Marshall Lake

Well it was another beautiful day at Marshall. Marc and I set out from his house at about 8:30 AM and made the 1 hour or so trip to Marshall Lake. We took pontoon boats. Mine on my trailer and his in his truck. Very few people on the lake when we got there, and it stayed that way till probably mid afternoon. We were trolling nymphs of various colors getting short strikes off and on. Water temp at the surface was about 63 and at 80+ feet is was 45. Most fish were at the 25 to 40 foot level suspended over deep water. We even marked several fish close to the bottom. That seems quite deep to me for cutthroat, but as far as I know, that's the only fish in that lake. It was perfect weather with only an occasional gust. While I was trolling, I found that because I have to push so much water, I couldn't go quite fast enough. So, I put my rod in the rod holder and started using the oars. The slightly faster pace of the oars paid off for me. I managed to bring 5 fish to hand. I was using a claret colored bugger style nymph with plenty of crystal flash. The hook size appeared to be about a size 10 or 12. I would play out almost all my fly line and troll slow with the oars. Then just wait for my rod to start talking to me. At about 5:00 PM, Marc started getting hits on the surface using a renegade. That fly always seems to work at Marshall. All in all, it was a great day and I'm glad I got the chance to go back once more this year.

Isaiah 40:31

They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They will rise up with wings as eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

Have faith in the Lord and in the end you will always triumph. God has more soldiers than Satan.

Fish Lake Outing

I hadn't been fishing in a while and felt like I needed to go. So, I called an old friend, Jeff, and we went to Fish Lake. The picture above is the set-up I use to do most of my fishing. Fish Lake is on the back road halfway between Spokane and Cheney, just past the little town of Marshall. The lake was like glass for most of the day with only occasional breezes. Until late afternoon, we were the only people on the lake except for three kayakers. We couldn't have picked a better day to go. Except that is for the fish. I caught two of the smallest Bluegills I've ever seen. Jeff had a better day catching three Tiger Trout. Tiger Trout are a cross between German Browns and Brook Trout. They are sterile as a result of being crossed, and were introduced to Fish Lake to rid it of the Bluegills. One of these days, I hope to figure that lake out so that the catching is at least as good as the fishing. It was a wonderful relaxing day!

Another Bamboo Rod

Well, it looks like I'm building another bamboo fly rod. I traded a collectible fly box for and old Heddon fly rod. It needs a new grip, reel seat and guides. I finished the grip and reel seat and before long I had to take it outside and test it. I found that with a Cortland 333 WF9F,I could get 60+ feet out of my casts. Looks like it's a salmon or steelhead rod. It's going to be fun.

Linda Quilts! Yes She Does

A few years ago, Linda saw a news item that showed children in an orphanage in Afghanistan that were using a light bulb to stay warm during cold weather. It inspired her to start a ministry at our church called "Comfort Quilts." She would make quilts, and organized others to do the same. They would then be blessed by our pastor, and shipped to Afghanistan for those orphans. Since then she has been making baby quilts for all the homes around Spokane that house battered and abused mothers and children. She has also made many quilts for friends and family. She makes me very proud. This is just one of her offerings. It's called, "Hangin' With The Kitties."

One of Linda's Flower Beds

Linda has put many hours into our yard and it shows. This shot shows our fountain bird bath and some of her cosmos annuals. The bird bath attracts many different kinds of birds including wild canaries. They are a bright yellow with vivid black markings. And, they are a genuine pleasure to watch.

Building a Bamboo Fly Rod

Recently I built a bamboo fly rod for our neighbor's 10 year old daughter. I wrote an article about the project and posted it on washingtonlakes.com . Here is a link to that article.