Fisherman's Luck

I'm going to be gone for a week starting Saturday, so I stopped off at the lake for one more time before I go.

The fish were up and busy on a hatch.

There were good numbers of caddis fluttering everywhere, and the fish were coming out of the water to make sure nothing escaped.

I tied on a deer hair caddis. It was too big, and the hair was white, not natural, which would have been better at matching the hatch. But so far fisherman's luck has been with me, and every fly I've tried has caught fish, so I wanted to see if I could keep it going. This one worked, too, especially with a fast, jerky "caddis retrieve." Those fish were taking no prisoners.

A pair of Loons are back. An Osprey has been patrolling the lake. On Thursday I was up near the lake and saw Sandhills way up high, but I saw none on this trip. They'll be here. Toward evening, swallows came swooping over the water.

This Great Blue Heron kept coming back to this perch.

One Red-necked Grebe is back, waiting for its mate. Once he (or she--they look alike) gets here, they'll be inseparable. This one is mostly quiet, but when they're together they're constantly communicating with each other in a high, braying call.

That green haze is visible in the woods now, with newborn leaves everywhere.

I've been looking for deer, having seen them come down to this shoreline to water. On this trip a pair of Bighorn Sheep, a ram and a ewe, came clattering and crashing down the mountain. The wind was behind me, so they knew right away I was there, and headed back up the mountain again. But I got this shot of the ram. If you look closely to the left of center right above the left diagonal tree trunk you can make out his hindquarters--tan, the same color as the tree trunk--and his horns, to the right of the hindquarters. He kept both eyes on me before finally retreating.

The trout kept taking that caddis.

Imagine my surprise when this Bluegill did, too. I almost forgot how aggressive these fish are on the surface.

As the sun slanted down toward its setting, the fish went nuts. Big pods cruised back and forth along the drop off slamming anything that moved. I lost about three fish in a row before checking the fly and discovering that it was bent open. It had gotten a lot of use. A quick fix and I was back in business.

They were still going strong when I left about a half hour before dark. It was hard to leave, but I had things to do to get ready for the trip.

I'm heading east to be with my daughter Laura for the birth of her first baby, our first granddaughter. At least I hope I'll be there for the birth. The baby was due on Friday, even as I reeled in those trout, but she didn't show. Sometimes first pregnancies go long, and Laura is hoping not to induce. So we'll see.

I'm hoping my fisherman's luck will hold, and I won't get skunked on this trip, either.