Crowley Lake off to a great start and fishing good for numbers and very large fish!
William and Roberta Ross had a fantastic weekend of big fish!
We are having success in many areas of the lake, McGee, Big Hilton, Crooked Creek, Sandy Point, Six Bays and Green Banks.
Most fish are being found in 10 to 15 feet, unusual for this time of year but also in water as deep as 26 feet deep also. Water temps start in low 50’s then will move up into the high 50’s at the end of the day!
Roberta Ross with a fine rainbow
My best areas have been Sandy starting in 17 feet of water and when the midges start to hatch, moving back into 9 to 10 feet of water and going on very nice runs of fish. This seems to only last less than an hour and then its on to McGee Bay.
Dennis Christensen with a phat cutthroat
I have been posting up in McGee in 10 to 14 feet of water. There are a lot of perch, they will drive you crazy, however there are some really nice fish over the 20″ mark that are being taken in the same area. Sometimes you might catch perch for 30 minutes or more, then go on a nice run of trout, then perch, perch, perch then trout.
Just a hair under 20″
Its a very patient game you have to play right now but very rewarding with some really nice bigs for your patience and beautiful weather.
I have been looking for small humps or depressions along the lake bottom in McGee and posting up on these areas for success.
Brand new Cortland lines, Hardy rods and reels are getting it done out on Crowley.
Hardy Ultralite MTX Large Arbor Disc Drag Reel matched to Hardy’s Zephrus Ultralite Rod is the lightest combo I have ever fished!
I can get you to the fishing grounds in comfort, speed and style in my 22′ Skeeter Bay Boat.
There is some weed growth (fuzz) already starting to grow, very small along the bottom so I look for the areas that have weeds, next to the muddy bottom.
Friday’s Dynamic foursome of Roberta and William Ross and Dennis Christensen. Great friends and anglers from Deep Creek Fly Fishers
If I am not catching trout, I will make a small move and post up again and start in a different area but still very close to where I started.
Sundays crew the dynamic dual of William and Roberta Ross. William and Roberta are so much fun, what a joy to guide friends from Deep Creek Fly Fishers
If this does not work, I will completely move and change my depth a couple of feet shallower or deeper and give that a try.
Those are not birds in the air, those are monster midges!
Watch for other boats, inside (meaning shallower) or outside (meaning deeper) to see if someone else has found the right depth for trout.
Beautiful specimens in Crowley Lake
Best color since the opener
Colors have been pretty consistent, black/copper, black/red, black/silver have all worked about the same. I have also since the beginning of the season been using different colors of leech patterns for my upper fly and have been rewarded a few times with a monster trout looking for a bigger meal.
Sunsets are almost as beautiful as the fish in Crowley
Do a lot of twitching of your fly, make it as life like as possible. Everyone that ties flies, tries to make them as realistic as possible, why not try to make them look real by taking your hands out of your pockets and twitching and retrieving your indicator rigs. JUST A THOUGHT!
It is really nice to be able to catch fish this early in the season at 9 to 14 feet of water and not have to use the slip indicator.
The fish look nice and healthy so far and the water is super clear and clean. The lake is almost at full pool. It looks like a great summer water level that we may be able to enjoy fishing in skinny water again this season with one fly rigs and glass rods.
I am open this weekend, if you want to come up and learn more about fishing Crowley or even treat your mother to a nice day out on the lake! My Hardy Rods and Reels powered with Cortlands fantastic fly lines are more than up to the challenge to put you on a trophy fish of a lifetime.
You will also go out in style in my 22′ Skeeter Bay boat that looks new and right off the showroom floor!
Hope to see you out on the water, be safe and please be courteous to your fellow anglers and make sure you allow enough space to have a wonderful day out on the water.
I do love me some “Stillwater” fly fishing……Ernie