East Lake was a lot of fun this week. Three really good guys from Jeld-Wen fished Thursday afternoon and were in the kokanee and a few browns the whole time wind-drifting calebaetis and birds nest nymphs in the deep water near the hump. Big Dave, a saltwater fly-guy from Massachusetts, was on fire, and Curt from Redmond wasn't far behind. Fly fishing newbie Tyler from Bristol Rhode Island picked up casting very quickly, landed several nice fish, and has been severely bitten by the fly fishing bug.
Friday was another solid day, with Grandpa Norm, Uncle Jim, and 11 year Rowan enjoying their 1st trip to East while touring the West from Wisconisn. We got a few on dries -- you've got to check out the extended body baetis at the shop -- and a couple nymphing, but again, it was wind-drifting that really paid off. I was especially happy for Rowan, a neat kid who's seriously into fishing but hadn't fly fished at all before. By the end of the day, he was strip-striking and playing his fish like a pro, although a good sized brown did take him to school on the art of fighting big fish on light tackle. Oh well, like most of us, the big one that got away will keep him coming back . . . .
Saturday was rainy, windy, and cloudy with occasional thunder claps and I was concerned that Bob Price from Broken Top might not have the kind of day he was hoping for. Well, I needn't have worried: Bob was a great guy in the boat, and it turned out to be one of my most fun days of the season. He's an excellent caster, and a sporadic mayfly hatch provided good dry fly fishing on a light Sage TXL 4 weight throughout the day. Bob didn't miss many fish and landed lots of trout, including some browns, 'bows, and one atlantic salmon that were a little bigger than the East Lake average. It was a good sign for the future of the fishery that almost half of Bob's fish were fat, healthy looking browns. Thanks Bob for your company, lunch at the lodge, and a great day on the water. Tight lines - Jeff
