I just returned from the Caribou region of BC after a seven day sojourn with several other list members (note - names of individuals and lakes have been removed to protect the innocent.)
We fished zipperlip one on Friday afternoon - Sunday afternoon. The lake is a 60 acre lake at 2700 feet in the Caribou. The surface water temp was 70-72F due to the recent hot spell. There were adult damsels, dragons, and caddis present in good numbers, but only caddis were observed hatching. I do not know if this was due to the high temps, or if the damsels and dragons were mostly done. A guide that we ran in to on the lake said the dragons and damsels had "just exploded" during the beginning of the hot spell, but that the lake appeared to have slowed considerably with the continued above average temps (timed to our arrival.) I took most of my fish sight fishing the shallows with trout falling for a Mikulak Sedge on top or on caddis pupa underneath (crystal sedge or hollywood caddis.) The fish were just getting out of spawn and the general consensus was that the lake was two weeks behind, until the hot spell hit. I landed ~10 fish each day with the average fish about 20" and a couple at 23". Zipperlip two was at 3000 feet and had about 3x the surface area of Zipperlip one. It was running 61-64 on the surface, but the weather had cooled substantially and it had rained hard during the drive between the lakes. There were traveling sedge hatching sporadically throughout the day, but no surface feeding activity. I hit fish here on caddis pupa and chironomid fished deep (20+'.) Damsels and dragons had just started here, with only a very few evident. The bigger fish here again, were just barely out of spawn. I landed ~5 fish a day, with the average size being 23" and a best of seven plus pounds. The one big lesson from the trip was that I need to invest in a bigger catch and release net, as my 22" net was too small... For the entomologists in the bunch - we netted a 3" long insect that had a pale tan/ semi translucent, segmented body, six legs, small eyes, and BIG mandibles. Any guesses? Does anyone know the life cycle of some of the huge aquatic beetles? Do they have a larvae stage? It did not look like any of the dragon fly nymphs that I am familiar with. I would be happy to answers queries about patterns and hatches, but the lakes will remain nameless. Tight lines, Andy
