Pass Lake Fish Selective June 22

by Mr BFSH
(Kamloops, BC)

Research Station - Pass Lake BC

After the chironomid blitz from the May long weekend to about the middle of June, the rainbow trout at Pass Lake have become a little more selective. I slipped up to the lake on Tuesday afternoon, hoping to cash in on the minor feed period from 6pm to 7pm.

There were only a few people on the water, with 3 boats anchored at the west end near the research station, one at the east end of the lake and a boat trolling around. The floating plant debris continues to spread across the lake in patches making drifting a trolling a real chore as one's line is continually getting gunked up with debris.

I decided to try the north-west shore, slowly making my way toward the 3 guys anchored. One of them seemed to be doing very well. I wasn't touching a thing. As the feed period approached, the action near those guys was picking up and their success was too good to ignore so I moved closer with the intent on anchoring.

As I approached I said hello and started asking friendly questions as well as inquiring if they minded that I anchored in the area. They were ok with that and within a few minutes I found out what they were using for flies (just small brown and/or green chironomids with black rib). From my anchored position, I still got nothing.

I did find out that these boys were from Kelowna and were up for the day. Sounds like they don't mind traveling a bit and had visited a number of lakes all over the Southern Interior including the Merritt area and south. But Dustin, Ray and Kelly were having a great day at Pass Lake with all of them into double digits of fish in the 3lb to 6lb range.

By the time I entered the picture, they were getting ready to leave so Dustin offered his spot to me and also pumped his last fish so I could see what they were feeding on. The fish was gorged with those small chironomids that I mentioned above as well as a few daphnia. I re-anchored in the new spot and got one floating line with a long leader (22' leaders is what they were using)in the water and was getting the other floating line ready when my first line got yanked down in a hurry and I was into my first fish.

Funny how fishing is... the line that I got my first fish on continued to produce for about an hour and a half while the second line saw nothing... only one touch.

I talked with and watched a couple of other boats on the lake trolling in the area. They both said that they were getting bites but nothing to the boat. With the full moon approaching, the fish appeared finicky and selective.

In the end, I hit 5 fish and got 4 to the boat, all in the the 20" -4lb range... little footballs they looked like. I stayed out until past 10pm, hoping to catch a bit of the major feed period but the gunk in the water was becoming a challenge with the fading light. I packed it in a 10:30 pm and went home leaving all the fish in the water.

Best-in-British-Columbia Fishing Vacations Blog

Kamloops Area Lakes
Free Solunar Tables
Acreages for Sale - Regal Ridge, Osoyoos, BC