New York, Finger Lakes: Drakes & Wild Rainbows, Breaking The Mold

by | Fresh Water

Rainbow Trout Video

The catastrophic 100 year flood in the Catskill region left Joe and I seeking out resources other than our favorite rivers and streams. We didn’t have to look far. Our focus had shifted to one of the most pristine, glacial water bodies in the Finger Lakes Region. The Brown Drake and Hexagenia hatch has been going off full bore for the past week and now was the time to capitalize.As we made our way down to the dock where our 14’ row boat was parked, the drakes were just starting to descend from the trees. Within minutes there were literally thousands of the size 4 and 6 bugs on the surface, as far as our eyes could see. Instantly the water came alive. Boil after boil, the large rainbows began to methodically gorge themselves on the high protein mayflies.My pulse quickened with anticipation as we strung up the rods and loaded them into the skiff. We rowed out fifty feet from the dock and had rising fish off all sides of the boat. There was no doubt that the rainbows were up top on the feed. One challenge we faced was delineating between the Smallmouth and the trout in the low light conditions. Typically the trout will stay up with there shoulders and dorsal fins totally exposed while, taking ten or fifteen bugs at a time. Bass on the other hand tend to sip one bug here or there revealing only there snouts.After bringing eight or ten smallmouth to hand and having them trash our three dollar flies, we had to start being more selective with our casts. Our goal now was to only target the chrome bright rainbows we were after. The fish are cruising so when you see them working you have to put a good ten to fifteen foot lead on them in a single haul.After we regained composure and stopped casting to every rise form we saw, I spotted a fish that was working frantically 40 feet off the bow. I laid the size 4 coffin fly out in front of his path and within a couple seconds the fish slurped it, I set the hook and he took to flight instantly! After two more jumps it began to tear line of my 5 weight reel as hard and fast as any fresh water game fish possibly could. A few snap shots and all was good.It had been a while since I tapped into this precious resource, It has not received the attention the past few seasons that it deserves. With the recent flooding, it prompted me to adapt to the conditions and search out old stomping grounds. At times I get so caught up in one certain river or one style of fishing that I fail to see the forest through the trees.

5 Comments

  1. Shaq on November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    There is one thing to say….Yo!!! Fish On!!!!

    That was so freaking cool!!!! Nice night shots.

    Great job

  2. jeremy on November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    whip,

    sweet stuff bro … question === so, if those are the same fish we catch in the fingerlakes in fall through spring == and during those times we call them steelhead. isn’t that the same fish? and would it be wrong to say that you are essentially catching steelhead on dry flies??

    ps -= i know how it gets crazy with rainbow this and steelhead that == and in the end it really does not matter too much and it becomes an excercise in splitting hairs … but what makes that fish a rainbow as opposed to a steelhead? == just curious??/

    either way = that is some nice stuff and i would love to do that with you sometime — do these fish also rise like that on the lake with other hatches (ex caddis etc..) or just the drake/hex hatches … let me know == thanks.

  3. waterwhippa on November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Jer,

    These fish do indeed run the tribs in the spring and fall to spawn. I guess it would come down to the strain of the fish and where they came from. There are a couple different strains in the lake. One is a domestic hybrid cultured specifically for the Finger Lakes. We would probably have to take a scale sample and have it analyzed to be 100% sure.

    The three main hatches that bring all the fish in the lake to the top are the Brown Drake, Green Drake, and Hexagenia. This past week I have seen a lot of Blue Wings, some Caddis and a few other Mayflies that I am not familiar with.

    We get a solid 4 to 6 week window for the big stuff. We have a few weeks left. I’m looking forward to getting dialed in out there!

  4. wrh on November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    excellent work ….well done. it’s nice to know that there is some fishing still left here in NY with all of the water. I understand the focus on the bows, but there is nothing wrong in my book with smallies. it’s a nice problem to have.

  5. jason-c on November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Hey Whip-nice work. Green Drakes have started out here. I will be very busy for the next week or so!!!!