Tom Johannesen

Steelheader Contributor

Spring finally arrived. We had been waiting seven long months to head back to our incredible Interior lake fishing. This year, our first destination would be Jacko lake which is located just minutes from Kamloops. Prior to the May 1 opening there are only a handful of lakes open to fishing and out of those many are still iced up in April. We were fortunate enough to have a good fishing buddy who lives right in Kamloops, allowing us to stay at his place for a few days. In mid-April the evenings are a little cool for sleeping in a tent. The only worry on my mind on the drive to Kamloops was the fact that the fishing at ice-off can vary dramatically. If all goes right, the fishing will be fantastic with many large fish landed, but on the other hand, the fish can still be deep and dormant with none to be seen on the entire outing.

We planned to arrive at Jacko by first light, but it being our first trip of the year we got a little too enthusiastic, and found our selves in Kamloops at 5 a.m. This was not all bad though, as it gave us time to plan our day while having a hot breakfast at a local truck stop.

Neither of us had been into Jacko before, but with a little luck we found it on our first try. The lake is fair sized but not too large to cover in a float tube. There are a few large bays with an abundance of weeds growing in them; this is a good place for fish and insects to seek shelter. The water was slightly tea colored and very cold. Later in the day we found out the ice had only been off a couple days before we arrived. We fished the lake for a few hours without observing as much as a single rise, and worse yet we didn't get any hits. Once Jacko had got the best of us it was time to find another lake in the area that was also open to fishing. According to our fishing directory Edith Lake was near by and open to fishing year round providing it was ice-free. The book also mentioned the fact that the lake is stocked annually with both rainbows and brookies. Our hopes were once again rekindled during the short drive to the lake. Quickly our smiles turned to frowns as we drove over the last hill to see nothing but ice. When the day started to look more dismal by the minute, we decided to put our rods away and see if our local friend had any tips for us.

The next morning we were up at first light. Our destination was White Lake a large body of water located near Salmon arm. The ice had been off White a little longer than at Jacko and maybe there the fish had started moving. Again this was unfamiliar water to us, but nevertheless our first glimpse of the lake was a good one. White Lake is crystal clear with large sandy shoals extruding from most of the shorelines. The lakes water front is lined with many houses and cabins, which definitely robs some of its beauty. We had arrived early but there were already

over 20 boats and float tubes on the lake. With all the flies being dragged through the water at the same time one would expect to see a fish being played at any given time. Instead, after three hours of fishing I spoke to only one person who touched a fish, and he lost it when he set the hook. The number of lakes open was so limited we were quickly running out of ideas. On the way back to Kamloops we shook enough information out of our local friend to find Six Mile Lake. This small lake was easy to access and only 20 minutes south of Kamloops. This would

be the fourth lake us city slickers tried in just two days and we had yet to even see what a fish looked like on this outing.

We started by trolling the lake, hoping to find an area with a few fish showing. A lap of the lake was made and once again nothing. The interior was just too darn cold for the fish to start moving. Another lap and it was time to head for dry land and get some feeling back in our feet again. An exploration of the shoreline revealed no shortage of insect life. There were dragonfly nymphs, water boatman, leeches, and large numbers of shrimp visible all along the edges of the lake. In the midst of our exploration a fish jumped just 20 feet in front of us. We dropped everything and ran for our rods. We layed our flies where the rise was for 10 minutes and then gave up. My partner was so discouraged that he just set his rod down and left the floating line on the surface. He glanced over just in time to see his rod heading for the lake. Before he got to it the fish jumped and shook the fly. This was the first real strike we'd had all trip. Within minutes another fish swirled and off we went again casting at the large ring. We figured the fish were swimming around making fun of us. We tried every available fly from Bloodworms to leeches without a sniff. The fish kept on rising allowing us to keep trying different patterns until a successful one was found. With stubborn fish sometimes a change in the size of fly is more important than the actual fly. I pulled out my shrimp box and took out the smallest baggy shrimp I had. This change turned out to be the answer as my line tightened on the second cast. As I landed the four-pound beauty my partner quickly tied on a similar fly and within a few casts had a fish take it. Before long we had hit six fish between us. After an hour or two it was time to head back to Kamloops with our fish stories.

The next morning we decided to start our journey home, stopping to fish a little on the way. This would be our final chance to catch a few fish before our first outing of the year came to an end. Until now the whole trip was a little disappointing as far as fishing goes, but we did manage to see several lakes we had never fished before. We drove the old road from Kamloops to Merritt hoping Stump Lake would not be windy. As we approached the lake I had to rub my eyes and take a second look. The lake was like a sheet of glass broken only by the hundreds of birds diving around the weeds. As we gazed out over the water, a large ring appeared quite far out in the lake. We watched patiently hoping a bird would not come to the surface. We came to the conclusion that the ring must have been a fish.

This was all it would take to convince us to put on our waders and brave the icy water. The weather could not have been better, especially for an April weekend. We looked for rises while slowly trolling our way up along the east end of the lake. Suddenly out of nowhere a ring appeared just 50 feet from us on a shoal. We frantically began casting our lines around the fish. After three casts my line gently tightened, the hook was set and a 16" rainbow took to the air. The way he pulled I'm sure it was the first metal he had eaten this year. We released the pretty little rainbow, and continued up the shore line. We soon came across a small weedy bay approximately eight feet deep. This was a perfect place to try casting and retrieving our flies along the bottom. Over an hour had elapsed and my partner headed for solid ground to warm up. I continued fishing a small shrimp around the edges of the weeds, and had a hit within minutes. Unfortunately the fish was quicker than I was and managed to avoid being hooked. Continuing along the weeds another fish hit but again, the hook was not embedded. My partner was on his way out again and we decided to troll the edge of the drop off back to the truck and then call it a day. We were both using wet lines with small baggy shrimp dangling behind, just hoping for one last hit before the weekend came to an end. I was looking over the side of my tube when my rod almost got pulled out of my hand. Quickly the hook was set and the reel started singing. The fish peeled out line then turned and swam right at me. As soon as I caught up, the fish was off for another good run. While my hands were full my fishing buddy shared in the excitement by snapping photos of the whole episode. Every time I figured the fish was tired out it would find enough energy for another run. Finally I literally dragged the tiring fish to the net. This plump rainbow measured in at only 21 inches but would have been an easy five pounds on a scale.

We learned a few valuable points on the early season outing. The main ones are being willing to move around to different lakes and to experiment with many different patterns until the right combination is stumbled upon.