Mike, You're description on planer boards and polar bear flies was exactly right. In addition, I took an eight pounder and they called it a shaker!!
I saw two fish come in 16lbs and 17lbs and a report of a 24 pounder taken two weeks ago by a flyfisher using a "red and orange streamer". The flyfisher was in open deep water off of Warren island (for those who know the turf). You're right, they are the Gerrard strain and they are decimating the Kokanee population. I'll visit the Cour d ALene shops my next time through which looks like it will be mid-December. Thanks for the quick response. Paul In a message dated Tue, 27 Nov 2001 10:05:56 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Paul, > > I haven't had a chance to fish Pend Oreille yet but I have fished Kootenay > Lake in B.C. It also has the same big bruiser strain of Rainbow in it. I > have seen a picture of a 75 pound fish taken from Jewel Lake at the turn of > the Century. Amazing fish. > > On Kootenay, most people fish the way you describe. During the Fall, Winter > and Spring, the fish are on the surface and they troll a big polar bear hair > bucktail fly on planer boards. During the Summer, the fish hold in the > thermal layer so they are using downriggers. > > I spoke to a fly shop owner in Kelso, B.C. and she said that she fished big, > light colored streamers that imitated the silvers in the lake. Her biggest > to date was about 8 pounds (what the local guides would disgustingly call a > shaker as they throw it back) but she had other fly fisherman tell of better > success using this method. > > I would stop by Fins and Feathers in Cour D Alene next time you are in the > area. The guys seem to know their stuff and will set you on the right path. > > Mike
