Tubing for Tigers (trout)

[TubeDude]

[#0000ff][cool]I got invited to join moderator kentofnsl and BFTer Yonni for a trip to Huntington. The other two guys fished from Kents boat...which I got to launch and trailer for them. I fished from my tube. What else?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't get an exact air temp but it seemed to be just above freezing at 8 AM launch. Water temp just over 44 at launch, warming a couple of degrees through the morning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Dead flat calm at daybreak, with almost zero surface breaks from feeding fish. Unusual for Huntington. Almost always something breaking the surface early.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Talked back and forth with the boaters on walkie talkies. We couldn't find any concentrations of fish on sonar. The fish we saw were all suspended and apparently not active. No bites on anything. Nothing on the bottom in the usual favorite bottom bouncing spots. Water levels are way up from the same time last year. Probably has an effect.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yonni had talked his way onto Kent's boat to try to catch his first ever tiger trout. Yee hawww. He got the first tiger of the day on a Lucky Craft. Ended up with several more for the day. Mission accomplished.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Kent kept the boat moving, looking for fish they could work with vertical presentations...usually the best bet for bigger tigers in Huntington. They slow trolled as they cruised and they both caught a few fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I kicked from the launch ramp to the opposite shore at midlake, to work a favorite area there. Nada, zip, zilch. Couple of bumps. The old standard fisherman's response.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Kept kicking to the opposite end of the lake, near the inlets. Saw more fish suspended, but nothing near top or bottom. HOKAY. Out came the bubbles and flies. That did it. Started with a black bugger and caught several between 12" to 15". Rigged the other rod with a black and orange "Halloween Bugger. BINGO. Several more bigger tigers, up to 16.5 inches. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Seeing they liked orange on Huntington too, I changed the drab black bugger to another one of my orange marmalade creations. Bangity bang. Actually either had doubles hooked a couple of times or had a hit on the second fly while reeling in another fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There had been a nice little breeze blowing from the far end back toward the ramp. No problem. I will just fish my way back. RIGHT. Less than halfway back the wind switched directions and began to push me away from the ramp. Standard.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After an early wakeup call and a lot of kicking...and of course the strenuous exercise of fighting a lot of tigers...I decided I did not want to power kick against the wind the last half of the lake. So, I kicked into shore and hooked my tube up to my newest tube transport system...the "Tube Dolly". Pulled a fully loaded tube about a half mile on the new ATV trail paralleling the lake. When I reached the vehicle I had HIT THE WALL. Stick a fork in me, I'm done. I'm getting too old for this stuff.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As I was starting to break down and bag up my gear, I noticed a "boil" in progress right next to shore, in the corner between the dam and the ramp. A couple of big splashes, but most of the activity was smaller fish. Walking down to the waters edge I could see the reason for the commotion...bajillions of 1" fry in the shallows. Called the boater boys in on the walkie tallkies and they finished off their day molesting young tigerettes. Big whoop.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All in all a beautiful day on a beautiful pond. Looks like the weather is gonna change things soon.[/#0000ff]
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[SHigSpeed]

With all the results you're getting on your jack-o-lantern buggers, I'm going to have to have you tie me some!

Great looking little lake there. Wish I could get some tigers...

_SHig
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Shoot me a PM with your mailing address and I'll send you a couple of samples.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I lived in Sacramento for several years and fished all of the north coast rivers for steelhead and salmon. Some of my favorite flies were the "Boss" line, with hot orange bodies and black hackle and tail. Since then I have created my own line of "Boss-abous"...using marabou tails (like buggers) instead of the hair or fiber of the standard patterns. I have been scoring well on those with a hot orange body and black marabou tail and front hackle too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Orange and black have been favorite combos with many trouters in the west for years. In fact, Oregon member Zonker put up several posts in the past about his success on some golden colored rainbows using an egg sucking black leech with a hot orange head.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have also had success by adding a line of orange in a black fly, either as a "shellback" or as a line on the belly. However you add the orange, it adds to the contrast and visibility. And, orange seems to be a universal attractor color...used on many lure patterns.[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

From Kitty's to Tigers....are we seeing a trend there?![angelic]

Nice....how do you say it.....oh yeah....SLIMMERS!
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[TubeDude]

[quote flygoddess]From Kitty's to Tigers....are we seeing a trend there?![angelic]

Nice....how do you say it.....oh yeah....SLIMMERS![/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]The word is "SLIME-ers"...unless you are just talking about skinny fish. But, both cats and trout have plenty of slime.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Don't know about any "trends". I am an equal opportunity guy when it comes to fishing. I logged 10 trips in October...to 7 different waters...and I caught 11 different species.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, nice post on the Idaho trip. Those trout were definitely not on Weight-Watchers.[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

Good year! Species Hunting. I haven't hit that many different waters, but my list for this year is:

CARP...wahoo (both Mirror and regular run of the mill)
Catfish
Brookie
Tiger Trout
Laker
Bonneville Cutt
Yellowstone Cutt
Hybrid
Rainbow
Brown
White Bass
LMB
SMB
Bluegill
Crappy
Perch
Walleye

Only thing missing is Pike, Tiger Musky, Wiper, Striper and Sturgeon...Maybe next year
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[TubeDude]

"Only thing missing is Pike, Tiger Musky, Wiper, Striper and Sturgeon...Maybe next year"

[cool][#0000ff]Let's make it more challenging. All of them have to be taken on dries...size 20 or smaller...and a rod no larger than a 3.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Looks like you HAVE had a good year. Good on ya.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also, congrats on the great job you are doin' in the mod department. You do fine work.[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

Thank you so much.
As far as the Dry fly no problem...but Now I GUESS I have to go buy another 3 weight rod LOL...
Great excuse to buy a new rig!
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[macfly55]

you still have two months sis...:-)
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[macfly55]

FG...since when did you need an exscuse to go buy something related to fly fishing ?? :-)

MacFly
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[flygoddess]

Good point! But the old man is going nuts on his glass and old reels!
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[macfly55]

lol true...but Id say its your turn next..lol..
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