We arrived at St Mary lake just before 11am on Friday. We had called ahead and arranged with Mark to check in early. The office was empty when we got there but there was a map showing the way to our cottage (in case we arrived prior to their return). We were very impressed. While parking the car, we met Hung, who came out to greet us. As we started to unload/pack, Hung told us a few good spots to try near our side of the lake, which proved to be excellent advice.
Fishing Day 1:
The first day was awesome. The fish were active and plenty. My sister and father were trolling flies and spinners with the electric motor, while I parked myself here and there and cast/retrieved a few flies. Armed with a full sinking line, I was catching on dragonfly nymphs, leeches, muddler minnows and wooly buggers. It was frustrating at first to time the strikes, as it seemed the fish were biting the fly but not fully committing. An hour after we launched our boats, I noticed Rodney and Nina fishing from the dock. A quick chat and some advice on the strike and I was back out to call my sister, who had our room key(was getting very thirsty). I decided to row extra slow back to the dock, and allow my mohair leech to troll nice and deep. At first I thought I had dragged bottom, as I had just recently lost my productive dragon pattern to the bottom. I grab my 4 weight rod from the holder and begin to reel in, as a monster bass jumps out of the water! I feel the pressure of onlookers from the dock, my sister catching the moment on video with her digital camera while my dad circles their boat around mine, and the knowledge of a 4 pound tippet (not recently checked for knicks). The wind is pushing my boat towards the dock, and in fear of losing the big one to a post, I drop anchor with my free hand. The bass dives deep and fights harder than any trout of similar size. I finally get the bass to the net and receive a cheer from the crowd at the dock. This one will look good on the dinner table. My prize motivates the others to get their boats ready.
For the remainder of the afternoon, I try different flies I had tied for the trip. I try a few deer hair poppers, and find that the bass really like my imitation frog the best. A fish litterally tore the frog right off my tippet on my first cast with it. Luckily, the frog resurfaced after the bass spat out the hook.
The lake turned very calm during the evening. I tie up a size 10 goddard sedge and chased the risers for some fast action on my 3 weight Stryker I got from his recent clearance. Friday evening turns out to be the better of the 2 evenings for dry fly fishing for us. Although most of the fish rising were on the smaller side, they put up quite the fight on the 3 weight and was very enjoyable. A 10 incher was the largest I caught on a dry. I lost count after about 20 while chasing the riseforms that night.
After the nights fishing, we play some poker before driving out to the ferry terminal to pick up fishin_chick's husband.
Fishing day 2:
The married couple decided to stay in for the morning hatch. We left the cottage at around 7am, and see Keith already rowing out there, the only guy on the lake(consistently at that hour). I got to sit back and relax this morning(no rowing) with my dad on the boat with the electric motor. The trolling had given dad consistent action with my sister the day before, many times not having time to reset a rod before the other rod starts to bend. We check out a few different areas and release a few small bass. We crossed over an area that was rising quite heavily, and were surprised to hook a 20 inch trout(mentioned earlier by keithr). This thing was so clean and silver it was beautiful. Caught on a "dead minnow" that my sister went out to buy after speaking with keithr. We head back to the cottage for an excellent breakfast whipped up by my sister, tie a couple flies, then head out again.
I get to share the row boat with my sister's husband. He's armed with a 6 weight full float, and I with a 4 weight full sink. We alternate bringing in the fish, to keep the fish count even
The bass were consistently hitting the minnow pattern I had tied when at Courtney lake. We end up trolling almost 2/3 of this huge lake. The fishing was not as good as Friday, but was still good. Cutting across the part of the lake where my dad caught the rainbow the day before, we hook into what turns out to be a 1.5 pound rainbow on a dragon nymph. My brother in law doesn't eat fish, so he gently releases the beauty back into the water. After numerous missed hits way I rig up my 3 weight with a 19 foot leader(floating line) and a bead headed olive wooly bugger. We couldn't keep them off! Sometimes we'd have a fish on before we could get a chance to let out the usual amount of line after releasing a fish. We come back to the dock to find my dad casting from the dock, the battery needs recharging. So we head back in to stretch out our backs.
We decide to opt for a later dinner and not miss out on the evening surface action. Size 14 emergers and tomb thumbs were irresistable. Fishin_chick heads in before the bats come out to prepare for dinner.
Dropping and pulling anchor is starting to do a number on my hands, so I move around without anchoring down and sample various areas. I'll have to look into setting my boat up similar to CMK with a pully system(he was so fast!). Great dinner as always, the bass tasted like filet of sole, and dad's trout tasted like salmon! No poker tonight, everyone gets to sleep while I tie a couple flies that seemed to work well for us.
Fishing day 3:
Check out day. We all get up at 6:30am, and see that keithr is out doing his thing again. Battery charged, fishin_chick and dad head out to troll once again on the electric motor. I decide to row us today, armed once again with a dragonfly nymph. We head for the little underwater island, as I had seen quite a few risers there a few nights back. We head to the side opposite the dock and tag a few fish consistently in one spot, so we anchor ourselves in casting distance and do our thing. I get the proper stripping speed today and catch a couple keepers before we decide to try a different spot. My sister has abandoned casting in favor of trolling, it is her best new technique. We decide to join them along the trees and reeds. Last day to fish, with a time limit, and we find the honey hole! Every pass we'd have a fish on, so I row some figure 8's until its time to leave. Mental note on the location so I can anchor myself in next time I visit the lake.
The ride home was uneventful, mostly because I was snoring in the back seat
We decided not to wait for the direct ferry and possibly get left behind, and took the long route. We get home in good time, earlier than we would have, had we waited for the direct ferry to Tsawassen.
All in all, the trip was awesome. The weather held out, fishing was great, nobody got skunked, and we learned how effective trolling can be for bass. I learned from Rodney that I was casting too short, and that I should have been casting right INTO the reeds, not right infront of them. I had too many flies get tangled in the reeds, so I stayed clear of them. Perhaps next time
Hoping to send some pictures to Rodney when he gets back (if he comes back).
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Topic: FWR St Mary Lake Report, July 24 - 26 (Read 7841 times)