Merrill Lake Hexagenia

[Breck]

Caught the hatch last night. Got the Clackacraft on the water at about 5 pm. Stripped wooley buggers with a sink tip line until the sun went down, then switched to hexagenia dry patterns, including one that glows in the dark that I purchased at The Greased Line in Vancouver.

The fishing was great! I brought a couple of really nice 15"-17" rainbow footballs to hand. The water literally boils with rising fish. The only difficult part is resisting the urge to cast at all the rises and just let the fly sit dead in the water. Hooking the fish is easier said than done too. Mostly, they just sip at your fly. The two rainbows that I hooked crushed it.

As soon as the sun went down completely, the hatch ceased along with all surface activity.

All in all, it was a lovely evening. The lake itself is very scenic. If you want to spend a couple of hours in the evening catching nice trout, you can't beat it. If you have a non-gas powered floating device, like a float tube, pontoon boat, drift boat, etc., head on up there and enjoy!

[zebsco]

how long does a normal hatch like this last? we went last week and they were talking all about it-

[dpok]

We went up Sat nite and it was fair, definitely some hex hatching and active fish, we caught a few, biggest 18" smallest 6".

Beware the bald eagle that sits in the trees just north of the boat ramp. He swooped down and took a look once I hooked one. Luckily the fish was too small (about 8") and he let me have it. I wasn't about to fight him for it.

[Breck]

Originally Posted by dpok

We went up Sat nite and it was fair, definitely some hex hatching and active fish, we caught a few, biggest 18" smallest 6".

Beware the bald eagle that sits in the trees just north of the boat ramp. He swooped down and took a look once I hooked one. Luckily the fish was too small (about 8") and he let me have it. I wasn't about to fight him for it.

Dude!!! I saw that!!! Were you the guy in the small row boat? My buddy & I saw that eagle buzz you on the North side of the lake. We were over on the West end in the shallows in a Clackacraft drift boat. Gave us a bit of a laugh at your expense.

[dpok]

I doubt you saw me. You said you were up last night, Sunday, I was up there on Saturday night in a float tube, my buddy was in a pontoon boat.

Incidentally, I was not the only one to get buzzed by the eagle. I thought it was sort of funny when it happened to the guy north of me about a half an hour earlier. Not as funny when it was me.

[Carp4Fun]

I was up there with two friends Saturday night. The hatch seemed short, but it definitely happened. The wind was a *****, felt sorry for the guys in tubes.

[Breck]

Originally Posted by dpok

I doubt you saw me. You said you were up last night, Sunday, I was up there on Saturday night in a float tube, my buddy was in a pontoon boat.

Incidentally, I was not the only one to get buzzed by the eagle. I thought it was sort of funny when it happened to the guy north of me about a half an hour earlier. Not as funny when it was me.

Well.....I was up there Saturday night, not Sunday. (If you check the date of my initial post, well......) I'm not here to argue though. The fella I saw get buzzed by the eagle was definitely in a boat. If this is the case, Merrill has a definite eagle-buzzing problem.

I'm headed back up tonight (Tuesday). I'll be sure to keep my eagle-eyes open.

[Breck]

Went up again last night (Tuesday, 15th). The fishing was good, but the bald eagle was on full alert, buzz bombing every angler that played a fish. The eagle actually took a large trout from a couple of guys in a rubber raft just as they got it to the boat. The shouts and expletives were classic!Quite an adventure. The eagle seems to have no fear of people whatsoever.

My first fish of the evening was a beautiful 18" bow on a bright yellow, elk hair & foam hexagenia dry. Go the The Greased Line & they will set you up ith some great patterns. Trolling or stripping small, sparse wooley bugger/leech patterns seems to be working too.

In all, it was a great evening. The weather was great. An almost full moon lit the lake up nicely. There were large bugs all over the surface, and the fish were on the bite. My wife, my best friend, & I all drove home with big smiles on our faces. Good times.

[stoneflyguy]

I went up last night (Wed.) started fishing around 6:30 with very little action. There really wasn't a hatch to speak of with the low pressure system I didn't see many bugs come off at all. I caught a few fish in the 14-16" range but nothing exciting. There were only 4 other boats on the lake and they left early. The water is very high for this time of year, still in the willows. I still can't wait to go again. Neddless to say the eagles didn't get any free meals.

[garyk]

From your experience, how long do you expect the Hex hatch on Merrill to continue?

[stoneflyguy]

I've fished good hatches thru August but I must admit that by the middle of August I am looking for salmon so I don't make it up there after about the 3rd week of August. It's not like that every year and I haven't been able to figure out what makes one year better than the next. This year I will pay good attention to the water levels.

[garyk]

Thanks. My next chance won't be until the last days of July so maybe I'll still have a chance to see some Hex action then.

[Ryan Pultz]

Originally Posted by stoneflyguy

I went up last night (Wed.) started fishing around 6:30 with very little action. There really wasn't a hatch to speak of with the low pressure system I didn't see many bugs come off at all. I caught a few fish in the 14-16" range but nothing exciting. There were only 4 other boats on the lake and they left early. The water is very high for this time of year, still in the willows. I still can't wait to go again. Neddless to say the eagles didn't get any free meals.

Jeff let me know when it gets good! I gotta see this eagle rp

[stoneflyguy]

I think with the weather being as it is today it would be a good hatch. There is a high pressure system over us right now. There shoulf be some good hatches, this is the time of year. It sounds like there were some good ones already, but it only gets better.

Jeff

[Moley Molson]

I hate to ask this, but can someone post a pic of a good hex pattern to use?

I've been to Merril a couple times and have been skunked both times.

I'm going to take my toon up there again tonight and give it another go.
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

[stoneflyguy]

I have a picture I sent in with my article in Washington Fishing and Hunting News. I can try to post it today when I get home. John at Blackheron Fly Fishing in Longview sells my pattern there.

Jeff

[Breck]

Originally Posted by Moley Molson

I hate to ask this, but can someone post a pic of a good hex pattern to use?

I've been to Merril a couple times and have been skunked both times.

I'm going to take my toon up there again tonight and give it another go.
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

If the Greased Line Fly Shop is on your way, give them a visit. They offer several great patterns, including one that glows in the dark. My best success has been on a yellow foam body with elk hair wings and a crystal flash tail. They have a similar fly with a parachute configuration as well.

[jdeona]

Originally Posted by Moley Molson

I hate to ask this, but can someone post a pic of a good hex pattern to use?

I've been to Merril a couple times and have been skunked both times.

I'm going to take my toon up there again tonight and give it another go.
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

I'm pretty curious too since I'll be going there tomorrow.

Thanks Breck for the suggestion to go to Greased Line Fly shop & will definitely stop by there. I am also very excited to see Stoneflyguys article when he posts it here.

My question: Is this link pretty reliable on what hex nymph pattern to use?
http://www.clark-skamania-flyfishers.org/merrill.htm

[stoneflyguy]

The article has already been written. It's in June 19 Washington Fishing and Hunting News. There is a picture of the fly I tie and use in the article.

[Hunter56787]

It is really Gr8 to read about everyone enjoying them selves at Merrill Lake as my dad was one of the people that fought to make Merrill a Fly Fishing Only Lake. I quit fishing the lake after they band motors on the lake unless you owned a cabin on the lake. We would dry fly cast early mornings and evennings, we would troll streamers durring the day. I'm happy to read that people are having fun at a place my dad help set up.

[stoneflyguy]

I would love the shake his hand. It is a great thing to be able to go to such a beautiful lake and enjoy tossing fies. I think it was the best thing they ever did and I would have joined that fight. I think Merrill wouldn't be such a beautiful lake if they still allowed motors though and it's nice to have the peace without some bozo tearing around the lake. I wasn't aware that only the people in the cabins could use motors. I think what is good for one is good for all. Non the less, it is a great lake and nice to have a fly fishing only lake. Thank you and thank your dad if he is stil with us.

Jeff

[Carp4Fun]

Originally Posted by stoneflyguy

I would love the shake his hand. It is a great thing to be able to go to such a beautiful lake and enjoy tossing fies. I think it was the best thing they ever did and I would have joined that fight. I think Merrill wouldn't be such a beautiful lake if they still allowed motors though and it's nice to have the peace without some bozo tearing around the lake. I wasn't aware that only the people in the cabins could use motors. I think what is good for one is good for all. Non the less, it is a great lake and nice to have a fly fishing only lake. Thank you and thank your dad if he is stil with us.

Jeff

The cabin owners get a free pass because hauling anything in quantity on the trail is difficult. They shouldn't be using combustible motors to fish with.

[stoneflyguy]

I see, I always thought they used the road and had a key to the Weyerhauser gate. I have never seen a motor boat fishing but I have seen them go from the boat launch to the cabins. I'm glad I never said anything.

[Hunter56787]

I haven't been up to the lake for a long, long time, during the time I did fish it, it went through meny changes like the camping, at one time there was no real camping area, then they build some nice dry camps, one winter the creek washed the bridge out and they never fix it and now I guess there is no camping at the lake at all. The first time that I know of being at Merrill is from pix of me with our family and the Vancouver 4 Wheelers, I was about 4 years old (about 51 years ago). We fished the lake out of a 10' pram that dad had built, then in the early 60's dad buoght a 14' Marrowcraft and a 9.5 Evinrude. Later dad went on the road with BPA and I fished the lake with a buddy all through high school, we fished the lake with the addition of my wife, my daughter arrived in '74 and she caught her first fish at 18 months while holding my pole on moms lap. So I would say about '76 is when we fished Merril the last, U.S. Army, family and then going on the road driving truck, we just didn't make it back up to the lake. Now days it's a pain to take the motors off my boat and the "WAR" department isn't willing to let me have another boat for motorless lakes. Dad passed in April of last year, my brother has dads old boat and I can use it, but it's in Stevenson/Carson and I don't want to drive there, up to the lake and then back to my brothers. As for gas motors being used for fishing by cabin owners, it took the game dept and a few tickets and they soon stopped that from happening. One of these days I'll talk my son into pulling the motors off my boat (I broke my shoulders in a fall and can't lift the motors, I don't know if I can even cast a fly any more {that's a shame too, I have 5 brand new Loomis fly rods still in the tubes}) and putting the electric on and make the trip up there and just troll a lil. I'm sure dad is smilling over that fact that people are enjoying something he helped happen.

[stoneflyguy]

Hey hunter, if you would like to go up and fish Merrill sometime let me know and I will have a seat in my boat for you. As for casting a flyrod, we can work something out.

Jeff

[Hunter56787]

Thank you Jeff, I would enjoy that very much!