Lake Fishing a Chironomid Hatch

Vaughn:


Vaughn caught the fish of the day; a 23'' cutbow:

Photographer - Swizz

Mark:

Photographer - Swizz

This is the only photo of this fish for obvious reasons. It is in the act of flying out of the net, off an oar, and back into the water:

Tangler:

Photographer - Swizz

Photographer - Swizz

Photographer - Swizz

And then came the Chironomids.

Husks collecting in the surface film...

Adults choking the air...


Clinging to the bushes...


...and nymphs catching the fish.

Photographer - Vaughn

That cutbow was the hardest fighting trout I've ever caught, and I've caught much bigger. When my indicator dipped below the surface I promptly reacted by raising my rod tip to set the hook. However, before I had time to create the tension, the fly line pulled through my line hand and slapped the rod. My drag had relinquished 5 feet of line by the time I had raised my rod tip. The full body, underwater headshakes were as violent as I've ever felt, and always precluded a powerful run. The fish was just a slab of muscle. Vaughn and I guessed it was around the 19'' mark in length.

Another smaller cutbow:

Photographer - Vaughn

Some birds we spotted during the day:

Grackle:

Yellow-Headed Black Bird:

Photographer - Swizz

Western Grebes with a couple American Coots behind them:


White-Faced Ibis:


Eared Grebe:


Northern Shoveler: