Lake Report: Extended Play

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I went out again on Tuesday. I figured I'd earned some extended play. Tuesday morning I tied up a few trolling flies to try out. Tuesday afternoon I took my time and got to the lake a little later than the day before. I figured on a straight four hours, no break this time. Just long enough to fish the entire water column before dark--and before my feet were numb.

It was windy again, this time blowing from the northeast instead of the southwest, so it had the whole long length of the lake to sweep across with nothing to obstruct it before hitting my end. Made it a whole new game.

I started trolling with this new little emugger.

It worked.

So I tied on this beaded emugger.

It worked too. I was feeling on my game.

So I went to a more traditional bugger. I guess.

Tilt. No takers. OK. I switched to a black beadhead micro leech. Nothing on that either.

OK. I went back to my first orange-nosed emugger. Worked again.

I tied on a nymph under an indicator and rested my legs awhile. And yes, Laura, "indicator" is our fancy pants code for "bobber."

I enjoyed the break, but didn't catch anything on a long series of different nymphs and depths. Meanwhile I watched this red necked grebe and worried about him. I think this is the male. Last Spring he had a mate, and they were constantly together and squonking loudly to each other when apart. So far this year he has been alone. Hope there's no tragic tale here. Maybe she was just delayed down south.

By then the wind was backing off a little bit--in fits--and midges were swarming off the water.

And the trout began to rise. I started with a little fly, but then couldn't resist and tied on the dark stimulator. It's a #12, I think. I had a ball with it, and it was like that silver ball in a pinball game: One fish would hit it and miss, and knock it over to where another fish would hit it and miss, then the same fish would hit it and hit it again.

I played until the wind started picking up again, this time with a bitter northern edge to it, and then started paddling into shore. I drifted the stimulator behind me and gave it a twitch now and then. Just as my flippers touched bottom this guy slammed the fly at the right angle and hooked himself.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding! Extended play...