The sky was mostly cloudy with a light SE wind when I arrived at "6 Mile Lake" about 1:15pm. There were 2 other boats on the water but it appeared a little quiet, I knew it probably would be as a major solunar period had just ended and the minor feed would not occur until 4:30'ish. But that did not stop my anticipation.

As I was gearing up, a couple of young guys from Kamloops also had 6 Mile Lake on their mind. As they readied their boat and gear, we started to chat and I gave them a couple of "booby flies" to try. I also noticed the fly box that one of them had. It was spectacular and I asked him where he got it. He said that his father-in-law makes them. I mentioned that they would be very popular on my site and gave them my card to get a hold of me. I haven't heard from them yet but I hope that they will see this story and pick up the phone or email me.

Although not usually a prolific body of water, with some patience and time, 6 Mile Lake can surrender so some real lunkers. Still early in the season, there were some small brown chironimids rising quickly through the water column and hatching just as rapidly.

I saw my friend Ted out on the lake. He had been there most of the morning and caught a few fish at each end of the lake. He said that he had not hooked into anything of any size. He was working a small brown chironimid with a white head and gold rib wrap... exactly what was rising in the water. He had been there long enough and was off the water by 2:30pm.

I started with my sinking line and put on a yellow bodied booby fly to drag and drift as I made my way around the lake. I was spotting fish on my Hummingbird Fish Finder in the usual locations but the fish were just not biting. I decided to anchor in a few locations near the dam and control structure and rigged up my dry line with a nice long leader." I figured that I would try some chironimids and/or small shrimp. My patience was good for about an hour and with nary a nibble, I pulled up anchor and moved the east end of the lake (near where the shore fishermen cast). Again, nothing on the cast although I was again spotting fish.

I decided to work a slow troll and drift again, dog walking my boat back and forth across the lake. There were a couple of areas where I spotted a congregation of fish (or were they turtles?) and decided to work them a little more consistently.

Time was moving on. It was now 4:30 and the minor solunar period was beginning.

I changed my "booby fly" from the yellow to the black and red micro-leech booby with a weighted head. Again I drifted over the concentration of fish that I had spotted previously. Promptly, at 5pm (mid point of the minor solunar period), I had my first strike and the fish was hooked. When I tightened line it felt like a nice fish. I stripped about 50' of line in and then the fish decided to run. And run he did. All the way to my backing. Then out of the water once.

Wow... this was a hog. This was my first big fish of the year. While getting it under control, it took 3 more runs and only one more jump. As it got closer to the boat it decided that it wasn't going to give in so I had to nurse it for another 10 minutes before it finally rolled over on it's side and I could net it.

I was impressed. The fish measured out at 23.5 inches, a formidable length but it had a belly that would make Santa jealous. I dug out my digital scale and the fish weighed in at a hefty 6lbs 8oz. I decided that this was a keeper so I gave it a lethal lobotomy and pumped it's stomach. The fish was full of small hyalella shrimp and couple of blood worms... both red and green. No chironimids.

The wind picked up again so I casted for a while then moved to the mid lake. Again, fish were showing up on the fish finder a I again hit a fish... just a small one. About 5 minutes after that fish, I had another strike and it was also a good one. Not quite as big or strong but never-the-less, a beautiful fish. 19 inches, 3.5 lbs... another fat one (in most Kamloops Area Lakes a 19" fish would be just pushing 3lbs). This fish had a trait that I had not seen before. It's back color, rather than gray or steel blue, was a beautiful light green, matching the new weed growth in the lake. It was a stunning shade.

This fish really tired itself out. The first time that I tried to release it, the fish got about 4' down, it gave up the struggle and floated back to the top. I re-netted it and had to spend another 5 minutes reviving it before it finally shook me off permanently and headed back into the deep water. Oh, and by the way, it was the black and red booby fly that performed the dirty deed once again.

Now, about 6:30pm, the wind started shifting radically and was becoming a burden. As the only fisherman left on the lake and considering the conditions, it was time to pack it in.

I was pretty happy about the day on the water and I was even more impressed on how much the "Princess" was wowed by my catch and my earlier than usual arrival home... lolol

Tight lines...

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As the lakes come off the turn, look for the start of prolific chironimid hatches. It should start getting very good with a dry line and long leader from now until the end of June.

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