With the weather forecast for the Columbia Basin calling for a HOT -100°F- day, Brian and I had make plans to go try out his new float tube fins and beat the heat at 7100' Anthony Lake.
We
got out of WW as the heat was getting hot at 1:30 pm, stopped for gas
and headed over Tollgate to arrive at Anthony Lake at 4:00. There was
maybe a half dozen anglers on the lake, and a half dozen water sport
players splashing around. Mostly calm conditions.
The
ODFW lake stocking report indicated that 4500 trophy trout had been
stocked into the lake during July, we anticipated a high catch rate, of
some large fish. Just
before Dale caught his first fish we was talking with a "local" bank
fisherman, and that guy told us that ODFW had stocked the lake last week
with 1150 trophy trout --16"to 20"-- and he had quite keeping anything
under 14". He had been catching trout that were 2-2.5 pounders = 20". Shortly thereafter Dale hooked onto a nice stillwater "football" rainbow - a typical stillwater rainbow.
Arriving at the lake the air temperature was 83°F and water temp was 63°. Shortly after the sun set behind the trees on the west side of the lake, fishing in their shadow the air temp fell to 73°. A beautiful way to Beat-the-Heat.
When we returned from the lake, driving through M-F the temp was still 86° at 10:30p. As mentioned this was Brian first day to use a float craft to fly fish stillwaters. He says he enjoyed it.
having just left the boat launch
nice casting, good distance for stillwater casting, fish rising
Flies we used today were:The FAB -or- Blob fly on a full fast sink line, fished deep - with no results
BS Special on an intermediate sinking line - two large rainbow hookups - one landed, with numerous soft strikes
This day was a learning experience for Brian. He said he felt that he had a few strikes, no hookups. It
does take time, practice, practice, practice to learn techniques and
skills to be successful with stillwater fly fishing... this ain't like
bait-casting, using a pole with a wench.
As
we were packing up the PU with our boats, an older gentlemen, carrying a
fish pail, rod and reel (wearing a western hat, slumped in the
shoulders) and a young woman passed by. Dale asked... "how was fishing? "The ole Gent answered... "fishing was good, catching was not" We laughed... another day fishing, not always catching. A beautiful, enjoyable day.
We must return for more 
Tight lines and good fishing
Report by Dale McKain
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Trip of 16 August --
Steven and I spent yesterday afternoon sitting on Anthony Lake. A couple of days ago the NFS opened the west route of Hwy 73 to the lakes.
From WW to Ukiah - NFR 52 to NFR 73 to Anthony Lake... NFR 51 to I-84 Hillgard to WW = 306 miles round trip.
Steven said he talked with someone at Anthony Lake, before I got there and they thought the east route of Hwy 73 might be opened by Friday out of No. Powder / I-84.
Make a long story short...
It was a wonderful day to be sitting on Anthony Lake. We got on the water around 4:00p.
Tested our gear and full sink line techniques until Steven hooked a nice 16"-18"er.
Fishing with barbless hooks many of Steven's hookups came off at the end of his pontoons... no hands C&R.
A little later Dale hooked into a 15"er. Then Steven hooked another, Dale hooked another. At the time the sunset shadow hit the trees on the east side of the lake, Steven had C&R 6 rainbow triploids, and Dale had landed 2.
After landing 2 more, Dale took this picture...
When I picked up my rod, I found I had the biggest fish of the day hooked up... 5 fish creeled, a good day's finish. Dale's first fish landed was 15¾" his last fish landed was 17¾"... a lot of fun on an SPL 2-wt rod.
In the process of trolling the lake, we feel we found the sweet spot to aim for when stalking the thousands of triploids stocked in Anthony Lake this summer.
 |
| Dale's first fish 15¾" ~ last fish 17¾" |
All fish hook-ups today were nice rainbow triploids.
On the way home... using NFR 73 to 52 to 51 to OR 244 Dale and Buddy found crossing the road... 6 snowshoe hares, 12-15 deer, 25-30 elk and 6 cows -- Open Range. This put Buddy on HIGH Alert all the way back to I-84.
Tight lines and good fishing,
Report by Dale McKain
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Trip of October 6th
Left home yesterday morning with my Buddy, with great anticipation of bringing home a creel full of triploid rainbows (5) for the day's outing. It was a beautiful drive over Tollgate, and out to the Elkhorns.
Got to Anthony Lake, surrounded with snow and found the noon time air temperature in the shade to be 43*. I was the only one on the lake. Several people were fishing from the shore.
After fishing for awhile, I checked the water surface temperature and found it to be 45* which makes for cold toes after a few hours.
Once when the sun came out brightly, I checked the thermometer on my fishing vest and it read 60° which felt good.
After fishing for awhile with no strikes, I changed from a full sink line to a stillwater intermediate sink line and a gray/olive wooly bugger. On the second cast of that combo, got a strike / take down, and netted a legal brookie. I immediately put it back in the lake, since I was stalking triploid rainbows, like Barbara and I had run into last November 6th.
But yesterday I netted one Brook Trout.
So as the story goes...
The afternoon's fishing trip ended beautifully.
... tis not all of fishing to fish.
- Izaak Walton
The afternoon's catching sucked, and there was a FULL Moon rising on the way home. After seeing the FULL Moon, I could forgive the fish for not taking my fly.
Tight lines,
Dale
Report ~ Blogmaster Dale McKain
Tight lines and good fishing.
Walla² Fly Fishers
Tight lines and good fishing. 
