THE TRADITION CONTINUES

We dipped the Doghouse into the now-familiar waters after queuing at the boat launch to do so. Even at 6:00 AM there was a line of piscatorial prospectors waiting their turn to launch. The campfire in the camping area was going, filling the air with that familiar and delicious smoke. Ah, tradition…Thy name is Fishing on Opening Day at Fishtrap Lake!

Everything seemed to be working for us: The weather was great, the boat did not leak (we FIXED it! Not bad for a couple of landlubbers...), the people sharing the lake with us were friendly, and the fish were cooperative--- they responded nicely to our offerings of wedding rings topped with maggots. There were LOTS of other people vying to pry fish from Fishtrap’s mysterious depths--- each person with his or her special secret on how to do so.

Boats everywhere--- the WDFW person told my neighbor and me that, at his count, there were 67 boats on Fishtrap in the morning on opening day! Equally amazing is that all the boats we saw had people in them that practiced friendliness and courtesy!

We trolled the west side of the lake, making sure we did not foul the other boats, and struck trout gold---triploids, “normal” rainbows, and silvers. It took us an hour-and-a-half to limit-out on the cool, still waters. The triploids were full of fight; seeing one jumping from the water during its fight is well worth the effort to get to the lake and fish it.

The Lincoln County Sheriff was present on the lake; they have a nice boat (and it is FAST, too.) We smiled and waved to them as we passed by; being courteous to the law enforcement people never hurt anyone…

What a fine day---fishing a great inland lake, sharing smiles and waves with other fishermen, and having a full limit of fine fish to fillet and fry!

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