Impressions

[DShock]

Are there any others here that have visited the same fishing spot every year???
Paulina lake in central OR was it for me. I remember when I was young and we were at a motel in Bend. In those days Paulina Lodge only had wooden row boats for rent. Dad called someone at the store to make sure there was a boat that we could rent and the answer he got was "SURE WE HAVE PLENTY OF BOATS FOR RENT!!!!" Either that guy was a smart *** or my Dad hung up the phone too soon. Our family drives up to Paulina lake and what a SURPRISE!, the lake was FROZEN OVER!!!!!
For many yrs we fished with Mike's brand salmon eggs. My Dad had a system which was the 3rd birdhouse on a pine tree down the left side of the lake. Of course everyone knows that DADS know everything about fishing, so I believed him.
When I got married in 72, I had my own boat and SORRY DAD!, I started coming up with my own strategy for fishing at Paulina. My true love was flyfishing rivers. I had no idea how to flyfish a lake. My solution was to troll flies with my spinning rod. The first fly that I learned to tie was a Spruce Fly and so we trolled them and actually caught fish!
Our hottest fishing happened just before a thunderstorm. The trick was to catch as many as we could and make it back to the cabin before we got blasted.
A few yrs ago we started hiking around Paulina lake (7.5 miles)
I made some interesting observations. The reason that the state record Brown (26 lbs) was caught here was that there was 7.5 mile long school of chub around the lake. A few times I spotted the Brown trout swimming along side the chub just waiting for one to get out of line.
I would say those Browns are pretty spoiled.
I look back on almost 50 yrs of fishing at Paulina and I would say that I'm glad that Outcast made my float tube so I could drive a few more miles and learn how to lake flyfish at East lake. That is where my famous son landed his 30 inch Brown right in front of me. Joe's photo has been published in the Fishing Central Oregon book for that past 5 yrs. Joe released that fish because he is a special person and the miracle that God gave me.
Doug <><

[Eric-WD]

Doug
Wow you just brought back memories for me, Camping and fishing Paulina with my Dad and Grandfathers. Bigest Trout I ever caught came out of there. And the cold of East Lake, only camped and fished it once, I remember holding a dishpan over the vent of the heater to keep the wind from blowing out the matches as we were trying to light it, snow on the ground and this was late July or August,

Thanks for bringing back great memories

Eric

[DShock]

Eric,
Your welcome. I've got more stories about Paulina lake that I will write later. I would like to add that I have walked and hiked all over Oregon and the trail around Paulina lake is my favorite.

[ELKHUNTER]

The tubes and the falls on Fall River in central Oregon. I hit the tubes hole and then head to the falls. I can sit and look at those falls all day long without ever tossing a fly in there. Absolutely beautiful. I try and get at least two trips a year in to that spot.

Rocky

[Lotech]

Hey Doug,
I'm happy to see you back online. With your permission, I would like to post a picture of your son (Joe) with his fish. I still have it at my Photobucket account.
God Bless,

[MrFishingToughGuy]

Rocky,

ABOVE the tubes, or BELOW? I know exactly where you're talking about, and I also know that there are some big fish that lurk in the places below the tubes. The road to the tubes is awful, maybe to keep out the less adventuresome...who knows. Next time I'm out there you'll be first on my list to track down and toss flies with (shoot I hate ending sentences with prepositions). I love that place, and the Metolius, and will hopefully be living out there within a year's time.

Marty

[DShock]

Joe,
Go ahead and post Joe's photo and have a nice day!
Thanks,
Doug

[Lotech]

Doug,
Here goes. I hope I remember how to do this.

God Bless,

[Lotech]

Bump