I have never really enjoyed lake fishing because I love river fly fishing. Dry fly mostly.



Im curious if any of you have done much cast and strip with sinking lines for trout in the lakes and what flys you had success with.  I have a bunch of dolly llamas from my trip to alaska that might work well to resemble bait fish or leeches and was thinking about wading out to a lake that is near my cabin. I should be able to reach out about 20 feet over a shelf there for about a 100 yard stretch and strip flys over it.  Have had a lot of luck droping worms over it but it's boring to fish like that to me.



Any tips would be appreciated.

Can you see cruising fish? If so may favorite way to fish them is the jumping nymph technique. It is a blast! If you are blind casting stripping a wooly bugger or a small marabou leach can be very effective. As you will find, stripping a leach is kind of fun because you get to feel the bite. The tug is the drug!

Another very effective lake technique is dangling midge pupa under a small strike indicator. More like dry fly fishing than streamer fishing.

I have not fished lake trout, but have fished regular trout, bass, and  other species in lakes.

My favorite lake fly is a Stayner Ducktail.  Or a blonde Stayner, depending on water color.  Great minnow imitator.  I've also had good luck with Lefty''s Deceivers, woolly buggers of various kinds, and Canadian Leeches of various colors.  

Sink tip lines cast really far...

Working that shelf sounds like a good idea.  

If you do see rising fish, and don't see a hatch, try terrestrials.  I've done real well with ants and beetles in lakes, near shore.