Stocked lake trout

[dsharp]

All of you fisherpeople who visit or live in AK should make the  time to stop at Mirror Lake. Bring, beg, borrow, steal or buy a small boat(electric motors only) and hit the areas near the floatplane docks across from the boat launch for the time of your life.

We took off this morning in heavy fog and cold weather, there was ice on anything damp, and paddled about a half mile to our spot. It was chilly! Had to keep dunking my rod to get the ice out of the guides. But from the moment the flies hit the water, it was fish on. I'm not even joking here, it was literally non stop for five hours. Most fish were around 10-12" with the occaissioanal one up to 16". I have heard of a few up to 28" out here, but didn't see any.

Flies that worked: anything worked, but dark colors seemed more consistent. Patterns: Looks like something I can eat. ;D You don't have to be able to cast very far to catch fish, but the action heats up in relation to how far you can sling that line.

Not a real "sporting" fishery but a good spot to get out on the water, practice your casting, and have fun.

I need a really good lightweight flyrod. Smallest I have is a five, but it would be more fun with a lighter rod I think.

Funny story: We were letting the wind push us up against a log, with a small dock to our front. Because of the angle, the dock was about 20 feet in front of me, and my buddy had a clear view past it. So he's changing flies, and we both see a BIG swirl about 10 feet to the far side of the dock. So I figure why not, and cast over the dock, and hit just almost perfect. My buddy says" If you hook him and get him out of there without moving the boat, I'll kiss your a.." He never even got the S's out, I was expecting a big fish, and set the hook so hard on a 10" fish I jerked him out of the water and over the dock. So I said" Pucker up, big boy!"

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the story. Maybe it's my limited exposure to stocked trout in a lake, but they've never had the fight that stream trout have. As you correctly say, not real sporting, but it's always good to wet a line.

 

[woodartist]

Fished Mirror Lake many years ago with limited catch We plan on going back up there and will keep it in mind again. I'm the type of fly fishing person who needs the fish to jump into the boat and maybe Mirror Lake will do the trick

 

[dsharp]

Tom, IMHO the reason lake fish don't seem to run as hard is that they have nowhere to go. I mean, on a stream or river it seems like the first thing they do is get in the current and go, so you have to fight them both.

WA: I have had a few "limited catch" days myself. ;D If you make it back up here, I have a paddle with your name on it.

Edited to add: And because they do live in moving water, they're probably a little more "buff".

 

[woodartist]

Might take you up on that offer Mirror lake was one of favorite places and took many pictures. Also loved fishing Moose Creek and did well there for the Grayling.