Northwest Reel Life March 2024 Volume 3 Issue 5 - Flipbook - Page 20
fishing
late rainbows
gary lewis
BY GARY LEWIS
The old saying the worst
day fishing is better than
the best day at the office is
simply not true. It's almost
true, but there are some
really bad times to go
fishing like whenever your
brother-in-law wants to go.
We're enjoying a cold snap
right now, but a lot of our
trout lakes don't ice over.
And the water is begging
to be fished as soon as
daytime temps get back to
the low 50s.
This is the time of year
when an angler has a
chance to catch bigger
trout for the table. The fish
hatcheries want to find
forever homes for surplus
20 | NWFISHING.net
brood stock, putting those
big old rainbows that can
weigh 4 to 8 pounds out
to pasture while last year's
holdover legals can go 12 to
18 inches.
While food sources are
scarce, bigger trout can be
easier to catch than they
will be in May. Flashers and
hoochies and wedding
ring spinners tipped with
bait can catch fish, but
fly fishing methods are a
better bet.
A lot of our favorite lakes
are too low to put boats
in; Haystack, Hyatt,
Chickahominy, Duncan,
Prineville and Ochoco
reservoirs are in build back
better mode.
Instead, when planning a
road trip for rainbows, tow
the boat to places like Pine
Hollow Reservoir (call the
resort to check the ice),
Lake Simtustus, Willow
Creek Reservoir (Heppner),
Lost Creek Reservoir (east
of Shady Cove) and Dexter
Reservoir along Highway
58.
In the winter, trout seek
shallow water because the
shallows warm first, which
promotes weed growth
which in turn promotes
the insect activity that
draws in little fish. Larger
trout feed on the minnows,
crustaceans and insects.
While shallow water offers
better feed options, they
are also a danger zone
where larger trout may
be taken by ospreys. Trout
tend to rest and rove along
the ledges where the light
