It’s getting chilly up in the high country so make sure to dress appropriately and be prepared for adverse weather if you plan to head to any of the Cascade Lakes. It looks as though we’ll have a good stretch of sunny weather coming up, but conditions can change rapidly on many of the lakes and wind will be a factor through the remainder of the season. As for the fishing, Crane has been hit or miss. When the weather is calm and the water is glassy fish have been extremely wary. Sight fishing is possible in these conditions but be prepared to make long casts with light flies and hope fish are willing to stick around long enough to get a glimpse of your fly. Sometimes there’s really nothing that can be done to avoid spooking these fish, dropping a couple of flies below an indicator and playing the waiting game can be the only way to find success. On the flip side, we have had some pretty stellar days with lots of action and big fish. For those fortunate enough to make last minute decisions on where to head, look to fish Crane when there is a light wind to provide chop on the surface, fish will also become less wary when there is a little cloud cover. The vast majority of feeding activity is subsurface, there may be the occasional fish willing to grab a terrestrial but focus efforts with small nymphs and light indicators for the best chances of success.
Suggested Dries: CDC Flying Ant #16, Black Flying Ant #16, High Vis Beetle #16, Para-cricket #14-16, Peacock Chubby Chernobyl #14-16
Suggested Nymphs: Dark Assassin #16-18, Parallel Assassin #14-16, Bird’s Nest Hare’s Ear #14-18, Black or Natural Depth Charge #14-18, Juju Chironomid #14-16, Black Ice Cream Cone #14-16, Black Zebra Midge #16-18, Micro Mayfly #16-18, Black or Red Two Bit Hooker #16-18, Trigger Callibaetis #14-16