You pull up to a lake you have never been to before

[sagefisher]

Uncle Jesse,

Like you, I have been there many times. Unless I see a lot of activity on the surface, I always start with a Woolly Bugger, and I change it every 15 minutes, starting with Black then to Green then to Brown. I go out and start a slow troll, using an intermediate line, looking at the bottom of the lake, the shore, any activity, bugs in the water and in the air, husks from hatched bugs, and I change my trolling speed and my retrieve pattern. Usually within an hour or so I should have taken some fish.

If there is activity on the surface then I start with a Parachute Adams until I see what they may be taking. if I can't see, then every 15 minutes I change flies, using a Renegade then a Griffith's Gnat. If there is surface activity and no fish takes a variety of flies then I switch to a soft hackle fished from a floating line and fished just under the surface, figuring the fish are taking emergers.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Bob Widmaier]

Check for surface activity while launching your watercraft (and sonar/fish finder). If none, slow troll a bugger, leech or damsel nymph while watching for where the fish are on the Finder. Once you locate fish, switch to an appropriate method and fly to hopefully catch them.

Dr Bob

[fishdog54]

Uncle Jessie,

Don't forget to shake a few bushes and tree limbs and see what falls out. I would also spend some time observing - just like you would a stream. If nothings rising, I would check out any inlets. If none, is there a breeze at all? If so, I would probably troll a woolly bugger/streamer along the shore line (watch for structure) till I got to the downwind end where fish have a tendency to congregate. Small coves, if present, are also a good bet. I used to do a lot of trolling while paddling along in a 12 1/2ft. Mansfield canoe I used to have. I trolled streamers mostly - Royal Coachman, Spruce, Nine-Three, and Black Ghosts mainly. Many good suggestions already!

Best regards, Dave S.