Easily entertained &
happy to fish, I like it all. Though there are some things I like better than
others.
I love lake fishing. But
admit I’m no big fan of the bobber-midging approach so popular on the Northwest
lakes I fish. Sure, that does have its day, but I don’t like staring at a
bobber all day, my attention focused there while the world happens. If I look
away for a moment (which I’m often prone to do) sure-nuff that’s when the
bobber goes under. Attention deficit aside, I prefer to dredge, most of the
time fishing a big Leech, Dragonfly Nymph, or Carey Special. These usually
bring a smashing take while stripped, & I like that. Also, dredging seems
to bring a better grade of trout than midging does, generally (though certainly
not always).
Luckily, the lakes I fish
most often harbor wall-to-wall populations of dragonflies & leeches, so one
can seldom go wrong with these. My favorite lakes drop off quickly from
shoreline weed beds. As long as the water is cool enough, the drop-off in front
of the weeds is the favored hunting zone of ‘gators’ (big trout) routinely
cruising the lush zone seeking edible critters. There on the weedy drop-offs is
where I like to intercept them. Do some gator hunting.
 |
| Carey Special |
In early spring, then again
in late fall when the water cools enough, trout are in shallow, so I go with a
full-floating line rigged with a 15’ fluoro leader. When employing the floating
line I use flies weighted with wire under the body. A bead may be used, though
take care it isn’t so heavy that it sinks the fly too quickly or tips it off
the horizontal plane. I cast the fly to the weed line, let it sink a bit, then retrieve
it very slowly with a hand-twist retrieve, pausing often to let the fly sink as
it fishes down the drop-off. Trout will take the fly during a pause, & the
floating line acts as an indicator, suddenly surging ahead, signaling the take.
You watch the floating line when you’re operating with this method. If I can’t
get a visual on the drop-off, I’ll cast & count down before starting to
work the retrieve, starting with a 10-count, then going ten seconds deeper with
each cast until finding the sweet zone. I like the ease of the floating line
set-up, as it allows me to meet the chance calibaetis or midge hatch (yes
midges without a bobber) without the need to change lines or carry an extra
rod. But that early & late season fishing might be better met with a
slow-sinking line, which will accomplish the same result, while allowing for a
faster retrieve without lifting the fly out of the strike zone, as the floating
line will if the fly is retrieved rapidly – & sometimes they want it moving
fast. So…
As the season proceeds &
the water warms, the fish move deeper. Though a sink tip line with a slow sink-rate
will cover the shallows, there comes a point in the season when a faster sinking
line gets the first nod. I’m currently using the Cortland Compact Sink lines
with 28’ sinking heads, in Type 3, 6, & 9. The Type 9 has a 9ips sink rate;
& if I could only have one it would be the Type 9 (I would miss the Type 6)
– but each will have its day as ideal, & all three would pretty much cover
the spectrum of still-water situations a serious dredger might encounter. Each
Compact sink-rate is a different color for easy identification, & all have
a black, sinking head section. All feature a moderate sink-rate running line,
which helps to keep the fly down in the zone when stripped. The 28’ sinking
head gets down & fishes like a full-sinking line, yet casts a helluva lot
better. The fairly aggressive (yet forgiving) head configuration turns over
& lays out heavy Bugger & Leech patterns with ease. I think anybody considering
a good dredging line for the lake would be more than satisfied with the Cortland
Compact Sink lines.
When fishing sinking lines I
like my flies non-weighted for better suspension. Even with an innocuous black
sink-tip, when fishing lakes I like at least an 8’ fluoro leader. A longer
leader doesn’t hurt in clear lakes, particularly if the trout are seeing some
pressure – & if the line bellies down onto the weed tops, the longer leader
& non-weighted fly are less likely to get dragged through.
Here's a catalogue of the Cortland Compact lines: https://www.cortlandline.com/
