Trout Lake Report: Thanks For Everything, Lake

You make it to the lake one last time. It's always hard to believe that you won't be back to fish for six more months.

The heavy overcast and rain are lifting, a short-lived break in the weather that brings beautiful skies and the welcome light of the pale October sun.

You fish a muddler, and the fishing is good.

The fishing has been good all season long. Each fish today reminds you of other days and other fish.

As the day and the season wind down, and dusk settles in, you tie on a bead head nymph and trail it behind you as you try to make the moment last. You cast it in to the shoreline and work it back slowly and catch a few more fish, including the last fish of the season. It's a brown this year, a bright symbol of a season past.

You watch the last of the light go out of the sky. You feel some sadness, but stronger than the sadness is a deep gratitude for what you have been given this season.

Thanks for everything, lake.