[smc]

Hiked to a beautiful mtn lake yesterday. It was a beautiful smoke free day. The trailhead had a few cars, but not bad at all for such a beautiful hike through shady forest, to a lake that sits like a small jewel at the end of a shortish (just shy of 1 mile) easy hike.

Decided to leave the 3 wt at home, preferring to give all my attention to my daughter and my aging dog. Shortly after we arrived there was an epic hatch of bugs - they congregated in individual "pods" rather than 1 large cloud, above the lake. My daughter observed that the pods looked like jelly fish, floating in the sky. After about half an hour the hatch was done and the bugs fell to the water, where the brook trout began to feast.

My old dog had kind of a rough time - she has bad arthritis in her rear knees. A couple of times her rear legs just seemed to stop working and she'd drag them. Then we'd stop to give her a rest and some water and her rear legs would just shake. A far cry from the first time she made this hike 13 years ago as a puppy. Still, she seemed to enjoy herself. I think this will be the last time I bring her here.

I can count about 9 little brookies in this shot. It was fun to just watch the fish. I really did not miss my 3wt. Really, I didn't.

 

[GelJockey]

Thanks for posting. You top photo is very nice.

 

[Skip Enge]

It's important to take yer old dog at least one more time...I did with my black lab Orion...he waded the Yakima abit with us one October at burning pram...it was good...but I worried the whole time...Looks like a wonderful destination you found. SW WA is socked in with smoke and falling ash...visions and memories of the eruption year of Mt St Helens in 1980..., a bunch of the forest and lakes were evacuated including portions of The Crest trail because of that other fire in Indian heaven at east Crater...just two miles from my favorite lake...re: Tiger trout!

 

[MattK]

That's just awesome.

I've got a 14 year old black lab, Tink. She's been my duck dog for more than a decade. Didn't have to train her a bit, she just knew what to do. She has a drive like no other. 2 years ago after the season, I told myself she was done getting ducks. Against my better judgement I took her once last year, and she almost didn't make it back from a short retrieve. I was shucking my waders off to go get her when she caught a second wind. She just about drowned on a 40 yard swim. Almost shed a tear on the way back to the truck knowing that was her last duck. This will be the first year since 03/04 she won't bring back a bird. Drive is still there but the body is not. Its tough to leave a dog at home and go do something you know they'd literally die to do.

 

[Jim F.]

Its tough to leave a dog at home and go do something you know they'd literally die to do.

The 2nd most painful experience one faces with a bird dog . . .