - actual just one. keep the fish out of the weed beds. The higher you can get with the rod the better. If they get to the weeds - simply break them off. You're not going to get them out with 6x tippet.
Flies - Red Tiger Midge in size 18-22 - I like a little flash off of them for a air bubble. You can also do blind midges - no bead. The fish also ate a mixture of small WD 40's and they love a Putah Creek special in size 22. Small flies are key. Stripping flies was non productive. Dries a small marabou cripple in gray size 20 was the ticket.
I posted some pictures and a video on my our Facebook page. Check it out!
Manzanita Lake is a special place. It holds both wild browns and rainbows. The fish can be very selective - which that was the report I was getting before last week. The fish where very selective but we managed some great days. One guest hit twenty two fish another guest hit 17 fish one day. So the fish are there. The trick to Manzanita is fishing the transition zones. Also fish an adjustable deep water midge rig (like Rob Andersons). I like using my river rig with a smaller indicator that I can adjust. I also like using the Pop off indicator for this situation. My rig is very simple. 7 feet of 20# Fluorocarbon with a barrel swivel at the end. There I tie in my tippet material. I use three flies with 24" or so 6x tippet between the flies. This rig allows you to fish deep, but also lets you fish shallow over the weed beds.
A couple of thoughts - actual just one. keep the fish out of the weed beds. The higher you can get with the rod the better. If they get to the weeds - simply break them off. You're not going to get them out with 6x tippet.
Flies - Red Tiger Midge in size 18-22 - I like a little flash off of them for a air bubble. You can also do blind midges - no bead. The fish also ate a mixture of small WD 40's and they love a Putah Creek special in size 22. Small flies are key. Stripping flies was non productive. Dries a small marabou cripple in gray size 20 was the ticket.
I posted some pictures and a video on my our Facebook page. Check it out!