interviews

Interview: Jay Fair

By Scott Richmond

Jay Fair--the Sage of Eagle Lake--is one of the West's finest stillwater fly fishers. He talks to Westfly about finding trout in lakes, stealth, short strikes, and other lake fishing tips.

ay Fair is one of the West's finest stillwater fly fishers. He lived on California's Eagle Lake for many years, and some anglers refer to him as "The Sage of Eagle Lake." Jay recently moved to Portola, near Lake Davis, to be near his family. The family business, Eagle Fly Fishing, sells fly tying materials through fly shops and online.

Jay is 80 years old and still guides at Eagle Lake from mid-September through December. He graciously consented to talk to Westfly and share some of his stillwater wisdom.

Westfly: Jay, how did you get started fly fishing?

Jay Fair: I grew up in northern New Mexico and started fishing on the Rio Grande. It used to be one of the best rivers in the country--the San Juan was not a fishery at that time. By the time I was 11, I was "fly fishing crazy." I used to hitch a ride upriver on a logging truck, then I'd fish my way back home, about three or four miles.

What kind of tackle did you have back then?

I had a telescoping steel rod and an old fly reel that I got for 25 cents at the hardware store. I caught all kinds of fish on that rig.

When did you get started on lakes?

I fished the high lakes when I was a kid. In New Mexico, you'd be at 9,000 feet before you knew it. And it could be cold. I'd wade through ice every morning, and I didn't have boots or waders.

I moved to California in 1950 and now I've been fishing and guiding on Eagle Lake for many years.

Where do you look for trout in a lake?

Well, if you want to catch people, you go to a restaurant because everyone has to eat sooner or later. If it's a hot day, people go to a restaurant that has air conditioning. If it's a cold day, they go to one that's got heat. People go to where the food is and where it's comfortable. It's the same with fish.

Like people, fish don't eat all the time. But they always eat eventually. Of course, there's always the oddball--fish or person--that's always eating.

A lot of times, fish will start feeding slowly. Feeding reaches a crescendo, then suddenly stops.

When you're looking for a fish "restaurant," what are the clues that you're in the right place?

Here in Eagle Lake, the strain of rainbows is very tolerant of cold water. They'll feed when the water temperature is down to 34 degrees. When the water's warm, they head for deep water and are harder to catch. But early and late in the season the water's cold and they're close to shore, up in the tules.

Do you find fish in the same places time-after-time?

They keep coming back to the same restaurants. And they can be very territorial about the best places. I've watched trout in Montana's Mission Lake, where big 7-8 pound fish would swim back and forth in a favorite area. Little fish--3-4 pounders--would come near them, and it was like there was an electric fence. The little fish would get near the big fish's territory, then rush through it to the other side. They definitely stake out a territory and won't let other fish hang around in their turf.

I've taken three trout over ten pounds from the same patch of tules on Eagle Lake. There's five miles of tules out there, and 90% of the fish might come from just a few patches that are about 100 yards long, each.

What's special about those places?

Sometimes it's a snail bed that's nearby, or a moss bed that holds baby tui chubs; they feed on the chubs in this lake. Some places you can't figure out why the fish are there, but you know that you just keep catching fish in that spot.

Are there special things you look for in the tules?

I look for the old arroyos on the hillside above the lake. I'm looking for where they come into the lake because that makes a little trench. You can spot the arroyos easily in the spring. Just look for the greenest grass on the hillside. That's where the arroyos come in, where the deepest water will be. They make lanes in the tules, places where the tules can't grow.

Do you fish those lanes?

Partly. I also look for "bottlenecks," places where lanes come together. I position myself and cast to those places.

Also, trout don't care for sunlight. If it's sunny, I fish the shaded side of the tules--I keep my line in the shade.

Do you approach on foot?

Usually. I do 70% of my fishing from shore. The big fish don't mind shallow water. Sometimes I fish from my boat.

If you're approaching on foot, don't you have to be stealthy?

Very. I move slowly and shuffle my feet. When the fly hits the water, I let it sit for awhile. If I'm fishing with someone else, I never let there be two fly lines in the air at the same time. Fish can be very line shy.

You have to be stealthy in a boat, too. I don't think fish are very bothered by motor noise. It's movement that scares them. Once I was anchored in the boat and standing up, motionless. I could see a big trout coming down the lane right at me. It couldn't care less. Then I turned my head slightly to the side. The instant I turned my head, the fish changed direction. It caught the movement, you see. That was all it took--just a turn of my head. As long as I stood motionless, that fish was not afraid.

One thing I learned in New Mexico: if I wore a camouflage shirt, I caught 50% more trout.

Do you make long casts so you can stay farther away from the fish?

If you approach carefully, you don't have to make long casts. I catch 80% of my fish within 50 feet of where I'm standing. If I get on my knees, I can catch them within 30 feet.

How selective are trout in a lake?

In a big lake with big fish, like Eagle Lake, trout are only interested in getting full. They eat a bit of everything. In a small lake with small fish, trout tend to be more selective.

Many stillwater fly fishers complain about "short strikes," where they feel a take but don't get a hook up. How can they avoid that problem?

I've been guiding almost 30 years and I've watched a lot of trout come up on a fly. I've never seen a short strike. I've seen a lot of late strikes by anglers, though. I think 50% of strikes are completely missed by anglers--a trout takes their fly and they never know it happened.

Usually I cast 15-20 feet past a feeding spot, then bring the fly into to the lane. I keep a perfectly tight line--rod tip on the water, no belly. And I watch the fly like a hawk.

What kind of line do you use?

I use a floating line 90% of the time. That's just a preference; I love to see the take. The thing you have to remember is that a fish can easily see something that's above them; it's backlit and easy to spot. But they have a harder time seeing something that's below them.

I often use a very slow retrieve. It's deadly on lakes.

You and Denny Rickards fish together, don't you? [See Interview: Denny Rickards on Stillwater Fly Fishing]

We guided Klamath Lake and in Montana. Denny and I fish completely differently, but we both catch lots of big trout. So there you are!

What kind of fly patterns and materials do you favor for lake fishing?

I like flies that look the same all the way around. I mix Veinard dies to get the colors I want and dye my own feathers. Rust is a good color for a lot of lake fishing. I've been dying my own feathers for 50 years.

I prefer Marabou feathers that are long. It's hard to get good, long feathers any more. They grow turkeys too fast now, and the feathers don't get long enough.

Where can fly tyers find your materials?

Many shops carry them, and they can order online through my website, www.eagleflyfishing.com.

Jay, thanks for sharing your thoughts with Westfly!

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 07/07/2003.

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Jay Fair with an Eagle Lake rainbow

You find trout the same way you find people: look for a place they can eat and be comfortable.

Jay has often fished with another stillwater guru, Denny Rickards; see the Westfly interview with Denny