Fishing Tips 101

Test on the Basics of Stillwater Fly Fishing

As I have noted in my introduction to Mastering the Basics of Stillwater Fly Fishing, I am not an expert or authority on stillwater fishing. In my five decades of fly fishing and my years of guiding, I concentrated mostly on moving waters, with the exception of high-elevation lakes. At age 62 I do not have the luxury of slowly acquiring stillwater skills over a period of years. Now that I live across the street from Klamath Lake, which harbors huge trout, I am hell-bent to learn the secrets of stillwater fly fishing quickly. Over the past few years I have hooked and landed a number of trout in the four to seven pound range, but I also grudgingly admit that I have been skunked more times than I care to address. The glossary and test, dear reader, are for me. As a retired teacher, I know the value of reading, outlining information and then writing a test in order to really learn the material. The ultimate and final test is on the water.

I hope you too find some value in taking the test first, and then reading my article. The test will prep you for the article. If you are already an experienced stillwater fly fishing angler, the test may be too elemental, as it truly targets the beginning angler who wants to “master the basics.” As always, I would enjoy receiving any feedback or suggestions for improvement. (The answers to the test are at the very bottom.)

Dave Archer

1. Why do the experts recommend slow action rods for stillwater fishing?
2. What is the preference for rods in terms of length and line weight?
3. What is the most commonly recommended leader?
4. A Chironomid fly most closely resembles what other insect?
A. Caddis B. Grasshopper C. Mosquito D. Mayfly

5. With a few exceptions, the experts were fairly consistent in their targeted “Go-To” patterns when searching for trout in a new lake. In order of importance, which order most closely reflects the choice of the experts?
A: Leech, Dragonfly/Damsel, Minnow, Chironomid, Scud, Terrestrial
B: Scud, Minnow, Dragonfly/Damsel, Terrestrial, Chironomid
C: Minnow, Scud, Chironomid, Dragonfly/Damsel, Terrestrial
D: Chironomid, Scud, Leech, Dragonfly/Damsel, Terrestrial

6. What is the most versatile fly line?
7. Another name for “midge” is ___________

8. A “scud” is ________
A. A lonely, small cloud drifting by itself
B. a clump of trico mayflies
C. a small crustacean resembling a shrimp
D. A & C

9. The experts agree that trout prey most actively on leeches in the following range: A. 1-2 inches B. 2-3 inches C. 4-5 inches D. 6-8 inches

10. One advantage of fishing a dark Woolly Bugger is that it imitates two sources of trout food which are ___________ and __________

11. T/F Unlike bass, trout will only feed on a crawdad when it is young and molting.
12. Use a mouse pattern after…

13. Generally, unless you have cabin fever, avoid these conditions:
A. A rapidly falling barometer
B. Wind
C. a period of a full moon
D. flat, calm conditions
E. water with an algae bloom present
F. C & E
G. A & C

14. In deciding on the distance and speed of retrieval, the experts are in total agreement that the most important aspect of the retrieve is the …
15. An approaching storm often (decreases the bite) (increases the bite).
16. T/F: Strike indicators are out of the realm of fly fishing and indicative of an inexperienced fly fisher.

17. When fishing with a San Juan Worm, an angler is imitating what larva?
A. Mayfly
B. Chironomid
C. Caddis
D. Leech

18. T/F: The Caddis is not as important to the stillwater angler as it is to the stream angler.

19. A Callibaetis insect is what “class” of insects?
A. Mayfly B. Caddis C. Chironomid D. Water Boatman

Match Retrieves with Patterns:

Note: The choices of retrieves are not precise. Select a retrieve that is most appropriate. I found the experts have a wide range of opinion on the matter of retrieve. Keep a record of what works for you, but don’t be cavalier as this is the most critical aspect of stillwater fly fishing. Bring along a cheat sheet and practice each retrieve when you venture out on the water. Take notes!

A: One hand twist every five to ten seconds followed by a quick jerk and a pause
B: One inch slow and steady pulls followed by a pause
C: Three to six inch slow pulls followed by a pause
D: Two feet pulls speeding up with a flick of the wrist at the end w/ occasional pauses
E: Rapid short retrieves: Strip-strip-strip-pause
F: Long, fast pulls punctuated with an occasional pause and jerk
No retrieve

Which of the above retrieves would you use for the following patterns?

20. Leech on bottom
21. Leech swimming
22. Chironomid larva
23. Chironomid pupae
24. Dragonfly nymph
25. Damselfly nymph
26. Minnow
27. Scud
28. Terrestrial
29. Emergers or nymph on the surface
30. Cripple or dun on the surface

Matching Insects with Fly Patterns
A. Chironomid
B. Callibaetis Mayfly Dun
C. Callibaetis Mayfly Nymph
D. Caddis
E. Damselfly
F. Dragonfly
G. Leech
H. Scud
I. Terrestrial
J. Minnow
K. Crawdad

Match the following patterns with the insects above.

31. Bronzie, Chromie
32. Zonker
33. Adams, Midges, Black Gnat, Mosquito, Compara Dun
34. Pheasant Tail Nymph, Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear
35. Sedge pattern (Hint: England and Canada)
36. Woolly Bugger, Carey Special, Beadhead Woolly
37. Sparkle Shrimp, Zug Bug
38. Seal Bugger
39. Ants, beetles and grasshoppers
40. Woolhead Sculpin, Red Sided Shiner
41. Hare’s Ear Wet
42. Carey Special (another use different than 36.
43. Reddish brown Woolly Bugger fished on the bottom
44. Denny’s All Purpose Emerger
45. Bloodworm

46. T/F: Callibaetis nymphs are active swimmers
47. T/F: Callibaetis duns and Hexagenia duns provide the best opportunity for dry fly fishing on lakes.
48. Why are Chironomid nymphs and Callibaetis nymphs bright during their ascent to the surface?
49. What is a major disadvantage of fishing stillwater with a floating line?
50. What one piece of equipment should you always have when wading or fishing a boat?

Answers:

1. The slower action rods absorb the shock of a large fish on the take. Light tippets do not hold up on a stiffer rod when a large trout fights in underwater vegetation.
2. Many of the experts, both guides and authors that I have met, use 5 wt rods from 8.5 to 9.5 in length. As always, it is personal preference. Certainly 5 – 8 weight rods will all do fine.
3. 4x-5x, 9 to 15 feet in length
4. C
5. D
6. Floating
7. Chironomid
8. D
9. A
10. Minnow or forage fish and a leech
11. False
12. dark
13. A & C Denny Rickards and other experts note that trout like the cover of an algae bloom until the oxygen is depleted and the temperature of the water nears 70 degrees.
14. Pause
15. Increases the bite
16. Bull shit!
17. Chironomid blood worm
18. T The caddis larva moves slowly across the lake bottom not attracting much attention. Its descent in the pupa stage to the surface is slow, and it too often goes unnoticed. Once in the surface film, the emerger stage is over quickly.
19. Mayfly

20. A or B
21. C or D
22. A or B
23. A or B
24. C or D
25. B or C
26. E or F
27. A or B
28. No retrieve, slight twitch
29. B or C
30. No retrieve

31. Chironomid nymph
32. Streamer
33. Chironomid emerger / dun
34. Callibaetis nymph or Chironomid nymph
35. Caddis
36. Leech
37. Scud
38. Leech or Dragonfly nymph
39. Terrestrial
40. Minnow
41. Chironomid nymph
42. Dragonfly nymph
43. Crawdad
44. Chironomid emerger
45. Chironomid larva
46. True
47. True
48. They use trapped air and gas to help them rise to the surface, which gives a shinny reflection to their bodies.
49. Wind drift moves the line which in turn moves your fly.
50. Inflatable chest suspenders or a Coast Guard approved floatation devise.

If you got an “A”, skip my article, although you may want to read one or more of the recommended books, especially Fly Patterns for Stillwater. If you did poorly, read the accompanying article, and be sure to buy one or more of the books that I recommend. If you are young and just beginning to fly fish, I recommend Croft’s book, The Fish Bum’s Guide to Catching Larger Trout, an illustrated manual on stillwater tactics for the intermediate fly angler. Although I valued and enjoyed reading a number of books listed in my bibliography, my favorite remains Denny Rickards, Fly-Fishing Stillwaters for Trophy Trout.

Mastering the Basics of Stillwater Fly Fishing
Glossary

A
Alderflies: These insects are similar to Caddisflies, but they are black.

Anchored Position: Unless you are drifting with the wind or trolling, an anchored stationary position provides the greatest opportunity for precise casting and controlled retrieves. Cabala’s offers a number of small anchors for belly boats and Kickboats. In a larger boat, especially with two anglers, two anchors keep the boat stationary in the wind so that the boat doesn’t swing back and forth. In this manner both anglers may cast parallel and both casters have a stationary zone to target.

B
Barometer: Fair and Stable means fair or stable fishing; Low or falling means “The Pits.”

Bloodworm: Many species of Chironomids live deep in the lake. To survive in this oxygen depleted zone, they need hemoglobin, which gives the larva body a bright red color.
(Photograph)

Boil: A boil is a bulge of water on the surface indicating a fish is feeding just under the surface on emerging insects. This is contrasted to sippers who lazily sip insects in the surface film during low light. This is contrasted by a splashy spay of water indicating a charging trout eager to catch a surface resting insect prior to its maiden flight.

C
Callibaetis Mayfly: Although abundant in streams, mayflies do not typically inhabit stillwaters. One of the exceptions, however, is the Callibaetis, the speckled-wing mayfly. Preferring clear water, lakes with Callibaetis mayflies are an important food source of trout as nymphs, duns and spinners. Typically, two or three hatching periods occur throughout the season with each successive hatch smaller in size from the last. The hatch during spring comes off mid-morning, but as the season progresses hatches occur in the early morning and low light of evening. Mottled in browns and tans with speckled, translucent wings, the Callibaetis mayfly can be found across the country, including famous trout rivers offering slower water.
(Photograph)

Chemocline: This is the bottom of the lake, the profundal zone, which holds little oxygen. Unless there is seepage springs offering oxygenated water in the Chemocline, trout will not be found in this zone.

Chironomids – Midges: The most prolific insect in lakes around the world, the chiromomidae are classified as “true” flies, with two sets of wings and resembling their cousin the mosquito, but they do not bite. Phillip Rowly in his book, Fly Patterns for Stillwaters, notes that there are over 2500 species of Chironomids in North America, and they make up approximately 40% of a trout’s diet almost year around. This is a bug worth getting to know! (Refer to the article on Stillwater fishing for more details and strategies.)
(photograph)

Cover: Read any good bass fishing book and you will learn everything there is to know about stillwater fishing for trout. Keep in mind the obvious. Trout need cover to protect themselves from overhead predators. They need overhead obstructions or camouflaging to break up their outline. They need cooler waters that provide sufficient oxygen, and they need to be close to good sources of food. So in alphabetical order, here are some “fishy” spots to target: algae blooms, bays, branches, channels, cliffs, downed trees, drop-offs, feeder streams, inlets and outlets, points, rocks, river channels, shoals (submerged island), springs, vegetation.

(Art illustration)

Counting Down: The dilemma of a stillwater fly angler in deeper water is not knowing how far down the fly line and fly have settled. Keep in mind that bass and trout do not look down. If they have acclimated to a particular depth, which is comfortable, they are unlikely to dive down to a food source. To search out these suspended fish which are typically near the bottom, an angler must time his sinking cast prior to retrieving it through a particular zone or depth. Once feeding trout have moved out of the shallows for safety and sanctuary, they station themselves at a suspended depth. Progressively allow each cast to sink deeper by counting seconds prior to retrieval. Keep in mind that the longer cast that you make will keep the fly in a particular depth or zone before the retrieval gradually lifts the fly to the surface. The countdown method is also beneficial when you are pulling your fly just above underwater plants and vegetation. The countdown method is most useful when fishing sinking lines, which have a particular sink rate. (See fly line sink rates.)

Cripple: When a hatch occurs, quite a few pupa struggle and get tied up in their nymphal shucks. These cripples make easy pickings for trout, as Chironomid upon reaching the surface film often escape as duns into the air in a matter of seconds.

D
Damselflies: Delicate, slender and long bodied, the Damselfly is easily recognized in “Smurff” blue. Fly anglers, however, are more interested in the Damselfly when it is a nymph slowly swimming around and feasting on other insects. Living in fairly shallow water, their migration to stalks or pilings for their metamorphic escape into maturity provides great opportunity for trout and angler alike.
(Photograph)

Dragonflies: Are you too young to have seen the movie Predator? If you missed it, see it as soon as possible, and you will understand the nature of a Dragonfly, the predator of the underwater, insect world. They make their way into the stomachs of trout and bass only in the nymph stage. One advantage for the angler is that the nymph stage often spans two or three years, hence size does NOT matter in this circumstance, as size is relative to age. Dragonfly nymphs are “Go-To” patterns, and the most common imitation is the Woolly Bugger.
(Photograph)

Drainage Lake: This is a natural lake characterized by an inlet and an outlet.

Dropper Fly: Using a second or third fly is referred to as a dropper. Quiet often a smaller dropper nymph is tied directly to the hook bend of the point fly. Some anglers reverse the size order and place a larger fly as the dropper so that it looks like it is pursuing a smaller fly just ahead of it.
(illustration)

Dun: From larva to pupae to the dun stages, the dun is ready to mate and perpetuate the cycle of life.
(Photograph)

F
Fly Line Sink Rates:

Fly Patterns:
Searching Patterns: In the absence of rising fish, or fish located cruising though the area, a searching pattern is the “Go-To” choice. Determine the most prolific food sources for a particular body of water. Of these, which food sources are most abundant throughout the season? The experts recommend beginning with the ubiquitous Chironomid midge, followed by scuds and dragonfly nymphs and damsel nymphs. Finally, a leech pattern is a good “Go-To” searching pattern anytime of the year. Be sure to cast in all directions around your anchored boat.
(Photograph)

G
Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear: This is a must have nymph pattern for high and low elevation lakes. For high elevation lakes this patter and a Zug Bug are sometimes all that you need.

H
Hatch: Being in the hatch on the hatch or near the hatch is like being in the front row of an opera or behind home plate. It is close to the action when large numbers of insects emerge and trout begin gorging themselves. When the hatch dies, look for the same hatch at another location of the lake, such as an area enveloped in mountain shade. These areas are more gradual to warm during cool spring mornings. Morris and Chan remind us that “good” hatches are not always so noticeable and can be missed. Watch for surface feeding and birds darting around catching their meal.

Heavy Water: When water reaches 39 degrees it becomes heavy and settles towards the bottom whereas the surface water hovers at 32 degrees to form ice. Trout seek out these warmer water conditions during the winter.

Hexagenia Mayfly: The Godzilla of mayflies, these giants of stillwater are revered and prayed upon by trout and anglers in the know. Short hatching periods near dark, keep initiated anglers chuckling to themselves or making packs with their partners on vows of secrecy. Recognized by brilliant yellow coloration, Hex duns are imitated on hooks in size 8 to 4 on long shank hooks!

Hinge Effect: On fast sinking lines and sink tips, the uneven decent of the line creates a hinge effect which adversely effects line control. The uniform sinking intermediate lines do not have this problem.

I
Ice-Out: Trout are hungry after ice-out, although due to the cold water temperatures they are sluggish. Target inlets where trout will stage for their spring spawning runs.

Interception: If a trout is feeding on the surface, make an effort to anticipate the movement of the trout and place a dropped fly in its path.

K
Kickboat: Replacing the dangerous Belly Boats of yesteryear, kickboats utilize two pontoons with a rowing frame. They are safe, easy to transport and still keep the angler low on the water. With swim fins and oars, kickboats can cover a large area.

L
Life Vest: I distained wearing a life vest all my life until at age 60 I got myself in trouble in a near drowning incident of my own stupidity. I now wear a suspenders type inflatable, and I forget I have it on it is so unobtrusive.

Larva: This is the worm stage of an underwater insect as it grows and matures. Many larva construct tubes or shells made of fiber or mud. They feed on vegetation and keep a low profile. Dragging themselves across the bottom their movements are slow and usually undetected. During lake turnover (see turnover) or during windy periods where the waves pull and fold water at the surface, shallow living larva are dislodged from the bottom and make an easy meal for hungry trout. Chironomid larva often live in deeper water. During spring they migrate towards the shore, and trout and trout anglers are on the look out.

Leeches: I am not swayed by the fact that the great majority of leeches are not of the blood-sucking variety. I remember as a young man frantically flicking and swiping them off my muddy pants in sheer panic. And yes, I recently watched the movie African Queen and I will be no less panicked the next time they cling to my body, covered or not. And yet I fondly recall catching a huge brown in the Hog Pond near Anaconda, Montana in the early 80’s on a big, brown leech imitation. Leech patterns are “Go-To” patterns in summer when hatches are on the wane. Good imitations are Woolly Buggers, Beadhead Woolly, and the Marabou Leech. Leech patterns are more ammunition for “Go-To” search patterns, but keep your retrieve agonizingly slow!

Line Control: Always keep slack out of your finished cast and point the rod tip down to the water. A straight line communicates a bite whereas loose coils floating on the surface do not register a subtle take. A lowered rod tip removes slack or sagging line. The same principle is true with leaders. Use a piece of rubber or leather to stretch the coils out of a leader prior to attaching a fly.

Littoral Zone: Shoreline

M
Match-the-Hatch: Observe and match the color of the abdomen.

N
Nymph: From egg to larva, the next stage is the nymph stage. (See Pupae.)

P
Pelagial Zone: Open water out in the middle of a lake
Profundal Zone: Down on the bottom of the Profundal Zone, beyond light penetration, little or no oxygen is present to sustain fish.
Pupae: After the larva, or worm stage, the pupae mature in one or two years. Sporting gills and slender bodies, they linger in this stage long enough to become vulnerable to feeding trout. Bobbing and dipping on the bottom, they gather trapped air and gas, which is their ticket out of Mudville. Slowly they ascend to the surface where they shuck their husks, dry their newly emerged wings and fly off to seek a mate and once again insure the survival of their species. Some linger on the surface too long and are leisurely sipped by cruising trout.

R
Retries:
Pauses: “All creatures great and small” eventually poop out and pause to catch their breath. Trout know this and dart in on the pauses of rising insects. More trout are taken on the pause than the retrieve say the experts so keep pausing in anticipation!

Hand-Twist Retrieve: The Hand-Twist retrieve is a forced slow retrieve, a reminder that many of the patterns that imitate forage creep along the bottom at a snail’s pace. Assuming that the angler is right handed and controlling the line above the reel with the line pinched at the top, the angler pinches the line between his thumb and forefinger on his left hand a few inches below the right hand. Now, simply roll the left hand across the line and cup the line in the palm of your hand. Pinch the line above and keep rolling the line up in your palm. Add frequent pauses in your retrieve.

Short Strip Retrieve: The next short retrieve simply strips in line four to six inches at a time punctuated by frequent pauses. A good ratio is strip-strip-strip-pause in a fairly rapid manner.

Fast, Streamer Retrieve: Pulling line downwards and behind you in two foot increments is best suited for streamer fishing. Croft recommends tucking the rod under your armpit and stripping in line with two hands like salt-water fly anglers.

No Retrieve: Gary LaFontaine, in his book, Fly Fishing the Mountain Lakes, states that “a slow retrieve outfished a quick retrieve 4 to 1 and no retrieve outfished a slow retrieve four to one….I’m a specialist at not moving a fly—nymph, dry, wet, or streamer—on lakes.” (p.15)

S
Scuds: Frequently referred to as freshwater shrimp, scuds are crustaceans and an important food source for stillwater trout. Ranging in colors from tan to green and from a quarter of an inch to almost an inch, these creatures crawl or erratically swim in woody or weeded areas year-around, particularly in more alkaline spring waters.

Seepage Lake: One defining aspect of a seepage lake is that it does not have tributaries, feeder creeks or an outlet. Springs and seepage from mountainsides or ground water maintain fertile waters conducive to fish growth. Thermal heating with no escape to cooler waters will periodically kill trout in a seepage lake.

Sight Fishing: Spotting a cruising fish and making a perfect cast is the ultimate challenge of stillwater fly fishing. It is made somewhat easier with polarized sun glasses and a low profile, which is why Belly Boats and Kickboats are popular.

Silence and Stealth: What is true for the bass fisherman is true for the stillwater fisherman. The rattling thrust and churning of props, along with dropping objects onto the bottom of the boat, send shock waves of sound far beyond a caster’s range. Voices, however, do not penetrate the deep and are carried by the wind across the water unbeknownst to the trout below. Once fish are alarmed and take fright, you are wasting your time fishing in a vacated, dead zone. Move into a targeted zone in silence and stealth. Tidy up your boat so that Thermos bottles and coffee cups don’t jolt trout with shocking reverberations like an annoying alarm clock

Spinner: From larva to pupae to the dun stages, the dun is ready to mate and perpetuate the cycle. After mating the insects are spent and fall to the water dying as spinners. Some species fly to cover, however, and do not provide a “spinner fall” feast for hungry trout.

Strike Indicator: Similar to a bobber, the strike indicator is usually placed so that the fly is suspended a foot or more from the bottom. So many strike indicators line the shelves in fly shops that I can’t keep track of them all. I have tried most. The Corkies work great, but I am always short of tooth picks. The fold-over foam pads really gum up a leader when you remove them. Remember, an unweighted fly takes for ever to get to the bottom so add a tiny piece of weight. (See Weighted Flies.) Fishing with strike indicators is a waiting game, so be patient as this is a very effective method of fishing. Multiple flies help determine what the fish are keying into.

Stripping Basket (Aprons): Casting 50 to 80 feet of line can be challenging enough, but when you go to shot the line at the end of a double-haul and it snags on your feet or on a boat cleat, it becomes frustrating. Stripping baskets and aprons contain the line both on the retrieve and the cast.

T
Thermocline: The thermocline is a narrow zone of water lower in oxygen than the surface. It tends to hover just above the Chemocline as the surface waters heat up during the summer months. Trout will often seek refuge near the thermocline.

Trolling: Nothing new here! Fly anglers were trolling with flies long before outboard motors. Armed with a streamer pattern or wet fly, trolling is still an effective technique to reconnoiter unfamiliar waters. Use full-sinking lines, and use oar power to allow the line to sink to the bottom in ten to twenty feet of water. One difficulty, however, is placing your rod in easy reach. Missed opportunities are common. Row into the wind to slow the trolling speed down.

Turn-over: During the spring and again in the fall, the water at the bottom of the lake moves upwards, which is caused from the wind’s waves folding water over and over. This in turn tends to generate a current which draws water from the bottom towards the surface. This mixing of waters is beneficial in that it folds in oxygen and it pulls sediment from the bottom up to the surface which aids insects. The Thermocline, the division of surface water and warmer, heavier water on the bottom, blends. Fish move to shallower water. During the fall the turn-over reverses itself.

W
Water Boatman (Corixia): Although not highly recommended by the experts as a “Go-To” pattern, Water Boatmen are actually flying beetles that spend time in and out of the water. They are easily observed in shallow water under the surface. During pauses it drifts upwards to the surface a bit before it continues swimming.

Wind: Yes, the wind is the nemesis of the fly angler, but it also provides rippled water cover for trout to slide into the shallows and feed on drowned insects. If you can manage your boat in a strong wind, the waves against the shoreline stir up mud and creatures for trout to feed upon. Be careful what you pray for because CALM waters can really slow the fishing down.

Wind Slicks: These isolated islands of mirror like water in rippled waters, make for good feeding windows for trout hiding along the rippled edges waiting for a visible morsel.

Weighted Flies: A weighted fly is wrapped with lead wire or a metal bead or even a heavy, stout hook. Unweighted flies can be settled to the bottom with a small split-shot, lead wire or a pinch of lead putty on one of the blood knots on the leader.

Wind Drifting: I agree with Denny Rickards’ position that Wind Drifting is ineffective and a waste of time.

Bibliography

Most of the material in this article is from the following books. I have placed them not in alphabetical order, but in my personal order of preference. I have looked for consensus and shared common information. Whenever I use information specific to one author, I have cited the author’s name rather than using end notes.

1. Fly-Fishing Stillwaters for Trophy Trout by Denny Rickards (ISBN: 0-9656458-0-0) A Stillwater Productions Publication, PO Box 470, Fort Klamath, OR 97626
Rickards’ book is 181 glossy pages of beautiful photographs and illustrations and a clear treatise on stillwater fly fishing for trophy trout. He is both methodical and thorough. Sharing years of original research, Rickards holds nothing back. He wants every reader who applies his principles to achieve success. It is a beautiful and absorbing book.

2. The Fish Bum’s Guide to Catching Larger Trout, an illustrated manual on stillwater tactics for the intermediate fly angler, written and illustrated by Mike Croft
(ISBN: 1-57188-142-5) Frank Amato Publications. In the spirit and tradition of The Curtis Creek Fly Fishing Manifesto, I couldn’t resist buying this book. After reading a half dozen books on stillwater fly fishing, I knew I had to place this book as my second choice. It is packed with information and quite possibly just as comprehensive as the rest. For a young angler new to stillwater fly fishing, I would recommend this book as a primer. It is excellent to review and peruse because it is illustrated, and the verbiage has been whittled down.

3. Fly Patterns for Stillwaters, a Study of Trout, Entomology and Tying, by Phillip Rowley (ISBN: 1-57188-195-6) Frank Amato Publications. Rowley is an expert in the field of fly fishing, and he has written many books and feature articles. I bought this book for the tying directions, but what I found was that the book covers almost all the important aspects of stillwater fly fishing from presentation and retrieves to seasons, and the interesting life cycle of all the insects he imitates.

4. Morris & Chan on Fly Fishing Trout Lakes, by Skip Morris and Brian Chan
(ISBN: 1-57188-181-6) Frank Amato Publications. Morris and Chan have produced an exceptionally written, photographed and illustrated book for the beginning or intermediate stillwater fly angler. It is certainly a tie for my second choice. It ended up in the number four spot only because I felt I had to place Rowley’s fly pattern book up close to the top.

5. Strategies for Stillwater, by Dave Hughes (0-8117-1916-2) Stackpole Books. I read every word in Hughes’ book and can recommend it as a definitive book on stillwater fly fishing. I do not enjoy reading instructional books on any subject when they are bereft of bold headings, boxed information, lots of photographs and illustrations and a format that aids in reviewing the information. Nonetheless, Strategies for Stillwater is as comprehensive as Denny Rickards’ book, and I learned a great deal from reading it.

6. ‘The Gilly’ A flyfisher’s Guide by Contributors (ISBN:0-88925-638-1) Published by Alf Davy. An excellent resource, especially for those anglers heading to British Columbia, it too is organized and presented as mostly text.

7. Fly Fishing the Mountain Lakes by Gary LaFontaine (ISBN: 0-9626663-7-8)
Greycliff Publishing Company. This book is a great read both for information on fishing high elevation lakes as well as a chronicle of LaFontaine’s fishing adventures. I loved it, but I also became somewhat depressed with how much equipment the experts rely on in fishing as an expert!

In my earlier articles on Mastering the Basics, I drew from my own experience honed over many years of learning and practicing the skills associated with fly angling. In writing Mastering the Basics of Stillwater Fly Fishing, I do not profess to be an expert or authority on stillwater fishing. In my five decades of fly fishing and my years of guiding, I concentrated mostly on moving waters, with the exception of high-elevation lakes. At age 62 I do not have the luxury of slowly acquiring stillwater skills over a period of years. Now that I live across the street from Klamath Lake / Agency Lake, which harbors huge trout, I am dedicated to honing my stillwater fishing skills. Over the past few years I have hooked and landed a number of trout from Agency Lake in the four to seven pound range, but I also grudgingly admit that I have been skunked more times than I care to share. With the acquisition of two pack donkeys and my new writing project, a guide to highway 395, I look forward to honing my skills on my home waters as well as wilderness lakes in the Sierra Mountains and Cascades.

I have included a glossary and a test, to this section on Mastering the Basics of Stillwater Fly Fishing. The test was a useful tool for me, but I hope it will be fun for those of you new to the sport. As a retired teacher, I know the value of reading, outlining information and then writing a test in order to really learn the material. However, the ultimate and final test is on the water, and I hope that this information will help you accelerate your skills as it has for me.

I have struggled with how I am to present the information in Mastering the Basics of Stillwater Fly Fishing. Since I know I will rework this material in the future, and return to it many times to add photographs and illustrations, I have decided to organize the information with bold headings and bulleted markings to aid in quick reading. Sometimes I will merely outline the material if I do not see the need for expansive explanation.

If you are new to stillwater fishing, I recommend that you take the test first and then peruse through the glossary that I have provided. I also recommend that you take along a small notepad with specific goals or experimenting techniques that you will practice when you get out on a lake nearest you. Be sure to take notes on what you learned! In this manner you will experience an accelerated learning curve for Mastering the Basics of Stillwater Fly Fishing. Finally, if you live far from a trout lake, then fly fish for bass and sunfish in a lake close to you. The principles are very similar.

What You Need to Know About Stillwater and Stillwater Trout

If you are an experienced bass angler, you clearly have a head start in pursuing and catching trout in stillwater. Here is a basic review of all that I have learned bass fishing that is directly applicable to stillwater trout fishing.

Lake Anatomy: The size, depth, shoreline, bottom composition, elevation, annual precipitation and the ph balance (0-17) are defining factors in trout survival and growth.

Size and Type: Find the nearest trout lake and seek out information on good fishing areas. Become an expert on one area before you concentrate your efforts five miles down the lake. Begin with locating a section of the lake that has an inlet or an outlet or feeder streams dumping into the lake. These are good holding areas for trout, as they supply cooler, oxygenated waters and good food sources. Reservoirs, because of the water draw downs during the late spring and summer, make life tougher for trout than bass. Insects, their primary food source, are impacted greatly and in some cases nearly eradicated due to the extreme draw downs. Seepage Lakes, especially low elevation lakes, have no inlets or outlets. They sustain fertile water conditions from mountain seepage and groundwater seepage. Denny Rickard reminds readers in his book that the key to a good trout lake is the percentage of shallow shoreline, which provides food and cover for trout. Sunlight is another determinant to sustained growth of trout. More sunlight means longer plant growth seasons, more insect life, and thus more food sources for longer periods. PH Levels measure the level of acid or alkalinity in a particular body of water. A pH balance of 5 to 7 is ideal for sustained trout growth according to Rickards.

Targeted Waters / Cover: Read any good bass fishing book and you will learn most of what there is to know about stillwater fishing for trout. Keep in mind the obvious. Trout need cover to protect themselves from overhead predators. They need overhead obstructions or camouflaging to break up their outline. They need cooler waters that provide sufficient oxygen, and they need to be close to good sources of food. So in alphabetical order, here are some "fishy" spots to target: algae blooms, bays, branches, channels, cliffs, downed trees, drop-offs, feeder streams, inlets and outlets, points, rocks, river channels, shoals (submerged islands), springs, vegetation.

Water Zones: When sunlight can not reach the bottom, which in turn stimulates plant growth and thus oxygen, the zone is referred to as the Chemocline or Profundal zone. The Thermocline is a narrow zone of water lower in oxygen than the surface. It tends to hover just above the Chemocline as the surface waters heat up during the summer months. Trout will often seek refuge near the thermocline. Keep in mind, however, that the ideal spot for any fish is one which provides cool, oxygenated waters close to the shallows, which provides their food source. Lake Turn-Over: Water is heaviest at 39 degrees. At this temperature it drops to the bottom so during the winter when the surface temperature is 32 degrees the bottom is warmer. The same is true during the summer when warmer water rises to the top resting on the colder water underneath. Turn over during the spring occurs when the wind creates currents that pull and fold water at the surface, which in turn draws up water from the bottom in a mixing pattern. In the process, bottom nutrients are brought to the surface which aids insects and pulls trout up to warmer waters, typically in the shallows. It also brings more oxygen to the deeper water so fish can be found at all levels during the spring turn over. The division of these two water layers in called the Thermocline. During a lake turn over the thermocline disappears. Below the thermocline in larger lakes is the Chemocline, which is deeper water holding insufficient levels of oxygen. During the fall the turn-over begins anew as winter approaches.

Windows of Opportunity: Look for birds, such as swallows and night hawks, actively swarming over the water, which indicates a hatch in that area. Of course, one should look for rises, but keep in mind that some surface takes are quite subtle and go unnoticed. On wind rippled water, Rickards says to look for "nervous" water. Look for water that moves contrary to the natural water movement around a particular spot that has drawn your attention. Use a monocular or binoculars to help you scan waters in the near vicinity for a sparse hatch. Remember, it doesn't take much activity to get the attention of trout that there is food on the surface. And speaking of food, the experts are unanimous in declaring that 90% of stillwater fishing should be under the surface!
Overcast or dark days or rippled water provide opportunities for trout to move into the shallows and feed. On windy days, the shoreline is a natural area to target because the waves churn up food sources and trout will often move right into this frothy, muddy water. Look for points or small islands during spells of wind. Fish down from the point or just inside an island, as the island or point will provide a sheltered area of water which blown insects can readily be spotted by lurking trout. It is the same for stream fishing. Ice-Out provides excellent fishing as trout are hungry. As the water begins to warm somewhat after ice-out, be sure to target inlets which are staging areas for pre-spawning, hungry trout. During the spring be sure to try a Glo-Bug at the inlets and outlets. As all bass fishermen know, an approaching storm tends to stimulate a bite.

Times to Avoid: Avoid fishing during a period of the full moon. Watch out for lightening, and stay home during a cold front with a falling barometer.

Recommended Equipment:

Rods: Clearly, a slow-action rod is most endorsed by the experts. The slower action rods absorb the shock of a large fish on the take. Light tippets do not hold up on a stiffer rod when a large trout fights in underwater vegetation. Many of the experts, both guides and authors that I have met, use 5 wt rods from 8.5 to 9.5 in length. As always, it is a personal preference. Certainly 5 - 7 weight rods will all do fine.

Floating Lines: The most versatile line is the weight-forward or double-tapered floating line. Weight can be added to the fly or the leader to effectively fish depths of 20 feet with a 25-foot leader, split shot and strike indicator.

Sink Tips: A 10 sinking tip at the terminal end of a floating line, these lines are nice to have for depths up to ten feet, but in my opinion, someone on a limited budget should buy an Intermediate Sinking Line before they begin the expensive acquisition of shooting heads or sink tips. Sink tips do have an advantage in that they are easier to pick up and cast again, especially in and around vegetation and floating mats.

Intermediate Full Sinking Line: The one clear advantage of this line is that its rate of descent is slower, which allows longer retrieves at a designated depth. Unlike fast sinking lines and sink tips, it does not impart a hinge. Rather, it sinks informally its full length. This line is best utilized along shoreline cover down to eight feet. Years ago I was fishing Nevada's Pyramid Lake using a lead-core shooting head. Although I was using a similar fly to the fellow perched on a ladder next to me, he was out fishing me 2-1. When the school of fish would come down the shore line, he could keep his nymph in the target zone twice as long as I could with my heavy shooting head. I switched to a sinking tip and improved my catch rate. Now I carry a floating line, a sink-tip and an intermediate full sinking line. (I also have a Quad Tip, but I can't decide if I like the system. The loops are just too big.)

Uniform Full Sinking Lines: These lines are designed to reach the bottom, or a specific depth, quickly, especially waters from 10 to 20 feet in depth.

Line Color: It is generally accepted that lighter colored lines or the new transparent lines create less shadows and minimize spooking fish.
Casting Distance: A 50 to 80 foot cast is most desirable on calm water; a longer cast allows you to get in a good retrieving rhythm and it targets more fish.

Leaders: A ninth foot 4X or 5X leader is a minimum. Leaders from 12 to 15 feet are more effective. When you use a strike indicator in deeper water with a floating line, than 15 to 20 foot leaders are not uncommon, but they are challenging to cast. Croft reminds his readers, if they plan on dry fly fishing on the surface, to keep grease or floatant free of the last six inches so that the tippet sinks under the water next to the fly.
Thermometer: Use a thermometer to check the conditions. Water temperatures from 70 and above push trout to cooler water. The comfort zone for trout ranges from 60-68.

Tippet: The terminal end of a leader is the tippet. Tippets are rated by diameter and strength. Manufacturers still follow the diameter size with a designated X rating from 0X to 8X. 4X, the mid range at .007 diameter, is probably the most popular diameter. Like Croft I have always added a 4X extension to my 4X leaders using good quality tippet material. Always check the tippet on a new leader as they are prone to breakage from nicks and weak spots. If you need to size down to a 5X or 6X, it only takes a minute.

Searching Patterns: In the absence of rising fish, or fish located cruising though the area, a searching pattern is the "Go-To" choice. Determine the most prolific food sources for a particular body of water. Of these, which food sources are most abundant throughout a season or time period? The experts recommend beginning with the ubiquitous Chironomid midge, followed by scuds and dragonfly nymphs and damsel nymphs. Finally, a leech pattern is a good "Go-To" searching pattern anytime of the year. Be sure to cast in all directions around your anchored boat. In his book, Fly-Fishing Stillwaters for Trophy Trout, Denny Rickards recommends narrowing your fly selection to generic or representative patterns that can simulate more than one food source. He points out that trout "feed opportunistically on suggestive patterns [more so] than exact imitations." He has developed a number of these suggestive patterns such as Denny's Seal Bugger, Denny's Stillwater Nymph and his All Purpose (AP) Emerger.

Chironomids or Midges, although resembling mosquitoes, do not bite. Ranging from the miniscule in size to an inch in length, they tend to reflect the water conditions in which they live in terms of shading or body color hues. Recommended hook sizes range from 12 to #20 using 5X or 6X tippet. Use an aquarium net or a stomach pump to match the abdomen of a midge hatch in selecting an appropriate color. Colors typically range from tan through the green and brown tones and even dark green or black. Most of the experts favor green hues. Stillwater anglers rely heavily on Chironomidae patterns as these midges, as they are often called, hatch year-around. Rowley states in his book, Fly Patterns for Stillwaters, that Chironomids make up "40% of the trout' diet during the open water season. Chironomids are the first and most prolonged hatch of the fishing season." (p.11) They also range in the shallow depths of a lake to the profundal zone. Midge larva species that crawl around in the mud in low oxygenated waters typically are bright red from the hemoglobin in their system. These larvae are referred to as Blood Worms.

(Blood Worm)

Because many Chironomids live in deeper waters, their migration to shore as pupae is important to the trout as well as anglers. As larva they are usually too deep and too slow moving to attract much attention from trout. They are slow, tentative swimmers in their ascent to the surface, but once they break through the surface film, they emerge and escape as duns in four or five seconds. Unlike mayflies they do not have a spinner fall so the pupae stage is the most important stage for stillwater fly anglers. Even in the middle of a hatch, most experts recommend fishing a nymph pattern just under the surface with a floating line. The exception to this rule is to imitate a entrapped cripple, which offers a more leisurely take for the trout.
Patterns for Chironomid Larvae: San Juan Worm, Frostbite Bloodworm, Super Floss Bloodworm, Yarn Bloodworm.

Best Times: Low light conditions

Retrieval for the Blood Worm: Let the fly settle to the bottom. Use a strike indicator and little or no retrieve.

Retrieval for the Chironomid Pupa: Overwhelmingly, the experts agree that agonizing patience is needed to slowly work a Chironomid pupa vertically to the surface. Use a slow hand-twist retrieve with long pauses after moving the pattern an inch or two!

Patterns for the Chironomid Pupae: Bronzie, Chromie, Pearl Pupa, Thompson's TDC, Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear, Zug Bug.

Breaking through the surface film, which is not always easy on calm days, the pupa struggles to escape from its pupa shuck. Many of the pupae become entangled and trapped while struggling to escape their shuck, dry their wings and fly away. Any delay or struggle attracts the attention of feeding trout that pick them off as they linger in the surface. Once the pupa splits the thorax of the shuck, it dries off its wings and flies away in seconds. To successfully fish the emerger, the fly must rest in the surface film. Rowley touts his Para Pupa. Croft recommends a Compara Dun. Most of the experts, however, recommend staying with a pupa pattern fished just below the surface right through the hatch. One advantage of using a strike indicator, when fishing close to the shoreline, is that the wind, rippled waters lift and bob the suspended midge pattern, which imparts a realistic motion to the fly.
Patterns for the Chironomid Cripple or Emerger: Griffith's Gnat (cripple), Compara Dun, Para Pupa, Raccoon.

Scuds
Scuds are the second "Go-To" pattern and a predominant food source in most lakes and an important source of protein for wild trout. Ranging is size from ¼" to almost an inch in some lakes, the scud looks like a freshwater shrimp, but in fact it is a crustacean. Scuds find safe haven close to shore around weed beds, and their coloration reflects their surroundings. They mostly avoid direct sunlight. All the experts agree that since they swim straight, patterns should be straight. They swim slowly and erratically, but they are capable of quick bursts of speed so a variety of retrieves are worth trying. Turn over rocks and shake submerged weeds to ascertain size and color. Pregnant females have an orange or pinkish brood sac, but all pink indicates a dead scud! Typically scuds are pale yellow to green. However, their backs are darker than their underside. Preferred sizes range from size 10 to size 16, and most patterns are lightly weighted.

Scud Patterns: Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear, Zug Bug, Sparkle Shrimp, Pearl Shrimp.

Damselflies: The duns, which are not much of a food item for trout, are most noted for their blue and black color and two sets of wings. The nymph, on the other hand, is an important food source year around. Measuring one to two inches in length, they blend into their surroundings, although they typically are shades of brown and green. Preying on other insects, they swim with a wiggling motion, but like the scud they may have a burst of speed followed by a pause. Late spring and early summer they migrate to the shore where they climb weed stalks and any other protruding objects to leave the water and spend the rest of the time as flying insects. Since the nymphs are migrating to shore, Croft suggests casting from the shore and retrieving back to the shore.

Damselfly Retrieve: Using a faster retrieve than a Chironomid nymph, use a hand-twist retrieve followed by a short burst and then a pause. Add a twitch and a pause for each retrieve.

Damselfly Patterns: (Size 10 hook size on 2X or 3X hook) Denny's Stillwater Nymph, Gold Bead Damsel, Woolly Buggers, Seal Buggers.

Dragonfly: Unlike the Damselfly which has a one year cycle, the Dragonfly has a three or four year cycle so the size of the fly is not as critical. Dragonfly nymphs are "Go-To" patterns, and the most common imitation is the Woolly Bugger. Like Damselflies, Dragonflies are an important food source for trout year around. Target the weedy and woody areas of a lake or pond. A number of the experts suggested trolling a Dragonfly Nymph just off the shore from a kick boat or belly boat on a full sink line. The color of Dragonfly nymphs ranges from light green to a green-brown mix. A number 4- 8 hook size on a 2X or 3X shank is recommended. The dragonfly's propulsion system is much like a water jet pump. Pulling in water through their gill chamber, they discharge it out through their rectum, which gives them quick 3 to 5 inch bursts of speed.

Dragonfly Patterns: Carey Special, Woolly Bugger.
(See Phillip Rowley's book, Fly Patterns for Stillwaters, for notable patterns developed by British Columbia stillwater experts.)

Dragonfly Retrieve: Work the Dragonfly near the bottom with a full sink line. Use very short strips with the occasional short bursts followed by a pause. Keep in mind that silt-living dragonflies capture their prey by ambush. They move very slowly across the bottom so a slow hand retrieve along with short pauses should also be utilized.

Leeches:
Another important food source for stillwater trout, leeches look like a worm, but they have a flat paddle which helps them propel through the water in an undulating manner similar to fans at a stadium doing a wave. The great majority of leeches are not of the blood sucking variety. Although they reach upwards to four inches in length, the smaller sizes seem to be more enticing. The experts recommend sizes 10-6 long-shank hooks. Target the shoreline. Depending on the water color, leeches typically range in color from olive to reddish-brown to black. The leech is also a good pattern to slowly troll just off the shoreline. It is an especially useful pattern during the summer when hatch activity has slowed. As they are nocturnal creatures inhabiting heavily vegetated areas, the leech pattern is best used during low light conditions. To match the coloration of leeches in a particular body of water, Croft recommends cracking an egg and placing it in the water after dark. With their keen sense of smell, they will locate the egg in no time.

Leech Retrieve: Slow hand retrieves or one-inch pulls followed by a pause is the most recommended leech retrieval rate. Rowley recommends adding weight up front on the hook so as to achieve a jigging motion after the pause. Rickards alternates between "very quick one-inch pulls [and] long slow steady strips with deliberate pauses between pulls." (p. 21)

Leech Patterns: Seal Bugger, Woolly Buggers, Marabou Leech, Mohair Blood Leech.

Callibaetis Mayfly: Although abundant in streams, mayflies do not profusely inhabit stillwaters as they do in rivers and streams. One of the exceptions, however, is the Callibaetis, the speckled-wing mayfly. Preferring clear water, lakes with Callibaetis mayflies are an important trout food source as nymphs, duns and spinners. Typically, two or three hatching periods occur throughout the season with each successive hatch smaller in size from the last (12 down to #16). During spring the hatch comes off mid-morning, but as the season progresses, hatches occur in the early morning and low light of evening. Mottled in browns and tans with speckled, translucent wings, the Callibaetis mayfly can be found across the country, including famous trout rivers offering slower water. Croft recommends noting the time of day of a Callibaetis hatch on a particular body of water and then arriving at the same spot an hour earlier the next day to fish with a nymph pattern.

The Callibaetis Mayfly is a swimmer, as opposed to crawlers, clingers and burrowers. As nymphs they are active swimmers in and around vegetation, and they are surface emergers. Slender and elongated, the Callibaetis nymph runs the usual gamut of colors from tan to gray and from olive to brown with darker backs. On their ascent to the surface, they too use trapped air and gas, which imparts a silvery sheen to their body. With the distinct silhouette of a sailboat, the dun can also range in color based on the water coloration. One distinguishing pattern, however, is their mottled and translucent wings and two long tails.

Nymph Patterns: Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tail Nymph.

Callibaetis Dun / Emergers / Cripples: Much like spring creek conditions, trout have the opportunity to inspect and recognize a fake when they see one. Bring along a small dipping net and inspect and compare the dun with your simulated pattern. Sometimes it is easier to entice a strike with a cripple pattern than a dun pattern. Popular dun patterns include Parachute Adams, Adams and a Compara-dun. If you are fishing a good hatch and you have exhausted your best patterns without success and experience a rising mood of panic or frustration, fish an emerging nymph pattern on a dry line just under the surface.

Minnows:
Although I have had much success with streamer patterns in rivers and on lakes targeting bass, I have had limited success with minnow streamers in lakes. However, I duly acknowledge that others rate Zonkers and Woolhead Sculpins, especially in the early spring and fall, as their "Go-To-Pattern."
Oddly enough, last year I caught a 7-pound Klamath Lake rainbow with a fly rod and a 1-inch Rapala minnow as my "fly". At my age I don't care about being unorthodox!

(P#19: Crawdad Pattern)

Don't overlook crawdad patterns and fishing with beetles, ants and hoppers during the summer. I hope the glossary helped and that you had fun taking the Stillwater Fishing Test. Be sure to read my annotated bibliography and the books that I recommend below. Finally, I rarely get any feedback, constructive or otherwise. Drop me an email at: dave@glaciertoyellowstone.com. Good fishing!

Dave Archer

Bibliography

Most of the material in this article is from the following books. I have placed them not in alphabetical order, but in my personal order of preference. I have looked for consensus and shared common information. Whenever I use information specific to one author, I have cited the author's name rather than using end notes.

1. Fly-Fishing Stillwaters for Trophy Trout by Denny Rickards (ISBN: 0-9656458-0-0) A Stillwater Productions Publication, PO Box 470, Fort Klamath, OR 97626
Rickards' book is 181 glossy pages of beautiful photographs and illustrations and a clear treatise on stillwater fly fishing for trophy trout. He is both methodical and thorough. Sharing years of original research, Rickards holds nothing back. He wants every reader who applies his principles to achieve success. It is a beautiful and absorbing book.

2. The Fish Bum's Guide to Catching Larger Trout, an illustrated manual on stillwater tactics for the intermediate fly angler, written and illustrated by Mike Croft
(ISBN: 1-57188-142-5) Frank Amato Publications. In the spirit and tradition of The Curtis Creek Fly Fishing Manifesto, I couldn't resist buying this book. After reading a half dozen books on stillwater fly fishing, I knew I had to place this book as my second choice. It is packed with information and quite possibly just as comprehensive as the rest. For a young angler new to stillwater fly fishing, I would recommend this book as a primer. It is excellent to review and peruse because it is illustrated, and the verbiage has been whittled down.

3. Fly Patterns for Stillwaters, A Study of Trout, Entomoly and Tying, by Phillip Rowley (ISBN: 1-57188-195-6) Frank Amato Publications. Rowley is an expert in the field of fly fishing, and he has written many books and feature articles. I bought this book for the tying directions, but what I found was that the book covers almost all the important aspects of stillwater fly fishing from presentation and retrieves to seasons, and the interesting life cycle of all the insects he imitates.

4. Morris & Chan on Fly Fishing Trout Lakes, by Skip Morris and Brian Chan
(ISBN: 1-57188-181-6) Frank Amato Publications. Morris and Chan have produced an exceptionally written, photographed and illustrated book for the beginning or intermediate stillwater fly angler. It is certainly a tie for my second choice. It ended up in the number four spot only because I felt I had to place Rowley's fly pattern book up close to the top.

5. Strategies for Stillwater, by Dave Hughes (0-8117-1916-2) Stackpole Books. I read every word in Hughes' book and can recommend it as a definitive book on stillwater fly fishing. I do not enjoy reading instructional books on any subject when they are bereft of bold headings, boxed information, lots of photographs and illustrations and a format that aids in reviewing the information. Nonetheless, Strategies for Stillwater is as comprehensive as Denny Rickards' book, and I learned a great deal from reading it.

6. 'The Gilly' A flyfisher's Guide by Contributors (ISBN:0-88925-638-1) Published by Alf Davy. An excellent resource, especially for those anglers heading to British Columbia, it too is organized and presented as mostly text.

7. Fly Fishing the Mountain Lakes by Gary LaFontaine (ISBN: 0-9626663-7-8)
Greycliff Publishing Company. This book is a great read both for information on fishing high elevation lakes as well as a chronicle of LaFontaine's fishing adventures. I loved it, but I also became somewhat depressed with how much equipment the experts rely on in fishing as an expert!

Fishing the Famed Waters of Klamath Basin with Sid Mathis

August 1, 2007

Our targeted hatch, often misidentified as a Green Drake or a Pale Morning Dun, was the genus, Emphemerella, the species doddsi. Leisurely gliding down the Williamson River in south-central Oregon, the dark green waters silhouetted the unmistakable sails of mayflies, but we were on a mission to locate the doddsi and test Sid's latest nymph pattern. Pushing on to the frog water, Sid gently rowed his drift boat while scanning the river ahead for the chameleon of Mayflies. I would learn that the doddsi posed a serious challenge to fly tiers in that within an hour of breaking through the surface and transforming to a dun, the body would take on an entirely new hue from yellow to dark, mottled green or a greenish brown. Large fish were nudging the surface and sucking down a variety of mayflies. Although the sippers and boiling trout quickened my heart rate, Sid, impervious to the obvious potential to cast to fish forty feet from the boat, kept his attention on the water. "There's one, no two," he exclaimed. "Up against the opposite bank just below that log. OK, let's see how long they drift before being gulped for breakfast."

I looked across the river straining to see the bugs that he was watching. "Yes, I see one I proudly concurred."

"Gone! Look at that boil. That was a nice fish," Sid said.

"Well, I saw the rise, I saw the boil, but I am confused because I still see the bug floating unmolested," I replied.

Sid turned and looked at me. Noting that I was squinting through my glasses, he asked, "How many bugs did you see floating?"

"One," I replied.

"What you were looking at was a Hexagenia limbata, about five times the size of a doddsi."

"No wonder I could see it," I mumbled. Later we would catch a Hex, and it would measure a full inch from the head to the end of the abdomen. Although typically emerging at dusk and into the night, we observed numerous Hexagenia drifting along with the doddsi. I was floating on a world class trout river famous for its huge trout with a quintessential world class fly fishing guide, Sid Mathis of Free Spirit Guide Service in Klamath Falls (541-884-3222). Earlier in the year I had asked to interview Sid, and now here I was in his drift boat watching Sid catch and release Klamath Lake rainbows on a beautiful section of the Williamson River. The only floating section on the lower river stretches no more than three miles from the county boat launch just outside of Chiloquin to the Wagon Wheel Campground below. Unlike the freestone rivers of Montana that I guided on, float fishing the Williamson River is akin to stillwater fly fishing. We anchored in one small area for two hours. During that period I would estimate that I saw between forty and fifty rises. When we drifted further downstream, Sid had me hang over the bow and count the trophy size trout darting out of the shadow of the boat. In two holes, within a forty yard stretch, I counted over twenty fish, weighing two to five pounds. Awestruck, I took my seat, opened up my briefcase and took out pen and pad along with a tape recorder. Earlier I had explained that I wanted to write a good article on fishing the Williamson River and Klamath Lake. I wanted to avoid the glib generalities that I had encountered in numerous articles that I had collected, and I wanted to gather this information from an authoritative source.

Q: How long have you been a guide, and did you have a mentor to help you launch your career on this challenging water?

Sid: I started fly fishing in 1976. By 1978 I had adopted the principle of Catch-and-Release. In 1980 I learned from an inside source that they were going to shut down the mill that I worked at. I had been running shuttles for Rich Henry, a Native American and local guide on the Williamson River. Rich grew up in the Beatty area and began fly fishing and fly tying in the early 70's. He was a great caster and an innovative tier. He asked me if I would be interested in guiding for him when he had more bookings than he could handle. I got the overflow, but I soon discovered that I had clients that would bring along a thousand bucks worth of flies and argue with me if I tried to steer them to one of my favorite patterns. Although I knew what I had was a better offering, I didn't have the experience or knowledge to change their minds. When my clients persisted in using poor fly selections and didn't catch any fish, I knew I had to master my craft. I went to Rich and told him that if I was going to continue as a guide, I had to do it right and master this new career.

I asked Rich if he would teach me all that he knew. Rich took a long pause before answering. He reminded me that he made his living guiding and that to take me on as a student would cut into the days he could otherwise spend on the river guiding fly fishermen. I pressed him and asked him how much he wanted. I would need $25,000 he said. That was a lot of money in 1982, and I was at a loss of words. I told him it was a lot of money for a year of tutoring. He replied that it would take maybe three years. I agreed to pay him half at the beginning and the other half when he felt I was done. I won't describe my wife's reaction, but after 27 years of guiding, I never spent $25,000 on anything as valuable as those three years studying under Rich Henry.

Q: Is he still alive? What was he like? What was your training like?

Sid: Yes, he is still alive. He lives in Brookings, Oregon. Although the fly fishing community doesn't know much about Rich, the fly fishing gurus know Rich Henry. Rich is a kind-hearted man, a conservationist. He is a short, muscular man with broad shoulders, big arms and enormous hands. How in the world he could tie a fly on a miniscule #32 hook is beyond me. When he took me on he made me swear never to kill a fish intentionally and only use primary sources for my aquatic entomological research. Rich placed the most emphasis on aquatic research, learning all about fish food. We would go out on the rivers and the lake and gather specimens to bring back to Rich's trailer and identify. I learned about environmental factors that influenced the hatches. Then I learned how to identify nymphs by their swimming actions, and where and when they hatched, and we studied the insect migrations. It was as intense as any college program, but like many students I got myself in trouble.

The intense studying and note taking and cataloguing my drawings became tedious. One day when we were in the field, I spouted off some information that I had just read in a book. Rich looked at me quizzically and told me to finish up my sampling and then he wanted to talk to me back in his trailer, which was not too far from the river. I had no idea what he would want to talk to be about back in his trailer rather than there on the river bank. When I got back to his trailer, he had a serious look on his face, and I new that somehow I had made a mistake. He asked me if I had been reading secondary sources. I admitted that I had. If you are going to take short-cuts and read secondary sources, he said, you don't need me to guide you. If you are going to read books on aquatic entomology and follow their recommended fly patterns, than you should be reading Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes' book, Western Hatches and Mayflies, The Angler, and the Trout by Frank L. Arbona Jr.. He slammed the books on the table. Then he reached over and dropped Needham's Aquatic Entomology on the table and asked which it was going to be. I sheepishly picked up Needham's book. Rich turned and left the room. When he returned he gently laid three college degrees on the table. Two of the degrees were in the field of biology.

Q: You had an apprenticeship with a master! Your Yoda was a college educated, Native American fly fishing guide! You have told me that you guide on Klamath Lake and the Williamson River, and then you guide steelhead anglers over on the Chetco. What I want to learn, and hopefully my blog readers will want to learn, is how to cut this huge lake down to size and not lose too many seasons fishing in the wrong spots. Let's start with the best time periods for the well-known fishing spots on the lake that a new comer can find on the Graphic Press map of Upper Klamath Lake. Start with the area around Pelican Marina at the outlet to Link River.

Sid: Many trout spend their winters in Lake Ewauna. They move up the Link River into the bay around Pelican Marina in early March through the end of April, sometimes into the first part of May.

Q: What about the waters surrounding Eagle Ridge?

Sid: Many of the fish moving up out of Lake Ewauna eventually move up the lake to the Eagle Ridge area. Although some migrations reach the area towards the end of March and the beginning of April, most reach this stretch in May.

Q: After you round Eagle Ridge, two bays, Ball Bay and Shoal Water Bay, dominate the area. When should I target this area, and what should I use for patterns?

Sid: Ball Bay is a good bay to fish April and May. Both bays are big water so you have to search and locate the fish. Ideally, water temperatures should be 50-52. Look for evidence of caddis shucks on the water after a wind. Look for Callibaetis and PMD's. Some years the Caddis will predominate in this area and provide good fishing.

Q: Pelican Bay with its underground springs provides a sanctuary for the trout during the summer, and its small tributaries provide spawning grounds for the trout. What should I know about this area?

Sid: During the spring the trout move up Harriman Creek, Crystal Creek and Recreation Creek. It is a critical spawning area. After they leave the spawning beds and hold up in Pelican Bay, they are not in good shape. When the lake heats up to the low sixties to the mid 60's they move back into Pelican Bay to survive. August is iffy?

Q: I keep hearing the locales making reference to the "fishing banks." I can't find a reference on the map. Where is it, and what should I know about this area?

Sid: The Fishing Banks area is the north end of Upper Klamath Lake from the entrance to Pelican Bay to the straights between Upper Klamath Lake and Agency Lake. It is a good area to fish much the same as Ball Bay. The Straight is a productive spot to fish.

Q: The recent articles that I have read on fishing Klamath Lake always tout the mouth of the Williamson River. Is it as good as they say?

Sid: Sadly it has been declining for a number of years, just as we are now seeing at the mouth of the Wood. I would favor fishing the Fish Banks or the Straight before I spent time at the mouth of the Williamson River.

Q: I am new to this area, but already I have heard some grumbling about the Wood River Restoration. I've heard of fewer and fewer reds on the feeder creeks going into the Wood River, and this year I saw a dramatic drop in boats lining up around the outlet of the Wood. I detected a note of despair. What are your concerns regarding the Wood River.

Sid: Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Wood River Wetlands Restoration were very beneficial. The third phase, however, was devastatingly unsuccessful. When they eliminated the numerous entrances from the lake to the Wood River, they did not anticipate that the mouth would form a delta of silt and gravel so shallow that the trout are reluctant to cross the bar. In addition to some serious fish kills, the fish have one less cool water retreat when the lake's water temperature reaches into its seasonal deadly highs above 65 degrees. It is not just that the Wood River is no longer a sanctuary and a loss of critical spawning habitat, the loss of the Wood River is impacting the Williamson River.

We are now observing an increase of spawning fish moving up the Williamson River. Areas in the drainage that are conducive to spawning are finite. Larger fish chase the smaller fish out of critical spawning areas, and the total numbers of reds drops with a corresponding impact on the number of trout in the lake. The loss of the Wood River as a migratory river for the lake's trout has created a secondary problem. More and more boats are now plying the Williamson River and the trout are being pounded. It's no rocket science here. It is black and white, and the agencies involved have run and ducked for cover.

Q: I hate to ask this question, as I know how many qualifying factors go into a question like this, but what do you consider the best time period to fish the lake?

Sid: I would have to pick mid June through mid July, subject of course to all those qualifying factors that you alluded to. The surface area of the lake is huge. Once the lake temperatures heat up to critical levels, the trout locate small springs that they seek out for refuge. The algae blooms and the expanse of the lake make it tougher to locate fish.

Q: How about the fall?

Sid: Generally, late September and October the water begins to cool. But it is the first cold rain storm that triggers a good bite. I like to get out on the lake a day or two later after Crystal, Recreation and Odessa Creeks start raising and dumping cold water into the lake. Those first good rain storms trigger a movement and a feeding response.

Q: What are your go-to patterns?

The first of the two patterns above is the Callibaetis-nigritus, which is my all time favorite hatch, both as a dry fly and a nymph. Usually the Callibaetis is the first aggressive feeding in the early season on lakes and bays. As the year progresses, I fine tune this fly for both size and color. The second pattern above is my PMD (Ephermerellia-inermis or infrquens for a dry fly imitation. This hatch is mostly a secondary hatch to the other hatches, such as Callibaetis and Caddis hatches. I use the PMD mostly when they are dominant over other hatches or a prelude to a major hatch.

In May I am looking for PMD's and Caddis. In early June I am looking for the Callibaetis hatches, but I am fishing the nymph form. With warming water temperatures, we get a lot of PMD activity, and we also start fishing Chironomid patterns. Generally we need that first hot spell for the midges to pop, especially the blood, yellows and blacks. By late June I began switching to leeches, damselflies and dragonfly nymphs.

I use a Callibaetis nymph pattern (third photograph), which usually stays the same early in the season.

The fourth photograph is another double duty nymph imitation (Ephermerellia doddsi and inermis) that is a great search pattern for both stillwater and rivers.

My Sphlonuis nymph imitation (fifth photograph) is a fly that I use mainly in river systems, but in the last 2 to 5 years I've found this bug in stillwater situations on both Klamath and Agency Lake.

The sixth photograph is a late season Callibaetis nymph imitation that is great for clear water conditions.

Q: With such a shallow lake, what is your count-down for your line and fly to reach the target zone?

Sid: Ninety percent of the time my count-down is from 3 to 5 seconds, and mostly 4 or 5 seconds.

Q: What about fly lines?

Sid: My first choice is Cortland's Camo intermediate full sinking line. For shallow water fishing, my choice is a greased floating line rather than a sink tip. I use sink tips for steelhead fishing, but I don't like them for stillwater fishing. They are heavier and less sensitive to feel. Plus they have that hinged effect. I much prefer a greased line for stillwaters. Basically, I just take an old dry line with cracks and add some abrasive action to the line by smearing it with silt or mud. The line sinks uniformly at about one inch per second and holds in the two to three foot target zone. It's an old steelhead method from the 40's that works great for shallow, stillwater nymphing. The clear advantage of the Greased Line Theory is the line does not spook fish like a floating line with a strike indicator. A strike indicator can spook fish right out of the area.

In between watching Sid land a number of trout in the 16 to 18-inch range, and quietly mutter to himself when he missed a number of really big fish, it was time to shift the interview to the waters at hand, the Williamson River. I spent two years building my house and shop so I had only fished the river three times. Each venture I caught two or three fish from sixteen inches to nineteen inches. Sitting low in the water in my one-man raft, I had not seen the enormous fish that I had seen on this day standing in Sid's drift boat. We glided by a rock formation that my son Brandon had fished the previous year. He had lost two or three really big fish in the run beneath the rock wall. When I pointed it out to Sid, he quietly informed me that it was a known spawning run and none of the guides ever fish it. I continued my interview.

Q: That spot will be off-limits to me as well. Let me begin with my most pressing question, when do the Klamath lake trout spawn, and when do they enter the Williamson River to escape the heat?

Sid: Spawning activity is sporadic and extends over a ten month period. Regarding when runs of new fish push up into the river, I've given up trying to find an answer. I've kept records trying to match surges with hatches, water temperatures and time periods, but I have found no corresponding factors that will predict when trout move out of the lake into the river system.

Q: I have been surprised to learn that fishing the Williamson River is similar to fishing the lake. It's basically stillwater tactics. Give me a summary statement to help get me started fishing the Williamson River.

Sid: I use a five weight rod. I have my clients use my G-Loomis GLX rods. They are more forgiving, and they have less line shock. I use Cortland's Intermediate Sinking line in the camouflage version. I use Orvis Mirage 6x fluorocarbon leaders. I mostly use Seaguar Brand Max fluorocarbon tippet material. Search out working fish and target them with the appropriate bugs, either nymphs or emergers. I interjected, "And be willing to spend two to three years perfecting one pattern, such as the Emphemerella doddsi."

Most of us claim to be passionate about some aspect of our lives, but it is only when we dedicate our lives to study and make a life-time commitment to learning everything we can about the passion that drives us do we attain the status of a master. Few of us achieve that level. Sid Mathis is a master fly fisherman.

Dave Archer

Free Spirit Guide Service, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Sid Mathis
(541) 884-3222
Email: sidmathis@aol.com