It is time to go lake fishing for trout.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think that most mid-elevation trout lakes are probably good now and will be great through July.

I have been reading a great book lately on trout lakes in California. It is "Fly Fishing California Stillwaters" by Bill Sunderland. It is a very high-end book with very nice paper, hard glossy stock, and terrific pictures. It has great information on dozens of the most famous fly fishing trout lakes in CA. The maps of the lakes and surrounding areas are excellent.

Just reading through this has sparked my desire to fly fish lakes more. I started in a float tube on Lake Solano near Winters in the late 60s on great callibaetis mayfly hatches we had there back then. We soon found Lake McCumber and Manzanita east of Redding. Then it was Martis and Milton out of Truckee. Joe Patterson took us to the Holy Grail in 1976, Crane Prairie Reservoir in central Oregon. Then a few years ago I really hit the top of the world in lake fishing, Kamloops, BC.

Fly fishing weedy lakes with hatches is really the big deal for me.

[DonCooksey]

I'm thinking of trying to fly fish for trout or bass at Diamond Valley Lake but could use some advice on deep water fly fishing. This is the large new reservoir in southern California that holds 260 billion gallons of water. They stocked it with rainbows and bass back in 1999-2000, and some are supposed to be pretty big. A trout over 11 pounds was caught recently, and a largemouth over 22 pounds is the record there. Unfortunately, the larger trout are apparently quite deep (30-60 ft). Is it feasible to fish streamers at those depths with a sinking fly line? Any recommendation on a leader to use down deep like that? I'm guessing that I can go with pretty heavy stuff.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hi Don,

I would fish it like you were fly fishing for Stripers in a big reservoir like San Louis or fly fishing the ocean.

Some like Lee Haskin fish San Louis Reservoir from a float tube.

Most would want to be in a boat.

I would use a #7, 8 or 9 weight outfit with a very fast sinking system, possibly a lead core head on a new intermediate running line.

Maybe use a fast sinking streamer somehting like a Clouser Minnow.

They always catch the bigger Black Bass deep but you should still be able to find some good fish up shallow now because it has not been that warm yet.

Mid-summer (August) would be the worst time to fish any big reservoir with a fly rod as everything is very deep then.

I would be someone down that way is fishing it with flies.

[David Lee]

30 to 60 feet ??

Fast 7 wt. rod , 27 feet T-14 , 20 lb. Amneisia , #4 gray/white Clouser w/ 1 36 oz. Lead eyes .

Set up your drift , cast DOWNWIND , drift over where your line was , retrieve .

30 feet is easy , 60 can be done .... just set HARD when bit , you'll do fine .

David

[DonCooksey]

Thnaks guys,
I'm going to try Wednesday morning. I'll bring my 8-wt with a couple of different lines that I have: one full sinking and another with a very fast sinking shooting head and intermediate sinking running line that I use for surf fishing. I'll be fishing from a boat, as they don't allow float tubes or any form of body contact. I'll bring some clousers and also various buggers, yuk bugs, etc. to try for trout. I've found very little information about fly fishing there on the internet, including the bulletin board at the Diamond Valley Lake web site - just a couple of guys asking if anyone else has tried fly fishing. I probably should stop by Riverside Ski and Sport and talk to Bob Slamal, who probably knows as much about fly fishing in sourthern California as anyone.

[Darian]

Nothing like local knowledge to help with a fun problem

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

David,

The only time I fished real deep was in the Fall off Harker's Island in North Carolina in the Atlantic where we were fishing for False Albacore or Little Tuny. We ran out about 20 miles to a place where it was 60 feet deep and there was a wreck/ sunken old ship.

We did just what you discribed. Cast a Rio Deep Sea 400 down wind and let it free fall as deep as you can and then go around the end of the boat and start retrieving as you go past.

I did snag the wreck once but it think it was a pretty tall old rusty ship.

[Darian]

Hey Bill,.... What size flyh didja use for making that ship hit Did it take you into the backing :P :P