ANOTHER TRADITION GOES KAPUT…sort of. Today we sailed with the winds of change: We fished after 6:00 PM. The surface of the lake was smooth; the slight wind caused small wisps of ripple as we trolled from the boat launch. The water temperature was 68 degrees; warmer than just a few days ago. There were clouds obscuring the sun, but they didn’t have enough energy in them to produce rain.

My fishing buddy brought his wife along (along with their neat-o dog, Spice-Dog) and she enjoyed an evening with two grizzled guys fishing from a boat (we DID watch our language, too.)

We caught our limits (again) but it took more trickery to get them. We also fished further from the boat launch--- below the “narrows” of the lake--- and were rewarded by 13” – 14” trout (and a Silver!) Besides the pollen that speckles the lake surface, there are signs of eutrophication showing up. This will change fish habits for sure. The lake level is about where it should be; very little white mineral precipitate stains the rock features around the lakeshore.

Note for fly fishermen (youse guys probably already know this, though): THERE ARE SOME MONSTER TROUT IN FISHTRAP LAKE. We came upon some fish and, believe me, they were BIIIG. Some of them were just below the surface and roiling as they swam slowly around, exposing their backs as they swam. We stopped trolling for a while and tried bait casting for these lunkers because it was easy to cast out in front of them, but fly-fishing using the proper tools (line, fly pattern) could coax them to strike with better results.

It was a great, early summer evening of fishing, seeing raccoons on the shoreline as well as mule deer, and CATCHING FISH!! Thanks, WDFW.

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