FISHERMAN: IT'S BEST DONE ON THE FLY.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

Bob Slamal's partner was taking care of his numerous Lake Skinner catches when another angler approached.

``What did you catch them on?'' he was asked.

``These little white flies,'' was the response.

The angler cursed, told him there was no chance and walked away. Right to Slamal's boat. Sitting there were fly rods tied with Bob's White Fly, a fly specifically designed for Slamal.

``Did he fish with you?'' the angler asked Slamal.

The Riverside resident said it's a normal response.

``I want to show people how to catch fish with a fly rod,'' he said. ``I get a bigger kick of watching you catch a fish then I do catching one. I really do.

``I like telling people the truth. We caught them on the white flies. It seems like when I tell the truth, most people do not believe me.''

Slamal is the only fly-fishing guide at Riverside County's Lake Skinner and Lake Perris. He also has begun guiding anglers at Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet, which opened Oct. 3. He will describe fly fishing in the giant Metropolitan Water District reservoir and other Southern California waters at several seminars at the International Sportsmen's Expo, which will make its third appearance Jan. 8-11 at Fairplex Park in Pomona.

The expo will feature fishing and hunting.

Slamal has operated Riverside Ski and Sport for 33 years and also was a boat dealer. When he decided to stop selling boats to Southern California dealerships more than a dozen years ago, his customers told him he should start guiding because he had been on all the lakes.

``I know a lake better than the fish does,'' he joked.

Slamal, 56, said he's trying to show Southern Californians there is more than fly-fishing streams.

``Most places may be just too hard to get to,'' he said. ``They want to go places that are easy to get to.''

And, when they arrive, catch a lot of fish.

Slamal said that's why he's become big on lake fishing. He caught as many as 90 bass in one three-hour outing this year at Diamond Valley, and he said he routinely catches 20 to 50 bass in his almost daily trips to Skinner.

``River fishing is vastly different than lake fishing,'' he said. ``On a river, they're easy targets. You know where to target: pools and behind rocks. The fish are waiting for food. It's the extreme on lakes. They have to move around to find food. They can be all over the place.

``I know more about fly fishing in these lakes than anybody.''

Diamond Valley and Skinner like his White Fly, he said, because of its resemblance to shad. Perris and Silverwood Lake prefer green flies.

Because of the depth of Diamond Valley - as much as 250 feet - Slamal rarely will fish there this winter but concentrate on it in the spring.

Bass typically are running 50 feet deep now, and trout can be found even deeper. Not ideal conditions for fly lines.

``For fly fishermen, we're still figuring it out,'' he admitted.

But he loves the prospects. He's caught largemouth and smallmouth bass, trout, redear and striped bass. The lake's first crappie were caught last week.

``We're starting to figure out the patterns,'' he said. ``I can't wait until they spawn.''

Slamal spends two summer months guiding in Wyoming, and his White Fly drew praise from Vice President Dick Cheney, who stopped Slamal in the streets of Jackson Hole to thank him. He will take a group to New Zealand in February to fish.

``What I like is something that happened in one of my fly classes 1 1/2 weeks ago,'' he said. ``This guy had never fished before. I showed him how to cast and showed him to keep his rod tip low on the water. He went to Yucaipa and caught more fish than anybody that day.''

Keith Lair, [phone]

keith.lair(at)sgvn.com

IF YOU GO

What: International Sportsmen's Expo

Where: Fairplex Park

When: Jan. 8-11

Hours: Jan. 8-9, noon-8 p.m.; Jan. 10, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Jan. 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Cost: $9; free to children 12 and under

Web site: www.sportsexpos.com

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IF YOU GO (see text)