Still having the Trout bug I fugured I’d hit my first High Lake. I almost stopped at this lake coming home from my Antilon trip in late April but was worried about the wind and lack of any planting of fish.

It was a nice change of pace, but it’s a haul getting there especially when you miss the turn to it and drive around asking people where it is. My directions were not the best.

Finally got there and was on the water about 7am, about an hour later than I wanted to be. With very little info on where and how to fish the lake, I brought flies, spoons and Flatfish hoping something would work.

Rod 1 was a fly rod with type 6 sinking line, but I started with a spoon on it targeting deeper fish. Rod 2 was a Spinning rod with Flatfish as the starter as I had good luck with these on Browns at Antilon.

Was told to hit the side opposite of the launch so I headed that way. Had two small hits on the fly rod, but nothing on the spinning rod. Made several changes on the spinning rod, like smaller FF, spoons and nothing. Switched the fly rod to an Olive Willy and nothing. Switched to a Black Hail Bop and as soon as I got my line out a fish sh was on....small, stocker Rainbow about 9”. Quick another one. OK, I found a good combo, so I put a fly on the spinning rod with a small split shot but only got a few bumps. Nothing for awhile on both rods so I made another change to try and target the top water risers. ( should have brought Dry flies) I put on a Rainbow Warrior Daredevle, long lined it because the water is very clear and right away I get a fish, then another, both small Rainbows.

I gave up on the fly rod and went to a shallow heavily stumped area just left of the launch and figured I would target all the risers that I was seeing over there but was afraid to fish there and get snagged up with my sinking line. I knew the super light spoon was just below the surface and I could work the shallow area trying for my Bows.

Worked through the area and into the next bay of the lake. Saw jumpers after flies in very shallow water so I tried my Trout Magnet/Bobber set up....just one nibble so I headed back to the launch as it was getting super hot.

Nailed a small bow on my way back near the stumps. Made a turn around and got another but figured that was enough. I was about 30 yards from the launch trolling thru a bunch of logs and was not watching my rod when it gets slammed...snag was my first thought because of the logs, but line peeling off and bouncing rod told me a nice fish as I grabbed the rod. It was a no doubt a bigger fish than the Bows I was catching earlier and I was hoping for a nice brown. With the clear water I see it was indeed a nice Brown. Now my heart starts to pump, because this is why I drove all the way up to Cooper. I quickly got it into the net after a few runs and measured it in the water at about 15.5”. Such a sweet looking fish and the biggest baddest Brown to date for me. I figured was under the logs looking to ambush some pray and my spoon was it. Released it after a quick few pics and was able to watch it swim away.

Some thoughts about my next trip to Copper...I will try Dry flies....a tuber said they work there in the morns. No sure how I can target the Browns since I have no finder, don’t fish with weight and they don’t seem to like FF. Maybe a deeper diving Crankbait. I will for sure bring a Intermediate Line and not the Type 6 and see what happens for more Rainbows.

All of my fish were to the left of the launch, though I put in plenty of time to the right. All were also some what near all the stumps that you will see sticking up or just under the water.

Pretty lake but would like to hit it next time on a week day...to my campers.

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