Northwest Reel Life March 2024 Volume 3 Issue 5 - Flipbook - Page 21
green shallows give way to
deep blue depths. Rocky
points, submerged rim
rocks and even - in bigger
reservoirs - flooded road
and railroad beds also offer
the kind of habitats where
big trout like to hunt.
For the fly angler, a slowsinking line is the best
option because trout may
be closer to the surface.
Optimal trolling speed in
most cases will be between
.8 and 1.2 miles per hour,
about the speed of a slow
walk. Establish a trolling
circuit to follow a contour
line or to hit the rocky
points. Feed out 30 to 50
feet of line behind the boat.
Vary the trolling speed and
change direction by zigzags
over the trolling circuit
which changes the action
of the flies. A lot of strikes
come on the deceleration
or on the outside of a turn.
Rods can be kept in rod
holders, but strikes are
often missed on fly gear
because of the shock-
absorbent nature of the
line. Hold the rod in hand,
the tip near horizontal. If a
fish bites, lift the rod and
set the hook with a quick
strip of line.
A slower initial speed allows
lines and flies to sink. Watch
the amount of drop, the
angle of the line and length.
The boat operator can
control depth by adjusting
speed and lengthening or
shortening the lines.
Watch the weather for
the days between storm
fronts when temps come
up and the wind is light.
Like grandpa told me, trout
and salmon bite ahead of a
storm front, and again after
a low pressure system.
Late last winter we fished
Lake Simtustus. Dad
caught a fish on the first
pass and then Randy and I
doubled up when two trout
grabbed on a turn - nice
fat rainbows that had fed
well over the winter. Then
we could not get another
bite. Looking at the solunar
Gary Lewis Bio
Gary Lewis is an award-winning author, TV host, speaker and photographer. Recent books
include Fishing Central Oregon, 6th Edition, Fishing Mount Hood Country and Bob Nosler Born
Ballistic. Gary has hunted and fished in eight countries on three continents and in the islands
of the South Pacific. Born and raised in the Northwest, he has been walking forest trails and
running rivers for as long as he can remember. Lewis is twice past president of the Northwest
tables now, I see we fished
two hours too late, but still
it was better than a day at
the office.
The Old Farmer's Almanac
says the best days to fish
are when the moon is
between New and Full.
That means we want to fish
March 10 to March 24 and
then starting again April 8.
My grandpa used to watch
the barometer and tell me
when the fishing was going
to be fair. He would say
something like, "When the
barometer is below twentynine-point-seven, the
fishing won't bite as good.
What you want to see is
when the barometer is low
and rising." Then grandpa
would say, "But it's always a
good day to go fishing."
People have been studying
this subject for millennia.
We don't need a new
brother-in-law, but we
ought to remember the
factors our grandfathers
employed to forecast the
fishing.
FOR A SIGNED COPY OF FISHING
MOUNT HOOD COUNTRY, SEND
$29.99, INCLUDES SHIPPING TO:
Gary Lewis Outdoors
PO Box 1364, Bend, OR 97709
Contact Gary Lewis at
garylewisoutdoors.com
Outdoor Writers Association and a recipient of NOWA’s Enos Bradner Award.
MARCH 2024 | 21
