Current Lake Conditions: Lake conditions are good and the fishing should be great, assuming access to the lake isn't a mud-fest. Bring the monster truck so you don't get stuck in the gumbo mud that can strand the unsuspecting fly angler in the middle of now where, somewhere near the Pit River and a long walk from the sleepy hamlet of Big Bend, CA. Wait until late March!

When you go, bring Clouser Minnows, Crystal Buggers in an assortment of colors and a sinking line. Don't forget to bring a float tube and enjoy some solitary fly fishing. The nearby Pit River, offers excellent fishing for rainbows!!

The Fly Shop's?? Tips: The rainbows and browns will clobber nymphs stripped on floating lines or suspended under indicators. Bring a motorized boat, and fish near the inflow at the NE end of the lake. Try stripping buggers on a Type 7 full sinking line. Retrieving or stripping buggers and leech patterns seems to be the best, most productive method of fly fishing Iron Canyon at this time. Look for rainbows and browns along the edges of the lake.

You can fish this lake either one of two ways, indicator and nymphs or sinking lines and streamers. The midge hatches are usually strong in the AM hours, fishing a Blood Midge with a Black Midge Pupa dropper is deadly. For those who want to cast and retrieve flies, Leeches and Bugger style flies work great. Clouser Minnows are a fantastic fly on Iron Canyon, fished on a RIO Deep 7 sinking line, plan on finding the aggressive fish that hang in the depths! Use an intermediate sinking line along the shallower edges of the lake when fishing streamers. Fishing a #16 BH PT Nymph on the end of a tapered leader attached to a floating line is an all time best way to find fish here or any still water. Once flies are cast, use a very slow retrieve, just move the line enough to stay tight to the fly and feel the thuds of the take!

Lake Level:
• Iron Canyon Lake Level

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:
• Scum Duns - Callibaetis #14
• D&D Cripples - Callibaetis #16

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Licorice #16
• Pheasant Tail Nymph #14-16
• San Juan Worm - Fire #8-14
• CB Frostbite - #16-18
• Chromies - #16-18
• Zebra Midge - #16-20
• Micro Mayfly - #14-18
• Tungsten Beaded JuJu #16
• Blood Geyser Midge - Red #10-16
• GB Half-Flashback PT - #16-20

Streamers/Leeches:
• Beaded Micro Buggers
• Freshwater Clouser - Olive/White
• Lite Brite Buggers - #6
• Zonkers - #4
• Zack's Zuggers - Yellow/Brown #8

Fly Fishing Gear:
• Outcast?? Super Fat Cat-LCS Float Tube
• Rio?? Deep 7™ Full Sink Fly Line
• Simms?? WaderWick™
• The Fly Shop's?? X-Country Jacket
• Nautilus FWX Fly Reels
• R.L. Winston Boron IIIx Fly Rod 4-5 wt
• The Fly Shop's?? Fresh H2O Fly Rod 4-6 wt
• Simms?? Solar Sombrero
• Simms?? ExStream™ Socks
• Angling Evolution's™ Foam Indicators