1) Fish one lake for large-mouth bass, using a spinning rod and a plastic worm.
2) Fish another lake for rainbow trout, using a fly rod and one of my own hand-tied flies.
Mission Accomplished.
That sounded really moronic. That is how much outdoor writing reads nowadays. Did I fish the lakes? Yes. Did I catch fish? Yes. So what?
I've read books and articles by writers who have reached the stage in their fishing lives where they say it doesn't matter anymore if they catch anything, it's all about being out on the water. I'm not there just yet. Close, but still not there. I still need to catch one fish. Just need to look at a fish up close and take the hook out of its mouth. That's what I did today, one fish from each lake. Had some other fish on and lost them, but caught one tough-looking large-mouth and one elegant rainbow.
The first lake was spent paddling around the lily pads and along the brush-lined shore casting into every likely looking pocket. There were a couple of bald eagles chattering at each other, and there were many small fish splashing around. There were a few other folks out fishing but I was lucky enough to get the spots I wanted without any competition or crowding.
The second lake I had all to myself. It's a small lake, with a single house on the end by the boat launch. The rest of the lake is pretty wild along the shore line. Never did see one fish rise, except for the several leaps my rainbow executed on its way to the pontoon. With the wind, I mostly rowed around with a sinking fly line, cruising proven locations around the lake. Big clouds, wind, sunshine, all made for a grand day out on the water.
No, I'm not to the don't-need-to-catch-anything stage, but it feels pretty good to be completely satisfied with one fish.
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