Well it seemed like the fish were still biting the other day in stormy and windy weather, but not as good as it had been earlier in the week. I got a good workout kicking around in my float tube against the wind.

I started fly fishing recently. I've been doing good getting trout to 3 pounds dragging around wooly buggers, but can't seem to match the hatch when fish start rising before dusk. I also miss a lot of bites on the bugger, don't know if I'm setting the hook too hard, giving it too much slack, have too much line out, or not setting the hook fast enough. I think it might be a mayfly hatch, and there are trout rising everywhere with swallows flying around too. None of my dry flies do very well. Do you guys have any general patterns you use, or suggestions on dry fly fishing on lakes? I read that Parachute adams flies are pretty good at imitating a lot of different hatches.

Another really fun way to flyfish that I did last week was to pull around a big black leech on a floating fly line for the first 30 minutes after dark. The lake was flat and glassy, and big trout were nailing it and exploding out of the surface.

Here's some pics. I didn't get any of the bigger trout.

Stick with the Woolly Bugger. I've been fishing the same way and just killing them on local lakes. I look at the flies coming off the water and try to match the size and color. A small Elk Hair caddis works most of the time. I've tried a nymph below a strike indicator and without, still working on that. I fished one night last week after sunset. No trout were biting before sunset, no fish on finder. Look at the PIC of Fish finder about 10:30. And they were biting like crazy(Woolly Bugger).

I would strongly reccomend damsel nymphs right now, theres been a lot of hatches on a few local lakes latley and right now is prime time. A wooly bugger could represent a damsel in some way but I would do a search on it. Ive been catching a lot of big bows on them recently too. As far as dries I cant seem to get a lot of fish to rise for them, Ive been using adams and elk hair caddises with few takers. I will try this weekend on a local lake that my family has a vacation house on. Should have pics.

Here in E WA, callebaetis and chronomids are coming off in the evenings. Damsels have pretty much happened already, and dragonflies are mid-season.

If I remember correctly, there are more chronomids in most lakes, than anything else. Callebaetis are mayflies that trout prefer. An Adams can work, but not as well as flies tied to imitate specific hatches. If you go to a fly-specific shop, they'll be able to set you up with some good patterns.

fishpinner, good going. I've been hiting some south OP lakes and doing well with size 10 beadhead black sparkle buggers. I tie 'em up with a tail of black marabou, a body of black pearl new age chenille, and some black saddle hackle...don't even need any crystal flash.

Damsel Nymphs in size 10 are also working.

A beadhead bugger tied with a body of halloween new age chenille, brown marabou tail, and either black or brown or olive (all three work) saddle hackle also works. Size 10 has been working for me.

Dragon Nymphs (Try Skip Morris' "Furry Dragon" or his "Predator" (which is a brown foam bodied thing that could be either a water beetle or a dragon nymph).
The "Predator" floats, and is best fished on a full sinking line allowed to sink to the bottom...as you strip the fly back, it darts toward the bottom, like a dragon nymph or water beetle might. Slays 'em!

My favorite lake line for buggers and nymphs is a full sink clear intermediate.
Avoid the trolling lanes, and work the dropoffs, weedy shoals, edges of weedbeds, sunken logs, and old creek channels (if the lake is an impoundment).

For dries at dusk, I have had good luck with a size 12 Black Gnat, as it provides a good silhouette. This when those dark brown caddis or alder flies or flying ants have been hatching. Cast to the risers.
Also, try a callibaetis emerger, fished in the film, when the callibaetis mayflies are hatching.
Good luck...I'm still putting my act together...no expert, but this is what has worked for me.

A word about those missed strikes when dragging buggers.
Strip set as quickly as posssible....this leaves your fly in the strike zone if you miss. I still do the knee-jerk reaction set with the rod at times, but this usually pulls the fly away too far and fast, spooking away the fish.
Don't make your tails too long on your buggers, or you'll miss the short nips.
Be quick...by the time you feel the bite, the trout is already spitting out your fly...I suspect most of my good hookups are solid takes that set themselves.

Thanks guys, all of this is useful knowledge and makes sense. I'll try the strip set, I've been setting the hook with the rod and create extra slack. I'll go to a local fly shop when I get back in July. By the way, how do you guys fish chromonids on sinking lines? I know slow retrieve, but how slow is slow, and how do you make sure it is hanging right in the water? Also, how do you keep your dry flies sitting like they are supposed to be, and not tipped forward or on their sides. Thanks and good luck.

fp,
Try fishing chronomids or nymphs on a floating line with a 12' taper below a small poly yarn or cork indicator and the 'mid tied on with a loop knot rather than a clinch knot. The loop knot allows the 'mid to move seductively with the wave action moving the indicator at the surface. Adjust leader length below the indicator to put you where the fish are holding (from experience, too much leader length puts your bug in the mud ) Slow finger twist retrieve or let the breeze move it. Takes are usually very subtle so tighten up the line at the slightest swirl of the indicator.
Good luck!
Michael

While fishing a local lake Friday with my trusty woolly Bugger and picking up a few fish I noticed a lot, I mean a lot of "Damsel" flies around me. On my boat, rod, arm, fly line. So I looked in my fly box and picked out what I thought would match a Damsel nymph. Full sinking line, 5-8' of water right next to the Lilly pads. WHAM. They just started nailing that fly.(trolling slow). I released 6-7, 14"-17" trout. Plus another 5-6 12" fish. I'm including a couple of PIC of what was in 2 of the bigger fish's stomach. They didn't just strike this fly they attacked it. ( 2 fish got gill hooked. In cleaning them I found these).Can anyone tell me why the was a rock in one fish's stomach?

Trout eat a lot of stupid stuff, put it this way they are definatly not the smartest fish around. I have found a lot of bass plastics in their stomachs, about out of every 7 rainbow trout Ive kept at least one or two have bass plastics in them. Ive also thought the have been eating rocks when their stomach felt like there was a ton of pebbles inside but when I opened them up they were all just a bunch of snails.

Fish Whisperer...very nice pics...and it was nice to meet you tonight...c

Cool pics, Whisperer.

Pinner, from my limited experience, how the dries sit in the water doesn't really seem to affect how the trout respond although you'd think it would.

On the most basic level of trying to determine what is hatching at night, mayflies are usually really obvious as they tend to be VERY delicate when they fly and you can usually make out their lengthy tails when looking at them. Caddis look like small moths and fly like they are drunk... they bound around in the air and smack the water as they lay eggs. This time of year, I'd think that chronomids would be the ticket... or those damsels.

As far as finding rocks in fish, it seems to be fairly common. I always assumed they just accidently picked up the rocks while slurping something off of the bottom. The one in that pic looks like it would have taken some effort to make it out of the "exit" door.

LTF365 Same here. Stay in touch. Do you Salmon fish much out of Manchester?

fish whisperer...i do every once in a while if i wanna change it up, i just hate that boat launch...seams every time i wanna put in or pull out the launch is not under water enough...so i hit Kingston or Salisbury first...c