I gotta tell you, East Lake is super darn good. Callibaetis spinners in the morning, callibaetis emergers and duns after lunch about 1 or so and I am telling you there are A LOT of them! Major hatch. They are small. Is it easy? No. Its challenging fishing and that is part of what makes it great.
These mayflies are a small 16, but if you’ve followed my East Lake callibaetis writings over the last year or 2, you know I like tying my own on a TMC 102Y #17 hook. It is the sweet spot for matching the hatch this time of year for the last brood before they are done for the season.
We also got fish on Beetles and Grasshoppers today. Big fish cruising the banks and weed beds.
Launching my big boat at Hot Springs was fine. Not perfect with a heavy weed growth but easy enough off and on the trailer. Nice USFS removed the boulders in the early summer. Thanks again USFS.
Saw another boat about 17 or 18′ using the Cinder Hill launch to launch. I will try it tomorrow.
Water temps were 66 to 68. Never above, and with the cool down blowing in tonight it will improve to be even better.
East Lake CG launch is still a great place to launch a tube, pontoon boat, or even a drift boat and with so much good fishing there near the Camp Ground it is a great place for everyone who has a small, human powered floating device to access great fishing.
I talked to a guy who said he was into some fish that were really on damsel nymphs swimming to shore too. Sounds fun.

I was psyched to be back and see what was happening and wanted to share it with you. I’ll be there the next 2 days before heading back to Paulina. If you are there, wave!

JP