Chuck Furimsky and I fished with Steve Rudinski and Roy Gunter on Goodwin Lake the late afternoon of 2/28 and all day on 2/29, 2012. Roy owns and operates a vacation rental home on Goodwin Lake for trophy trout fishing. The evening of the 28^th was most pleasant and Chuck and I guided our Outcast kick boats up toward the dam of Lake Tulloch. We fished deep with type V sinking lines and a variety of leech imitations. Chuck had a few hits, but I caught only a few weeds down at the 10 to 15 foot deep level. As the evening waned, suddenly a few fish began rising along the deep-water edge of a weed bed. They were obviously feeding on the cream midges that had been emerging all afternoon. I’d left my floating line and box of dry flies at the house, but I had an intermediate line with me. Switching quickly to the “I” line, I knotted on a Peacock Snail and dropped it upstream of the first fish. I waited a few moments and then stripped the fly about a foot. The take was instantaneous and rather hard. It was a nice 14-inch rainbow. A few minutes later, and I had a 16-inch bow. And then came a nice surprise, a 15-inch smallmouth bass. It fought with the determination of a much larger fish. Darkness forced my back to the house, kicking along slowly under the half moon and brilliant stars. Back at the house, we met up with Steve and Roy. Steve had connected with a very fine, 24-inch rainbow, fishing deep with an orange Seal Bugger. We all re-lived his exploits with the big fish, and after a lovely evening meal, found our beds and dreams of an exciting tomorrow.

The morning dawned dark and cold, and the clouds raked darkly over the hills, emptying themselves of the torrents of rain they held. Chuck and his wife, Janet, and I went into Oakdale for breakfast and groceries, while Roy and Steve headed out onto the lake. Upon our return, Chuck and I bundled up toasty warm and waterproof and headed out, searching for the trout of Goodwin Lake. I fished a Peacock Snail and brown Seal Bugger in 10 to 13 feet of water on a 20-foot leader and floating line, and soon took an 18-inch rainbow. That was it for the rest of the day for me. In mid-afternoon I retired to the house to warm up a bit. Chuck, who had gone in for lunch, came out as I went in. He soon took four rainbows in the 14 to 16 inch range. Steve came in as I was preparing to go back out. He had again found a big fish on the orange Seal Bugger. His photos of the 27-inch fish showed its lovely crimson sides and broad tail. Upon my return to the lake, I fished an Orange Seal Bugger behind a dark olive sculpin imitation (complete with a Sculpin Helmet). Though I kicked a mile down the lake and back, working the fly slow, fast, and in between at depths from 10 to 20 feet, I only found the bottom, some willing weeds, and a couple of sticks. The sky had cleared, and the evening had turned cold. The fish were reluctant to feed. I returned to the weed beds at the upper end of the lake, but found no emerging midges or feeding fish. The kick back to the house was again a lovely affair under the half moon and bright stars.

Certainly there are big fish in Goodwin Lake, and certainly the adverse weather affected our fishing. In the warmer months of the season, it is obvious that the lake can provide some great days for the fly fisher.

Goodwin Lake, just east of Oakdale, California is a long narrow, and very deep trophy trout lake.

The very nice 24-inch rainbow that Steve took on 2/28.

The trout of Goodwin Lake are beautifully colored and in great physical shape.

It's very hard to take the "perfect photo" of a 27-inch rainbow lying in your lap, but I like this one. Nice, Steve.