The fishing was better than its been in 25 years and all because the tribe finally started listening to our Reno friend and geneticist. 17 members of our club, Flycasters, Inc., San Jose, had a great fishout with great food and friends.
Pelican had a very hot early and late bite all weekend but it was an absolute zoo of people. A number of Santa Cruz Clubbers, also up that weekend, including Dougald Scott (NCCFFF Steelhead Committee Chairman) float tubed the very south the of the lake, past the ramp and did very well including some ten pounders.
Thursday afternoon when we arrived, Separator was dead, bright sun, clear water and no wind. Friday was overcast and windy and Windless Bay was fantastic. My fishing buddy got over 20; I got 9, and indicator pro Greg Sano of Dinuba kept taking fish on his $300 ladder-seat every 5 minutes all weekend. I’ve never fished that way before but went the indicator route most of the weekend.
Even got to meet Bluegrass Bill and his friend.
Greg’s floating line set up: 24” 4X leader butt; 5/8” dia. corkie; 12 Inches 4X; Split Shot; 24” 4X; inline blood midge about #12 ; 24” 5X tippet to #13 rootbeer midge.
Saturday was very bright sun, clear water and no wind so Windless Bay really slowed down. Naturally Greg Sano with his excellent casting and ability to slowing strip the line to find where the fish were took more fish. I found that using Rich’s suggestion of a slight twitch helped a lot. About 10:00 am Pete Agee, another good caster from Salinas, two ladders down from me took a 31”, 10 pounder. I took about 4 fish all day. In the afternoon, I tried a shooting head and got a fish on my first cast using a white-top chartreuse body beetle on the dropper with a black and green body wooly worm at the point of a Reno Fly Shop kind of leader. I used to put a white or brown wooly worm on the dropper.
Sunday was another sunny day with some wind and I took two fish before it was time to leave. We fished right front of the marina building north of the point where the closure starts.
Skitt fiske!
Favoured: 0
