Tips about Fishing & Fishing Gear

" The high county is absolutely spectacular right now. During a lake-hopping trip from the Mogollon Rim to the White Mountains this past weekend, it was pleasing to see so many anglers experiencing the high country fishing. It looked like catching success ranged from fair for some to great for others, but all anglers I talked to said catching fish just made a great experience even better. I agree: I only caught a few myself but sure hated to head home when it was time. The hot spots were Woods Canyon for catch rates (stockers), Big Lake for catch rates on nice-sized fish ranging from eight to 16 inches, and Crescent for lots of fly-fishing action for hold-over brookies and rainbows. Lee Valley was slow, but I caught a couple of nice Apache trout, saw plenty of elk, heard turkey calling, and may have seen my first wolves in the wild (unconfirmed but still exciting). I also stopped by some White Mountain Apache waters. Hawley Lake, as usual, was stunning, but the bite seemed slow, at least according to the anglers I talked to. I also saw three flocks of turkey while driving there. Big Bear and Little Bear both seemed popular, but most anglers said the fishing was a little slow. Horseshoe Lake seemed okay, but just across the highway, tiny Bog Tank appeared to be THE most productive fishing hole. I ran into a fly angler named Mike on the Whiteriver (above the highway to Hawley) who said he hasn’t had much luck there in the past two years, but fishes that stretch of stream anyway because of the sheer beauty of the place. It’s difficult to go wrong in the high country right now. By the way, take along some bug spray; insects are already out, which is good news for hungry trout. I’d like to share a poignant e-mail from a dad who took his child fishing at Woods Canyon. “I took my 5-year-old daughter and according to her, after her third fish we were having a fishing contest. I was having a hard time even getting a pole in the water for myself because I was too busy unhooking her fish. After the 11th fish, she said she was finished, so I could catch up. All together we caught and released 20,” he said. That particular dad really appreciated spending such quality time fishing with his young daughter – he is undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer. Don’t miss out. Those looking for some larger trout (one to 10 pounds) might head to Kinnikinick Lake east of Flagstaff – we just stocked it with larger trout from one of our hatchery show ponds. In you want some family fun, come to the Payson Wildlife Fair on May 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Game and Fish is stocking extra fish in Green Valley Lake, plus there will be fishing and shooting simulators, birds of prey from the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center and lots of other interesting booths. Just turn onto Main Street from Highway 87 in Payson and go one mile to Green Valley Road. Lake Powell fishing is hot: the striper action is great, plus the smallmouth bass and largemouth bass are entering the spawn. Sam Sherwood and his brother fished Powell for two days and averaged around 65-75 fish each day, with lots of fish readily seen on beds in the clear water. This is the time of year when you can have a fishing trip of a lifetime at Powell. You don’t need a houseboat. In fact, a houseboat can be a hindrance to covering lots of water. According the Lees Ferry Anglers, beginning fly anglers have a fairly unique opportunity at Lees Ferry right now in the area referred to as the walk-in (don’t need a boat). This section is producing good healthy trout. Try using a zebra midge. The brassie has been very effective here as well. San Juan worms small wd-40’s glass bead midges, and egg patterns are all working well. All these trout are close to the bank, so you don’t have to wade too deep. And you don’t have to cast half way across the river. This is a great spot to fish, if you are just beginning this sport. As usual, the fearsome foursome – Roosevelt, Alamo, Bartlett and Pleasant – all have terrific action for largemouth bass. Night time anglers at Roosevelt have also been tearing up the crappies using live minnows, despite the full moon. Here’s a good piece of news for Apache Lake. Department biologists (J. Warnecke and C. Gill) acquired several dozen smallmouth bass from a fish assessment project on the Verde River and transported those fish to Apache Lake to help it along the comeback trail. Golden alga blooms in past years devastated the smallmouth fishery there. With any luck. . . If you want catfish and carp fishing tips from the master, come to Camp Carp this weekend at Roosevelt Lake from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 8-11 a.m. Sunday. Everyone will be camping at the Windy Hill Campground. Contact Jim Warnecke (480) 324-3541 for details. It’s time to go wet a line. Good luck. Maybe I’ll see you out there. "
Rory's Tip 5-3-07 , 5-3-07

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