Opening day Sawmill Lake Oliver

by Calvin
(Westbank)

The sky was just turning light when I pulled into the lake. I was expecting to see the campsite full since it was the first long weekend of the year, but to my surprise it wasn't. I halfheartedly gave a sigh of relief because the lake is so low that too many boats on such a small patch of water and you've got chaos.

The two campers that were there weren't stirring yet as I stepped out of my truck. I knew why right away,it was frigging cold out. I had placed my breath-ables on the passenger side floor when I left Westbank to warm them up. Good thing for the warmth was nice.

Walking down to the waters edge with my pontoon boat I could see the water was murky but I also had seen some rises happening as the morning grew brighter.

I got my rod strung with a full sink line had a couple of quick gulps of my coffee and headed for the water. My fingers could feel the cold before I even got in the boat...it was around minus eight and no gloves.The muddy shoreline sucked at my feet as i kicked out, bringing that old familiar smell.

I headed for the south east end of the lake,the sun was just hitting the water at that end,I tied on an olive 52 Buick that I tied in silk floss with a hares ear thorax and gold wire rib. The first couple of cast were for me more than the fish.

I was casting close to the shore line and letting the line sink for five to ten seconds and started fast six inch strips. The rod bent with with a slow pull... lifting the rod tip thinking I had weeds, the line went shooting to my right. I had my first Sawmill Lake fish of the year and what a beauty. She took me to my backing a couple of time and with two aerial displays, not wanting to come in. After fifteen minutes I got her to the side of my boat and it was between four and five pounds.

The next cast got me into a feisty two pounder that put up a hell of a fight. A couple of more casts and I was into another big fish. This one didn't put up much of a fight, just enough to let me know it had some weight to it. The morning produced the biggest fish for me, all in tight to the shoreline.

The two guys that had camp the night there started catching fish on the troll using the hares ears. One guy was doing really good for a couple of hours. I stayed with casting the shore line, now on the north side of the lake hitting fish every ten or so cast.

More boats started to show up around noon time,they were chironnie fisherman. Chironomids started to come off around mid noon and the guys were doing well. I seen one guy with a double header.

The weather started to change around two o'clock. Hail moved in and the wind picked up, making it a cold day. I decided to pack up the gear and said goodbye to a couple guys who I had coffee with on shore and headed back home to Westbank content.

The day produce thirty fish to the boat and a lot of missed ones. Sawmill Lake is never disappointing, some people say the fish down there know me by name but that's foolish... but I do recognize a few of them!


tight lines
calvin

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