Need help, Klamath lake, Pelican bay

[B Kane]

Hey all you stillwater experts, Doug O, Bulldog, Langenbeck or anyone familiar with Klamath lake, I'm heading up there next week and would appreciate some advice on how to catch those damn fish when the wind isn't blowing. I do ok early and late and when the wind is blowing but really struggle when it's dead calm. Any advise? I've tried slow, fast, intermitant strips with floating, intermediate and various sink rate lines along with bobbers and chironomids. Nothing seems to be really consistant. I'd be happy with a half dozen fish per day. I'm usually on the water from before daylight to well after sundown. I know where the fish are so any suggestions with patterns, strips, lines or any special technique would really be helpful. Thanks.

[jbird]

I'd be happy with a half dozen fish per day. .

These ar numbers that the committed Klamath regulars are happy with. I got that area dialed in before I moved away and can tell you, there are NO guarantees. The number one thing we do is move, move, move. If you arent getting fish, move. Look for jumpling fish and go there.

We only use three presentations. looooooong sloooooow pulls, or short fast 2 inch pulls. And last resort, indies.

I've had days where Ive landed over 20 fish and in my excitement, went back the next day and gotten 1 or 2, with no obvious change. Its a tough, rewarding fishery.

I'll be out there Wednesday next week.

[Langenbeck]

Mid day no wind. Take a rest under a tree and wait until wind. You have described the toughest conditions for which I have no answer. One flat calm day in Pelican Bay must have seen 300 fish surface and our total for two guys was one fish.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

In July, August, September that lake, being shallow, warms up and the fish head for the springs in the lake and go up the cooler rivers and spring creeks to get cooler.

I fished one of the springs from an anchored boat on the edge of Pelican Bay with Al Perryman. We could see a ton of big fish laying down in the spring so Al had us get back as far as we could cast, maybe 70-80 feet. We were using a 9' #4 line rod with a floating line and a really long leader (18'?) with a small PT nymph on 5x or 6x tippet. I think this is how native American guide Rich Henry use to fish it? I think we hooked a couple of those big fish....1970s?

.

[jbird]

Bill. Those fish are still there. You can see schools of salmon sized trout daisy chaining in the deeper springs. They will drive you insane trying to catch them. They are extremely jaded and honestly, I do not believe those fish are in a feeding mode when theyre cooling over the springs. You could cast all day to these fish and never hook one or you may get lucky and get a couple. Your best bet is to move out into the bay where fish are actively feeding.

BTW. To answer the original question, Klamath is rarely dead calm when the sun is high. However, if it is, those fish are still catchable. If you havent already and have time before you go next week, get Denny Rickards "Stillwater Presentations" and follow his advise to the T. Tie his seal buggers EXACTLY like he describes, fish the same gear and presentations. Something Denny is a big advocate of is the cortland camo line. I figured any good quality clear int. line would do. I found out I was wrong after a lot of experimenting. Dont know what that line has that others dont, but it is crucial to success in the lake.

http://curtismix.smugmug.com/Travel/...3769&k=WtP9Z74

[catch&release]

Bill. Those fish are still there. You can see schools of salmon sized trout daisy chaining in the deeper springs. They will drive you insane trying to catch them. They are extremely jaded and honestly, I do not believe those fish are in a feeding mode when theyre cooling over the springs. You could cast all day to these fish and never hook one or you may get lucky and get a couple. Your best bet is to move out into the bay where fish are actively feeding.

BTW. To answer the original question, Klamath is rarely dead calm when the sun is high. However, if it is, those fish are still catchable. If you havent already and have time before you go next week, get Denny Rickards "Stillwater Presentations" and follow his advise to the T. Tie his seal buggers EXACTLY like he describes, fish the same gear and presentations. Something Denny is a big advocate of is the cortland camo line. I figured any good quality clear int. line would do. I found out I was wrong after a lot of experimenting. Dont know what that line has that others dont, but it is crucial to success in the lake.

http://curtismix.smugmug.com/Travel/...3769&k=WtP9Z74

Jay,I couldn't say it better, that clear camo intermediate is the best. If I had to pick one reason why it would be better than the other intermediates is the sink rate is slower and closer to what it says on the rate inches per second

[Doug O]

Jay Bird, Bill and Gordon,
All very good posts. Great accurate information. You guys covered it pretty well. Denny always talks about the Klamath fish getting "lock jaw" , especially during a full moon stage. The fish are there but they don't grab. It can be a very finicky fishery.
When fishing chironomids without an indicator and a floating line, "floater no cator" I've found it much more productive to cast "into" the wind and retrieve down wind . I usually use an 18 to 25ft. leader for this technique. Also when fishing sealbuggers and baitfish patterns in no wind or a very slight breeze, I like to cast into the sun instead of away from it. I do this because the line will cast a shorter shadow. Shadows spook fish!
Good luck B Kane, and Jay Bird let us know how you do next week, good luck.


Doug O.

[Tony Buzolich]

Doug,

You just touched on something most people don't think about. Doc Cedar taught me this a long time ago when fishing Davis lake during the damsel hatch. If you cast INTO the wind, your retrieve is toward yourself and your rod. When those damsels (and other food sources) rise to the surface they swim or are pushed by the wind in whatever direction the wind is blowing. So, if you cast into the wind, and retrieve toward yourself, it creates a more natural like direction for the fly just as if that bug was being pushed in the same direction.

Now, if your were to cast downwind, and retrieve your fly upwind, that would be an UN-NATURAL action for a bug that drifts with the wind. I'm sure the same could be said about chironimids or bugs of any kind. ???

Just my two cents, Tony

[Blueracer]

Jay, how often do you get back out West? Are you visiting family and friends?

[jbird]

Jay, how often do you get back out West? Are you visiting family and friends?

Its been pretty often this year. I was in so cal 2 weeks ago and am heading out to or/wa for a week tomorrow. My wife's going back again in another 2 weeks. We have family in Washington and we lived in Oregon for 24 years, so we have some friends out there. The only thing we have in Wisconsin is a job for my wife... tho it is a very good one.