The fishing has been good at Manzanita Lake.

Manzanita Lake - CA (Madera County)


by The Fly Shop
10-23-2012
Website

Current Lake Conditions: No big changes this week. Would you believe there's still a few callibaetis coming off? It's true. Fishing on Manzanita should continue to fish well through early November.

Fishing a parachute Adams suspending a WD-40 or stripping leeches on the end of a floating line and a 9' 4x tapered leader are good approaches on Manzanita right now. The fishing has been good.

Pay attention to the special regulations here, especially where you can and can't fish. Barbless hooks, artificial lures, catch and release. Make sure you inquire at the park entrance.

The Fly Shop's ? Tips: Try a #14 non-beaded Pheasant Tail Nymph slowly retrieved on a floating line, or RIO's Aqualux Intermediate Sink Line.

Taper your leaders to 5x or 6x. Using a float tube or a pontoon boat, paddle out into the lake and look along the edges for cruising rainbows and browns. RIOs Aqualux Intermediate Sink Tip is a perfect line for retrieving and stripping Pheasant tail nymphs and Callibeeotis. Use a floating line and leader tapered to 6x with a bead head PT with a very, very, very slow retrieve. Fish will find your nymph and take it, but don't set the hook! Just lift and let line out until you can bend the rod without first breaking the fish off. Use a thermometer to find that 55-65".

Lake Fact: Lassen Nat'l park is a living museum of vulcanism. But you won't find Spock hanging here giving out nerve pinches. The Volcano, known as Lassen Peak, is the centerpiece of the park, standing at 10, 456'. Last erupted in a series of events dated from 1914-1917. The most powerful occurred May 22nd, 1915 raining volcanic ash up to 200 miles away. May you live well and prosper.

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:

• Adams #14-18
• Elk Hair Caddis - #14-16
• Mercer's Missing Link #14-16
• D&D Cripple - Callibaetis #16
• Carpenter Ant - #12
• Foam Beetles

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-18
• CB Frostbite - #18
• Hogan's S&M - Olive #16-18
• Zebra Midge - Black #18-20
• Mercer's Gidgets

Streamers/Leeches:
• Beaded Micro Bugger - Black
• Zonkers - #4
• Zack's Zugger - Yellow/Brown

Fly Fishing Gear:
• Outcast ? Super Fat Cat-LCS Float Tube
• Scientific Anglers™ Wet Tip Clear Fly Line
• Whizz Lube
• Simms ? WaderWick™
• TFS H2O & L2a Rod/Reel/Line