North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine October 2016 | Page 23

Growing up in Maine, I spent many hours of
my youth trolling local lakes for landlocked
salmon, brook trout, and togue (look that
one up) with my family, which needless to
say is a very boring endeavor when you’re
a kid. It wasn’t until I moved to Washington
in 2003 that I rediscovered stillwater trout
fishing, and out west the techniques are
very different.
Like the weather, tactics can change by the
minute, which is why I always go with a few
rods rigged. Not to mention, you don’t have
as much daylight to work with as you did in
June, so it’s even more important to have
your game plan ready! Balanced microleeches or chironomids under a slip indicator
are a great way to pick up fish cruising along
the shoreline. If staring at a bobber isn’t
your thing, try casting a damselfly nymph
or water boatman on an intermediate line in
the same area. There is nothing quite like
watching the water boil and feeling your line
come tight when a trout attacks your fly!

fishing, but I always keep it erratic. Don’t be
afraid to try some of those big articulated
patterns in your streamer box either.
As water temperatures drop, trout will focus
most of their feeding along the shoreline,
which means you don’t always need a
pontoon or float tube to reach the fish. In
fact, some of my favorite lakes in the area
can be fished with a great deal of success
from shore. Amber Lake to the south of
Cheney, WA is one of these lakes that
provides a great deal of afterschool fun for
my son and me every year. Just make sure
you have a Washington State Discover Pass
before you go.
I encourage you to break away from tradition
and try some new water this fall. You never
know, you might just start a new tradition.
As always, we’re here to assist you, so stop
by the shop and let us guide you to your
most successful season yet!

If fish aren’t cooperating on the surface or
near the shoreline, then I’ll start plying dropoffs with a fast-sinking line. My retrieve will
vary depending on what fly patterns I’m

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