Everyone on this USA Fly Fishing Team has been around long enough to know what a perfect practice is and this week we are very close to having one. Today was our last day before the World Masters event starts and we went fishing. But it was not a whirlwind of fishing insanely hard and trying to figure things out. All that’s been done. Today was to go out and have fun. Don’t over extend yourself. And make sure at the end of the day to feel rested and ready for the competition.
The only thing in our way of an enjoyable final day was weather. The skies of Kamloops were ominous with low clouds whizzing by and strong wind. Brian Chan led us to Stake Lake, a mere 45 minutes from town. Minutes after we went out on the lake we got caught in a deluge of rain.
The rain never let up for the four hours that we fished. What was planned as a kick back and have a couple beers day was more of a tighten up the sleeves of your rain jacket and pull the hood far up over your head.
While such weather often sets trout out on a feeding frenzy, today was the opposite. Loren and I fished together and he managed to land two measurable rainbows. I was blanked. Pete, Bret and Mike landed a few, but very few. We called it early then drove to Tunkwa Lake for a look.
Tunkwa Lake will be the most challenging lake of the competition. It’s a large lake with lots of weeds and supposedly, some of the largest Pennask rainbows in the region. These fish will be hard to find, hard to coax into eating your fly, and last, very hard to bring to the net. Both Pete and Loren have fished here in years past. We stood on a point and they showed us places to try during the tournament. This will be the lake that whatever it takes – don’t blank!
Tomorrow the 2023 World Masters Fly Fishing Championships kicks off. We’ll migrate from our Airbnb to the competition hotel and get registered for the event. Then there will be the opening ceremonies parade and dinner. The actual fishing will run for five straight days starting Monday. I’ll fill you in more on how this all works. But for now, Jerry is treating us to sushi night!
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