No kidding about the float tubes, I love it, mine has backpack straps and straps on the side to strap in my rod and anything else and i clip my fins on so it's hands free walking in.
Most of the lakes out there, I've found this time of year and onwards (until september's backswimmer hatch
) you are either going to have to be trolling leeches or buggers or other small streamers as you mentioned (ds's). If this doesn't work, my next approach is the catatonic method, sitting still and twitching now and then. This usually works in lakes that have leeches. (We KILLED grayling with this tactic yesterday).
Then if that doesn't work I rig up a catatonic leech about 10 feet down, then 1 chironomid 4 feet off bottom and 1 chironomid 1.5 feet off bottom. This always works if nothing else does.
Yellowhead is a good lake to fish, brookies are pretty similar to rainbows but it is still something different.
I used to fish Beaver a fair bit but now it is just too crowded. I've found some better lakes with more bigger fish in them anyways.