Goodwin Lake Rainbow Trout Fishing - Quarterly Newsletter

GOODWIN LAKE RAINBOW TROUT FISHING

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Book a 2-night stay at Goodwin Lake Vacation Rental between June 22, 2012 and October 31, 2012 and save 20%!

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MENTION PROMO CODE: GOODWIN20

OFFER EXPIRES: JULY 31, 2012

6/01/12 UPDATE

Roy and Daneen changed the Rental's sleeping accommodations to 7 beds as follows:

Master Bdrm: Queen*

2nd Bdrm: 2 single beds

(can be placed together for a King)

Living Room: 1 Futon* and 3 Chair Beds

(*These beds hold 1-2 people for the maximum of 9 in the Rental.)

GARY PHILLIPS FISHING WEEKEND

4/20 - 4/22

I had a great time. I caught six fish; the largest was 23" and the smallest was 16". I caught all of them on my hand tied Red Ryder (black marabou with some red flash). I was using intermediate line on a 6wt rod. I had about 5 other good bites. It was a perfect day on the water.

Gary P.

EXCELLENT -- HIDDEN JEWEL
5/9 - 5/13

Our group of seven stayed at the house from 5/9 to 5/13. Based on Roy's advice and a very helpful "Fishing Goodwin Lake" handout we were prepared to fish fairly deep and tug seal buggers with a trailer. Added a 5 ft. fast sinking Airflo leader to my intermediate line in hopes of getting to the right depth.

Fished this way Thurs. morning and found the fish weren't really on the buggers, but were taking the trailer - a red copper john. Staying in the recommended 8-15 foot depth range we all started picking up fish on the copper johns. Everyone took around 5 with all but a couple over 18". Friday and Saturday were more of the same except better.

The indicator nymphing fans in the group switched to that technique and started picking up fish on the johns and a hare's ear. Had to have the bugs down 6-8 feet or deeper.

Everyone took 5-10 fish each day again with the majority over 18" with the largest at 25".

One buddy found the "spot" and had 35+ rainbows on the hare's ear!

Depth very important on Goodwin - find it and the fish are there - wrong zone and you will struggle. All had a great time and we will be back.

John Diodati

GOODWIN LAKE REPORT
6/08 - 6/11

Nine of us from Mission Peak Flyanglers arrived at the Goodwin Lake cabin late morning on Friday. After sorting out the gear and sleeping arrangements, we headed out to the lake in the early afternoon. Most decided to head up to the dam while I headed down to fish in front of the red house and the Spanish house. I tried a T-14 with a crystal bugger and indicator nymphed with a 2 fly rig with no luck. Catching was slow until the late afternoon when I headed up to the area between the second boat dock and the island toward the dam. I started to mark a lot of fish between 9-13 ft. and toward the shore. After switching to an intermediate line and using a two fly rig with a crystal bugger and flashback pheasant tail, I picked up my first fish, a nice 18". Several others got into fish using the same technique with flashback pheasant tails and intermediate lines.

On Saturday morning, I decided to re-acquaint myself with the crack of dawn and I was out there at 5 am, just me and the wild turkeys gobbling. Well I found out that on this particular day, there was no early bite and I could have gotten some much needed beauty rest. At about 6:45 am, the bite started to pick up, I landed two and missed 3 or 4 more grabs over the next hour. Meanwhile, all the late risers were finally making their way to the lake around 7 am. Rich landed a couple on pheasant tails, and later in the early afternoon lost a very large fish. The wind picked up around 11 am and chased most everyone off the lake.

Saturday, early evening, most of us were back out on the lake. A variety of flies picked up some fish: white crystal buggers, black articulating leech, callibaetis nymphs, and even a caddis pupa. But by far the best fly was still the flashback pheasant tail.

Sunday was a tough day; the outflow from Tulloch was noticeably stronger and it was difficult to kick troll back up to the dam. A few of us decided to use Roy's aluminum boat with trolling motor and it really made things easier. We trolled up to the dam outflow eddy, then cut the power and drifted back to the second boat dock and repeated the process. Another technique in your float tube is if you stay in the eddy around the first bend you can do a circle route, catching the current down, then you kick toward the shore and catch the eddy back.

Overall the fishing was fun, the catching was slow, but the cabin and accommodations were great.

The scenery alone made the time spent on the lake enjoyable, even when the fishing was slow. All agreed it was well worth the money and would return again sometime in the future.

Jeff Lorelli

"BOBICATOR" FISHING
6/15

On Friday, June 15th, I spent about 8 hours float tubing downstream from the Gunter "lake house." Although it got to 95̊ that day, the 55̊ water kept it cool in my float tube. Having fished upstream the evening earlier where I only landed 2 very nice trout, I decided to see how the action would be to the west along the south side of the lake where all the homes are located. Not very far past the next house downstream, I landed a very fine 20" fish on sinking line (T-14) using a two fly set up (white wooly bugger and trailing callibaetis). It seemed that every fish that weekend but one hit the trailing fly. Further down the lake and past the "red house property," I landed another fine fish on the same set up. My excitement level was rising as the wind began to pick up. It was time to change rods from the six weight to the five with the floating line and the bobber/nymph technique.

Using this technique you can use most any casting bobber of foam or plastic bubble and a 8' or 9' leader. I put a small split shot about a foot or so above the callibaetis fly or a red copper john and let it dead drift along close to the tule's or get in the shallows and drift it along the drop off outside of the shallow little "bay's." The area where the "for sale" property is located is my favorite as there are lots of submerged tree trunks and roots which hold fish well. I landed 7 fish in this spot within a half hour or so.

Kicking across the lake to the other large cove with the broken tree sticking out of the water and the tule island I fished with the same floating line, bobber and red copper john and hooked up with a few fantastic fish in the shallows, stripping fairly quickly to keep the fly out of the weeds. One hooked fish swam at me and I thought it was small until it sped past and out into deep water. The 22" beauty took a long time to get to the net. Those little flies really took a beating as I landed 18 fish that day with 2 going 22" and 14 fish at 19"-20" and one little guy only 14", which was the smallest trout I ever caught at Goodwin in a year of fishing here.

If I had a choice of either technique, I would choose the "indicator" fishing as I have always loved the visual of the float going under and the light line which allows the fish multiple jumps. (I counted five jumps on one fish alone.) When the lake is calm and flat, I go with the sinking line and let it get down into the 12-20 foot depths. The fish hit hard and you better have a grip on your rod sometimes. Only Steelhead and Eagle Lake trout fight as hard as the Goodwin/Stanislaus River species of trout. The colors are the most beautiful I have ever seen as well.

I was lucky to have fished the day it rained in early June [June 4th] and got caught way downstream in a downpour with no rain gear or even long sleeves. As soon as the rain began, the bite went wild. Using the "bobicator" method, I was trying to get back to the house before hypothermia set in and hooked a large fish as fast as I could release the previous one. Most fish hooked themselves as the rain was so hard I could not even see the yellow bobber trailing behind me about 60' or so. I never expected a hard rain in June, but now I carry a rain jacket just in case.

Hope these little tips help you catch more fish on your next visit.

Best wishes,

Steve "Trouty" Rudzinski

FLOATING THE TUOLUMNE RIVER
4/08

On Sunday, April 8th, along with 3 friends, I float tubed the Tuolumne River, from the bridge at Yosemite Blvd./Lake Street west of Old La Grange down to Turlock Lake Park. The weather was magnificent--- sunshine and about 70 degrees. It must have been more than 6 miles, a very long drift from 9 am to 5:30 pm. Fishing seemed slow, but I hooked about 30 fish and landed about 15. The largest I landed was a thin 17", but I almost landed 3 large rainbows in the 18"-22" range. Tom Knoth, a local guide from Groveland, landed an 18" rainbow and lost several larger ones. Steve F. fought and lost a rainbow in the 19" range. I also landed two 23" and 27" suckers, and had another 4 monsters on briefly.

Although we tried various nymphs under indicators, we quickly switched to stripping streamers, mostly buggers or small leaches, olive in color, and Burks gold bullet head minnows were the best producers. The flows were pretty constant at 319 CFS and the water was crystal clear. This was the first time I floated this reach. The first mile was pretty dead water, where we only hooked one small rainbow. I would not recommend floating this reach if the flows are greater than 450 CFS because there are many tight runs into sweepers, although there is not a significant rapid with more than a 6" drop.

Fish on. Roy Gunter

DRIFTING THE TUOLUMNE RIVER
BELOW LA GRANGE
5/07

The weather was perfect -- 70-80 degrees, blue skies, light wind and cool water (54 degrees). The water level seemed a little high, about 700 CFS, but the River Valley was beautiful.

Fishing was easy. (Who would have thought, during a full moon too.) I think I caught over 30 rainbows/steelhead. My fishing partner also hooked a Striper about 7 lbs. The water was so clear he saw him hit the fly. He hit a size 8 white Crystal Bugger. I should have taken pictures of the drift, but I was too busy catching fish. The river is full of fish right now. The upper river was all rainbows/steelhead some to 22" (at least on this trip). The half-way point had added the Stripers, Squawfish and Carp (big schools of them), but I could not catch any. The second half still held plenty of trout if you were getting deep enough. The fishing slowed down for the others, but picked up for me. I was using straight T-11 off my 6wt and was getting to the bottom of the fast runs which obviously paid off.

The white Crystal Bugger size 10 was a killer on the upper stretch, but did not do as well in the lower half. There it was better to use olive Bunny Leeches or bead headed burnt orange or olive Seal Buggers.

With the river full of trout and a chance at a few Stripers, I think this float is well worth taking. Also, on a Sunday, nobody else was on the river.

Tight lines. Roy Gunter

OWNER'S FISHING REPORT

During this last quarter, the number of fish caught seemed to be up, but the number of fish caught over 22" seemed less. The water temperature was fairly constant, between 54 and 57 degrees. The water became clearer, with visibility more than 10'. For streamer fishermen, I advise a 9' 8lb. fluorocarbon leader to a white flash bugger and then 3 feet or more of a 6lb. dropper off the eye of the first fly to a grey callibaetis size 10 or 12.

On May 30th and June 2nd, I hooked 18 rainbows (landed 9 and 13) in 4 hours each day from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on these flies, with all fish caught to the west of our property, with most fish caught 1,000 feet west of the Spanish Mediterranean house on both the south and north sides of the lake. I hate indicator fishing, but it was very productive for some of our guests.

Roy Gunter

GUIDED TRIPS BY
YOSEMITE SIERRA FLY FISHING

If you are looking to expand on your Goodwin Lake Trip for another day of fishing, consider a guided trip with Yosemite Sierra Fly Fishing. We are licensed guides and outfitters, and provide all of your fishing equipment including wading gear.

Our favorite waters to guide on are the Tuolumne Rivers located between the North Gate (Highway 120/Big Oak Flat Rd.) of Yosemite and Groveland. They offer some of the most beautiful and scenic locations to fish in the nation. It is wade fishing in relatively easy water for native rainbows, browns, and occasional brookies.

As of this writing in early June, flows on the South and Middle Fork of the Tuolumne are already in great shape for dry fly fishing, and the main stem of the Tuolumne (including Early Intake Access and Lumsden) should provide good fishing by July. Lumsden offers opportunities for larger rainbows and browns. Fishing is a little more technical there and one of the reasons the fish are usually larger.

We also offer hike-in day trips to high country lakes in Yosemite National Park, typically for brook trout. In the winter, we guide on tail water streams including the Tuolumne River below Lake Don Pedro, the Merced River, and the Stanislaus (just below Goodwin Lake).

We also provide guiding on Goodwin Lake!

For more information, please visit our website:
Yosemite Sierra Fly Fishing

Tom Knoth
Yosemite Sierra Fly Fishing
209-962-5838

ABOUT US

Owner Roy Gunter is an avid fly fisherman. He and his wife Daneen purchased the Goodwin Lake property in Sept. 2010, renovated the home and property, and started renting the vacation home in 2011.

Fishing on Goodwin Lake is:

-- Year-Round
-- Water 45 to 65 degrees
-- Private waters
-- Catch and release only
-- Barbless hooks only
-- No live bait
-- Best fished from a float tube

Public access to Goodwin Lake is through our Goodwin Lake Vacation Rental, a fully furnished 2-bedroom home. The use of an aluminum boat with trolling motor, kayak and canoe are included with the rental.

With advance notice, Roy Gunter is available to teach guests how to fish Goodwin Lake. This service is free of charge---he wants you to catch rainbows!

FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND AMENITIES ON GOODWIN LAKE VACATION RENTAL, PLEASE VISIT US AT:

HOMEAWAY.COM

Roy and Daneen Gunter, Owners

(831) 809-0316 Roy's cell

(831) 809-4155 Daneen's cell

(831) 484-2509 Home

(831) 648-8822 Office

IN THIS ISSUE

APRIL - JUNE 2012
FISHING REPORTS

PICTURES
(RT. CLICK ON PICTURE/CLICK ON "VIEW IMAGE")

GUIDED TRIPS BY
YOSEMITE SIERRA
FLY FISHING

USEFUL LINKS

ABOUT US