Davis or Frenchmans Reports?

[Rockman]

I am hoping to go up and camp this weekend with my wife at Davis or Frenchmans. Anybody have any reports?
Curious if with the warmer weather the damsel hatchs may be starting. Grateful for any current info.
Rockman

[James W]

I was at Davis a week and a half ago during the bad weather, don't recommend THAT!
Water was 58, lake level looked like last Sept.
Going back next week hoping for better weather.

[Scott V]

Go to Frenchman's

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hi Bill

I have fished both Frenchman and Davis in the past several days. Frenchman lake is still fishing very well from the shore and Lake Davis is starting to pick up... but rather slowly.

We have had unseasonably high winds that seem to start earlier in the morning than usual. For example, yesterday we had sporadic northerly windy. There were even small white caps on Davis at 10:30 in the morning that waxed and waned all day.
Regarding the insects, I've seen a good number of blood midges on the surface along with a few Callibaetis (with the damsels starting to show themselves). PT's and Chironomids worked.

The Honker ramp is open, though they will be working on moving tree stumps to their new watery locations for the next day or two.

Bill Forward

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[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Bill
Spent most of the spring steelhead fishing on the Olympic Peninsula and have just started fishing Davis regularly the last few weeks.

Good blood midge hatches in many bays with occasional fish working surface. Damsels are just starting and we had ok days last week when temps were high. Last few days wind has been howling and temps have dropped a little slowing the damsel migration a little.

Good numbers of nymphs in Freeman channel and Cow Creek areas with a few adults showing. As temps increase and wind slows a little, should get really good. Mostly larger fish taking damsels.

There are a lot of planters from recent plant occasionally eating midges but very small. I still think small plant schedule, some light winter kill, and over harvesting is effecting the lake, but we should have good fishing on damsels as the fish are learning to key on them more.

I'm trying to get out most days even if I'm not fishing, I am scoping for fish concentrations and movements. Fish were very tough during time they thought they should be spawning and have never been really aggressive this spring.

Low water years have always been great damsel years, so hoping for great hatch.

Don Rotsma

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Bill Forward and Don Rotsma are old friends and use to live in Sacramento.

They moved up near Davis Lake and have both guided for years up here so their info above is very good.

Thanks Bill & Dob.....

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[Reese]

I was up at Frenchman's a couple of weeks ago in a float tube. It was as low as I've ever seen it. That said, I also tied into the largest trout I've hooked there. Took me straight into my backing and threw the hook before I barely realized what was happening. Hooked him on a BWO nymph as well as a few other trout. There was a big hatch right at sunset and hooked a few more on emergers but I didn't see any surface action. If you miss a high traffic weekend (or go on a weekday!), I'd try the outlet. It looked like it was in great shape as I drove by.

[Rockman]

Got up here late this evening, light wind settled down at 8 pm. Fish started rising all around me, I tried a blood midge dry & BM emerger, nothing. Switched over to a small grey midge that worked at Frenchmans last time I was there, not even a take. Anyone have another pattern to suggest. It kills me when big fish are rising all around you and you can't find the right fly.

[gene goss]

I understand your feeling tooooo.....i'm still looking for the right fly. Last year i used my UV marabou streamer with a floating line, i would wait for a rise that was close enough for a cast, then i would make 3 or 4 strips then let it sit until you see another rise close enough to cast too, if your line is straight you can pick the whole line ...50ft... up and cast to the next rise. Did you see any Hex's ?

[Rockman]

Tuff day for me,was marking a lot of fish on the graph,but the fish were not feeding. Trucked FF club was having a fish out,talked with 4-5 members and they said the same. Took the boat down to mosquito slough and only marked a few fish, did get a few grabs out on a drop off in the middle of the lake. Took an early dinner & nap and went back out in the pm to try some different midge patterns. Hooked 6, landed 3. The 3 I lost were on 6 lb test fluorocarbon on the grab. The smaller of the 3 was an easy 20"er, the largest was my best Davis by far with lots of girth. I still did not have the "right" fly, but did fool a few.
I have never seen so many huge fish during this blood midge hatch, the water was flat and some would just porpoise and others would come up and slash 2-3 bugs bam, bam, bam! I look forward to the day when I have the "right fly. I have some pic's, but I have to download them, going to fish half of today before heading down the hill.