Pass Lake in the super heat

[drysuperfly52]

**first off I tried research the lake, the word pass is used in about every other report so I got nowhere**

I have only fished the lake once (last weekend) and I did pretty good trolling a couple different wollybuggers around, white and brown W/ bead head were getting most of the hits. but I am going out Sunday afternoon/evening so I know it is going to be HOT! should I keep with the same method or switch up to something else? I have read that minnow patterns work alright, are those fished the same as a slow woolly bugger drift?

any pointers would be great, Thanks

[fishindude]

Under the "Lakes" tab at the top of the page click on "lake index". Use the filter and click on "P". It will then list all lakes that start with P in alphabetical order. I don't know if there is more than one Pass lake but it is the one in Skagit county that I think you are talking about. I live just up the road from there but I have never fly fished so I can't give you any fishing advice there in the heat. However there are a bunch of reports there for Pass Lake. Hope that helped and good luck out there!

[drysuperfly52]

thanks i was checking those out as well, thats what told me to use the white and brown patterns. i am just concerned that the heat will lock jaw the lake and i will blow $60 in gas finding out.

[Marc Martyn]

I don't think the heat will have a big effect on Pass Lake. The forecast for the Burlington area for the next 5 days is highs in the low to mid 80's. The surface temperature will rise some, pushing the fish to deeper water so they can find their comfort zone and more oxygen. According to the lake map, the depth of the lake in the middle is around 20 feet. They may be laying near the bottom during the day. This could lead to them coming to the surface in the late evening or early morning. I wouldn't worry too much about the heat.
On the other hand here on the east side of the state, we are going to see temperatures in the 100+º range. That kind of temperature will have a dramatic effect on lakes that are 20' or less deep. Lenore, for example, will be hit extremely hard. It is a very shallow lake. Temperatures in the Soap Lake area will most likely be near 110º which could lead to a massive fish kill on Lenore. Oxygen is depleted rapidly when waters reach 80º or more and the fish die. This happened a few years back on Lenore.
Fish Pass Lake deep and slow. Remember to take Gatorade with you. The fish will be fine, but you sitting in the direct hot sun may not be.
Have fun and post a fishing report.

[drysuperfly52]

great thats exactly what i am looking for Thanks Marc, lets hope eastern wa doesnt get any fish kills that would be bad. i will def be posting a report.

[MotoBoat]

great thats exactly what i am looking for Thanks Marc, lets hope eastern wa doesnt get any fish kills that would be bad. i will def be posting a report.

If'n I was you. I would consider fishing in the shade...LOL! No kidding, not as much for your comfort. But it will be much cooler than 80 in the shade. Fish know this, use that to your advantage. Also, fish deep and slow.

Early evening, pick up the pace of fly. Those fish seem to respond to a erratic, fast bait fish retrieve. I am talking near dusk, when the sun is no longer beating down on the lake and your no longer sweating from the heat.

The best advice would be to stop in or call the fly shop in Mt. Vernon. For up to date intel. Most fly shops have current fishing advise for Pass. Give them a ring.

Although not a chronomid guy myself. That is a proven tactic. If that type fishing is in your tackle box of trick's. Do that, in the sun and in the deep part of the lake. Or where the regulars are participating in that technique. In the heat, this could be the best option for numbers of fish. The right fly is critical though.

Good luck! Kinda wish I could make the trip.

[Bodofish]

Yeah minnow patterns work well trolled or cast at the shore with slow strip, kind of jerk it and let it settle. The evening is a little different with the fish targeting bugs later in the day. You might want to switch up to some dry flies or emerger pattern. Here's a couple I tied just for Pass Lake. http://www.washingtonlakes.com/forum/vi ... 29&t=16815 The top one caught a 22"+, way plus Bow. I was freezing my @$$ off in a tube in the rain so my phone/cam didn't come out. The best time to fish Pass is at dusk into dark and dark into morning, right at the shoreline. Mandatory floating device. The big fish, like the Browns push the shiners up against the shoreline, cast to the shoreline when you see them.

[RiverChromeGS]

i was out on pass a few days ago for the last 2 hours of the afternoon, the fish were crashing on dries all over the place, anything that moved on the surface. Also did well on a olive wooley bugger trolled on sink line before the sun went down, then white wooley same way after sun went away before i switched to the dries at dusk

[Bodofish]

NICE!!!!!!

[RiverChromeGS]

NICE!!!!!!

they go nuts at pass this time of year, i would be out there more if it wasnt for the springers and summers, lots of the nice fish that grew up in the lake, mixed with a lot of freshly planted 18 inch triploids

[fear_no_fish]

I wish i lived near pass. I love it up there. But then again I suck at fly fishing so its probably best i stay away and dont look stupid haha

[Bodofish]

I wish i lived near pass. I love it up there. But then again I suck at fly fishing so its probably best i stay away and dont look stupid haha

Everybody looks stupid fly fishing, nothing new there. Just do it, it's not about the looks it's about the fun!

[drysuperfly52]

the trick is on pass lake, troll a wolleybugger slowly...Boom your and expert.

now the guys fishing chrominiods, they were doing much better than me. but I didn’t bring floating line with me so I was just meandering around the lake.

[Bodofish]

the trick is on pass lake, troll a wolleybugger slowly...Boom your and expert.

now the guys fishing chrominiods, they were doing much better than me. but I didn’t bring floating line with me so I was just meandering around the lake.

Yeah, that's my favorite way to go! Just toddle along with a streamerish fly, make it look spastic. I normally use a floating line and like a 9' leader + tippet. Then if you have a little bit of weighted fly you can get right down in the bang zone. I think you catch the bigger fish that way, maybe not as many but sometimes quality over quantity.