Buzzard Lake Report 6.2.16

There was some speculation that Buzzard Lake's winter killed off the area due to the dismal reports for the first week after the opener. The area fish bio felt the same way, but he told me he had restocks coming. Well from the reports and from what I've seen, I'm not sure that was the case completely.

Fishing has been picking up a lot there and the size of the fish would indicate that there was some carry over and not a complete kill off. I had a chance to make a quick trip there and I was not disappointed. The couple of fish I landed were over 16" and in good shape. In talking to some of the other anglers there, they were having similar results. Some report rainbows around 20", but then again you know how us anglers are so good at measuring fish.

A black squirrel leech and a Thinmint were the flies that seemed to bring the most action for me. Some of the other anglers were using various leech patterns, damsel nymphs and of course chironomids of varying size and colors. I should note that one fly that I did not mention is a scud pattern. It is blue/grey in color with a pink hot spot on the back up by the head. The lake is loaded with them and the fish dine on them regularly. Get your vise out and tie up a few of these on a size 12 hook.

Need bugs but can't get into the Fly Shop? Get em' here

I was using a type 3 sink tip line on my 6wt, since I was casting from shore, I didn’t need to go down to deep. If you are in a boat, you might want to go to a full sink line to get it down. From past trips, the fish are not super picky in my opinion. Then again, I don’t measure a good day of fishing by the number of fish caught. Buzzard is always a fun little lake to fish, this year the back drop of trees blackened by last year’s fires does not detract from the green hills around it.