Usually in August I'm off chasing summer runs with my 8-wt, but Mountain will produce fish...using weighted muddlers fishing structure real close to shore. Stick to the shady side in the heat of the day, or downsize...I've caught a lot of fish trolling a hare's ear, for example. Go with a long leader--20 feet of 3lb test or lighter. Most of the surface activity will be at dusk, though on windy days fish will take up feeding stations along the shoreline. Trolling over weedbeds at dusk can be golden.
A 5-lb cutt came out of Mountain this spring, by someone using powerbait.
Cascade is also a good bet, but I don't tend to go there during the summer because of the crowds. I've been there lately, though, because the WDFW dumped some 130,000 fry into the lake recently and every 'bow has a big ol' belly--makes hooking a 12-incher a bit more fun! Spotty reports of bigger fish being caught--myself, I've released a couple of 16" cutts, but that's the extent of it. There were a handful of 18-inchers caught on opening day...and there are certainly bigger fish in there.
Haven't fished Twin Lakes much, but Ray at Eastsound Sporting Goods hit the nail on the head when he said the little fish are in the big lake, and the big fish are in the little late. Must've caught a dozen little 6" brookies in a little over an hour on the big lake; have only hooked a few larger brookies in the smaller lake, to 14"...look for caddis.
Another lake I've heard but never fished is Killebrew--apparently has some bass in it.
Ooh, you don't know how much I salivate at the thought of fishing some of the local private ponds!
Email me with further questions, particularly as your visit approaches. My fishing buddy moved from Bellingham to Eugene, so I may be spending some time on the road this summer, and putting more effort into the Kalama and the Stilly and...than ol' Mountain lake, which after all I have to live with the rest of the year.
--Maurice Austin
[ 05-10-2001: Message edited by: fishkisser99 ]