FLOATIN' AND FISHIN' RAINBOW TROUT BITING AT LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE.Byline: BILL BECHER LAGUNA NIGUEL - Float-tubing fly anglers who can't wait for the spring thaw are getting a jump on the Sierra trout season by fishing for the big, colorful trout stocked at Laguna Niguel Lake in Orange County. Several members of the Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by Fly Fishers club recently went to Laguna Niguel to fish from float tubes using techniques used at Crowley Lake Crowley Lake is a reservoir on the upper Owens River in southern Mono County, California in the United States. It was created in 1941 by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) as storage for the Los Angeles Aqueduct and for flood control. in the Eastern Sierra. The group met with Frank Murata, a member of Daiwa's advisory staff, who teaches free angling classes Saturday mornings at the pay-to-fish lake. Last year, Murata pumped the stomach contents of a trout he'd caught at Laguna Niguel and found midge midge, name for any of numerous minute, fragile flies in several families. The family Chironomidae consists of about 2,000 species, most of which are widely distributed. The herbivorous larvae are found in all freshwaters; the larvae of some species live in saltwater. pupae, an immature stage of insects that resemble mosquitoes. Serious fly anglers use a small squeeze bulb and tube to sample what the fish have been eating so they can duplicate it with the appropriate artificial bug. Murata decided to ``match the hatch'' with midge pupa pupa (py  `pə), name for the third stage in the life of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis, i.e., develops from the egg through the larva and the pupa stages to the adult. flies using the ``Crowley'' technique. It worked. To fish this method, fly anglers buy or tie midge pupae imitations using tiny-size 16 to 22 hooks, metal beads, thread and wire wrap An early method of wiring circuit boards to each other. The boards were plugged into a backplane that contained metal prongs, which were wired together using a special tool. The tool stripped the end of the wire and coiled it around the prong. . They suspend the imitations under a small floating indicator. When the indicator bobs under the water, the angler sets the hook. Murata set the hook many times this day with a rip-their-lips stroke and landed more than a dozen rainbow trout rainbow trout Species (Oncorhynchus mykiss) of fish in the salmon family (Salmonidae) noted for spectacular leaps and hard fighting when hooked. It has been introduced from western North America to many other countries. - the largest a 23-inch beauty. Murata said fishing was a bit slow - most days he can land 20 fish using the midge technique and a great day is at least 40 fish. He released all his fish, though if you have an appetite for firm, pink trout flesh you can keep five trout for every $15 lake-fishing permits you purchase. Since the fish don't survive the higher water temperatures in summer, after May 1 you can keep all you can catch. Although some Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, man-made lakes look like mud pits, Laguna Niguel is nicely landscaped and planted with trees and reeds. It's also popular with birds. There are more honks and quacks than in an AFLAC AFLAC American Family Life Assurance Company AFLAC American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus AFLAC Apologies For Lack of Audi Content (Audi listservs) commercial as ducks, geese, pelicans and other waterfowl waterfowl, common term for members of the order Anseriformes, wild, aquatic, typically freshwater birds including ducks, geese, and screamers. In Great Britain the term is also used to designate species kept for ornamental purposes on private lakes or ponds, while in enjoy the 44-acre lake along with float tubers. The lake's size is perfect for float-tubing access, which costs an additional $10. The lake is sheltered from the kind of wind that can make an afternoon in a float tube at Crowley seem like a chapter out of ``The Perfect Storm.'' Along with the natural setting - except for the fancy houses looking down on one side of the lake - what was most impressive were the big, beautiful fish. Stockers are often pallid pal·lid adj. 1. Having an abnormally pale or wan complexion: the pallid face of the invalid. 2. Lacking intensity of color or luminousness. 3. silvery imitations of wild trout, with shredded fins and scars from being raised in concrete pens. Many stockers fight like punch-drunk paid-off palookas. But these fish are different. They are big, strong fish. They've been around the block, too. The trout are hatched in Idaho, then taken as fingerlings to the Pine Creek Pine Creek may refer to:
Every two weeks Blackburn drives his converted milk truck loaded with 5,000 pounds of 'bows the 600 miles from Bicknell to Laguna Niguel. The fish he drops off have some feisty Kamloops genes in them and pull hard when hooked. Like tiny tuna, they head for the bottom of the lake. When reeled in, you can see their deep, dark spots and beautiful, crimson-colored cheeks. The average fish is at least 12 inches, and most run 14 to 16 inches. More than 100 fish in the five- to 10-pound class were stocked this year, according to Rick Mendoza, who operates the fishing concession. And to make it interesting, a few of the fish are really huge. The Laguna Niguel lake record trout is a 15-pounder, but there are a couple of 16s and a 17-pound toad waiting to be caught, said Mendoza. Five large aerators keep the oxygen content of the water high enough to support the number of fish that are stocked. But in keeping with the look-natural theme of the lake, the aerators are disguised as big rocks. This is definitely a great way to enjoy a winter's day of fly-fishing from a float tube. But you don't need a tube, fancy fly gear or knowledge of entomology entomology, study of insects, an arthropod class that comprises about 900,000 known species, representing about three fourths of all the classified animal species. to catch a big fish at Laguna Niguel. While we were at the lake, one angler fishing from shore caught a four-pound rainbow using Orange Powerbait. IF YOU FISH Laguna Niguel Lake is located at the Laguna Niguel Regional Park in Orange County. Entry to the park is $2 weekdays, $4 weekends. Fishing permits in the winter season are $15 for adults and $12 for those 16 and under, and are slightly less in summer. California fishing licenses are not required. Float-tube launch fee is $10 or you can rent one of the 22 electric boats for $10 per hour or $60 all day. No private boats or kayaks are allowed. The lake is open for fishing from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. all week in winter and to 8 p.m. in summer. The season for rainbow trout is from the day after Thanksgiving into May. Trout are stocked every two weeks from Nov. 25 until April 1. You can keep five trout per fishing permit. No-limit trout fishing starts May 1. Around April, some anglers transition to fishing for largemouth bass largemouth bass see micropterus salmoides. , crappie crappie: see sunfish. crappie Either of two deep-bodied freshwater North American fish species (family Centrarchidae) that are popular as food and prized by sport fishermen. Native to the eastern U.S. and channel catfish channel catfish see ictaluruspunctatus. channel catfish virus disease acute herpesvirus disease of young catfish fry. There is ascites, exophthalmos and hemorrhage in the fins. Widespread in North America. . There also are bluegills for the kids to catch. The lake supports natural insects including midges midges see ceratopogonidae and culicoides. , damsels and still-water mayflies. Other forage includes crawdads, golden shiners and baby bass. Tackle, bait, snacks and drinks are available at the lake concession stand, as are some of Frank Murata's midge flies. Murata teaches beginner and intermediate fishing seminars every Saturday from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Outdoor Amphitheater. Four topics are covered, one each week: jig, fly, bait and artificial-bait fishing. Murata covers selecting equipment, rigging tackle and other topics. For more information on seminars, e-mail fishingwithFrank(at)aol.com. Limited to 10 participants. For more information about the lake, visit lagunaniguellake.com or call (949) 362-3885. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box Photo: (1) Frank Murata, who teaches a free fishing class at Laguna Niguel Lake on Saturday mornings, hooks a rainbow trout while float tubing. (2 -- 3) Above, Frank Murata caught and released this 23-inch rainbow trout at Laguna Niguel Lake using a midge fly imitation. About 5,000 pounds of beautifully colored rainbow trout are trucked in every two weeks from Pine Creek Trout Ranch in Bicknell, Utah, and stocked at the lake. Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News Box: IF YOU FISH (see text) |
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