Strange happenings at the pond today…

[3blade]

Went out for a well deserved afternoon by myself with fly rod in hand. Wind was cranking so I brought the 8wt. Headed to a local stocked pond. 4:30 or so the air show started with a solid 18 inch rainbow jumping 4’ out of the water, 80 yards off shore, in what I know to be 30 FOW. Ok, cool. Then it happened again. And again. As the evening progressed, the action moved closer to shore ending up at the edge of the weeds 25 ft from me. The strange thing was these were all big fish, and all of them were launching well clear of the water.

I threw a wider variety of flies in the last few hours than I have in years. Buggers, nymphs, chronomids, wet flies, emergers, back swimmers and drys. On one of the last casts of the evening I had a flash below a size 16 EHC. One lousy refusal in 3.5 hours. After that, it shut off.

What on earth is going on? My thoughts were either they are chasing something rising from the deep that I hadn’t matched (despite using a proven emerger pattern I’ve successfully used in exactly this situation before) or they are chasing those monster dragon flies up in the air. Or maybe minnows…?

Anyone seen this before and managed to capitalize? What’s the pattern?

[MK2750]

I haven't fished ponds in a while but big trout use to launch themselves like that for dragon flies on Struble Lake before the perch patrol ruined it.

[densa44]

Well that's fishing, and I love rainbows! For what its worth, when that used to happen to me, I'd put on a very large hopper, something that a hungry trout couldn't resist.

They were some of my best days! Now that I'm old, I only tie, caddis dry flys and elk hair hoppers. I still have fun.

Let us know what you try next and how it works.

[cranky]

The carp are probably eating up all the food. Now the trout gotta jump way high to get some eats passing by. My attempt at being funny.

Actually happened to me just recently to at my favourite pond. After using everything pretty near in my box I managed one 8 inch trout and also got a nbr of tugs on an old school “ purple and snipe size 14 “ haven’t been out for so long I missed on the tugs. To old not fast enough anymore I guess.

[3blade]

Happened again today…pretty sure it is dragon flies they are after. Definitely nothing hatching in a rain squall with 30k winds, and I threw several minnow imitations fast across the surface.

Even the trout bait guys were blanked.

Oh well tomorrow is another day, and the fish can’t get out of the pond.

[tug]

the trout jump sometimes to get rid of parasites,a few lakes in the interior of B.C.,have that problem

[Lornce]

Trout could also be taking Sedge or Caddis.

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by Lornce

Trout could also be taking Sedge or Caddis.

Could also be water boatmen, getting to be that time of year.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by tug

the trout jump sometimes to get rid of parasites,a few lakes in the interior of B.C.,have that problem

Do you have anymore info you can add?
What parasite?


A while ago I camped out at a small lake in the southern Okanagan....
Around midnight the fish, which got up to ten pound plus, woke me up with their splashing and jumping.
I went out in the canoe and tried everything, even dragged a small bug net to see what they could be feeding on.... nothing. Nothing caught, fish or food... Still wonder what was going on that night.

[tug]

Sheridan lake the trout were jumping all over the place I tried everything in my box asked the resort owner what the problem was he told me that the biologist said the trout had parasites on them they were jumping to get rid of them

[pikergolf]

Probably chasing backswimmer, tis the season.

[goldscud]

Have seen Pennask rainbows come flying out of the water in BC.
They get a parasitic copepod on their gill filaments and fins. The fish are tying to get the parasites off on the splash down. This behavior makes this strain of rainbow a great one to fight on the fly rod.

Copepod looks like a grain of rice attached to a disk