Lake Amador's cutbows carry a reputation for size, speed and tenacity. The author prepares to release a bright 4-pounder, while yet another cutbow swims in the water (below his hand). Photo courtesy of Don Vachini.

Within five minutes of stringing my fly rod, I saw four hefty trout cruising a mere 10 feet from shore. I flicked an offering at them. One leviathan aimed straight for my Woolly Bugger, snapped at it, then launched itself like a rocket for parts unknown when the sting of steel struck. A trio of rapid leaps within 15 seconds, and it was gone.

Remarkably, the other three fish seemed undisturbed, so I focused my attention back on them.

I was plying Lake Amador for its unique strain of cutbows on a crisp, late-winter morning. This water's reputation for feisty trout exceeding five pounds seemed remarkably accurate, and I was definitely craving more of this exotic fish!

Tucked in the Mother Lode foothills near Ione, Amador covers 425 surface acres, encompasses 13.5 miles of shoreline and sits at an elevation of 485 feet. Surrounded by oak and digger pine forest, it is quite simply one of the state's prime trout fisheries. "We grow our own trout at our own hatchery, and there is no harder fighting fish you'll find," explains Robert Lockhart, manager of the private Lake Amador Fish Hatchery.

About 10 tons of trout are planted annually, the majority of them running between two and five pounds apiece, with individuals ranging up to 12 pounds. Weekly plants total about 5,500 pounds of trout, and over the course of a season, nearly 70,000 pounds are released.

Amador has gained its reputation for producing giant Donaldson-strain cutbow salmonids. Lockhart says that more than 50 years of research went into producing this fish, which is 30 percent steelhead, 50 percent rainbow and 20 percent cutthroat. "Hard fighting and acrobatic, they are raised on site, are well acclimated to Amador's waters and possess qualities you'd expect from a holdover fish," he adds.

Since the Donaldson strain is basically a surface-dweller, anglers here need to use special techniques to adapt to this subspecies' mannerisms. Contrary to many lakes where deep water, thermocline variances and structure factor into an angler's success, Lockhart believes the key to fishing Amador is depth -- or, more accurately, the lack of it. "The cutbows are very active on top," he said. "It's their nature to hold within the top few feet of the surface, often at depths under a foot, especially if there's dim light or it's cloudy. They will typically cut V-wakes, tipping off their presence as they cruise along the shore or the middle of the lake."

While boaters, float-tubers and shore-bound anglers score consistent catches, one common factor to their success is a shallow presentation. "If you're not getting bit, you're probably too deep. You'll want to be no deeper than the upper three feet of water," Lockhart advises.

TIMELY OBSERVATIONS
It took me the better part of a season to figure out another cutbow tendency at Amador. While retrieving either hardware or flies, I would commonly receive jolting strikes but time after time would miss setting the hook. On one particularly clear, windless morning, I got to see what was happening. Most of the fish were striking short or being indecisive. They would slash at the lure or fly in from odd directions, or bump the offering with their head or body, then turn away. It was also evident that the trout weren't pursuing for long distances, but only reacting to the lure when it approached their space.

Things were starting to make sense. I adjusted my presentation to perform 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock casts accompanied by slow, herky-jerky, zigzag retrieves. The erratic retrieval has served not only to trigger more strikes, but increase landing rates as well.

SHOREBOUND SPIN TACTICS
Lockhart says that at Amador, shore anglers usually out-fish boaters. I believe it. My observations confirm that most trout cruise within 50 feet of the bank. Fittingly, it has been my preference to work the shoreline.