# Stillwater flyfishing?



## STEVO (Sep 13, 2007)

Ok, heres the deal, Ive tried the whole stillwater thing now a grand total of twice, and still no fish. So even tho its only been 2 trips, that was a total of about 24 hours because im really not one to give up on fishing :lol: This next weekend im planning on heading up to strawberry to try out the new pontoon. Any advice on what to use? Ive heard the best things are Black Buggars, but how do you even fish those? I have some floating line, and some "level" sinking line, A whole box full of flys (nymphs, buggars, drys) Any recommendations for a fly fishing newbee on getting my first actual "lake fish" on the long rod? Im thinking about leaving the spinning rod at home this time so I dont just decide to resort to my old ways to get a few fish in  !!!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Sounds like you're having a rough time. Let me help.

I recommend you go up on the Mirror Lake Highway to any one of the "highway lakes"; Lost, Butterfly, Pass, or Teapot. They get planted once or twice a week. Stay away from Trial. *12 Volt* was up there all weekend with his 8 kids and fished it out. Take a garbage sack and walk the bank picking up litter. Stay close to the flyfisherman and watch what they do. Don't worry, no one will notice you.

Try to target seasoned flyfishing veterans. They will be wearing tennis shoes and a baseball hat, knee-deep in the water without waders. Their fly reels will be black. Don't waste your time around the eletist snobs...ah...you can't miss these guys and gals; they have girly-waders with zippers, and their fly reels are gold. They drive 4-door trucks and all the doors are the same color....geeze.

Take note of how the seasoned vets fish.

Next, find a place on the bank that has the most trash and litter. Assure there are no trees within 50 feet. Pick up the junk from say 30 feet of the shoreline, or four 30-gallon garbage bags full, whichever is less. The clean bank is a smoke screen, with it's lack of litter it will appear no one fishes the spot. Flyfish the spot just like the seasoned vets do. If that doesn't produce fish, all the fur and feathers are scaring them, so just use a bare hook and a bobber (strike indicator). Look around and make sure the dudes with the gold reels are not looking and just lob it out there. Grab your garbage sack and go up to the parking lot and pick up litter for 5 minutes....about one 30-gallon garbage sack full of cans, bottles, baby diapers, and styrofoam worm boxes.

Go back down to your rod and bring your fish in. Don't reel it in, just hold the rod in one hand and pull the line in with your other two hands.

I hope this helps Stevo.


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Wow goob looks like you hit the nail on the head with that one. :lol: :lol: :wink:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Seriously Stevo, where are you fishing? 

Need a lake with a good population of fish, and hopefully not all planters, for starters.


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## STEVO (Sep 13, 2007)

So far ive tried it up at Chesterfield Res in Idaho, and at Jordanelle. I can fish for 5 or 6 hours straight with the fly & not even get a hit. Usually I get frustrated & pull out the spinning rod & catch fish within 5 mins. Ive just never been a fly guy for this reason. Im hoping to change that soon  .

Im thinking about hitting Strawberry, merely for the fact it has so many fish in it. Im even toying with the idea of dousing my fly with some smelly jelly or something like that :lol:


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## RnF (Sep 25, 2007)

If you go to strawberry, get a black marabou leech that's weighted, preferably one's with red flash if you can find them. Cast your line out, or just strip a bunch of it off from your reel while kicking your pontoon backwards. Let your line sink for about a minute. Then very slowly retrieve your line back to you with your fingers. If you think you are going to slow, retrieve slower. Rinse, repeat.

Fly fishing still-waters can be tough during the summer months because the fish are down deep and it can be difficult getting our fly down to them. Fall is fast approaching and still-waters should be picking up really soon.


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## lost510 (Mar 27, 2009)

Wyogoob, that is the most accurate description of mirror lake highway fishing possible. Well said. It's quite the paradox how one of the most naturally beautiful parts of this state seems to be a safe haven for those people that want to destroy nature the most. Of course if you get more than a half mile off the highway its a whole different story. I've been going up to the cuberants a lot lately and in the last 3 hikes out there have seen 2 groups of people, and no trash!! Yay! And Stevo, if you're going to strawberry bring every color variation of bugger you can get your hands on. Those fish can be very color selective, one day black draws hits left and right, the next they wont touch it. I've also found that buggers tied with a pheasant tail tail work awesome. That stiffer action seems to spark some interest with those big cutts.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

lost510 said:


> Wyogoob, that is the most accurate description of mirror lake highway fishing possible. Well said. It's quite the paradox how one of the most naturally beautiful parts of this state seems to be a safe haven for those people that want to destroy nature the most. Of course if you get more than a half mile off the highway its a whole different story. I've been going up to the cuberants a lot lately and in the last 3 hikes out there have seen 2 groups of people, and no trash!! Yay! And Stevo, if you're going to strawberry bring every color variation of bugger you can get your hands on. Those fish can be very color selective, one day black draws hits left and right, the next they wont touch it. I've also found that buggers tied with a pheasant tail tail work awesome. That stiffer action seems to spark some interest with those big cutts.


Yes it can be unsightly. Just bend over and pick it up.

Cuberant Basin is great, still a day hike for a punk like me.

Stevo, you should try to get to a lake in the Uintas say 4 or 5 miles off the highway. That would end your streak of bad luck.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

Yes, many of the trout will be deep so you may need a type 5 sinking line to get down to them.
After you have cast out your line, strip out some more as you are kicking backwards.
Let it sink and troll by kicking.
If you have a fish finder, that will help locate how deep the fish are.
If not just try different countdowns.[How long you let the like sink]
Once you locate fish, you may want to stay in that area and cast and sink for the fish.
Try different stripping speeds to see what the fish want.
Crystal Buggers in Black, Olive and Purple work best for me.
I don't do as well using bead head buggers at Strawberry for some reason.

I like the idea of going to someplace that is loaded with planters to get a feel for fishing sinking lines.
You will then be more ready for places like the Berry.
Mirror Lake would be a good bet.


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## Bambi (Jun 10, 2009)

When i go fish strawberry i usually float tube Mudcreek with a black wooly bugger. Slow retreives tend to be best.


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

For fishing some of the larger stillwaters (like strawberry), slow trolling is a good way to locate fish; but once you locate them you can be much more successful by nymphing them up. There are expansive moss beds around several areas of the lake and many of the fish cruise above the moss looking for aquatic insects such as chironomid midges, callibaetis nymphs, damselfly nymphs, scuds, crayfish, etc... Once I locate the fish by either trolling buggers on a sinking line (my least fav) or with a fish finder, then I can suspend a pair of heavy tungsten nymphs under a strike indicator right above the moss beds. It requires long leaders made of almost 100% tippet throughout. This gives the flies a much faster sink rate, (I do not add any additional weight to the line) and is much more sensitive. Some of these leaders are 15' - 16' long. All you do is cast the flies out, let them sink, and then give them a subtle twitch every 15 - 45 seconds. Indicator goes down and fish on! When you find the fish, it is waaaaaay more productive than pulling a bugger behind your pontoon or boat all day. Many people take Denny Rickards as the word of god in stillwater fly fishing but I think Brian Chan has a MUCH more scientific and effective approach to fishing stillwaters. I would recommend any of his (Chan) videos.


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## triumph (Apr 16, 2009)

Well I wanted to make a trip up to mirror lake highway area soon but with all the littering talk you all just scared the living $hit out of me. I have had enough of those stupid people that cant clean up after themselves..... Man I really was hoping to go up there and it not be like all the other lakes WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

triumph said:


> Well I wanted to make a trip up to mirror lake highway area soon but with all the littering talk you all just scared the living * out of me. I have had enough of those stupid people that cant clean up after themselves..... Man I really was hoping to go up there and it not be like all the other lakes WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!


No no, it's gorgeous, get up there for crying out loud. If ya do see any trash let me know. I'll go pick it up.


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

*Try to target seasoned flyfishing veterans. They will be wearing tennis shoes and a baseball hat, knee-deep in the water without waders. Their fly reels will be black. Don't waste your time around the eletist snobs...ah...you can't miss these guys and gals; they have girly-waders with zippers, and their fly reels are gold. They drive 4-door trucks and all the doors are the same color....geeze.
*

That has got to be one of the funniest things I have read in a while and just how true it is :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## FishMogul (Sep 8, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> triumph said:
> 
> 
> > Well I wanted to make a trip up to mirror lake highway area soon but with all the littering talk you all just scared the living * out of me. I have had enough of those stupid people that cant clean up after themselves..... Man I really was hoping to go up there and it not be like all the other lakes WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!
> ...


He ain't joking around, the man puts the waste management here in Sandy to shame.. Mirror lake HWY is awesome don't let some litter stop ya from enjoying that area. If litter stopped me from enjoying nature I would never leave the house. no matter where you go you will find some :x


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## Jitterbug (Sep 10, 2007)

flyguy7 said:


> I think Brian Chan has a MUCH more scientific and effective approach to fishing stillwaters. I would recommend any of his (Chan) videos.


+1

There's a TV series called "The New Fly Fisher" on PBS and Chan is one of the hosts. I've never had the pleasure of stillwater fishing with the long rod... yet, but listening to what Chan had to say seemed to be invaluable, IMO.


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