An unusual autumn, much too hot. Cloudy water conditions following the heavy rainfall of the last few days. It will be necessary to find the fishing with fish introduced about fifteen days ago which must seek their place.
Preparation of the material and taking the temperature
I arrive at the waterfront around 10:15 am because I have an hour and 20 minutes drive and I wanted to drop my daughter off at school.
Two float tube fishermen are already on the water. One on the bottom of the reservoir near the buildings (museum and fishing room) and the other on the top of the lake at the water arrivals.
I chose to fish from the shore, as they were predicting a windy day. I often take a boat, because it allows me to better explore all the corners of the lake and to move quickly from one spot to another. However on slow fishing like boobies, it is never very practical, because the boat moves and it is sometimes difficult to keep contact with his line.
I had nothing prepared. First of all, I set up a plunging rod (Rio Fathom S5) with two boobies that I cast at 10 m from the shore. There is often a passage at this place. I put the rod beside me the time to prepare the others hoping to catch some this way.
I start to prepare my second rod, the SAGE Sonic 10 feet 7 line, with an intermediate line (Rio camolux WF7), mount the leader with a stem to fish with two flies, when suddenly my line moves. I take the rod and strike. I have one at the end which has taken in static my booby of exit (white) as it often happens. This strategy pays off, allowing me to bring in a first fish while preparing my other sets. A very nice and combative bow.
I continue to ride all three of my rods while casting from time to time. No other static hits. Nothing on the streamer. A few hits on the blog, quickly. No success.
I fish again with boobies by changing color. This will allow me to touch another fish that I will remove.
A morning that passes quickly and without much result. Not much information on the fishing of the day. A few fish jump here and there. No real gobbles. All my rods are ready. Case to follow.
Fishing with small white streamer for a fee
I change pontoon and go opposite, on the other bank. A place that I like very much where last year I had fished very well, including a crazy day with 45 fishes with two people.
I'm back to boobies on the bottom, as the waters are dirty and very little surface activity. This is far from my favorite fishing, but I thought it would definitely be the fishing of the day, as the temperatures have dropped lately and the waters are dirty.
I throw, crunch a few pieces of my sandwich so as not to waste time, then take back the cane and animate. I will do so during all my meal. No touch in static, nor by changing animation and color and size of fly. Decidedly! When it does not work on boobies, it is often a bad sign.
So I change my technique and strategy, and I'm going to fish again with an intermediate line, the Rio Camolux S7I. I first set up a sparkler in the tip and a black streamer in the stem. I spot a gobbler in the rim and hook this fish on the sparkler in the lily pads. A tough fight to get it out. After a few casts, in front of the pontoon, I change to a white streamer with an orange head in size 6, and keep my unweighted black streamer in the stem. I will take a new trout, then another one.
However, the fish seem to be active on the edge. This is often the case on this reservoir, as the cormorants make life hard for the trout that hide under the branches and in the water lilies. An area where there is also food: chironomid larvae, dragonfly larvae, small white fish (roach and rotengles).
I still see a few gobbles that I try with a sedge and a "chiro" nymph underneath, but no results.
I decide to move to the next pontoon where I see a trout gobbling and moving from time to time.
I fished from the shore before going up to the pontoon, as it was still on the shore. After a few casts, the white streamer "flies" again. Another beautiful rainbow trout in good shape.
Then I move to the pontoon and fish in a fan pattern to cover the area. I'll pick off another trout that will take my streamer on the way down.
I cover the spot, but not much more. I observe, change a little of animation and take again a new trout not far from a gobage. I discuss with one of the float tube fishermen who tells me that he caught only one trout this morning around 11:00 am on orange. This confirms the fishing is not simple, but that makes the session more interesting. It is necessary to dig the head to take fish.
A finer fishing with "chiro"
I go back to the previous pontoon where I had left my other rods and my bag. I change my fly for a small orange streamer to test following my discussion with the other fisherman! Like what every information can prove to be interesting. Once again on the edge and close to an eddy.
I'm a little tired of streamer fishing and decide to use my 6 line rod, a SAGE Foundation set up with a floating Rio Grand line and a train of three flies. I put a "chiro" nymph with a small silver bead. On the stem, a chiro nymph without weight and above it a drowned nymph (the black zulu).
I fish under the branches and close to the bank, either on eddies or without seeing anything while prospecting. Since this morning, I understood a little the circuit of these trouts which wander between the bank, the branches and the water lilies. Finally, this will prove to be the right technique since I will take 6 or 7 trout and will unhook several of them in the lily pads. The animation consisted in letting the fly train dive and animating by very small strips (pulls) very fast. The hits were clean and all on the chiro nymph in tip, despite other changes. Very nice actions and great fights because of the obstacles and especially the water lilies. I really enjoyed it. A fine fishing, of precision and super interesting.
As always in reservoirs, it is by analyzing and observing that we find the fishing. You should never be content to stick to one technique, or one type of fly, color or animation.
By varying and changing regularly, a dozen trout will come in the net. A beautiful day with an autumnal weather that we had been waiting for some time!
