An Early Morning Return to Jenny Lake

Rick Schreiber and I went back to Jenny Lake before sunrise this morning for a reason, something I didn’t mention in yesterdays blog.  We saw a big fish, a lake trout over three feet long.  The sighting didn’t happen only once but in fact we saw this big fish several times.  But he showed no interest in our flies. 

Big lake trout often act this way.  I’ve fished lakers seriously for over 25 years.  I’ve caught many big ones through the ice and I’m familiar with their feeding behavior.  I’ve learned they’re like huge snakes.  When they eat, they eat big.  An anaconda eats a caiman then doesn’t eat again for a month.  I think big lakers are the same.  They go on a feeding frenzy and eat several 14” suckers, whitefish, chubs or trout then don’t eat for a month.  You can put anything you want in front of them but they swim past or in some cases just lay there. 

The before sunrise drive to Jenny Lake was spectacular.  There were elk everywhere and several enormous bugling bulls crossed ahead of my Explorer.  But we caught only one lake trout in four hours of fishing.  Rick and I need to be at Jenny at the right time.  Usually the right time for big lakers is when the weather is turning for the worst.  Unfortunately there’s no big weather change in our forecast until late next week.  Late next week Rick and I will be in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin chasing musky on the fly.  At least we should land some three footers there!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing