5-Cents
06-21-2009, 02:33 PM
The last few years my family and I have been deciding to spend our vacation money in our own back yard - staying in Oregon and enjoying the beauty and bounty that only Oregon can offer! There is truly so much water to fish and so many things to see and do in our state, I dont think I will ever live long enough to see or fish it all but I sure will have a great time trying! :D:applause:
A week ago the kids got out of school, I loaded up the boat with the camping/fishing stuff, threw the dogs, kids and wife in the truck and pointed 5-Cents toward Diamond Lake. About 5 hours later my daughter had the first "eye-spy" on Diamond and I was soon unloading the boat, camping/fishing stuff, dogs, kids and wife. Whew! :whistle:
This was my first trip ever to Diamond Lake. My expectations were quite high and I have to say I was not dissapointed in the least! We rented a cabin at Diamond Lake resort. The cabins were nice, clean and stocked with everything we needed to make our stay perfect. The staff delivered wood to our door every day for the wood stove, towels and stuff like that. One night while I was making fresh trout fillets our stove shorted out and in 10 minutes the staff had replaced our stove with a new one! The resturant there makes GREAT home cooking - no shortage of butter in those dishes! :D The marina there is first rate... the slips are a little short for my barge but that's to be expected - my boat looked a little out of place there but you gotta use what you have! :thisbig::whistle:
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_279.jpg
Mount Thielson stands watch over Diamond in the dawns early light.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_3411.jpg
Relaxing next to the fire at the lodge!
The fishing the first two days was nothing short of world class - we were on the water at 5AM fished till 11AM before breaking for fresh trout breakfast, back on the water around 2PM, fishing till 8-9PM. Those first 2 days we had 50+ fish days fishing an average of 2-3 rods per day. We probably had as many fish hit that werent landed for one reason or another.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_237.jpg
My daughter Maddie with a Diamond bow for the skillet!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_239.jpg
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2401.jpg
My son Morgan with an average Diamond lake bow.
In the stillness of the first morning we anchored and used worms on a slip bobber set up fishing it where we marked fish - that ABSOLUTELY killed them, figuritively and literally! I'm not into killing my limit, I wanted just enough fish for a couple of meals so after killing a few fish I decided to switch over to trolling flies on my flyrods rigged with leadline and 20' of leader. In the afternoon when the wind picked up we just wind drifted this setup.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_276.jpg
We trolled a 2 fly setup rig, one bugger on the left and a smaller soft hackle on the right.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2511.jpg
Trolling flies in the sun!
The second evening I was lucky enough to see a site that very few people probably ever get to see. I was just drifting in my boat flyfishing and my boat drifted into a pod of trout at least 100 yards long and 25 yards wide that were feeding on midge emergers - the water looked like it was boiling with fish! There must have been 2000-5000 trout in that pod... I just stopped fishing and watched them for the longest time, 1000's of 15"-22" trout feeding - making those sucking sounds = WOW!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_256.jpg
FAT midge fed trout!
After the midge hatch started the fishing slowed down... the fish really started focusing on the bugs and many people were coming back to the docks without fish. Trolling/wind drifting flies also slowed down too, but still accounted for about 20 - 25 fish per day. I could have caught more if I would have focused on flyfishing but I was having too much fun watching my wife and kids catch fish on the fly rods. My wife and kids all got to battle trout on fly rods for the first time and they are hooked - they didnt want to spin/bait fish the rest of the trip!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2422.jpg
Wind drifting, waiting for a SHABAMALAM!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2451.jpg
My wife Kristel battles her first fly rod fish like a pro! :throb:
The quality of the fish out of Diamond is simply outstanding - these were quite simply the best tasting trout I have ever had. The meat ranged from light to dark pink - they resembled small salmon. An average fish was 15"-16" and weighed about a pound to a pound-and-a-half! They were so big and wide that I filleted them like a salmon!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_253.jpg
If you go to Diamond get ready to make friends with millions of these!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2571.jpg
Lots of bugs make for some super fat trout! :bigshock:
This is a put and take managed fishery - it can be supported by the HUGE biomass of bugs in that lake. Fingerlings grow to 12inches in one summer. Maybe someday it could be managed with a 2 or 3 fish per day limit - if this happened I bet you would see some 15lb trout before too long.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_326.jpg
Willow and Dixie Daisy waiting for a fish to bite!
One of the days we took the short trip to Crater Lake... for those of you that have never been there I IMPLORE you to visit one day. Pictures cannot capture even 1% of the stunning beauty displayed here. It is simply mesmerizing!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_312.jpghttp://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_313.jpg
Crater Lake is the most scenic sight I have ever seen in my life!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2942.jpg
Cool looking, tortured tree at Crater Lake.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_311.jpg
WOW - look at that color of blue!
Another day we went horseback riding through the woods with Diamond Lake Corrals. The dude that runs it, Marty, is as authentic of a cowboy as you can get! His sidekick Wayne is a hoot! Good fun! There sure is a lot of bear and elk sign in the hills around Diamond.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_3212.jpg
If I would have worn green I would have looked just like Shrek riding Donkey! :whistle:
We also rode our bikes a couple of times around the lake. There is a paved bike trail that goes all the way around the lake. You have to keep moving or risk becoming a meal for the local mosquitos!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_268.jpg
The paved bike path around the lake provides a nice break from fishing.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_270.jpg
Cool meadow on the bike trail.
After all was said and done a week flew by like it was a day or two. My wife, kids and I had a GREAT time. I want to send out a special thank you to all the guys on the Trout Board for giving me some great tips that made a HUGE difference in our trip there! Thanks guys - you cut the learning curve way down. The trout board ROCKS on Ifish! :cheers:
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_3281.jpg
Till next time!
A week ago the kids got out of school, I loaded up the boat with the camping/fishing stuff, threw the dogs, kids and wife in the truck and pointed 5-Cents toward Diamond Lake. About 5 hours later my daughter had the first "eye-spy" on Diamond and I was soon unloading the boat, camping/fishing stuff, dogs, kids and wife. Whew! :whistle:
This was my first trip ever to Diamond Lake. My expectations were quite high and I have to say I was not dissapointed in the least! We rented a cabin at Diamond Lake resort. The cabins were nice, clean and stocked with everything we needed to make our stay perfect. The staff delivered wood to our door every day for the wood stove, towels and stuff like that. One night while I was making fresh trout fillets our stove shorted out and in 10 minutes the staff had replaced our stove with a new one! The resturant there makes GREAT home cooking - no shortage of butter in those dishes! :D The marina there is first rate... the slips are a little short for my barge but that's to be expected - my boat looked a little out of place there but you gotta use what you have! :thisbig::whistle:
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_279.jpg
Mount Thielson stands watch over Diamond in the dawns early light.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_3411.jpg
Relaxing next to the fire at the lodge!
The fishing the first two days was nothing short of world class - we were on the water at 5AM fished till 11AM before breaking for fresh trout breakfast, back on the water around 2PM, fishing till 8-9PM. Those first 2 days we had 50+ fish days fishing an average of 2-3 rods per day. We probably had as many fish hit that werent landed for one reason or another.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_237.jpg
My daughter Maddie with a Diamond bow for the skillet!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_239.jpg
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2401.jpg
My son Morgan with an average Diamond lake bow.
In the stillness of the first morning we anchored and used worms on a slip bobber set up fishing it where we marked fish - that ABSOLUTELY killed them, figuritively and literally! I'm not into killing my limit, I wanted just enough fish for a couple of meals so after killing a few fish I decided to switch over to trolling flies on my flyrods rigged with leadline and 20' of leader. In the afternoon when the wind picked up we just wind drifted this setup.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_276.jpg
We trolled a 2 fly setup rig, one bugger on the left and a smaller soft hackle on the right.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2511.jpg
Trolling flies in the sun!
The second evening I was lucky enough to see a site that very few people probably ever get to see. I was just drifting in my boat flyfishing and my boat drifted into a pod of trout at least 100 yards long and 25 yards wide that were feeding on midge emergers - the water looked like it was boiling with fish! There must have been 2000-5000 trout in that pod... I just stopped fishing and watched them for the longest time, 1000's of 15"-22" trout feeding - making those sucking sounds = WOW!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_256.jpg
FAT midge fed trout!
After the midge hatch started the fishing slowed down... the fish really started focusing on the bugs and many people were coming back to the docks without fish. Trolling/wind drifting flies also slowed down too, but still accounted for about 20 - 25 fish per day. I could have caught more if I would have focused on flyfishing but I was having too much fun watching my wife and kids catch fish on the fly rods. My wife and kids all got to battle trout on fly rods for the first time and they are hooked - they didnt want to spin/bait fish the rest of the trip!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2422.jpg
Wind drifting, waiting for a SHABAMALAM!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2451.jpg
My wife Kristel battles her first fly rod fish like a pro! :throb:
The quality of the fish out of Diamond is simply outstanding - these were quite simply the best tasting trout I have ever had. The meat ranged from light to dark pink - they resembled small salmon. An average fish was 15"-16" and weighed about a pound to a pound-and-a-half! They were so big and wide that I filleted them like a salmon!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_253.jpg
If you go to Diamond get ready to make friends with millions of these!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2571.jpg
Lots of bugs make for some super fat trout! :bigshock:
This is a put and take managed fishery - it can be supported by the HUGE biomass of bugs in that lake. Fingerlings grow to 12inches in one summer. Maybe someday it could be managed with a 2 or 3 fish per day limit - if this happened I bet you would see some 15lb trout before too long.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_326.jpg
Willow and Dixie Daisy waiting for a fish to bite!
One of the days we took the short trip to Crater Lake... for those of you that have never been there I IMPLORE you to visit one day. Pictures cannot capture even 1% of the stunning beauty displayed here. It is simply mesmerizing!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_312.jpghttp://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_313.jpg
Crater Lake is the most scenic sight I have ever seen in my life!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_2942.jpg
Cool looking, tortured tree at Crater Lake.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_311.jpg
WOW - look at that color of blue!
Another day we went horseback riding through the woods with Diamond Lake Corrals. The dude that runs it, Marty, is as authentic of a cowboy as you can get! His sidekick Wayne is a hoot! Good fun! There sure is a lot of bear and elk sign in the hills around Diamond.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_3212.jpg
If I would have worn green I would have looked just like Shrek riding Donkey! :whistle:
We also rode our bikes a couple of times around the lake. There is a paved bike trail that goes all the way around the lake. You have to keep moving or risk becoming a meal for the local mosquitos!
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_268.jpg
The paved bike path around the lake provides a nice break from fishing.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_270.jpg
Cool meadow on the bike trail.
After all was said and done a week flew by like it was a day or two. My wife, kids and I had a GREAT time. I want to send out a special thank you to all the guys on the Trout Board for giving me some great tips that made a HUGE difference in our trip there! Thanks guys - you cut the learning curve way down. The trout board ROCKS on Ifish! :cheers:
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/Picture_3281.jpg
Till next time!