Davis Lake 6/23-25

[1flyfisher]

I fished wed thru fri. I saw one damsel swimming in 3 days. I fished everywhere from Fugawee into Freeman(I paddled up the creek, bored not much else to do). There were no damsels AT ALL swimming in Freeman. Lot's of ripe water for them in there to crawl up on the banks and there were some willows and bushes waterline for them to crawl up but I didn't see any swimmers. That surprised me and disappointed me as Freeman arm has damsels in it (if any where) for the current conditions. Very few fish working anywhere from Freeman to Fugawee. There was only the sporadic riser and they were few and far between. None of the small white or lime green midges, no blood midges (I saw one in 3 days), no caddis, no damsels emerging what so ever, there were plenty of callibaetis but only the occasional sporadic fish grabbing them today. It rained last night and all morning and was cold this am but things improved slightly in the afternoon as far as risers when things warmed up a bit. It felt like early april to me the last few days. There was snow below the look out tower and snow patches here and there on several areas up the Freeman/grizzly creek valley peaks that I haven't seen this late.

I played the skinny game but there weren't many fish cruising the points or shallows. Water is high and there isn't a weed bed popping through the surface anywhere yet. That has a long way to go with the higher water. The fish I caught were small 14" and covered with sores and anchor worms and gill maggots. I landed a few nicer fish that were around 16" my biggest was 18". No numbers of the usual quality fish 17-22" porpoising and cruising the banks, points as is usual for may/june. IF quality fish 17"-22"+ fish have survived the winter they aren't showing themselves or working the points as is normal.

Shittiest June 23-25 I have ever seen in all my years. We get high water years and they can be great when there is quality 17-22" fish.

So far well below average as far as quality of fish.

Things will improve bug wise with warmer weather. The water level appears to have peaked and is receding.

The bugs need to adjust to higher water. If they don't drain the lake much this summer and we can maintain the water levels the bug life and weed beds will adjust as they have done in the past. They need to put in some nice Eagle Lake rainbows that aren't infected with gill maggots and anchor worms. ALL that shit came from the hatchery.

[michaeln]

They need to put in some nice Eagle Lake rainbows that aren't infected with gill maggots and anchor worms.

I heard they were considering renaming Lake Davis "Lice House Reservoir". Seems appropriate. I really feel sorry for those infected fish, but those disgusting parasites are one of the main reasons I am looking at other places to fish.