Baseball Report: Happy Birthday, Jeremiah!

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Yesterday was Jeremiah's 12th birthday, and he celebrated by helping his team to a victory on the diamond.
His hitting is improving nicely.





And he's pitching, too. He closed out the game for the win.





Isaiah has also started baseball, in the Babe Ruth league. The field is full-size and the pitching is fast, but he's off to a good start. While we were watching Jeremiah's game, Isaiah hit two triples in his game, helping his own team to their first victory of the young season.
So when I'm not fishing, I'm probably at a baseball game.

Sunday Fishing Report: Right Side Up

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Things were upside down at the lake last evening. When I got there around 5:00 the lake was calm and fish were rising. When I left at dark the wind was blowing, the fish were down, and a storm was bearing down from the south.

I went in at the south end when I saw the calm conditions. It's the first place I come to when I drive in, and I was eager to get on the water.

It was warm, beautiful, and peaceful.

The water level was way up, so the lake was full of shoreline debris: leaves, grass mats, willow catkins, sticks and twigs, and even large branches.
It was also full of trout. They were busy--mostly little guys, but now and then I'd hear a nice heavy splash. I worked nymphs and soft hackles under an indicator at first, trying to keep the fly out of the debris. I caught this one on a soft hackle.
I decided to risk something on the surface, so tied on an emerger. I caught a second little fish. He came up with a very nice porpoising rise. That made me decide to try a little dry. Most of the fish were rising out in the middle of the lake in the middle of the debris, but there were plenty rising closer to shore where the water was clear. Those shoreline rises are always worth investigating. They may be tiny trout, or they may be some of the big boys--especially Browns--patrolling the shallows.
A storm was passing by to the west, and I rigged up with the dry while listening to the rumble of distant thunder.
No sooner was I rigged up and in position than the big wind swirl from the storm began blowing in from the north. I managed two or three casts with a tiny dry before the wind picked up enough to raise a big chop all over the lake.
I pulled in to that shore above--not easy; the high water means the places shallow enough to land are up in the willows--put my rain jacket on and considered my options. I decided to troll leeches.
The wind kept up while I tried three different leeches. The last one I tied on was the big black one. By then I was drifting with the wind, which meant that my back was to the south.
I enjoyed the ride through the deepening dusk. The loons flew over in full ululating cry. Even though the wind was blowing I wasn't cold. I was relaxed. Maybe too relaxed, since I was never interrupted by a trout.
When I got down past my truck and began to make a loop around the south end I finally saw the sky to the south. A big storm was almost on top of the lake. I had seen some flickers of lighting but thought it was from the first storm retreating to the north. I paddled in, double time, and managed to get everything stowed and changed and ready to go just as the first drops hit the windshield.
I drove home through the storm and some beautiful lightning thinking about the next time. It had been an upside down evening, but I was feeling right side up.

Thursday Fishing Report: "Marathoner"

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Today was what you might call "marathoner" than my recent trips to the lake, meaning that it was longer. By far. I was able to spend eight hours at the lake, from early afternoon until dark. It's wonderful to be out there in the middle of that long transition into darkness, to experience all the subtle changes of light, weather, mood.

But, of course, I'm also what you might call "tireder" tonight.

The truck is up again, and it was good to see it where it belongs.

It was a beautiful day. The significance of this shot is the shirtsleeves. It's the first time this season I didn't need to bundle up in layers, or even wear a jacket. At least at first. Later it got pretty chilly.

I launched at yet another part of the lake, right where the channel opens up into the north lake. I headed down this shoreline, also fabled, and the scene of many fine catches.

But during the bulk of the afternoon things were very slow. The wind was yet again a factor, blowing from the south this time, which leaves precious little shoreline in its lee at that location.

But then evening came, and things changed.

The wind moderated and then died, and fish began to work. By then I was down the channel at John's Cove. I caught a little fish on a fuzzy nymph under an indicator, but he came off at the float tube. Minutes later I had a good hookup on a nice fish, but he leaped--what you might call "spectacularly"--right off the hook.

I changed to a pheasant tail soft hackle, quickly becoming a standby in situations like this, and managed to drop it right in the middle of several enthusiastic rises. I had an immediate hookup, a strong fish that I couldn't get immediately to the net. But after a very enjoyable couple of minutes I was able to get his picture.

Fish continued to rise, and I continued with the soft hackle, but before I caught another one the rises began to taper off. I followed an eagle back up the channel chasing rises but those fish were also slowing down.

Naturally, when I looked back down the channel, fish were rising in the spot I had just vacated.

A bat flittered by, the first I've seen this season, and advised me to be efficient in my use of the remaining light. So I rigged with the black beadhead Micro Leech and trolled my way back down the channel. I had a couple of bumps but no hookups. So I tied on a big black leech, trolled a big circle and made my way back up the channel.

More bumps--boys trying to do a man's job--and then three chunky fish in a row. This one, typical of the three, stayed in the net long enough for a picture.

The second one came unhooked in the net and then flipped back into the water while I was trying to get the camera ready for a shot. The third one took right at my take out, so I didn't bother with the camera.

It was a great day, and I was glad not to be limited to a sprint. Now I'm making plans to get up there to camp for a couple days--or three--or four.

I think I'm ready to be what you might call a "marathoner."

Wednesday Fishing Report: There They Go

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I went back to the Cutthroat lake for a couple of hours today. I have morning office hours so I can swing by the lake for a little bank fishing before other duties call me away.

It was a beautiful, warm day, and there were more Callibaetis hatching, and plenty of midges.

As usual, I spent the time gazing into the green depths watching for cruisers.

There were plenty of them, but, as usual, they were hard to figure out. There was the occasional rise and swirl of some big fish, but they were infrequent and random. I think they're too intent on spawning right now to get into feeding patterns. I tried a variety of offerings, on top and below, but couldn't get any interest.

This pair, hen and buck, were typical. Here they come...

And there they go. I did manage to turn the heads of a few. I got one to nudge an Adams, and another to come up and refuse it outright.

Then there was the one who came eagerly toward a nymph as I moved it under an indicator, but he turned away and began to swim on down the shoreline. So I made a cast in front of him, and he came up and took--the indicator.

That's when I finally tied on a big, meaty Stimulator and tried that awhile. But to no avail.

Next time: I tie a hook on the indicator.

Tuesday Fishing Report: Flippers On, Flippers Off

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It was flippers on for another morning and early afternoon at the lake. I launched at the channel this time.

May is finally opening up like a reluctant bloom. The day was sunny and warm. I paddled across the channel to John's Cove.

It was breezy at first, but not windy. There were no rises or jumping fish that I could see, so I went to work with an indicator and some flies I had tied Monday afternoon, some more soft hackles and nymphs. The nymphs got no response. So I tried one of the soft hackles and caught this pretty little fish.

It wasn't long before the breeze began to work itself into a wind, and it blew steadily the rest of the day.

I considered leaving early--I'm way over my wind quota for this Spring--but then it shifted a few points to the north and allowed a calm area to form in the lee of this shoreline.

This is a great shoreline, and I have caught many very nice fish along here. Caddis tend to hatch heavily up there at the bend, and Lidia caught her 20 incher there on a Caddis pattern. I've also had some luck here early with nymphs and indicators. So I paddled over.

What a relief to get out of the wind. I simply basked in the warm sun for awhile, my mind adrift like a last year's leaf.

Some little trout began chasing midges, so I went back to work. I fished a long leader under the indicator, hoping to find some big boys laying low off the dropoff. I had tied the soft hackle back on after fishing some nymphs for awhile. I let it wind drift for awhile, then began moving the indicator a couple of feet to raise the fly and let it drop again.

This little guy fell for it.

Then it was flippers off and back to my other life...for awhile.

Promising

Looks good weatherwise for the next few days. I plan to take advantage of it.

Mon Partly Sunny 72° 48°
Tue Mostly Sunny 75° 50°
Wed Mostly Sunny 80° 51°

Three-On-Three B-Ball Tourney

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It's part of the May Day festivities in a neighboring town, a three-on-three double elimination basketball tournament that draws lots of teams of all ages. Isaiah and Jeremiah both pulled friends together to form teams.
Jeremiah's team lost the first game, won the second in a thriller with a last minute bomb, and then lost the third. Check out number 55 in the photos of Jeremiah's game. He's the same age as J, or is supposed to be, but he's huge. He dominated them in the first loss, but they really played him tough in their second meeting and made it close before finally going down to their final defeat.

Isaiah's team lost the first game, then won two in a row. Then they played a team made up of eighth graders and got schooled. At least it was a team from their own school, so there's a good chance they'll all be on the same team in school play this winter, where their lessons will benefit them all.
Both boys played hard, played really well, and played all afternoon long. They were exhausted; we were proud.

May Day Parade

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It's parade season around here. This one, even though it's called the May Day Parade, happened yesterday. It's always fun, and I always enjoy the Rodeo Queens getting everyone psyched for the upcoming string of summer rodeos.

So here's a whole parade of photos of the parade.