Fall Fishing Futility Finally Finished 2010.10.13

by Ron W
(Kamloops)

Whew! My Fall Fishing Futility is Finally Finished!

So far my fall fishing expeditions have met with little success. Last year Jacko was very good to me but this year all I've caught are tiny ones and big spawners. Lodgepole has also only yielded small ones, and even reliable Red has been tougher than usual.

I decided to give Bleeker Lake a try since I'd heard some good reports at the soon to close Kamloops Fly Shop. Others must have heard the same reports since there were about 10 boats on the water when I arrived at 9am. Brian Chan and some BC Outdoors folks pulled out when I finished getting my boat together and had done well with Pumpkinheads.

I've never done well with Pumpkinheads and dislike fishing them since I don't know what they are supposed to represent. I stubbornly tried leeches, chironomids, shrimp, bloodworms and a damsel fly without getting a hit. Finally after a few hours of frustration, I switched to a Pumpkinhead and started casting it towards the weeds where I saw some fish rising. Sure enough, I had a strike and then shortly afterward caught and released a small one. The fish seemed to get bigger after that and I managed to land a nice 18 inch fish followed by a 20 incher. I lost an even bigger one and caught a few more smaller ones as well.

I guess the moral of the story is that when a vastly superior fisherman tells you what is working, it's a good idea to use that information no matter how much you dislike the fly.

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