How do you fish stillwater?

[andanb]

I've stripped wooly buggers in lakes before, but have not used any other techniques. What are some good ways to fish still water?

I have also fished Pyrmid lake but that is a specialized technique, isn't it?

[Rick J]

It depends on the lake but most lakes have sections of relativley shallow water that are easily fished with a fly and are usually very productive as the shallow water allows weeds to grow that supplies great habitiat for bugs and thus fish. When approaching a new lake I like to look for other fishermen and see where they are located - they often already know where best sections of the lake are at the time. If no one is around then search out these shallow bays or look for weeds breaking the surface. OR better stop at any local shop to ask for info on where to fish and what to use.

Depending if you have a floating device such as a pram or tube will depend on what sort of access you have to these sites.

Next look to see what may be hatching - look for shucks on the water or insects such as damsels that are crawling out onto land. IF at all possible I like to use a flaoting line and will generally start early with some sort of midge pattern or nymph. I will either grease the leader or use a very small indicator to serve as a suspension device so I can control my depth. With these small bugs a very slow strip followed by pauses is usually best. For bigger bugs such as damsels a more aggressive strip can work but realize a damsel has alot of motion in the water but does not move fast - they wiggle like crazy but long strips are usually counterproductive and often a cast and leave it works better if fish are working in the area. Look for the type of fish rise - subtle rises are generally midges or small nymphs while aggressive boils can be damsels or even caddis.

It gets more complciated from here. Going to an intermediate line for bugs that are near the bottom keeps the fly at a more constant depth.

I hate trolling a fly - I do not consider this fly fishing though it can be effective if you are into this. I much prefer to hunt for active fish and cast to them. A word of caution about this. There is a tendancy to cast to a fish that boils when there is alot of surface activity. Unless you can see or track the fish, it is better to just fish the water where fish are active and fish out each cast. By the time you cast to where a fish boiled it is usually long gone. An exception is if it is actively feeding in an area with a series of swirls by all means get a cast to it!!

[andanb]

That's a great start. I do have a float tube, but I would have probably started in deep water from what you have written this seems to be the opposite of where I should start. I'll give it a try. Do you use any double nymph rigs? Dry/Nymph rigs...etc?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

You can also hire top stillwater guide and teacher Don Rotma who lives on Davis Lake and he can teach you a lot in one day there in May or June or October.

http://www.flyfishwithdon.com/

Don's web site

Don took Rick and I out last summer and really put us on some big hot Rainbow trout eating emerging damsel flies on Davis Lake east of Truckee.

[Rick J]

Bill is right - I would highly recommend a trip with Don - he knows Davis Lake as well as anyone but more importantly, he knows still water fishing as well as anyone and can give you ideas!

And yes I often use two flies - often during the day I will fish a damsel with a blood midge dropper (both wet flies). In the evening Davis gets a tremendous blood midge hatch and I will often put on a dry/emerger with a pupae trailer

[Darian]

andanb,.... You said in one of your posts, that you've fished Pyramid and asked if the technique used there is specialized....

As you are already aware, Pyramid is a very body of water and winds are a problem on most days.... The techniques for casting a fly are used in distance casting off of an optional platform (step ladder). That platform sereves two purposes. First, it provides some assistance in casting. second, it keeps most of your legs out of the cold water, allowing you to fish longer (....and to stay in touch with your feet. ).

Rigging a fly outfit is the same as other large bodies of water. You can use one or two flies. Generally, you'll use a wooly bugger and another fly of your choice. The leaders are generally about 8lb test. Rods are stout to enable casting in the wind.... Retrieving a fly involves stripping in your flies. The exception to this is when the fish are in the shallows and you can use a chartreuse copper John suspended under an indicator without a retrieve (kind like bobber fishin').....

This doesn't sound like it's overly "specialized" to me. It's the same technique I've used in all "big" waters....