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rockworm

best flies for small lake in late summer

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Thanks to the latest member of our family, Jessie- a 4 month old golden retriever, my wife is thinking about renting a cabin on a lake here in Quebec this summer. Most of my fly fishing has been on rivers and streams so I am hoping some of you FTF members can help me out. What patterns should I be tying? Up until now I have survived with, mostly, floating lines. Will I need to buy a sinking line? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

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The fish you want to target will influence what type flies you will want to use.

In addition what fish you target will determine what size rod and reel you will need to get the job done.

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Canadian lakes ... the water never truly warms up. My family spent a couple of weeks each summer, for 3 years, on a lake in Ontario.

Middle of the summer, and the water was still too cold for comfortable swimming.

However ... the fishing was fantastic !!!

 

Floating line, 10 to 12 feet of leader/tippet and a fly of your choice. Top water near the shore, poppers and grass hopper patterns, if I remember correctly. (Back then, we bought flies) Farther out from shore, streamers in light colors, if it's clear water.

Of course, you might try some REALLY big flies for pike and musky, too.

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The first time I picked up a fly rod was in the early 80's. Been using one regularly about 20 years.

 

I fish streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, and saltwater. Never, bought a sink tip till this year.

 

I generally fish 3 to 5 weight in fresh water. Will go up to 7 weight for bass and 9 for pike.

 

For panfish I use the same flies I use for trout. Bass and toothier critters I will use streamers made with zonker strips.

 

The fish you target will determine what you need.

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My kids are 14 and 16 and will be thrilled to catch anything they can eat. When we start looking at specific places I will know what to expect. But I would guess sunfish, perch, and largemouth bass. I am hoping there will be some trout. And expect a couple of pickerel or pike lurking in the dark. Our luck there will be only minnows and tomcats.

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mike- Thanks for reminding me that grasshoppers are at their peak in late summer. (Not sure if there will be many if the lake is surrounded by forest- not grassland. But I will have some hopper flies ready, just in case.) And I will certainly tye up some small streamers. I don't build poppers often, but a member has promised me a couple in exchange for some material- so I may be OK in that department.

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rstaight- I will make a point of tying some "zonker" style streamers. Do you fish them high or low in the water column? And what is your impression of the value of the sink tip line?

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I tie my zonker strip fly with dumbell eyes. The body of the fly is cross cut and the tail is straight cut.

 

With the dumbell eyes they fish deeper in the water.

 

As far as sink tips, I don't have enough experience with them to give you a good answer. In the past if I wanted to get deeper is used a longer leader. But then again we are not drop shotting.

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I have sink tip and full sinking line and I don't use them very much at all. but 90% of my fishing is and has been in water less than 12' deep.

I find both an aggravation to cast because they don't really "pick up" well, imo.

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I would recommend buying one of the SA hover lines instead of a sink tip, the sink rate is so slow you can still fish the top with one but if you use a rio versa leader it will fish like a sink tip but with little to no "hinge" it's also quite nice with streamers.

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The one I had was a mastery series gpx, I believe I sold it to add147 the are on sale I want to pick one up for my 7 or 8 wt

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Thanks for the help, guys. I have some very nice natural rabbit hides (garment tanned) and make my own zonker strips so I will easily be able to tye streamers as per rstaight's directions.

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rstaight- do you use dyed rabbit or natural?

 

tjm- I don't really care if the line is easy to pick up if it takes my fly down to the fish! I will do my research and find out how deep "our" lake is.

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Thanks vicente. I will look into the SA "hover" lines. But I must admit I have little experience with streamers.

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rockworm,

 

I use natural and dyed rabbit. For smaller streamers I will use pine squirrel.

 

Most common colors for bass are crawfish and chartreuse. You know the saying for bass. Ain't no use if it ain't chartreuse.

 

But black and blue is really nice.

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