Cayuga Lake out of Myers 12/8
Got out just after noon for a little fishing on my own. The weather looked pretty changeable outside my window today. Forecasts called for light south winds and overcast/cloudy conditions. I had gear for everything from lakers to pike and trout/salmon fly-fishing. Wasn’t sure whether I was going to hit Seneca or Cayuga and wasn’t sure of the port on either, but with the sun starting to poke through, I figured the short drive to Myers might be a good call. I was the only one there when I arrived.
The lake level is dropping on Cayuga Lake despite what rain we’ve had. Myers is launchable, but it may not be for long – at least for larger boats. I had to back a ways in to float my boat off. Water temps are around 46 degrees. Good for trout/salmon.
I covered a lot of water with my 6 wt. fly-rod today. I hit three areas that typically produce this time of year without having a hit. The last (fourth) area I tried looked very good and just after I cast my bionic smelt in, I felt a light hit. I kept stripping it and felt a better hit, then finally hooked up. My one fish for the day was a 16″ silvery brown that jumped 3X. These browns think they’re landlocked salmon! The fish was bleeding pretty good so I kept it. Despite not marking much bait at all today, this fish was very plump and had at least 3 alewives in it. No sign of lamprey hits either. I have no clue how the winter fishing is going to be on Cayuga for trout or salmon thus far. I think we need another good cold snap or two before fish settle into their winter hangouts. I like sunny, bluebird days for salmon. The cloudier days tend to produce more browns, though any species can come on any condition. Trollers often like the cloudy days but for fly-fishing I think the sun gets these fish up near the surface. This kind of fly-fishing isn’t for everyone, but it’s rewarding and a great feeling when you hook up – oftentimes in “no man’s land.”