Paulina has been in the safe zone for water temps

Paulina Lake - La Pine, OR (Deschutes County)

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Fly Fishers Place

by The Fly Fishers Place
7-31-2021
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I am really happy to report Paulina has been in the safe zone water temp wise all week on the 4 days I fished it.

Ranged from 64 to 67 at the surface all week! Boom.

Also, happy to see the callibaetis coming off well now. It isn’t like East that has massive Callibaetis hatches in June, tapering in July, and starting again in August and September. It may be a single brood lake? I am learning more about it every year, this being year #2 that I have adopted it as my favorite place to guide.

Last season I saw the same thing, with the best Callibaetis hatches in August. So, we are almost to August and here they are. Be early and fish the hatch about 7 am to maybe 9, with a good possibility of seeing them again after lunch until about 4.
Hoppers were better than beetles this week. The young guy I guided with his dad yesterday did have a strong finish on Beetles yesterday.

Watermelon Leech and Red 2 Bit and Chironomids are all great now under an indicator from 3 to 20 feet under.

I am still hot on stripping Hot Beaded Leeches on type 3 and type 5 full sink lines.
Dry Damsels were a lot of fun a couple of times this week. I expect more of that this month of August.

We did some wind drifting over weed beds with a Hover line yesterday. That is good too so set your boat up with a Sea Anchor/Drogue/Drift Sock (regional terms for the same tool) and get after that. Also the drogue (my preferred term) will allow you to fish Loch Style and show the fish flies before they ever see the boat. I am doing this more and more on most of our lakes with good success.