Sunday, August 23, 2020

Gold in Them Thar Hills! (Golden Trout, that is!)

Well, it's been a while since the O.G. Merrill Boy Blogger has posted.  Finally I have something worthy of posting.

Golden Trout!!

After several fruitless hikes to apparently sterile lakes, I took my good luck charm (Elisabeth) with me.  After a rather strenuous hike, we got to the suspect lake.  There are not many lakes in Washington State with Golden Trout in them.  I was 0 for 4 until this point.

It was beautiful and sunny - not exactly ideal conditions to be casting a dry fly into gin clear waters.  Especially with my casting skill level.


After spooking a few fish with some splashy casts, I convinced this little beauty to come up and sip an Elk Hair Caddis off the surface.  A quick photo op and a gentle release and this guy was back into the clean and clear waters.  There is a reason the scientific name of Golden Trout is Oncorhynchus aguabonita.  Aguabonita is Spanish for "Pretty Water".  This lake fits the bill.  



One thing I love about trout.  They almost always live in beautiful places.  Granted, we've caught our share standing on a culvert or in some hideously ugly places (Sorry, Moses Lake).  But trout love pretty places.

And fortunately, so do Elisabeth and I!

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