Paul Clouse, Evan Dyner, and Al Hurwitz trolled Lake Del Valle on August 7, 2025, looking for one of our favorite fish species, the Smallmouth Bass. It was a great day, catching 13 fish, including one very nice Bluegill and 12 Smallmouths (see attached photos). The fish were caught in various parts of the lake including Swallow Bay, the Narrows, and various sections of the western shoreline. We were trolling 1/4 oz feathered Joe’s Flies and 1/4 oz feathered RoxStars 16-21 feet below the surface with scent liberally applied. Trolling speed was around two mph. The water was very clear in the upper half of the lake with a surface temperature of around 74 degrees. A highlight of the outing was being joined by Evan Dyner, a 14-year-old very close family friend of Dr. Al’s visiting from Virginia. He not only joined Paul and Al’s usual fishing duo, but also landed the largest Smallmouth (1.7 pounds) and did a superb job of netting our fish. It was great having him along!

A beautiful day with a very successful outcome. As always, we appreciate the very professional assistance of the Del Valle staff, making our outings so enjoyable. Looking forward to an early return.

All the best,
Paul Clouse, Lafayette 
Evan Dyner, Charlottesville, Virginia 
Dr. Al Hurwitz, Saratoga