I arrived at the lake around 4:00 PM with the rain coming down but no wind. I put on the rain gear, put my little raft in the water, and cast out a bugger. I started a slow troll and hooked a really nice fish, probably 18", that I fought for a little bit before it wrapped me around a submerged stump. Pretty soon I hooked another nice one and lost it about 5' from the raft, then I was able to land 11" and 14" fish. By then the wind had picked up just a bit so I just drifted with the fly out. It was a little too relaxing watching the eagles and ospreys, because I wasn't watching my pole when it was hit hard. I heard the line buzz out and by the time I reached for it, the fish yanked my fly rod out of the raft, pulling it across the top of the water. I rowed like hell to catch it, but all I could do was watch the fish fight with the pole until the tip disappeared into the water and by the time I got there it was nowhere to be seen.

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