Fish Lake 3/11 - 3/12

[Robster10]

Sorry this is a late report. Spring Break for the kids is pretty hectic. Took the kids up for a half day on Saturday and a full day on Monday. Weather was warm (32) and the slush ranged from 3 to 10 inches. Ice was 2 - 2.5 feet in most areas made up of clear ice at the bottom and layers of cloudy ice and snow/slush at the top. Glad I brought my auger extension. 
Started in 23 FOW right out from the marina with white Cut'R Bugs and white tubes and started marking fish and getting nibbles right away. Bite was very light and we had to play close attention or miss it. Tipped with meal worms and waxies. Caught several 15 - 17" splake and rainbow the first day and one 18" rainbow. Fish were right on the bottom with an occasional marking at 13-18'. The fish this day were larger than the usual we see at this lake.
Rainbow:


Second day was good as well with a slower bite. tried some other stuff and got hits on white mariboo jigs, orange kastmasters and various orange and white ice flies. 
In the laundry sink:


The 18" rainbow I was holding turned out to be a female with eggs so brined up a little caviar:


Did a wet brine on some of them (just salt, brown sugar, soy, pepper) and froze the rest.
Here they are drying before the smoke (alder + little cherry):


Nice trip. The warm weather brought the slush but it was nice not to have to take the heater. I never fished Fish Lake this late but will try again next year. 
Regards, Rob

[wiperhunter2]

Looks like a good trip. How does rainbow caviar taste, can't say I've ever heard of that?

[Robster10]

Looks like a good trip. How does rainbow caviar taste, can't say I've ever heard of that?

It has a good taste when separated out and brined for about 10 minutes. I caught a 22" splake from there some years ago and the eggs were fully formed and very good. I would compare that to any salmon egg caviar you can buy. My wife made her Moldovan fish head soup as well. The only thing we wasted was the guts, eyes and gills.