ROCHE LAKE

Nestled above Kamloops farming country are the rolling hills with a balanced mix of Douglas Fir, Spruce and Pines which provide a scenic backdrop to Roche Lake Resort. Home to a wide variety of birds and wildlife Roche Lake Park offers a wide range of opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts and for visiting fishermen Roche is home to the fierce fighting and well revered Pennask Kamloops Trout. This strain of trout is widely sought after due to their strong fighting ability, acrobatic leaps and long runs as they attempt to elude the fisherman at the other end of the line. John Kent, avid flyfisher and manager of Roche Lake Resort explains that the lake’s structure provides outstanding fish habitat. The marl bottom and extensive weedbeds provide a vast habitat for the many varieties of terrestrial insects that inhabit them that includes chironomids, mayflies, damselflies, scuds, leeches, sedges, dragonflies and waterboatmen providing a plethora of food for the voracious feeding Pennask’s. The best times of the year to fish Roche are early and late season, Kent advises, but in the heat of summer the big bugs come out to play. The sedge hatches of July have a long history at Roche and combine that with summer dragonfly emergences the fish tend to go on a feeding frenzy during the hottest months of the season. In the evenings the trout can be found chasing Gammarus shrimp around the weedbeds while waiting for the sedges to start emerging at dusk. Although an excellent homebase Roche is not the only option for the visiting angler. There are several lakes within 10 km of the resort that offer quality fishing opportunities and provide homes for both rainbows and Eastern Brook Trout. Roche Lake Resort offers a variety of accommodations ranging from the ever popular luxury chalets to lakeshore campsites (no hookups) to a brand new for 2019 affordable option, the Bayview Cabins, a small and intimate setting perfectly suited for 2-3 people and offered at a reasonable price. One of the main summer attractions to Roche is the large commercial sized swimming pool which can offer a cool alternative to the heat of Thompson Nicola summers. The newest change for 2019 is the unfortunate closing of Roche Lake Restaurant but the lounge will still be in operation with a small menu of appetizers which is a popular location during hockey playoff season of May and June. There is a store on site that offers all visitors a chance to purchase ice, firewood, groceries, fishing tackle (both fly and terminal), snacks, soft drinks and most importantly, soft ice cream! The resort has a private boat launch along with boat and kayak rentals. The area is extremely busy during prime fishing season and you may find the resort full and without vacancy in which case there are two provincial campgrounds on the lake. The North is located on the northeast shore and on the west side of the lake accessed by a rather rough road is the West Campgrounds. LAKE ACCESS Roche Lake Resort is located on the eastern shores of the lake and getting there is uncomplicated. Travel south from Kamloops along Hwy. 5A for 20 km and once past the south tip of Shumway Lake you will see the provincial blue signs directing you to Roche Lake. Turn east at the north end of Trapp Lake and following the road 12 km to the resort. The road deadends at the lodge so you can’t go wrong! Roche Lake Resort can be contacted at (250) 828-2007 or through their website at www.rochelake.com

This #16 green chironomid under a strike indicator was one of my solutions...

Pennask Rainbow Trout: Hard Fighting and Acrobatic

Roche Lake Resort has a great reputation for Pennask Rainbow Trout, "commonly known as Kamloops Rainbow Trout. The strong nutrient base in Roche Lake produces a high quality trout.... They are large, hard fighting and acrobatic." The resort reports that yesterday on Roche Lake, the temperature was 18C and "a couple of 1- and 2-pound trout have been pulled in." http://www.rochelake.com/

Sunshine and Rainbows

Try some sunshine with your rainbows because the weather looks great. Roche Lake Resort forecasts "current temps sitting at +26C and sunny." http://www.rochelake.com/

East Side Launch

Cooling improves fishing

From the Facebook page of Roche Lake Resort (www.rochelake.com) on Aug. 14: Current temp at Roche Lake Resort is +17 with overcast. Fishing Report: Fish from 1.5 lb. to 2.9 lb. have been caught in the past few days. Cooler temps are brining the fish out of hiding. Rainbow trout in the order of 3 to 5.5 lbs. have been reported in recent weeks. For regular updates: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roche-Lake-Resort/269443113080590

Nice catches at Roche Lake

From a July 25 posting on the Flyguys.net Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/flyguys.net: "Roche Lake Resort, Current Temp +14. Fishing Report: 3- to 5.5-lb. fish have been pulled out in the last three days."

Building a festival

This Saturday's fly fishing championship at Roche Lake is more that a competition, says Matt Jennings, executive director of the B.C. Fishing Resorts and Outfitters Association. Jennings said the long-term goal is to develop a festival-style fly-fishing event that attracts anglers of all skill levels. About 40 anglers in 20 teams are expected to hit the water in the catch-release-record event, hoping to catch the biggest fish in a quest for prizes. Aside from the fun, it's all about boosting participation in the sport. Proceeds from the event support the BCFROA's fishing enhancement fund in support of high school angling courses. “I definitely want to get a bigger mix (of anglers of all skill levels) in there, and we see a long-term goal of less competition and more of a fishing festival,” Jennings said. “We want it open to everyone. To celebrate the sport and get people out fishing is our main goal.”

All you need to know

B.C. Fishing Resorts and Outfitters Association is excited to be hosting two catch and release fly fishing championship events this comings season. Here's all you need to know to join in the challenge. Each event will be a fundraiser for our BCFROA Fishing Enhancement Fund that’s goal is to promote and fund projects that enhance freshwater fishing opportunities and education in communities throughout BC. Please see the following event details. Spring Event at Roche Lake Date: Saturday May 24th, 2014 Location: Roche Lake Resort near Kamloops, BC Event Staging Venue: Roche Lake Resort (Lunch and Dinner) Type of Competition: Anchored Lake Competition Number of Competitors: 72 persons max (36 two person teams) Number of Sessions: 2 (Saturday 9am-12pm, and 1:30pm-4:30pm) Price Per Team: $150 per team ($75 per person), Fishing Discount Club Members Price ($65) Meals Provided: 1 Lunch and 1 Dinner To reserve accommodations at Roche Lake Resort please contact the resort Phone: 250-828-2007 Email: [email protected] Official Team List for Roche Lake Event (updated May 2nd) 1) Team Brian Chan and Lloyd Horwood 2) Team Brent Davy and John Barone 3) Team Jeffery Mcconnell 4) Team Gimpy – Jason Ladyman and Mike Ohata 5) Team – Malcolm Ruddick & Ted MacDonald 6) Team – James Bayly 7) Team – Allan De Leeuw and Marty Lindhout 8) Team – Steve Jennings 9) Team- Geoff LeClair and Darryl Fischer 10) Team – Gord Dykstra and John Wilkinson 11) Team – Vance Whitley and Kevin Cucheron 12) Team Cormorant – Todd Oishi and Chris Puchniak 13) Team – Waren Ketler 14) Team – Jeff Laszynski 15) Team – Rick Stahl and Ian Cameron 16) Team- Dennis and Christy Chong 17) Team – Tony Moore Spring Event Prize List - 1036 G3 Jon Boat from River City Marine - 2 Night Accommodation Package from Roche Lake Resort - 2 Sage Rods, 2 Ross Evolution LT Reels, 2 Rio Grand Fly Lines and Backing from Wholesale Sports - 2 Delorme iReach SE Satellite Communicators from Roadpost Satcom - Fly Fishing Vest from Surplus Herbys More prizes will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event. Event Rules 1) Single barbless flies only 2) Catch and release 3) Two Fly Anglers per Boat 4) All fishing done from anchored boats 5) Required fish species: rainbow trout (minimum length 30cm) 6) Catch Record Release format. Anglers will take a digital photo of fish on the official event ruler. Full details will be included in the event package. 7) Personal floatation device and fishing license required 8) Competitors are responsible for providing their own boats To register your team for this event please contact: [email protected] or simply click the registration/pay online link below.

Roche hit by winter kill

Despite its worst winter fish kill in 40 years, popular Roche Lake still has plenty of fish for the season, reports Roche Lake Resort (rochelake.com) on the website bigfishsmallhook.com. A regional biologist surveyed the lake on April 23 and found that the kill was isolated to the southwest corner of the lake. Due to spring turnover, he could not conduct a thorough assessment. He suspects the cause of the kill is the combined result of the mountain pine beetle kill/harvesting in the surrounding area and the higher than normal inflow rates over the last three years. This would be closely associated with the significantly more intense algae blooms that have been seen on the lake over the last couple of years. When these suspended algae die and decompose through the winter months, the utilization of oxygen is high enough to reduce the dissolved oxygen rates below levels that support trout. This was also an extremely hard winter with early ice on and high early snow packs. We did not experience the typical warming condition mid-winter that reduce the snow packs and increase aquatic photosynthesis. While it was a tough winter for all the lakes in this region, Roche Lake is annually stocked with up to 25,000 fish and there are still plenty of fish left.

Championship Competition

The BC Fishing Resorts and Outfitters Association is excited to be hosting two fly fishing championship events this comings season. The first one is based out of Roche Lake, held May 24, 2014. Click here for more details. http://wheretofishinbc.com/bcfroa-fly-fishing-championships/