Hirudinous Lake, 1 July 2022

Cabezon

Sculpin Enterprises
Forum Supporter
After a long gap between fishing trips, I and a friend headed up to the mountains for the first trip of the summer. Let's call it "Hirudinous Lake". We weren’t alone as a flyfishing club had an outing here as well. But the lake is big enough to accommodate the 20+ floating craft without too much interference. Per usual, the lake was windy, albeit variable. The wind would die for periods or even swirl around just for variety, but then gust to the low teens – pretty typical.
HirudinousLakeP7010001.jpg

Per usual, I had 3 rods rigged up: a 5 wt with a sink-tip line with a brown seal leach and a damsel nymph trailer, a 4 wt with a floating line with a size 14 black and white chironomid and a size 18 red and black chironomid, and a 3 wt with a floating line with a size 14 biot-bodied Callibaetis parachute. In the end, I caught fish on all three rods.

From the launch, I started out by slow trolling the 5 wt. out to the middle of the lake- no runs, no hits, no errors. I anchored up and threw out the chironomids, but there were Callibaetis spinners in the air and I saw a dun lifting off the water. Casting dry flies to cruising rainbows is one of my favorite ways of fishing this lake and I needed to be on the Western flats for this. So, back on the slow troll with the 5 wt. Along the way, a feisty 10” brookie inhaled the damsel nymph.
Brookie1aP7010008.jpg
Brookie1bP7010009.jpg

As soon as I arrived at the right location, I cast out the Callibaetis parachute and scanned for any surface action. It didn’t take long before I saw a swirl within long casting distance (wind working in my favor…). The fly sat for only a moment or two before a large head engulfed the fly – rainbow for sure. The fish jumped clear of the water. Then, it must have decided to head to the launch as it took out what remained of my fly line and was into the backing before I could slow it down. It then swam back at me so fast that I had to reel like a mad organ grinder to keep any tension on the line. The fish made one more run before I could slip it into the net, a 16” rainbow.
Rainbow1dP7010022.jpg
Rainbow1eP7010026.jpg

Cool, good start. Let’s do that again. But there truly wasn’t much of a Callibaetis hatch (consistent with a multi-year pattern of declines in Callibaetis hatches at this lake) and the only fish swirling at the surface were brookies that were after micro-caddis. But they would take the Callibaetis parachute if I dropped it in the neighborhood of a recent rise. After an hour or so of playing with small brookies, I slowly started to work my way east in the hopes of running into more rainbows. I spied a large swirl and threw the Callibaetis parachute in the vicinity. It disappeared in a big strike and then the leader broke. It was either a big brookie or a rainbow.

I decided to go a bit outside the box for a replacement. Some friends had fished Hirudinous Lake earlier in the week and caught a black ant emergence. They had two great days fishing different ant patterns, including the iconic sailor ant. But that had been several days ago and there were not ants on the water today. So, when I saw the sailor ant in the fly box while rummaging for another parachute, I thought that I would try it. And I’m glad that I did. Either cast directly or slowly trolled over the surface, the sailor ant attracted the attention of several bigger brookies, like this one.
Brookie2bP7010037.jpg
Brookie2fP7010049.jpg

With the wind picking up in the later afternoon, I anchored up near where the now-departed fleet has been earlier in the day. Out went the chironomids. It was slow, slow, slow. But I did hook and land two 6-8” brookies and one nice 16” rainbow. All three took the larger chironomid fly. A nice way to end the day.
Rainbow2cP7010066.jpg
Rainbow2eP7010076.jpg
Rainbow2gP7010082.jpg
All were released to fight another day.
Steve
 
Last edited:

Uptonogood

PNW raised
After a long gap between fishing trips, I and a friend headed up to the mountains for the first trip of the summer. Let's call it "Hirudinous Lake". We weren’t alone as a flyfishing club had an outing here as well. But the lake is big enough to accommodate the 20+ floating craft without too much interference. Per usual, the lake was windy, albeit variable. The wind would die for periods or even swirl around just for variety, but then gust to the low teens – pretty typical.
View attachment 21363

Per usual, I had 3 rods rigged up: a 5 wt with a sink-tip line with a brown seal leach and a damsel nymph trailer, a 4 wt with a floating line with a size 14 black and white chironomid and a size 18 red and black chironomid, and a 3 wt with a floating line with a size 14 biot-bodied Callibaetis parachute. In the end, I caught fish on all three rods.

From the launch, I started out by slow trolling the 5 wt. out to the middle of the lake- no runs, no hits, no errors. I anchored up and threw out the chironomids, but there were Callibaetis spinners in the air and I saw a dun lifting off the water. Casting dry flies to cruising rainbows is one of my favorite ways of fishing this lake and I needed to be on the Western flats for this. So, back on the slow troll with the 5 wt. Along the way, a feisty 10” brookie inhaled the damsel nymph.
View attachment 21364
View attachment 21365

As soon as I arrived at the right location, I cast out the Callibaetis parachute and scanned for any surface action. It didn’t take long before I saw a swirl within long casting distance (wind working in my favor…). The fly sat for only a moment or two before a large head engulfed the fly – rainbow for sure. The fish jumped clear of the water. Then, it must have decided to head to the launch as it took out what remained of my fly line and was into the backing before I could slow it down. It then swam back at me so fast that I had to reel like a mad organ grinder to keep any tension on the line. The fish made one more run before I could slip it into the net, a 16” rainbow.
View attachment 21366
View attachment 21367

Cool, good start. Let’s do that again. But there truly wasn’t much of a Callibaetis hatch (consistent with a multi-year pattern of declines in Callibaetis hatches at this lake) and the only fish swirling at the surface were brookies that were after micro-caddis. But they would take the Callibaetis parachute if I dropped it in the neighborhood of a recent rise. After an hour or so of playing with small brookies, I slowly started to work my way east in the hopes of running into more rainbows. I spied a large swirl and threw the Callibaetis parachute in the vicinity. It disappeared in a big strike and then the leader broke. It was either a big brookie or a rainbow.

I decided to go a bit outside the box for a replacement. Some friends had fished Hirudinous Lake earlier in the week and caught a black ant emergence. They had two great days fishing different ant patterns, including the iconic sailor ant. But that had been several days ago and there were not ants on the water today. So, when I saw the sailor ant in the fly box while rummaging for another parachute, I thought that I would try it. And I’m glad that I did. Either cast directly or slowly trolled over the surface, the sailor ant attracted the attention of several bigger brookies, like this one.
View attachment 21368
View attachment 21369

With the wind picking up in the later afternoon, I anchored up near where the now-departed fleet has been earlier in the day. Out went the chironomids. It was slow, slow, slow. But I did hook and land two 6-8” brookies and one nice 16” rainbow. All three took the larger chironomid fly. A nice way to end the day.
View attachment 21370
View attachment 21371
View attachment 21393
All were released to fight another day.
Steve
Recognized that body of water immediately. Had my last fly fishing trip with my father there and a new Orvis Battenkill I bought him for Father’s Day in 1966.

Loved the narrative and the photos.
 

Divad

Whitefish
The 16" taking you into the backing, dang! I'd guess that is a holdover or the hatchery there knows how to raise them. Beautiful brookies too.
 

Shawn Seeger

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
After a long gap between fishing trips, I and a friend headed up to the mountains for the first trip of the summer. Let's call it "Hirudinous Lake". We weren’t alone as a flyfishing club had an outing here as well. But the lake is big enough to accommodate the 20+ floating craft without too much interference. Per usual, the lake was windy, albeit variable. The wind would die for periods or even swirl around just for variety, but then gust to the low teens – pretty typical.
View attachment 21363

Per usual, I had 3 rods rigged up: a 5 wt with a sink-tip line with a brown seal leach and a damsel nymph trailer, a 4 wt with a floating line with a size 14 black and white chironomid and a size 18 red and black chironomid, and a 3 wt with a floating line with a size 14 biot-bodied Callibaetis parachute. In the end, I caught fish on all three rods.

From the launch, I started out by slow trolling the 5 wt. out to the middle of the lake- no runs, no hits, no errors. I anchored up and threw out the chironomids, but there were Callibaetis spinners in the air and I saw a dun lifting off the water. Casting dry flies to cruising rainbows is one of my favorite ways of fishing this lake and I needed to be on the Western flats for this. So, back on the slow troll with the 5 wt. Along the way, a feisty 10” brookie inhaled the damsel nymph.
View attachment 21364
View attachment 21365

As soon as I arrived at the right location, I cast out the Callibaetis parachute and scanned for any surface action. It didn’t take long before I saw a swirl within long casting distance (wind working in my favor…). The fly sat for only a moment or two before a large head engulfed the fly – rainbow for sure. The fish jumped clear of the water. Then, it must have decided to head to the launch as it took out what remained of my fly line and was into the backing before I could slow it down. It then swam back at me so fast that I had to reel like a mad organ grinder to keep any tension on the line. The fish made one more run before I could slip it into the net, a 16” rainbow.
View attachment 21366
View attachment 21367

Cool, good start. Let’s do that again. But there truly wasn’t much of a Callibaetis hatch (consistent with a multi-year pattern of declines in Callibaetis hatches at this lake) and the only fish swirling at the surface were brookies that were after micro-caddis. But they would take the Callibaetis parachute if I dropped it in the neighborhood of a recent rise. After an hour or so of playing with small brookies, I slowly started to work my way east in the hopes of running into more rainbows. I spied a large swirl and threw the Callibaetis parachute in the vicinity. It disappeared in a big strike and then the leader broke. It was either a big brookie or a rainbow.

I decided to go a bit outside the box for a replacement. Some friends had fished Hirudinous Lake earlier in the week and caught a black ant emergence. They had two great days fishing different ant patterns, including the iconic sailor ant. But that had been several days ago and there were not ants on the water today. So, when I saw the sailor ant in the fly box while rummaging for another parachute, I thought that I would try it. And I’m glad that I did. Either cast directly or slowly trolled over the surface, the sailor ant attracted the attention of several bigger brookies, like this one.
View attachment 21368
View attachment 21369

With the wind picking up in the later afternoon, I anchored up near where the now-departed fleet has been earlier in the day. Out went the chironomids. It was slow, slow, slow. But I did hook and land two 6-8” brookies and one nice 16” rainbow. All three took the larger chironomid fly. A nice way to end the day.
View attachment 21370
View attachment 21371
View attachment 21393
All were released to fight another day.
Steve
I am finally at the "Hirudinous lake" got here late and it is raining. Can hardly wait for the next week of fishing!

Great report!!!
 

Eastside

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
Great report. I was there last week from Tuesday through Saturday. Originally was planning to head home on Friday morning, but my son decided to come up based on my fishing reports and another friend joined me with his very well mannered 1 year old lab. The wind was a constant most days, but there were some breaks. Fishing was great at times and then slow, but I could still manage fish. Unlike the conventional wisdom at the lake of floating, intermediate, or sink tip lines, much of the time I fished a sink 5 line and would adjust the count before retrieving. In your top photo, I’m the closest boat (lime green frameless pontoon; other threads document the source). It was a great trip. Seeing two elk in the meadow on the west end of the lake early one morning, watching my friend take his lab on his first fishing trip, and my son out fishing me on Saturday morning were all highlights. Lots of nice hard fighting rainbows and a few large brook trout. Mosquitoes weren’t a factor at the beginning of the week, but were more active as the weather warmed up, or when Shawn showed up. Another Seeger effect? Maybe….
5C6E39C4-FDA8-4C97-BA44-DB14ED8708ED.jpegD9C8D96D-F8D9-440B-BF03-6142F1868CCD.jpeg8D9E565B-535A-4F02-B2AF-44CFA8E26644.jpeg
 
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