I was convinced that we were going to have a very early spring this year. However, Mother Nature had a different idea. We had a snowstorm here in Leavenworth that dumped several inches on us, and we weren’t alone. The snow showers were widespread across the region and probably put a damper on the fishing plans of many folks.
I want to continue to maintain the level of current reports and even expand the area I cover as I look for fishing opportunities. The time and effort it requires to deliver the best quality information on fishing in the region has become very time consuming. I need to consolidate my efforts to make a more efficient use of my time. I will continue to place reports on my website, and I have even added Saturdays and Sundays to my weekly line up of reporting.
Now I am inviting you to subscribe to my Facebook page. Please follow me and then go to the subscribe hub. As a subscriber you will receive tips and tricks, How To videos and other special features. There will be video interviews with known fishing experts like Austin Moser, Shane Magnuson, Buzz Ramsey and others. By becoming a Facebook Subscriber, you will not only getting exclusive information and features, but you will also be helping me expand my coverage of the area where I find more great fishing opportunities. I want to thank you for your support, and I look forward to providing you with even better information on fishing in this region.
The annual Quincy Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby is almost here. Starting on Friday, March 27th, anglers will be gathering at Burke and Quincy lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area to fish for rainbow trout, with the hopes of winning some of the many prizes that will be awarded. Derby fishing begins at six a.m. on Friday with a mandatory weigh in at four p.m. when fish will have holes punched in their tails to mark them as a Friday catch. On Saturday, derby fishing ends at twelve forty five, and the winners of the adult and youth categories will be announced as soon as all the catches are tabulated. Fishing should be especially good as the Quincy Chamber adds more trout to the lakes just prior to the derby, including some whoppers. To learn more about the derby, click on the Something Fishy in Quincy logo on my website at fishingmagician.com.
Everyone knows how popular fishing for triploid rainbow trout on Rufus Woods Reservoir has become, particularly around the net pens on the upper end. I have made countless trips to this area over the years, as well as the lower end above Chief Joseph Dam. The Colville Indian Tribe has come up with an idea to make it even more fun—with a fishing derby—with $5,000 in prizes. The Derby will start on April 1st and run through July 31st. Catches will be recorded through the MyCatch app, and the prizes are listed on Anglers Atlas.com. There are many different ways to win, and the poster I received mentions Random Challenges, Random Draws, Most Fish Entered, Longest Fish, Tough Luck Draws and Video Releases. When I visited the Anglers Atlas website, I found a very long list of prizes and all of them were in the form of gift cards. It looks like you can win something just by entering the Derby. There is also a long list of species that can be entered as well. Not just rainbow. I would encourage you to visit the website and check it out.
There are several lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area that are only reached by trail. Because they take a little extra effort to reach, they often offer better fishing. Two are very popular. Dusty Lake can be seen from the trailhead. I have often said that it is one mile down and three coming up, because it is very steep. This is a selective fishing lake, so no bait and barbless hooks only. It is popular with fly fishers, and many carry a float tube or pontoon boat down to fish it. It is stocked with rainbow, brown and tiger trout. Fish of 16 to 20 inches are possible on Dusty. I passed the Ancient Lake trailhead the other day and the parking area was full of vehicles. People hike or even bike along this trail that is a four- to five- mile round trip. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout and also has a good population of largemouth bass. There are a couple of other lakes that are reached by trail. Cup and Crystal are worth the hike. Both are planted with rainbow trout. They don’t get a lot of pressure and have a good number of carryovers in them. This week’s photo was taken from the trailhead to Dusty Lake.
I haven’t had the opportunity to spend much time at Rocky Ford Creek this season. I have stopped by to check on conditions but never had enough time to do any fishing. However, last week I did. I have a new switch rod for fly fishing and wanted to try it out. I was hoping that the switch rod would allow me to make long casts without catching my line in the reeds behind me. I spent the first hour or so struggling with my casts and it was obvious that I was doing something fundamentally wrong. Darc Knoble at the Desert Fly Angler in Ephrata has offered to give me a lesson, and I am going to take him up on it. I moved to the middle parking area with my good ol’ 5 weight in hand walked down to my favorite casting spot. I had made at least a dozen casts without touching a fish. Then, as I was lifting my rod to start another cast—WHAM--a really big fish hit. It came up and slashed across the water. I saw his back and huge tail as he dove and broke me off. Dang, that was exciting. This is why I fish Rocky Ford!
