| The name Lake Trout lends a slight misnomer to | | | | on top. The Lakers can be located by the many |
| the actual species of this incredible fish that is | | | | swirls and splashes as they travel in schools. They |
| actually not a trout at all, but a char. The Lake | | | | remind me of my younger days when we used |
| Trout resides in some of the most spectacular | | | | to go to the lake before school in hopes of |
| places on earth and the trip that spurred this | | | | catching rockfish "in the jumps" and hopefully |
| article is no exception. | | | | catch one without being too late for class. |
| The Newhalen River, near Iliamna Alaska, is where | | | | Once the frenzy is located the angler must quickly |
| this trip took place and the intention was to land | | | | introduce their fly into the frenzy and utilize a fast |
| some nice early season Rainbows. Although | | | | strip-stop retrieve to get the Lakers attention. |
| Rainbows were indeed landed the Lake trout took | | | | The takes are no joke and I have found the |
| center stage as they fed in frenzies on the tiny | | | | quicker you retrieve the more attention you get. |
| smolt that were venturing out into the currents | | | | One may want to hesitate for just a second |
| for the first time. | | | | after a few feet of retrieve before resuming the |
| The first feeding frenzy we spotted drew much | | | | fast strip technique. |
| attention as we expected huge Rainbows were | | | | Any fly pattern that imitates a small fish should |
| cruising the shallows. Not one person expected | | | | do the trick but I can only speak for the Maribou |
| what happened next. Wham! The Marabou | | | | Muddler as I found no reason to change while the |
| Muddler was engulfed as it was stripped quickly | | | | Lakers continued to slam them with reckless |
| through the rising pod of what turned out to be | | | | abandon. There is one note of interest you might |
| Lake Trout. | | | | want to know. Just because of the hard takes |
| Lake Trout, for the most part, tend to elude | | | | don't think the Lakers are a pushover. For some |
| most fly-fishing lore and go unnoticed. The depth | | | | reason the Lakers are hard to hook. It seems |
| at which they dwell and the difficulty in locating a | | | | they strike haphazardly at the fly but I think |
| group of fish to target within the parameters of | | | | nerves played a huge part of the misses I |
| the fly angler all contribute to its lack of attention, | | | | encountered. |
| however; there is an exception and that is early | | | | If you have ever had the opportunity to fish |
| spring just after break-up when Lake trout, | | | | Northerns or Musky on top water you are familiar |
| usually in the 20 to 30 inch range, journey from | | | | with the torpedo wake as the fish ambushes |
| the big lakes and cruise the shallows of the rivers | | | | your fly or lure from behind. With Lake Trout you |
| that enter and exit them. So while Rainbows, | | | | get the same visible approach which can unnerve |
| Dollies, Coho and Kings steal the lime light, the | | | | an angler as they try to predict when the strike |
| Lake Trout still continue, unmolested, gorging on | | | | will occur as the Laker dips under the fly before |
| the many salmon fry that struggle in the currents | | | | coming from under for the take. Often times I |
| as they begin to learn the perils of life as a | | | | would set the hook too soon, missing the fish |
| salmon. | | | | entirely and sending him searching for a new prey |
| It is during this time that fly anglers can easily | | | | as I duck to miss my fly. |
| locate and entice Lakers into taking their fly, even | | | | |