The central sierra foothills are home to some of the finest still water fisheries in the state.
From huge reservoirs like Don Pedro, to smaller ones like New Hogan, they offer
flyfishermen a wide variety of angling opportunities. Lake Amador, one of the smaller
and less recognized of these fisheries, probably produces more fish per square water inch
than any other. It is out of the way for most, and isn't  the most beautiful central sierra
reservoir. However, what it lacks in ascetics, it makes up for in fish. To those who now
fish it, stories of huge largemouth bass, and hard pulling rainbows are commonly told. I
have had many trips to Amadors banks, but the one trip that sticks out in my mind was
taken last season.

 After nearly getting a speeding ticket, on our way there, my partner 
Tim and I, were eager to get our boat in the water. As we set off , the lakes slogan, "where the lunkers
lurk" was running through my mind. The surface of the water was with out movement
except for a large boil in the distance. As we approached the frantic school of threadfin
shad that was causing this disturbance, I knew our first hook up was only moments away.
The engine had no sooner turned off, when I was surprised by the flash of a white
bucktail streamer, whizzing past my face, from the back of the boat. The fly landed
among frantic bait fish. It needed to be stripped only once, before one of the hungry
rainbows that was feeding upon the school, came charging at  Tim's streamer. This type
of action continued at different points of the lake until  late morning. It was then time to 
put our trout rods away, and go in search of the lunker bass, Amador's slogan boasts. We
slowly came upon one of the lakes many lush, weed filled bays. I cast out at a small area
of exposed gravel, along side a downed tree . It was in this same spot, that we had missed
one of the those large ill tempered fish, protecting her bed, the day before. As I retrieved
my fly, through the tangled maze of the trees limbs, there was an explosion from the
gravel bed. I had my opportunity for redemption; that same huge large mouth came
charging right for it . After a good rod bending battle, I had boated the first, of many
Florida strain bass we would land that afternoon.

We had made many trips to lake Amador in years past. Though not all of them were as
productive as that magical week late last May, each trip held an experience that was
filled with good fishing, and great fun.

Building A Fishery

Lake Amadors dam was constructed in the latter part of 1968. Shortly after it was stocked
by the Department of Fish and Game, with numorous speices of gamefish, and many
strains of bait fish. Today, due to extremely high water temperatures during the summer, 
Florida strain bass, crappie, bluegill, red ear sunfish, and catfish are the most prolific,
natural reproducing fish in the lake.

 The most interesting and heavily stocked fish species, in Lake Amador, is their unique
strain of trout. They were created by a Swiss scientist named  Mike Donaldson.  He
successfully cross bred a native fall river rainbow, with an Alaskan cutthroat trout. This
strain of fish has proven to be the hardest fighting, non native trout, I have ever had the
great fortune of  hooking. The rainbows must constantly be replenished: not only because
fishing pressure, but also because of the extremely warm water conditions they must
endure during the summer. The lucky few that will make it through to their  spawning
cycle, will be those that seek refuge, in the deep creek channels, that feed the lake.
The owners of lake Amador have promised that it will be the most heavily stocked trout
fishery in California. With their own private fish hatchery located only three hundred
yards from the lake,  they stock over 5000 pounds of aggressive, non drugged, trout every
week. Their stocking cycle begins in late October, and continues through mid May. Last
year they privately stocked 125,000 pounds of trout, in addition to the 5000 pounds ,
DFG is required to give the lake every year. The hatchery itself  is maintained, and
operated very well. They make sure there is an ample supply, of running wate, that is
clean and cold enough for the trout to thrive.     
    
The main forage fish at Amador is an overwhelming supply of threadfin shad. With this
vast supply of  highly nutritious feed, it doesn't take long for the lakes fish to get big. The
lake record bass is a staggering 17lbs 1/4 ounce which held as a Northern California
record, for three years.  The lake record trout was not far behind, topping the scales at 16
pounds 8 ounces; and the biggest crapie ever boated, was an impressive 4 pounds, 2
ounces. The department of fish and game. After doing many surveys of Amadors Florida
strain bass, predicts that the next world record fish could very well come from it's banks. 

Trout Fishing

Lake Amador, in my opinion, hosts one of the finest stocked, public access trout fisheries
in the state. I am not a big fan of fishing populated reservoirs for trout, but this is one that
I visit on a regular basis. The strength of it's trout, and the relative ease in which they
seem to be  hooked, will make visiting anglers a big fan of Amador too. The average
trout stocked is between one and a half  to three pounds. "This has to be", according to
Lori Lockheart. daughter of the owners, and operator of the " Tackle Box Cafe"  at the
marina, who says simply, "If any smaller fish are stocked, they become a meal for the
large mouth bass".  The staggering number of fish that are stocked every year, coupled
with their aggressiveness and size, assures fly anglers a quality fishing experience every
time out. Lake Amador is also a wonderful place, to introduce the next generation of
fishermen, to fly-fishing. The consistency of trout caught, gives the beginning angler a
wonderful oppertunity, to hook into their first trout on the fly.

  Trout fishing is very good, from the first part of November, until summer-like wheather,
begins to rear its head in May and June. Mid-winter is my favorite time to trout fish the
lake. You will find it to be a touch cold, but  will have some of your most productive
days, when the sky is black, and rain is falling. I believe the reason, for improved fishing
in the rain, comes from the trout's life in the hatchery. The fish are fed hourly, on
automatic feeders. These devices  fling hundreds of  tiny pellets, which send the trout
into a feeding frenzy. The sound of rain hitting the water mimics that sound, and the trout
seem to be attracted to it.

I prefer to fish a nine foot six, to seven weight rod, with a very fast action. The wind is
always a factor at Amador, and you will want to fish a rod that has enough backbone to
punch your fly through it. Full sink lines that have a medium sink rate are what you will
need  most of the time, when trout fishing. You should also have another rod strung up
with a floating line, for those magical moments, when shad are boiling the surface. The
fly you are presenting to Amadors trout really doesn't seem to matter. Every angler you
will talk to has their sure fire patterns, and they usually all do very well.  I find woolly
buggers, zonkers, and leech patterns, in sizes 10-6 will work for blind casting, to mid-
depth fish. When the fish are feeding on shad, small Clouser minnows, Burk's hot flash
shad, and various like deceiver patterns, will "match the hatch" well. Stripping those
patterns short and fast, so that it gives the impression of  injured prey , should be enough
to entice a nice bow into taking you for a ride. The section of the lake around the main
marina produces probably the largest numbers of fish. If hooking into a "real pig" is your
plan, try  searching for them, in the inlets to the lake. 

 Boats, equipped with fish finders are extremely useful, when fishing Amador. The
mobility a boat will give you, will allow more diverse water to be fished, quickly and
effectively. The fish finder should never be relied upon to locate fish, but to detail creek
beds, drop offs, and other isolated structure, that big trout and bass will hold around.
Float tubes are used most, by the handful of fly anglers, that fish the lake now. Because
of the roads cut through the banks of the lake for camp sites: access is actually very good
to most points of the lake.

Bass Fishing

 Bass fishing, is the main reason I have made so many excursions to lake Amador. It was
the first place I hooked a  big bass on a fly, and that first fish is what got me hooked on 
"fly rodding", for bass. Since then, I have traveled all over, in search of these voracious
predator fish, and have fished some of the most famous bass lakes in America. Wherever
my travels have taken me, I have always returned, to fish Amador on a  regular basis.
With its miles of gradual rocky points, and hundreds of shallow, weeded coves, it seems
almost custom tailored for fly rod fishing. I have spent many years fishing and diving, 
for Amadors bass. Observing them, in their underwater world , gives one much insight
into their feeding habits. This is the world we are trying to mimic, and the techniques I
have developed to do so, come from both fishing and diving experience. Somewhat
Unusual practices, like fishing right behind a spin fisherman, can produce amazing
results. Now, this may irritate the hell out of the folks your fishing behind, but there is a
very simple reason why it works so well. When fish are  being constantly pressured, by
the means spin fisherman use to catch them, (noisy spinnerbaits, plunking jigs etc..) they
can become wise to their techniques. The fish are aroused by the spin fishermen's bait,
but the memory (no matter how primitive it may be) of  a hook following that type of
presentation, can send them back into cover. Following in behind them with a quiet,
accurate presentation, can catch you more fish, than if you were trying to stir them up on
your own. 
 
Fishing The Spawn

 Lake Amador's Florida Strain Bass like very warm water for spawning.  You should
begin looking for them around the middle or end of may, to the first of June. The water
temp. has to be, in the mid to upper sixties, before the fish really turn on. This makes the
spawn start later, but last much longer, than most lakes you will fish in California. There
will be many years where you will find "spawners" into the end of July. 
 When the warmth of the water wakes them from their near hibernating winter state, the
bass will be ready to feed on any thing that crosses their path. Begin looking for them on
the points, adjacent to coves, with a high gravel content. I Work these gradual sloping
points first using, a  Smiths Crayfish,  on a nine foot eight to nine weight rod, with an
intermediate, or full sink line. They will be looking for meals that are high in nutrition,
and crayfish serve that purpose well. This also helps the bass rid a potential threat, to
their soon to be born, young. While working these points,  always look to the back of the
coves for fresh swept gravel, that would indicate an early spawning fish. You will always
want to  have another rod set up, with floating line and a fly, like my irresistible sun fish
pattern, on to work spawning fish. Because these beds are usually situated on a patch of
exposed gravel in the middle of a weed bed, a good presentation can  often be difficult to
make. The irresistible sun fish is the most weedless pattern I have ever fished, and that is
very important when fishing to shallow spawning fish. Blue gill readily prey upon the
young fry. Large females will aggressively strike out at anything that intrudes upon her
bed.

 Amadors early spawners will typically be older and larger fish. They have already had a
few years under their belt, and know to get in and out, before the main competition for
spawning ground begins. Unfortunately, these are also the fish that have seen a lot of
fisherman, trying to hook them. There have been many times, when I have fished one
cast to a bedded bass, for up to an hour. This may seem like a waste of time to some, but
the rewards of your  patirnce can be grand. I have the un-official lake record on a fly. A
thirteen pound three ounce fish, that was caught after twenty minutes of  irresistible
sunfish on its bed. The technique is simple, when you find a bedded fish, watch her until
she turns herself away from you on the bed. This assures your fly can be quickly thrown
onto the bed, with out spooking her. Watch your fly, and not the fish!  The bass, will try
and slowly nudge the fly off  her bed, without actually taking it. Don't ever move the fly
when the fish is looking at it. Natural bait fish tend to freeze, like a deer in your head
lights, when a big fish is stalking them. Wait until the fish turns away, move it very
slightly, to get her attention once again. Sooner or later, instinct will overcome her fear
and she will take the fly;  if for no other reason, out of sure annoyance. This type of
presentation tends to be nerve racking at best, and most fisherman just don't have the
patience for it. I can tell you, there are only a few things in fishing, that are more
rewarding, than a huge bass on the end of your line, after a battle of wits, such as this.
When the majority of the fish begin spawn, they will become much more aggressive, and
this type of presentation won't be necessary. 

 Post Spawn 
  
After the spawn, Amadors bass will be ready to gorge themselves once again, and thread
fin shad will be the entree of choice. I can not express to fly fisherman enough, to fish the
most weedless patterns they can. Bass live in weeds, rocks, under trees, in tulles, and
every other impossible place to present to. Non weedless flies will only produce snags
and irritation, instead of fish. Amadors Biggest Bass live in these places, and if you want
to catch them, you must get in there to them. I work these areas with a pattern I call a
silver streak shad. Make sure you throw this weedless pattern, in all of the areas listed
above, and great action will follow.

 As you are learning the techniques, to consistently hook Amadors bass, always be ready
to cast into a little deeper water. The  bass will  work together, like hump back whales, to
school up bait fish. Your warning to this occurring, will be the sound of hundreds of bait
fish franticly trying to escape a school of hungry bass. Crayfish and blue gill patterns are
still productive and should be fished on the points and in the coves, in the manner
suggested above.  Patterns to mimic prey such as water snakes, eels, and birds, I find, are
better left in the boxes at your flyshop. Not to say these patterns wont work,  they just
don't mimic food that bass eat very often. I find bait fish to be far more abundant than the
occasional snake, and you should be trying to key in on their main food source    
 
Fall & Early Winter

During the late fall, the bass will begin to move out of the coves to the points of the lake.
As the water begins to cool, a sense of urgency begins with them. They must  feed
voraciously, to put on enough weight to last them through the long, cold winter. Lake
Amador usually will have an Indian summer, weather wise. This time of year can have
days in the high eighties, and will be very productive, for the first few weeks, after the
end of the Sierra trout season closes.  Fishing Amador, during this time, can very well
produce a fish of a lifetime.  The bait fish have now had a chance to grow very big over
the summer, and the flies I have listed above should be tied in larger sizes to match.
During  winter the bass will be very sluggish. Concentrate on water with a depth of
twenty to thirty feet. Use a eight or nine weight rod, with a heavy lead core, or shooting
line. Crayfish, leech, and big blue gill patterns, fished slow, will be the flies of choice.
Winter bass fly rodding can be very slow and you may only have a handful of strikes a
day, but they will usually be your bigger fish. If you look, when top ten world record bass
have been caught, you will see that it is between January and March. Big fish are really
the only ones that have the stamina to feed in cold conditions. They stay in their
particular dwelling, feeding on big meals and protecting their territory. Even though they
will be in a some what "lazy" state, they will still strike out at a big fly that they feel may
be a threat to that territory.

Lake Amador isn't the most beautiful place I have ever fished, nor do I go away having
caught a trophy every time, but in every case, it yeilds an willing fish and fun for all.
Whether you are fishing for bass or trout, there just always seems to be good action going
on . What more could you possibly ask for???   

 
If You Go. 

Lake Amador is approx.. one and a half hours from the San Francisco Bay and
Sacramento areas. It is located off of Jackson Valley Road in the town of Ione. They have
a newly remodeled marina and have added the "Tackle Box Cafe" to there operation.
They make wonderful "all-American style "breakfast and lunch, Sunday through
Thursday, and offer dinner to that menu Friday and Saturday. The cost for fishing is
$4.00 a person, with an additional $6.00 added to launch a boat, and $3.00 for a float
tube. If you don't have a boat they can be rented from the marina for $60.00 for a full day
and $40.00 for a half day. They have one hundred camp sites, with an additional seventy
three sites with full hook ups, to be reserved from February  through Labor day. The price
per car to camp is $18.00 for tent camping and $23.00 for camp sites with full hook ups.
Reservations can be made by calling (209) 274-4739, or via E~mail at
fishdoc@volcano.net.