Merrill Creek Res. 6/15/13:

[AndyS]

Up at 3:30 am for a solo trip to Merrill Creek Res. Got my 10 dozen herring (the guy cut me a break on the price) and I was on my way just after 5am. Set up strait out front of the ramp in about 50 or 60 FOW. Had action right away, boated one Lake Trout and got hammered by stockie browns, I lost count after a while.
Wind picked up and it was hard to live line the rather small herring so I packed up and headed to the other side of the lake, by the eagles’ nest. Picked up 2 more lakers and dropped 3, had stockie rainbows on that side of the lake. Kept my limit of 2 Lake Trout. Saw more trout guys, usually I see a lot of bass guys. Saw guys pulling planer boards, downriggers, and another guy with a fly jerk machine. Come to find out later at the boat ramp the guy hammered them on the jerk flies, including a whopper of a 6lb. Rainbow Trout. The jerk fly machine is growing in popularity, whatever happens on the Great Lakes filters down to us eventually.
Had an Osprey fall out of the sky like a cannonball no more than 50 yards away and picked off a stockie trout. I saw Loons, Cormorants (amazing, you never see those) and the big Bald Eagle fly into his nest.
A lot of boats on the lake and the clarity was pretty good despite all the rain. Haven’t seen any schools of herring yet this year, I’m not throwing up any flags just yet, but if the Lake Trout start looking like Pickerel you know we have a problem. Off the lake by noon in the baking sun.
On the way home I peeked over at Spruce Run Creek, running high and clear. Peeked through the trees and Spruce Run seemed to be full, and the North Branch was chocolate milk.
Swung by Round Valley on my way home to check on the tournament. The guy at the gate asks me for my fishing license, I said it’s Free Fishing Days, I don’t need a license. He asked me again, again I gave him the same answer, then he waved me in. I understand you need a fishing license to use the boating area, if you don’t have one you need to get a users permit, but how does this argument end on Free Fishing Days, I don’t know. Saw a few guys weighing in a couple of 15” Lake Trout. I weighed in my Lake Trout just to see how much it weighed, close to 4 lbs. If I had caught it Round Valley I would have been on the leader board.
All and all not too bad, no big browns, but that’s fishin’.

Happy Fahdders Day to all you Fahdders.

.....oh yeah, Manny Luftglass was fishing there today also, I think with his buddy Ron Bern.

[GetANet]

When is "FISHING MERRILL CREEK" coming out??? YEA, I know double anchor and fish herring on a #6 with an egg sinker....YADA, YADA,YADA.
Nice guy met him at a RVTA meeting a few years back.
Sounds like you had a decent day, how far did you have to climb up that tree to get that pic???? LOL Nice Job Andy!

[AndyS]

I went to a seminar Manny gave and a guy asked if night crawlers would be good bait in Round Valley. He said NO ! That is un natural to the fish in Round Valley and they won't eat them. That's funny, because I pound the night rainbows on night crawlers.

[Lard Almighty]

Originally Posted by AndyS

That's funny, because I pound the night rainbows on night crawlers.

Not to mention atomic orange processed cheese. Stocked rainbows aren't the brightest fish.

[AndyS]

Its not cheese, it's cheese food. Best damn bait for those smart rainbows at night ! (Power cheese)

[DoubleG]

What's a jerk fly machine?

Good job on the trout, sounds like a great day.

[Eskimo]

.



Great fishing report Andy.

I haven't gotten to MCR this year, but really should one of these weekends.



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[AndyS]

It's a machine you stick your rod into and it pulls forward and drops back. You can do it by hand but the jerking machines are rising in popularity. The guy had a string of 5 streamers on copper line.

[Bicey]

I've seen a few guys at spruce run using the jerk machines for hybrids.

[acabtp]

there's a dude with a white boat who has been running one of those machines every time i have been at RVR in the past year