Careful where you step (Trout fry/REDD's in stream)

[tsfarling]

The rainbows have gone into a later spawn this year. This is probably due to the diminished winter flows compared to last year when the spawn occurred after the flooding. Last time we were down we saw several REDD sites (cleared out gravel areas) in the stream. I tested a few of them for eggs and did not find any but there were more I didn't test. Be careful as you fish through Evening Hole and the Islands in zone 2. These areas have active REDDs that might be used by more than one fish. Sometimes these are just test sites and if the fish is too small, it will find different substrate to kick up elsewhere and a larger fish will then use that spot left behind. Also, we sampled 3 juvenile trout this last week so be mindful of the juveniles as well. If you catch a 3" fish or smaller, PLEASE reply here with a picture and location. The hunt has begun and hopefully we continued to sample more and more juveniles this year. 

Tight lines!

Attachments:

[Fenwick]

Sample more juveniles you say? My Sunday 4/09 late morning observation: Stand yourself at the upriver head end of the bluffs rockpile where the river splits in two...facing downriver it breaks to the right to run along the cypress tree side and maybe sixty feet down from that head end a small run peels off into the trees. It was at that juncture that I saw dozens upon dozens of 3 inch or less fry darting about. Don't know why the plentiful larger trout or the heron didn't simply gobble them up like so many peanuts right away but there are impressive loads of fry there. For that matter there were fry everywhere in the length of water from the rockpile to the Evening Hole bridge. For that matter the length of river from either side of the rockpile down to the Evening Hole bridge was wall to wall trout, the most trout I have ever seen there in 12 years of fishing the LMF. I saw bountiful tiny fry, waaaay too many dinky six to eight inchers, larger 11 inchers and one impressively sized deep green one with orange/red gill plates. All sizes of trout EV-ER-Y-where. And as Tyler mentions the spawn is still on, redds are here and there and the small dinks were chasing each other around and about and pestering the larger ones all in spawn mode. All of the trout are presently being extremely well fed on emerging black caddis and black gnats. The river was a relentless flying insect producing machine spewing forth black caddis and black gnats nonstop every minute of the day all day. Fishermen there no doubt brought some home on their clothing. The 6-8 inch dinks were splashing about gorging on all the emergers and the larger trout played it cool by staying down letting the punky little ones do most of the splashing. Once in a while a larger one would rocket out of the water but it was mostly the dinks performing the acrobatics while chowing down. Quite a splashy show all day long. The dinks will take any nymph you run past them and they often run your fly down to nab it. What an annoyance when you are targeting the larger ones. The larger 11 inchers and that one even larger green one with the orangy-red gill plates casually move aside to let your nymph pass. If you wanted the larger trout you HAD to drift a small black emerger as nothing else would work for them, they just moved aside while your line passed downstream. Sometimes they'd curiously swim perpendicular to your moving "wrong pattern" nymph, egg or San Juan and they'd often nose and bump your offering with closed mouths and then they turn away and move right back into their place. Anyway, sooo many fry, sooo many black caddis and black gnats and the river is absolutely packed with trout there in the bluffs, evening hole red zone. Is the river healthy with clean water and bug life galore? Boy I'll say! Do they need to stock in that particular section this week? I don't think so, that'd be overpopulation.I never thought I'd ever say there's almost too many there in the Bluffs / Evening Hole but yeah...there's too many there right now.

[hankinsfly]

Awesome write-up, Fenwick.

[tsfarling]

Thanks for the input. We actually sampled up at the head of the bluff rock pile because I saw a juvenile brown trout there back in January, however, a lot of the fish you see darting about in that area are stonerollers, creek chubs, and darters. We sampled hundreds of each and I was disappointed not to find any fry. We sampled thoroughly too from Evening Hole to the top of the Bluffs. A lot of the small 4-5 inch fish are the browns they put in a couple months ago. This time of year the stonerollers, creek chubs, and darters will be living side by side with the trout. If there were hundreds of trout we would have found more than 3. We will keep looking though! Evening Hole is stacked. We sampled and most times we found 20 fish together that were 15-18" I have video proof of that. I think the river is doing well. I have suggested a few different stocking options over the past three months that greatly increased fish abundance in Evening Hole so hopefully that continues to be enjoyable for everyone.

Apr 10, 2017 12:37:06 GMT -6 Fenwick said:

Sample more juveniles you say? My Sunday 4/09 late morning observation: Stand yourself at the upriver head end of the bluffs rockpile where the river splits in two...facing downriver it breaks to the right to run along the cypress tree side and maybe sixty feet down from that head end a small run peels off into the trees. It was at that juncture that I saw dozens upon dozens of 3 inch or less fry darting about. Don't know why the plentiful larger trout or the heron didn't simply gobble them up like so many peanuts right away but there are impressive loads of fry there. For that matter there were fry everywhere in the length of water from the rockpile to the Evening Hole bridge. For that matter the length of river from either side of the rockpile down to the Evening Hole bridge was wall to wall trout, the most trout I have ever seen there in 12 years of fishing the LMF. I saw bountiful tiny fry, waaaay too many dinky six to eight inchers, larger 11 inchers and one impressively sized deep green one with orange/red gill plates. All sizes of trout EV-ER-Y-where. And as Tyler mentions the spawn is still on, redds are here and there and the small dinks were chasing each other around and about and pestering the larger ones all in spawn mode. All of the trout are presently being extremely well fed on emerging black caddis and black gnats. The river was a relentless flying insect producing machine spewing forth black caddis and black gnats nonstop every minute of the day all day. Fishermen there no doubt brought some home on their clothing. The 6-8 inch dinks were splashing about gorging on all the emergers and the larger trout played it cool by staying down letting the punky little ones do most of the splashing. Once in a while a larger one would rocket out of the water but it was mostly the dinks performing the acrobatics while chowing down. Quite a splashy show all day long. The dinks will take any nymph you run past them and they often run your fly down to nab it. What an annoyance when you are targeting the larger ones. The larger 11 inchers and that one even larger green one with the orangy-red gill plates casually move aside to let your nymph pass. If you wanted the larger trout you HAD to drift a small black emerger as nothing else would work for them, they just moved aside while your line passed downstream. Sometimes they'd curiously swim perpendicular to your moving "wrong pattern" nymph, egg or San Juan and they'd often nose and bump your offering with closed mouths and then they turn away and move right back into their place. Anyway, sooo many fry, sooo many black caddis and black gnats and the river is absolutely packed with trout there in the bluffs, evening hole red zone. Is the river healthy with clean water and bug life galore? Boy I'll say! Do they need to stock in that particular section this week? I don't think so, that'd be overpopulation.I never thought I'd ever say there's almost too many there in the Bluffs / Evening Hole but yeah...there's too many there right now.

[Fenwick]

Stonerollers, chubs and darters...certainly trout snack on them too what with the fry being so small and easy pickins right there for all to see. Between them and the abundant insect life the river menu is rather complete. Great to see all that. There sure was a heck of a lot of fish and insect activity to observe and I'm sure there's rainbow and brown trout babies there somewhere. My concern for their future would be the rather shallow aspect of the new Evening Hole run and the water warming up in the summer sun. I suppose the trout will move which might diminish the fishing fun until Fall and cooler weather.

[breeden3]

Fenwick, I don't think the summer temps will have to much affect on them in the EH. We are still catching wild fish from the spawn right after the flood. They made it through no problem. I think you will still see a ton of fish sticking around that area all summer.



Also, I will leave this hear for everyone:

[turfdawg]

Wow
Is that a LMF cuttierainbrown

[golferjeff]

Nope, Brookiebowcuttbrown. Notice the orange/brown stripe rather than the red slash. I bet since it has brookie DNA Peter tossed it in the bushes. I think Tyler has sampled some cuttyrainbrowns though

All great fish.  I am hopefully bringing two older guys up on Friday.  At least I know they will have several shots at small rainbows and browns!  I may have a go at Robin or another larger fish.  Need to scout for a late April trip.....

[tsfarling]

The shallower water in evening hole is fine. The water is moving through faster now with the narrower channel. It doesn't have time to heat up. Temps will not be an issue unless the lake gets to 60% or less. Then and only then will you start to see issues with temps. They can easily keep temps below thermal limits during the summer on the LMF.