Davis Lake 7/11-7/17

**1flyfisher** · 07-17-2010, 05:35 PM

I got up there Sunday night. I saw a big cinnamon bear right on the side of the road by the turn off to the lookout. He went for a tree, put his paws on it but then ran off 50 feet or so, looked back at me and casually walked away. They were working on the road into jenkins grading it and such. There were a lot of cows and I counted 4 bulls. They were coming down to the ends of the points and into the cars at cow. They seemed to want to rub around on peoples trucks. Fortunately they only licked mine and didn't leave any scratches.

Fished monday-today sat the 17th, 6 days. I fished from fugawee to mosquito. I caught fish every day with all fish 16" or better. I mostly prowled the shorelines every where I went as there were more damsels there and more fish. Best day (mon) was a bakers dozen landed with a few more missed grabs by dinkers, landed 5 after 4 pm. Most days there was a significant drop off in the fishing after 11 and as early as 9:30-10 when the wind would come up. Any breeze put a quick halt to any risers. I paddled (thu) starting at 11:00 am from fugawee over to freeman down one side of freeman and up the other, around to mosquito prowling the shoreline(looking for damsels and snails) and I didn't see any damsels swimming for that entire paddle. Zero. Zilch. Fished south of cow, along the west shore mostly. I saw few damsels nymphs swimming anywhere all week. No one I talked to saw many, some didn't see any at all. I saw Barely a half dozen swimmers most days and just 3-4 swimmers a day on average. On monday I fished from 8 am to 6 pm. I got fish all day on and off. After 4 pm I landed 5 and lost 3, between 4-6pm on a particular spot. That was not to repeat itself as I tried it a few more days around those times. Most days I fished 8-5, 8-4. I caught fish every day. Today Sat I fished 7-12. 3 fish didn't have any parasites. One was 21" and clean a real nice fish. I hooked 2 nice <<size>> fish in the lip that began hemorrhaging blood out their gills and bled to death. One of the fish had part of its gill cover eaten away and a big hole(1/4") in its side. I looked into their gills and it was filled with gill maggots and their gills were a mess with parts missing. All fish I caught were 16" or better with many around 18-19. They all fought ok (none into my backing yet this year) except for the two that were really massively infested. They dropped the water level a bit more and as of thu I finally found a few weed beds starting to come through the surface straight out from cow and some south of cow. Prior to that, Mon-wed there were no weed beds coming to the surface that I could see/find anywhere. There was only a minor trickle of damsel nymphs all week, but the fish were very willing to eat a fake one except when they were on the midges. When I found fish hard on the midges I tried the damsel but got few takes. I'd put on a midge/callibaetis and got more fish. I saw most fish rising to small midges 8-9:30 or so and slashing/gulping the occasional callibaetis dun/spinner. That was short lived and any risers would stop rising as soon as a breeze hit the water. That happened daily around 9:30-10. It really got tough for everyone after 11. Everyone I talked to caught at least a few fish, reporting fish from 12-19". Some people told me they didn't see any damsels. After 11 it really got beautiful out there at that time and afternoons were really nice with the sun on the water. I went for a swim daily. On monday I counted 3 damsel nymphs swimming and 3 climbing up my boat for the day. That was roughly to continue for the rest of the week with a bit more on thu and fri. I found more bugs swimming close to shore and climbing up the bank(and onto my boat) with only a few anywhere else. Yesterday I saw the most bugs maybe a half dozen swimmers and I had about that many climb up my boat and hatch. Today sat we saw few bugs swimming anywhere at all around cow/fugawee. The people I talked to all week reported similar lack of damsels anywhere. I saw a half dozen or so blood midges on the surface fri afternoon while paddling back from mosquito, that was in the middle of the lake. If you go don't expect anything more than a trickle of damsels if that. Certainly nothing even remotely resembling a damsel hatch.

Get on the water early. It dies early. When it does try a callibaetis with a size 18' zebra midge trailer. After 11 try an intermediate with a wiggle tail or damsel 6 feet deep. You can catch fish but it is very slow.

I did not see one snail anywhere.

I went looking for them in the afternoon after 11 as I went for a long paddle looking for damsels, weed beds and some exercise. I went to a place I saw some last summer. They were not there. They have vanished. I have not seen one snail yet this year from fugawee to mosquito.

Oh yeah. I had a fish cruise past in 2 feet of water, 10 feet from the bank swim right next to and along my flyline(I didn't dare pick up) about 20 feet of flyline, and the entire length of my leader tippet and eat my bug. I thought no way this fish would eat my damsel after seeing all that flyline and leader. But it did. Nice 19" fish not too badly chewed up by parasites.

One more thing to add. It was odd because the few damsels I saw were very early 8-9:30 and then they stopped. I never saw one swimming any day after 11.

**medfly** · 07-17-2010, 08:09 PM

gotta love those davis trouts, they all ride the short bus to school every morning

**Bill Kiene semi-retired** · 07-18-2010, 06:35 AM

I guess some people just wad Davis Lake becuase the fish do come into the shallows to feed.

**michaeln** · 07-18-2010, 06:43 AM

Thanks for the detailed report.

3 fish didn't have any parasites. One was 21" and clean a real nice fish. I hooked 2 nice <<size>> fish in the lip that began hemorrhaging blood out their gills and bled to death. One of the fish had part of its gill cover eaten away and a big hole(1/4") in its side. I looked into their gills and it was filled with gill maggots and their gills were a mess with parts missing.

It's unfortunate that the DFG seems to think there is nothing that can be done about the copepod issue at Davis. That tells me the problem will only get worse, and it's already bad enough that I really have no desire to go there again. Just reading your report made me feel kind of ill.

I emailed DFG this morning about the issue, and I would encourage others to do so too... squeaky wheel and all that. Email them at R2Info@dfg.ca.gov and ask them what they plan to do to address this problem.

**jayclarkflyfishing** · 07-18-2010, 09:07 AM

I haven't been able to get to the lake lately and I was wondering what the water temps that you were reading.

Thanks
Jay

PS Glad you were getting some decent fish!

**1flyfisher** · 07-18-2010, 12:49 PM

I saw fish swirling and rising a few feet from the bank in a foot of water all week. I watched fish swim past me all week long in 2-3 feet deep of water right in front of me. They'll cruise along in 2-3 feet and then go for a bug in a foot of water literally 5 or so feet from the bank. I had many fish swirl and rise a few feet from the end of my kayak, I could just about poke them with the tip of my rod. I almost did. I tried to just for kicks but missed. I back up (push)the back of my kayak up the bank and sit in it keeping a low profile. I go to a spot I know the fish will come in to the bank for damsels. I sit and wait and let the fish come to me. I don't flail away blind casting a lot (if I can help it). I try and avoid lining and making my presence known to the fish. I will just sit and wait without casting for a target/riser and then make my presentation. You don't even need to step in the water. You can literally stand 20 feet back from shore and cast your damsel 5 feet out and catch fish in the shallowest of water. Unfortunately few people do this. I guess it is a natural inclination for folks to try and wade out far from shore and throw their bug out far. Fish will come right to the bank IF you let them. The fish will work up and down the banks of the points and coves. I stay away from people that wade out from the bank because that puts them right in the intended path and area of where the fish are working and want to be. I see guys wading out from the bank and trying to huck it out there. I am catching fish 30 feet behind them. Sometimes you can get them from the bank sometimes you need a float tube. depends

Originally Posted by Bill Kiene

I guess some people just wad Davis Lake becuase the fish do come into the shallows to feed.

**1flyfisher** · 07-18-2010, 01:03 PM

I caught a few that were clean. Other people told me they caught a few that were clean. Mostly larger fish. I don't know if they were holdovers or newly planted. Maybe it will begin to work itself out.

I will do as you suggest and also email dfg. Yes squeaky wheel may be a good thing here with this issue.

Originally Posted by michaeln

Thanks for the detailed report.

It's unfortunate that the DFG seems to think there is nothing that can be done about the copepod issue at Davis. That tells me the problem will only get worse, and it's already bad enough that I really have no desire to go there again. Just reading your report made me feel kind of ill.

I emailed DFG this morning about the issue, and I would encourage others to do so too... squeaky wheel and all that. Email them at R2Info@dfg.ca.gov and ask them what they plan to do to address this problem.

**1flyfisher** · 07-18-2010, 02:05 PM

I never use my depth finder at davis anymore so I didn't get a digital temp reading.
It was surprisingly cool air temp wise all week (mid 80's) despite the blistering 100 degree + heat in reno. It was breezy early and that kept air and water temps from shooting up.
Friday got hot around 2 when the breeze died for an hour and I had to do my first hat dip of the year and I had to pour water on my shirt. I am usually having to do them by mid/late june constantly. But then the breeze came back up and it became comfortable again.
The fish I caught showed no signs of any heat stress and were quite feisty upon release. I didn't have to nurse any.
I swam in the lake daily. I found a lot of cool water.
Last summer was bad water temp wise. The water this year is nice....high, deep and cooler and there are a lot of springs all over pumping in cool oxygen rich water.
I think so far so good as far as water temps for the moment, but it may get too hot soon.
If you are concerned about water temps and having a fish croak on you I would suggest you give it a go and check things out. I think you will be ok with the current conditions and not waste a trip. At least early might suit you. The fish are quitting early anyway.

There were better fish around the west shore area. Not many but at least a few. People I talked to got some better fish they told me. Everyone caught at least a few fish. There was still a pod of dinks that were hanging around in the middle of the bay south of cow. Some people played with them. I went elsewhere. I found a decent small pod of nicer size fish working a spot daily and I stuck with them for the week for the most part.

I think I am done for now. It's getting a little dicey. It was slowing down fast. Getting hotter day by day. Fish were quitting early. Few bugs. etc etc etc....
Hopefully fall will kick out some hogs.
Good Luck if you go.

Originally Posted by Littletruckee

I haven't been able to get to the lake lately and I was wondering what the water temps that you were reading.

Thanks
Jay

PS Glad you were getting some decent fish!