North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine October 2016 | Page 48

run if you get into one that has some weight
to it. The Red bands can run up to 27” and
have a whole lot more fight in them, in my
opinion.

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Besides the shore fishing, if you have a boat,
it will give you the opportunity to cover a lot
more areas. After all, you have 51 miles of
water to explore. If you do use a boat, there’s
a few thoughts on safety you should think
about. The size of the boat will limit you to
how far you can travel safely. I would not
recommend any boat under 16’ in length.
The reason I say this is mainly based on
what the weather can do there. I have seen
the wind come down or up the lake with
quite a force. Since the reservoir is situated
with ridge lines 1000’ above it, the wind can

funnel down or up it. Sometimes the upper
and lower part of the reservoir can be calm
while the middle part can be whipping it up
real good. Always check the weather report
before venturing out. A small boat is okay
if you only plan on traveling a very short
distance from the launch. You are your own
captain and know what’s best for you. Make
sure you have all your safety items on board
and up to date.
Now what to use is a broad based question.
Swinging or stripping streamers is my
preferred method. Swinging or stripping
streamers along the seam water has given
me my best results, but equally stripping
streamers in some of the back waters has
been very productive. Depending at what