Ok I will admit i was at chopaka over the weekend as well. While the weather wasn't
ideal it was my first time there and it is a lovely place to fish.
I did OK during the mayfly hatch and caught a few fish averaging 18 inches. I caught
one on a emerger and the rest were taken on a parachute adams. I basically anchored in
the tullies and tried to cast ahead of he rising fish. I lost more than I caught due
to breakoffs.
I did go out Saturday evening for some night fishing and did quite well on a black
woolly bugger. I was out for around an hour and a half and landed 6 large fish and
lost about the same.
Those fish really attacked the bugger and I almost had the rod yanked out of my hands
a few times. The largest was around 22 inches and I lost a few that I bet were
larger. I was getting so many hits it almost felt like I was cheating somehow but I
couldn't complain with the results.
Overall a good time and I look forward to going back for a longer stay as I only had
the chance to fish the lake one day. There were a lot of knowledgeable folks around
and they were more than willing to help me out which was much appreciated.
-sean
----
On Thu, 7 Jun 2001 21:22:36
Wes Neuenschwander wrote:
>Spent last Wednesday through Sunday fishing Chopaka. A wonderful several
>days of good fishing (for most) and visiting with friends, old and new.
>
>Pleased to report that mayfly emergences were in full swing, though variable
>from day to day, and the damsels are finally beginning to show in good
>enough numbers that both nymphs and adults were taking fish. Curiously, the
>chironomid fishing seemed to be generally slow, with even the most hard core
>chironomid guys stooping to fish dry mayflies. Gads!
>
>Not a normal year at Chopaka. A cool, late spring followed by warm weather,
>seems to have accelerated the succession of hatches and the surface water
>temps are now already in the mid-60's. Couple this with water levels easily
>a foot below normal (or even a couple of feet perhaps), essentially no
>inflow or outflow, and things could get ugly quick. Fortunately, the cool
>evening and night temps (very bracing, for sure) always help moderate the
>bright, warm days.
>
>One apparent consequence of the low water levels is a shift in the prime
>emergence areas and, consequently fishing. The far south end - always a
>favorite, due to the relatively shallow bottom extending from bank to bank -
>seemed less productive than the somewhat deeper waters nearer the camp
>ground. I heard reports of good emergences from the north end, which has
>substantially deeper waters than the rest of the lake, but didn't get a
>chance to check it out.
>
>Sight fishing - my passion - sucked. Lower water levels, coupled with
>markedly reduced densities and dramatically reduced extents of the tule
>beds - now provides relatively little cover and poor habitat for the large
>fish that used to cruise the shore margins in good numbers.
>
>We had a couple of good days for Calibaetis though. Protracted hatches on
>the east side, near the center of the lake, produced some 30+ fish days for
>those savvy enough to hang close to camp. BTW, no one pattern seemed to
>dominate - Chopaka emergers, parachute Adams and various other obscure or
>innovative patterns all had their moments. Ditto for the damsels - lots of
>things seemed to work, at least occasionally. Also noteworthy was that fish
>could be pounded up in some areas for long periods either before of after
>the hatches.
>
>Had some pretty good winds and plenty of cloud cover - and even some rain -
>all great for the Calibaetis, along with periods of warm, cloudless skies.
>Nights tended to be exceptionally cold - cold enough to forsake the bourbon
>and cigars that have become a nightly tradition.
>
>A breathtakingly beautiful place, with great fishing as a bonus, for those
>who care about such things.
>
>-Wes
>
>Wes Neuenschwander
>Seattle, WA USA
>
>
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