Another Luk Lake fish-out -- per request! -- this one is focused on catching more trout this time of year than bass.
Open to all Learn to Fly Fish Novice and Intermediate students, including past graduates.
This Luk Lake Fish-out on weekend of December 17-18, 2016 should be a good opportunity to catch some of the big trout this lake is known for, especially with the cooler water and less weed growth expected then.
Luk Lake (pronounced as Luck, since it is near the Rolling Hills Casino) is a small private lake located off Interstate I-5 just south of the town of Corning. Corning is about 45 minutes (50 miles) south of Redding. This is a very good fishery for largemouth "black" bass, rainbow trout, and the occasional scrappy sunfish or bluegill.
We have exclusive use of the lake and the rowboats all day on Saturday and on Sunday morning until noon, and we have rented the guest house for up to 10 students to sleep there on both Friday and Saturday nights. Students can arrive anytime Friday evening after 4pm.
This lake can ONLY be fished from a small boat (rowboat, pontoon boat, canoe, or electric-powered skiff) or from a float tube since there is virtually no shoreline access due to the heavy tule growth around the lake. Unless you bring your own permissible watercraft, students will be expected to fish from the rented rowboats.
There will be two students per boat, who will be responsible for rowing and managing it while fishing through-out the day. Mentors will be on hand to provide instruction and help as needed. There will be a brief safety and orientation talk first thing Saturday morning before launching the boats. All fishing on this lake is catch-and-release only, with barbless hooks required.
Rowboats (~12' prams) will be provided with oars, anchors, and (at least) life preserver seat cushions. If you are not all that comfortable on the water in a small boat or not at all a swimmer, it is suggested that you bring your own personal flotation device to wear. We will NOT be wearing waders (fishing only from boats), but you should bring water sandals, old tennis shoes, or similar footwear to allow you to step into the water when launching or beaching your boat.
Briefly, suggested gear includes a 5 or 6wt rod and reel, with floating line to use for dries, topwater bass flies, or (more likely) for nymphing for trout, bass, or sunfish. If you like to retrieve Wooly Buggers or other streamers, an intermediate line (1-1.5 ips sink rate) may be helpful but is not necessary.
Further discussion of what gear to bring, including some suggestions about what flies to use and rigging needed, will be covered in a Pre-Fishout Meeting at the clubhouse on Saturday, December 10, from 2:00-3:00pm. Come to this logistics meeting to also hear how to get there, what the lake house offers, possible carpooling, and what all to expect for the weekend, including the plan for the group to cook their Saturday night's dinner at the house.
The registration fee for this fish-out is $240, which fee includes all costs for the lake access, boats, lunch and dinner (on Saturday only), and rental of the guest house for Friday and Saturday nights. There will be coffee, cereals and other quick breakfast items supplied, but bring your own breakfast meals if you choose to cook for yourself.
The guest house has beds for 10 people in 5 bedrooms (making it easy to segregate men and women) and two bathrooms. The first 9 students to sign up can stay in the house (leaving room for one recruited mentor). The balance can camp outside the house, stay in their vehicles, or get their own room at the nearby casino or in town.
This fish-out is limited to the first 10 students to sign-up (due to expected maximum number of boats), after which an online waiting list will be created for possible replacements for any registrants who may later learn that they can't make it.
For further info, contact John Murphy (jmurphy7599@gmail.com)
Cost: $240.00