A BIRTHDAY TRADITION--- with apologies to Moby Dick
I drew a breath of clean Columbia Plateau air as I stood on the shore, gazing at the water as if I could sense the excitement beneath its waves...

My brother and I did another fishing excursion on Badger Lake; he got to see the new paint scheme of The Doghouse and was suitably impressed with the leak-proof job the BBs of BL did on the ship (we landlubbers just appreciate good seamanship...or craftsmanship...or just dumb luck. Take your pick; and The Same To You.).

With me at the helm, we cast off from the boat launch and sailed into the teeth of the wind (which was a wild 3 mph coming from the NE). The sun was hidden behind basalt behemoths that line the shoreline, but the glow of a new dawn helped with our sightings of familiar landmarks as we proceeded down the lake. I took note that the osprey nest that had been on the power poles near the lake was gone (Did they move somewhere else where their front porch was a lake ? Maybe...Fishtrap Lake?)
There were LOTS of fish near the dock area, at the depths we expected (the surface temperature of the lake was 70 degrees), but no matter how many times we trolled over them, and no matter what trickery we put before them--- we only caught 4 fish. The finicky fish weren't playing; they remained at their selected depths and no amount of trickery could tempt them nor dislodge them. Late summer fishing hasn’t been this tough in a long time...

My brother used a muddler minnow with leaded line and cowbells, going 4 colors deep. I started with the same setup, but changed to a red wedding ring (without the flashers) and got lots of nibblies but NO COMMITMENTS! Except one. It was my brother’s birthday so I let him win the fishing contest (again)...

Badger Lake is still my favorite summer lake--- I just have to become “re-acquainted” with the fish there.
Lordy, how I love to fish...!

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