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Thought some of you would like to see a pic of the float-tubing water that I grew up fishing. Its a pay-to-play spot and fly only. 2-5 lb trout are commonplace. The best time to fish it is from the end of Sept. to the end of May. All those 'waterfalls' you see are actually the ends of fish hatchery runs. All of the water is crystal clear and fresh spring fed so that it keeps a constant mid 50s temp, even in the coldest months. Effective patterns vary, but the traditional patterns seem to be the best on sinking or sink-tip line (e.g., buggers, pheasant tails, hare's ears, and globugs).
Most of the fish are found in the pics of "clearlakewest" and "clearlake center." "Clearlakeeast" can be really shallow in the far end and there just isn't the same concentration of fish in that end of the lake.
Happy fishing!!!
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Did you go recently? If so has the price gone up? How was the fishing?
FM
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[cool][blue][size 1]Hey Nate, as an old Idaho boy myself, I am familiar with that water. It is widely known as a great place to help refine your fly flinging skills, with the expectation of being rewarded with a few fish. That is what you want when you are learning to fly fish. [/size][/blue]
[blue][size 1]Too bad so many guys have to suffer the indignities of trying to coax a take from ultra-spooky fish in overfished small streams, where they have already learned all the patterns...and won't take any of them.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]The fish in there are beautiful and healthy. I haven't fished it myself, but I hear tell the fish fight well to earn their freedom. What does it matter to pay a few bucks for good fishing? What's the difference, when some guys spend a fortune to go hundreds or thousands of miles to a "pristine" spot somewhere, to only catch "tiddlers"...or nothing at all?[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]What is the record size for fish from that water?[/size][/#0000ff]
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Fishmagnet, I was there last weekend. The price is $10 per day. I had forgot my waders so my dad and I fished the inlet over at the far east side and the outlet. We only fished for 2-3 hours. I landed 4 or 5 nice ones. I borrowed my Dad's field glasses and spied on some of the tubers. There wasn't that much action in the mid-afternoon. As you can tell by the pics, it was overcast, but I didn't see the typical surface action or hatch that you can get there.
My parents still live in Buhl and my dad golfs down there at least 2X a week. He said that the country club hasn't stocked it as aggressively this year and the lake has had a bunch of pressure this spring. When I was growing up, the fish hatcheries didn't have as good of control and many fish would escape into the lake. I've landed a 9lb bow out of there before when I was younger. Now it is primarily stocked as the hatcheries have gotten smarter.
When was the last time you were there?
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Amen on it being a good place to learn to flyfish. It worked for me at least. Its great for beginning tubers as a person can easily navigate the entire lake a couple of times during a single day.
I would have to pay at least $7 to get a one day licence in Id anyway. I don't mind paying the extra 3 bucks to fish an area I knew pretty well.
Now, if the weather will cooperate, I need to hit Utah Lake sometime soon before I start to go through withdrawls.
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The last time I went was last spring and it was great. I was supposed to go a few weeks ago but I had a death in the family and had to cancel. I'd like to go before it gets too hot.
FM
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That would be a good idea. The underwater vegitation in the summer is out of control with the exception of the the northwest corner, the outlet, and that super deep section in the center by the island. Before they put that diffuser in the northwest corner, the weeds were not as bad. On the other hand, summer fishing can be just as good as the winter IF a guy were to throw one of those intermediate lines you like or a floating line with a long leader.
I'm probably telling you things you already know, sorry if it is a repeat. There was alot of dead vegitation floating in the water last weekend. If there were any bugs on them, I'm sure the fish are very full.
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