Heenan report 9/1/07

[BigBill]

Went to Heenan over the weekend. It was my first trip to this unique fishery. I arrived at the gate a little early and waited patiently with 15 other cars to enter the parking lot.

Launched my tube at 7am to 64 degree surface temp. Landed my first fish within 5 minutes trolling an olive Bugger. It didn't put up much of a fight for a 20" fish. I didn't even have to get it on the reel, just stripped it right in and released it clean w/o having to remove it from the water.

The next fish didn't come for about 2 hours. Then all of a sudden I took 3 in about 45 minutes time, all in the same general area of one another. I found a big school I guess. 2 were fooled by the ever popular Heenan Prince nymph size 14 and the last of these fish took my dropper, a BH Zug Bug size 16. All 3 fish would of taped to about 18-20" but I didn't take them out of the water all the way to fully examine them, as the temp had increased to 70 on the surface by this time. These 3 fish DID put up a good fight and needed to be resuscitated a bit when released. Heenan cutts tend to roll over and sink when released so make sure you support them with a wet hand under their belly and gently nurse them back to health so that they can live on to propagate the species.

Another couple of hours went by socializing with a variety of friendly neighbors trying not to hook each other on our back casts or drift over each others lines. Then I got the biggest fish of the day. A fat 24" lunker aggressively munched down a size 12 Damsel nymph. This monster put up a good 5 minute fight and I was really putting the wood to it with the confidence only 3x tippet can provide. I really wish I would of had a camera for this beauty, the colors were amazing. I cleanly released the specimen to a crowd of excited onlookers and proceeded to kick my way around the lake for another 5 hours to no avail. I saw or heard of only 2 fish being caught the entire rest of the day. Spotty is a great way to describe the bite at Heenan on this day.

I landed a total of 5 fish, all between 18-24" and apparently that is a pretty good day on Heenan lake. Although 5 fish in about 10 hours of fishing CAN get a little tedious when your baking in the sun at elevation, I am still glad I went and will go back at least once more, probably in October. Tight Lines!

[Bill Quinn]

Thanks Bill for the report. Sounds like it was a worthwhile trip up the hill. Can't beat burning off a few calories flipn round the lake.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

It gets better as it gets cooler in October.

Thanks for the great report.

[Hairstacker]

Great report Bill, thanks! You obviously caught some great fish. Sounds like there's no point in staying past noontime at this point.

[Mik]

Those Heenan rainbows look prehistoric.

[Reno Flytyer]

They're Cutts, not Rainbows. What's a pre-historic Rainbow look like?
RFT

[dtp916]

What's a pre-historic Rainbow look like?
RFT

Like a cutt

[Hairstacker]

Like a cutt

[Reno Flytyer]

I shudda known!
RFT

[dtp916]

i should do stand up