

While doing so I am reminded of the limitations of trolling with child-size fins, that my oars splash like a frantic coot trying to lift off from the water’s surface, and a need to mount my seat further forward to relieve the strain on my sore back. Over the next hour, I paddle against a stiff breeze, out of casting range of bank anglers that toss Power Bait. Do not waste valuable fishing time surveying the entire lake by yourself. Lesson learned: when you fish a lake for the first time, follow someone who has caught fish there before. Also, the west end of Quincy Lake is shallow and crowded with submerged vegetation. Most anglers are fishing tiny chironomid patterns under a strike indicator, aka bobber fishing. When an angler with a small outboard motor joins him, I peel off to explore where fly casters work the main launch area from prams.īig mistake. Ken leaves me after landing a trout of his own and ventures into a narrow arm where he caught an “18-incher” on his last visit to Quincy Lake. I follow Ken’s wake to the north shore, let out 50 feet of intermediate sink line, and am immediately rewarded with a 14-inch rainbow. Ted paddles to the east end of the lake, where steep basalt cliffs crown the shoreline. As Ken stated, “You have to have confidence in your fly or you won’t catch fish.” I used variations of the same two patterns all day. Characteristics that include undulation and contrast come to mind. What causes trout to strike either pattern is a subject of debate among flycasters. 12 barbless hook and tied off at the eye. The orange version I used was basically a maribou feather wrapped around a no. Leech flies come in all colors of the rainbow. Wooly buggers are a streamer-type fly designed to resemble natural trout foods such as minnows, crayfish, and aquatic insects. I start with a two-fly tandem that includes a Brown Wooly Bugger with a Leech trailer. The right pocket of my pontoon boat is stuffed with six boxes of flies that contain chironomids, beadhead nymphs, wooly buggers, leeches, and other assorted soft hackle patterns. Once satisfied I have everything, we load my partially deflated pontoon boat atop theirs and we are on our way! Geologists describe the surrounding landscape as “cataract-lined alcoves separated by basalt ribs.” Anglers refer to the water bodies as “desert seep lakes.”įellow fly caster Ted jumps out of his truck and hands me a checklist of required items for the trip: fly rod, reel, flies, spare leader, landing net, stocking foot waders, boots, fins, oars, oar locks, life jacket, whistle, lunch, water. The shallow basins that form Quincy Lake, nearby Dusty Lake, and four small, disconnected lakes known as Ancient Lakes, were carved out when waters from the Ice Age Floods poured out of the Grand Coulee. Access to the 54-acre lake is afforded via a dirt road off WA-281 N, southwest of the town of Quincy. Quincy Lake is located in WDFW’s Quincy Wildlife Area, a popular fishing and hiking destination. Three days, 29 text messages, and 13 e-mails later, we three long-time friends decide to haul our pontoon boats to Quincy Lake.
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However, most of us retirees have definite opinion about where, when, and how to fish. Any text message that begins with “Let’s go fishing!” should lead to quick resolution.
