Pass Lake

During a tying session the other night, I was getting bleary eyed from tying
the tiny midges that the trouties seem to favor right now, and for a change of
pace, I wanted to tie something new. (and larger) I have been hearing so much
about the Pass Lake on ROFF. I decided to tie a couple on a size 16 Mustad
94840. No tal, dubbed black body, white calf tail wing, and a couple turns of
brown hacle. Quick and simple to tie.

There is a short stretch of our local tailwater that is rarely stocked, and is
teeming with native brookies, has a few wild browns, and the occasional stockie
that wanders up there. It is one of the few fast water sections on this stream.
There is a pool at either end, with a succession of riffles and tiny plunge
pools in between. One of my favorite activities this time of year is to string
up my three weight, and start at the lower end of this section, working
upstream with a dry fly. A #18 tan EHC would be the fly of choice now, but I
decided to try the Pass Lake. Wow! It seemed like every fish in the area rose
to that thing. I was fishing semi-dry...treated the wing with floatant, and let
the body settle into the surface film. I switched back and forth with the EHC
as a reality check, but the P.L. outcaught it three to one. In true roffian
style, I didn't keep an accurate count, but I caught a bunch of brookies from
fingerling size to about 9", two wild browns, both about 9", and a 16" rainbow
that had wandered up from downstream.

The P.L. soesn't even remotely resemble anything that hatches on that river,
but the fish didn't seem to care today. I have had experiences in the past
where a new fly will perform wonders early on, but doesn't do anything once the
fish get a second look at it. Anyhow, I was impressed the first time around.


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller