Nunnally Lake

We have over the years fished a lot in Nunnally, Lenice and Merry lakes. For me the thing is I can haul-ass and get there in about two hours, so it is as easy as getting to Pass Lake for me, and I like it a whole lot better, it is much quieter. Although it is close and gets considerable pressure the short hike in eliminates many fisherman (about 150 yards or so). Also, if you hit Nunnally as opposed to Lenice the pressure is much less. Check out the dude with the helmet cam!? http://flyfishingfotography.com/lenice_fishcam_new_004.htm

The creek that runs through the chain does provide for some fresh water and movement, also some limited spawning, however it seems to keep a small supply of sunfish always there for the next explosion and poisoning cycle. The very first time I fished Nunnally I caught a smallmouth bass, a brown and a rainbow! All were nice fish. In addition to the sunfish cycle there seems to always be the specter of having your car broken into. There is an ever changing group of illegal workers in the area that occasionally swing through and do a smash and grab in the parking areas. The one time they hit cars on both sides of us but left my friend’s Chevy Astro van alone, which caused much laughter and teasing about him needing a new car. I have also seen some interesting police chases in the area and have noted many fisherman go packing.

In the past Nunnally would open in April and I had some of the fastest and most furious fishing of my life, it was truly amazing. Lately, it has had the March 1st early opening and we have started the year many times. It is so damn cold and early though the fishing is marginal most times. We often just think of this early opener as not really so much trying to nail fish but just get out of the house and blow off rust. It could be compared to the Polar Bear Swims some people do. In May, there can be hot Adult Damsel action. I have heard night fishing with streamers here can be amazing but the one time I tried it I was unimpressed.

Map_ http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=13&Z=11&X=174&Y=3244&W=1
Topo_ http://www.gamefishin.com/topomaps/Grant_Nunnally.gif

So in closing I consider this chain one of my standbys. There is virtually no food or lodging nearby to speak of. Vantage is a sorry little carbuncle on the ass of I90. You can purchase gas there and at times a drive in or two is open. The one motel there is for emergencies IMHO. People do camp at the lakes in the parking lot. Some people sit in pup tents in the dusty miserable parking lots and look idiotic.

The Uncatchable Fish

There is a saying in Fly Fishing:

When a man starts to fly fish he want s to catch a fish, any fish
Then he wants to catch a lot of fish
Then he wants to catch a really big fish
Then he wants to catch lots of really big fish
Having done this he is on the spiritual questTo catch the un-catchable fish
The one hand clapping……..HA!

To that end a poem I wrote.........



The uncatchable fish
Truly a river god
A wonder
So very proud of his longevity
His radiant fins skull slowly

Has he graduated at the top of his class?
Has he built a robust business?
Does he have a trophy wife?
Is he a quoted author?

No

Though he bested the one who has
He has beat the one who is
He wears his scars proudly
In his piscatorial perfection

When younger, just a sprat really
He would jump into things greedily
He wanted to be first
To grab the prize and run

But the sting of sharp realization
Has made him philosophical
He has become methodical
A bit of a sage really

The most beautiful yellow mayfly
Is just one of many for the tasting
The most perfect tidbit
Is another’s bitter pill of destruction
Time is on his side

Look twice and bite once he has learnt
Think about what you are doing
And why you are doing it
Is the timing right?
If not turn your back and walk away

The early bird doesn’t get the worm
The early bird gets nailed to a wall
The youngsters come and go
Many don’t stay long enough to create an impression

Just blurs of color and motion
Forgettable
They think they are indestructible….HA!

Omak Lake

Well here we go, this is something I said I would never do…write about Omak Lake. It used to be one of my “secret spots”, I would literally swear people to secrecy before I took them there. It was crazy; here was a lake seven miles long, 300 feet deep, next to Omak, and no one fished it. It was full of Lahontan cutthroat up to 22 lbs.! It was not unusual at all to catch so many fish in a day our elbows and wrists ached from strain.The bestest part though was fishing this big beautiful lake all day long and not seeing another person. Well that is over now, the lake has been written about by the Hunting and Fishing News (the kiss of death), and now lots of people fish it.

For a lake its size there is still not a lot of pressure but the only access is Beer Can Beach on the North and Cow Pie Beach on the South, (yes sadly, real names). To get up the lake any distance at all a boat is needed. The catch and release season is April-June when the fish come in shallow to spawn and that is easier for fly fishing. During the summer people use plugs and downriggers.One thing that keeps a few people away is it is on the Colville Indian Reservation. A three day license is about $18 and a full season $35, this does entitle the user to fish 12 or 15 other locals with Omak the star. Some people just don’t like Indians or their rules, like no booze or guns on the Rez. Some boat launches and areas on Omak Lake are for Indians only, subject to monitoring by Indian policia, so be for warned, although they have always treated me well.I usually stay at the Nicolas Motel http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g58654-d676503-Reviews-Motel_Nicholas-Omak_Washington.html and while in Omak the best place to eat is the Mexican place downtown, and the Breadline Café. http://www.breadlinecafe.com/history.shtml.

The fish in Omak well take the same thing they do everywhere and you can bobber fish with chironomids if you so have the mind, however to me it is a streamer lake. The fish are large and toothy and want a big meal. There are four types of minnows in the lake for food and often you will see clouds of them along the rocks trying to hide to be interrupted by a vicious shark like swirl. Because the flies I use are big and the fish I want to catch are big, (did I mention toothy?), I use a heavy tippet/leader.There are times where it is possible to sight cast to cruising fish and that is fun! Many times though it is necessary to get down in the water column and the lake has many deep areas. Trolling along in a tube, pontoon or boat is very productive. It can also be nice to take a boat up lake and then just get out and fish from shore.

Fly fishing only

Once upon a way back when, I was making some decisions about my life, my job, and so on and decided to turn to fly-fishing only. I quit one job and told the new place I needed to give two weeks’ notice before I started, because I wanted two weeks to do nothing but fish and relax and think. I wanted less complication in my life.

Believe it or not part of the complication was my fishing. I had a bass boat with a depth sounder and all that crap. I owned all the standard salmon fishing boat gear, the trout spinning rods, plugs for steelheading and I was just all over the place. It actually took considerable time, money and effort just to store the gear and keep it in good working order. When I sold the boat the trailer literally dragged down the driveway because the wheel bearings were shot with salt water, the wheels didn’t even rotate! HA!

So I started methodically re-dedicating myself to fly fishing. I first had started it many years ago as a kid with an Eagle Claw fiberglass rod and a Pfluger medalist reel. One of the first trips was to Martin Creek by the pass. The hike in with my uncle was brutal, but the mountain trout were starving, and darn near ever pool I dapped the fly in I caught an eager, bright trout! This was many years later and I sat down and re-assessed my gear. I picked up an eight foot Fenwick rod and hit the Skykomish first. I remember that sunny day like yesterday, the feeling in my heart of doing the right thing.I had decided I could be so-so at many things or maybe be really good at just one thing, so I decided to try and learn the art of fly fishing. It did help just going with the one method it eliminated many choices, decisions and expenditures. I could concentrate more on what the hell was important. I also learned that guess what? Trout eat bugs and really it isn’t that hard to catch them with flies, often it is the most deadly way to fish.

I was at a fly shop and heard someone talk about “Rocky Ford”. Well I went in and tried it. It blew my mind to be able to look in and see trout that were bigger than any I had ever caught. This was in about 1988 and it was much less well known. You could walk right up and look at the springs out of the ground about 8 to 10” in diameter. The metal bridge down below wasn’t built yet. I tried and tried but the fish were too selective for my crude machinations.Eventually, mostly through dumb luck, using a dragon fly nymph I hooked a nice trout about 18”. The fight was on! Since this time I have caught many more and bigger fish than I ever did before. Mostly though I just have more fun, it is quieter, hence the nick-name “the quiet sport”, and more contemplative. I also like being able to release unharmed almost everything I catch. All-in-all it has been a very good bargain for me. It is a pastime that people can enjoy their entire life and Washington is one of the best states to do it in.