Trillium Lake September 28, 2015

As I've gone over before, winter is fast approaching the small alpine village of Government Camp and the wilderness that surrounds it. I could talk some more about what exactly the word "winter" entails, but I've done it throughout this blog to an exhausting degree and think it would be best to give it a rest. However, it is worth noting that numerous preparations need to be made in the fall in order to be properly prepared for winter. The cabin needs to be cleaned and stripped down. The water needs to get shut off so it doesn't freeze inside the pipes and cause a complete plumbing disaster. The insulation system needs to be checked and replaced if necessary (it's getting harder and harder to find good quality asbestos these days). And most sadly of all, the summertime fishing equipment needs to get stored away for the long winter. However, I was able to sneak away for one last Trillium Lake fishing trip. This lake is the shortest distance away from the cabin, and spending a few hours fishing is a relaxing respite from the irritating chores taking place at the home.

The beauty wears off when you have to see it on hundreds of postcards, calendars, and novelty condoms. 

Although this average-sized lake has a tendency to become extremely crowded, the only other people on the lake were other fishermen. Most of them were in small kayaks or float tubes, and as I launched my canoe I was immediately blasted by a powerful gust of wind that shoved me back ashore. Wind is always an annoyance to fishermen with boats, but canoers get the worst of it. The same wind that smoothly propels a sailboat or passes harmlessly over a kayak will blow a canoe completely across the lake and back again, despite the futile struggles of whoever may be inside it. I found it extremely difficult to paddle, let alone fish, as the howling gale repeatedly and forcefully blew me into the lily pads, the shoreline reeds, the fishing dock, kayakers, etc. Somehow, I still managed to catch a couple fish. There's plenty of trout in this lake during the fall, and they respond well to most techniques.



At this point in my blogging career, I've pretty much said all there is to say about Trillium Lake. In case any of you are new readers, then I'll sum everything up in the next few sentences and save you a lot of trouble in the future. 1. ) Trillium Lake is shallow and weedy. 2.) It gets crowded. 3.) The trout are usually eight to twelve inches. 4.) You can fish for them however you want. 5.) I usually use Wedding Rings. 6.) Troll close to the shoreline. 7.) Not too close or else you'll snag on weeds. 8.) The previous step should have gone without saying, but I manage to do it every time I go there. 8.) If you ever go there and see a teenager in a maroon canoe unsnagging his wedding ring from the weeds, say hi! Just don't mention my blog.





Writing this blog is a serious emotional commitment. The two or three people who have accidentally clicked on and seen this can attest to the effort I put in every time I post. Having to think of a different philosophical musing on a slimy, flopping fish every time I catch one is getting more and more difficult over the years, and I've tried different approaches to writing about the fish of the Mt. Hood area. There's been the Hemingway approach, where I battle a monstrous trout that ends up getting eaten by a ravenous pack of bloodthirsty otters on the way back to shore. There's the James Joyce approach, where I close my eyes and type random words on the keyboard for the time it takes my bagel to finish toasting. And there's the approach I'm currently involved in now, where I stall by writing meaningless garbage to fill space and create the illusion that I actually have something to talk about. Oh, this used to be such a great blog.



Until the next muse hits me like a truck filled with bricks,

Kamran Walsh

Multorpor Fen September 27, 2015

Fall is upon us, with chilly weather and falling leaves reminding us that summer is over and we have nothing to be happy about anymore. The icy darkness of winter is rapidly approaching, and soon the people of Government Camp will either be complaining about the crazy amounts of snow or about the lack of it, depending on this coming year's supply. As I've ranted about numerous times over the last nine months, this has been an extremely rough year for our waterways due to last winter's dismal levels of snowfall. If this coming winter's just as bad or worse, we can consider ourselves in trouble. However, it's still fall. Fishing in the area is usually very good at this time of year, as the cooler temperatures relieve the trout from the stress they faced over the summer. Although November is typically the end of the trout fishing season in the area around the mountain, this unusually warm year might drag on a little longer.

Before I became busy with high school and the endless academic, extracurricular, and hormonal stresses associated with it, I used to spend a considerable amount of time in Government Camp during the fall. There's a lot to do here during the changing of seasons, and this was well before I ever wet a line. Now, I find myself lucky to make it up here once or twice in the golden two months that are September and October. Even being able to drive, I find that I am in no way granted the freedom that I thought I would receive upon being granted a license and a set of keys. Instead, I find myself spending most of my time cramming for whatever upcoming tests I have and occasionally giving the Oregon Fishing Forum a wistful glance. When I do have time to fish, I usually throw together some stuff and head over to someplace close where I know I can probably catch fish.

The Multorpor Fen is one such place. Located a short distance away from my cabin in Government Camp, it has a decent population of small Brook Trout that are generally pretty easy to catch. I'm no expert at fly fishing small lakes like this, and I have little knowledge of what these particular fish even feed on, but I can usually get by with small attractor patterns. These fish are very aggressive and will sometimes even jump completely out of the water when attacking your flies.

Even though the trout that live in the fen are easy to catch, fishing here is still frustrating in its own way. For instance, even though the lakes are really small, the trout still have a way of rising just past your casting range. If you try to push your luck and cast just a little bit further, you usually end up hooking something behind you, whether it be a bush, a branch, a knot of grass, or a fishing partner. In addition, the area is extremely swampy. Just like most of the other small lakes and marshes I've written about, the fen is one of those places where there isn't a clear separation between water and land. One wrong step and you can end up soaked and swearing, with every single trout in the lake completely spooked. However, they have short memories and usually can be coaxed into biting again.

Even though the official fishing season is drawing to a close, there's still some hope for the winter. There's always the Crooked River, where I can lose fish after fish to my heart's content. I can also try steelhead fishing, although the thought of that actually makes me cringe considering my last several attempts at it. And there's always the sturgeon of the Columbia River, big armored missiles who eat baits larger than any of the fish pictured in this entire blog. And I suppose it's only another nine months until summer rolls around again, and I can fish all of the great lakes and rivers in the area again. I also received that Fishing the Mt. Hood Country book, which features dozens of streams and lakes I hadn't even heard of. It isn't over yet.



Until Next Time,

Kamran Walsh

Mt. Hood Crayfish: The Definitive Guide

Pretty much every post I've ever made has been about trout. It's not much of a surprise, as they are the main target for most Mt. Hood anglers and thrive in the cold, clean water found throughout the area. However, there is another popular target for the thousands of campers, boaters, and fishermen that frequent the numerous lakes and ponds that dot the Mt. Hood national forest. This, of course, is none other than the humble crayfish. Known colloquially as crawfish, crawdads, mudbugs, or freshwater lobsters, these small crustaceans are extremely abundant in nearly any body of water. Catching them is extremely easy and enjoyable, and they are delicious to eat. This guide will detail the basics of crayfishing, with photos from a recent outing on the great Timothy Lake.

The "Spitfire" rigged up and ready to go. 

To outfit oneself for crayfishing, the gear is extremely simple. All that is required is one or more crayfish traps, a suitable length of buoyant rope, and a small buoy to mark the location of the trap or traps. All of the materials are available at most sporting goods stores. As for bait, it depends on who you're asking. My personal favorite baits are the carcasses of trout that I usually catch in the same location. I'm not honestly 100% sure if it's legal to use dead trout as bait, so don't quote me on that one. However, the carcasses (especially the heads and guts) of most fish work very well, as long as they remain reasonably fresh. Contrary to popular belief, crayfish generally prefer fresh bait over filth that has been rotting for several hours. In addition to fish scraps, I've also heard of raw chicken, fishy cat food, and even melon rinds being effective baits. 

When setting multiple traps on the same string, be sure to keep the boat moving so as to keep the traps well separated. 

To set your traps, paddle your boat to a rocky area relatively close to shore. Crayfish generally prefer water from 10-20 feet deep, which in Timothy Lake is just past where you can see the bottom. Look for lots of structure, as crayfish rely heavily on hiding places during the day. Drop your trap over the side and feed out line until it reaches the bottom. If you find yourself with lots of extra rope floating at the surface, coil the slack out of the line and tie it off. That way, passing boats won't stand the risk of cutting your line. Once you set your traps, you can head off for a day on the lake. There are a wide variety of activities one can do to pass the time at Timothy or any of the other lakes in the area, including (but not limited to) fishing. 

As aforementioned, the Mt. Hood country is ideal trout habitat. Nearly every pond or stream in the area has trout of some shape or form, with the larger lakes like Timothy providing particularly good fishing. Although many of these lakes are stocked with catchable hatchery trout, the cold water and rich insect life easily supports self-sustaining populations of wild trout. Nearly any method can work here, but I've always  been partial to trolling small plugs along the shoreline. Not only does this method cover a lot of water in a shorter amount of time than still fishing with bait or fly fishing, but the erratic action of these lures tend to incite the most heart-stopping takes imaginable. 

A native cutthroat caught out of Timothy Lake. 

A wild rainbow taken from the north arm of the lake. 

Eventually, the time will come to collect your traps and see if there's anything inside. They should be soaked for a minimum of a few hours to allow the crayfish time to discover and enter the traps, but can remain in the water overnight or even longer. Preferably, soaks of more than twelve hours are rarely advisable, as the crayfish usually manage to eat the bait and figure out how to escape by then. Pulling up the traps is fairly straightforward, just remember to keep the line from tangling by coiling it in a manner similar to in the picture below. 

When the trap reaches the surface, it's important to always lift it parallel to the water. Otherwise, your crayfish might fall out of the openings at either side. When the trap is properly situated in the boat, the crustaceans can be properly dispensed in a small cooler or a bucket. A cooler is ideal for long-term (more than a couple hours) storage, as the crayfish can easily dry out in a bucket. Any sort of cool, damp location works very well. Remember to check on them regularly to make sure they are moist and alive. And lastly, the limit on crayfish in Oregon is ridiculous (something like 100 a day), so if you want to collect more, it's a simple matter of rebaiting (if necessary) and sending the traps back down again. 

The first trap with about two dozen crayfish.

The second trap with close to half as many as the first.

After getting off of the water, the most important part of the crayfishing process begins. Preparing these small crustaceans for eating isn't unusually difficult, with the main key being to cook them as soon as possible. First, give them a thorough rinse with clean fresh water from an appropriate drinking source, whether it be a sink or a campsite well. This removes any parasites or bacteria that might be present from the lake or pond water the crayfish came from. 

It's best to wash crayfish in small groups like this so to ensure thorough rinsing of each one. 

Once all the crayfish are rinsed, it's time to prepare the ingredients for cooking them. The recipes are endless, from simply boiling them in water to complicated recipes requiring ingredients rarely found in this hemisphere. Different regions of the globe also have different ways to prepare them. For instance, in Sweden crayfish are traditionally prepared with fresh dill and given at least 24 hours to marinate in their cooking brine. Afterwards, they are usually eaten cold. In the New Orleans area, they are usually stewed in Zatarain's spices with an assortment of other food such as sausage, corn on the cob, and potatoes. The french also have a ridiculous number of crayfish recipes, all of which are difficult to pronounce. On camping trips, I've used the leftover broth from instant ramen packets to boil crayfish. However, my favorite crayfish recipe is a little different from the ones listed above. It's extremely simple to prepare, and all the necessary ingredients can be brought on camping or boating trips with ease.

All of the necessary ingredients.

Mountain Style Crayfish:

• Around two dozen crayfish (number isn't especially important)
• Old Bay Seasoning (or four parts celery salt, one part paprika)
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Ground Chilies (optional)

1.) Fill a cooking pot with around half a gallon of water, enough to properly boil however many crayfish you have. Bring water to a boil.

2.) Add a tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning, and a teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add ground chilies to taste.

3.) Drop all the crayfish into the boiling water alive (or kill them more painlessly by quickly inserting a needle or similar through the head) and cover the pot.

4.) Allow to boil anywhere from 3-5 minutes, depending on the strength of your stove or campfire.

5.) Once finished cooking, drain into a colander and allow to cool. Serve with whatever else you planned on eating.

All in all, crayfishing is an excellent way to pass the time in the Mt. Hood area. The gear is inexpensive and readily available, it's easy to do once you figure out the right places to set your traps, it's an enjoyable excuse to spend a day out on the water, it goes hand in hand with trout fishing (the tails even make great bait), and best of all, they are delicious to eat. What more could you ask for?

Deadliest Catch references aren't appreciated.

Kamran Walsh

Oak Grove Fork Septermber 6, 2015

With the end of summer and the beginning of rainy drudgery rapidly approaching, I wanted to make one more trip to the Oak Grove Fork. I hadn't been able to fish this river very much this year, and I was intent on getting one more good day out of this small but productive stream. Although the water had been extremely low the last time I visited the stream, since then there had been numerous influxes of rain that helped to quench the parched river. However, it was still a little bit low.

I headed over to a few of my usual spots and began casting a bead head Pheasant tail nymph into the riffles and pools. Blue Winged Olives are generally the main food source at this time of year, and I knew that the nymph would produce. Hatches here are usually subtle and can go unnoticed to the untrained eye, but there seemed to be an unusual number of the small, pale mayflies today. Prior to my departure that morning, I came to the unfortunate realization that I had used up my supply of Pheasant tail nymphs. However, I was able to sprint back upstairs to the vise and churn out a few before leaving. These sloppily tied nymphs fell apart rather quickly, but were still able to produce fish in their bedraggled states. As usual, native Cutthroats were the most abundant species.

I've spent years trying to find streams in the Mt. Hood area quite like the Oak Grove Fork, but have never succeeded. Most of the other streams in the area are largely barren in insect and plant life and tend to have poor fishing. I've caught trout in many of them, but they tend to be in smaller numbers and in smaller sizes. I believe that the success of the Oak Grove Fork lies largely in it being a tailwater that drains out of Timothy Lake, a characteristic shared by few other streams in the area. There are also sections of the Oak Grove Fork that drain into Timothy Lake, and these can have productive fishing as well. In fact, when most people hear "Oak Grove Fork" they are thinking of the lazy meadow stream that meanders its way through the forest surrounding Timothy Lake.

However, my favorite section of the river is obviously the area below Timothy Lake. It's secluded, free from the crowds and drunken speedboaters of the nearby lakes, and is an ideal place to explore and unwind. There are also numerous characteristics of the river that make it undesirable to most other anglers, and it keeps the place from getting crowded. The fish also tend to be on the small side, and getting to them can require work. The terrain can be treacherous, with icy cold water, slippery boulders, heavy shoreline vegetation, and giant dead logs that crisscross the stream (I always pack a spare rod in the likely event that one will break. Yes, it has happened). The trails are poorly maintained and overgrown, and there are no nearby restrooms or similar services. However, all of these factors only increase the stream's appeal for me, and like-minded individuals should definitely give it a try.

The fishing here is also really good, and seldom mentioned by most fishing books and websites. Even the recently published book Fishing Mt. Hood Country gives only a scant mention of this particular section of the stream, focusing more attention on the less-productive meadow section. In some ways, this is fine, because I don't want this spot to be overrun with people. I even feel a little apprehensive about extolling the virtues of this area on this blog (even though nobody probably reads it anyways). Still, it's worth mentioning that this stream is one of the few, if not the only place in the Mt. Hood area where it's possible to catch Cutthroat, Brook, Rainbow, and Brown trout in the same stream. Although I've never been able to get all four in a day, I've come pretty close several times.

I've never personally bought into that whole deal about certain species being institutionally more difficult to catch than others. I think that the environment is the biggest determining factor in a fish's catchability. In the Oak Grove Fork, I've caught all four of the trout species present on the exact same techniques. I catch certain species more than others, but I believe this has more to do with their naturally occurring numbers than some other factor. For all I know, there could be untold numbers of monster Brown Trout casually watching me pull in the small Cutthroats, but it's better not to think about that. 

Orvis better have been serious about their lifetime warranty policy.

Kamran Walsh

Timothy Lake July 26, 2015

This summer has been a tough one. As anyone who lives in Oregon or the greater Pacific Northwest knows, there has been a record breaking drought for the last few months. This, coupled with the dismal snowfall of last winter, has led to nearly every waterway in the state drying up and being virtually unfishable. To reduce stress on coldwater fish, the ODFW set numerous regulations prohibiting any fishing for salmon, trout, and steelhead in certain river systems, notably the Willamette. Even the places where fishing isn't prohibited have strict regulations set in to minimize the angling activity during the heat of the day. Fortunately, these rules only apply to rivers and streams. With all the lakes in the state remaining unregulated, I gathered my tackle and set off to do some fishing on the Mt. Hood area's largest and most productive lake.

Timothy Lake is over 60 feet deep in some places and is fed by the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River. As a result, I believed that it would be cooler and a better place to fish during the heat of the summer than the numerous smaller lakes that surround it. In addition, I had heard several favorable reports from people who had gone earlier in the week. Deciding to give it a shot, I launched my canoe from the ramp at the Oak Fork recreation site and headed out onto the lake. 

A map of the entire lake. If you look closely, you can see the fabled Timothy Lake Monster.

This lake can be a challenging but rewarding place to fish. Although the three species of trout found here aren't overly difficult to catch, a large number of fishermen get skunked and write the place off as either only being a put-and-take fishery or completely devoid of life. This largely has to do with the way these guys are fishing. The biggest mistake I see people (and myself in the past) make is trolling around aimlessly in the middle of the lake with some sort of flashy lake troll. Sure, it might work immediately after the fish are stocked, but this technique will rarely produce for the wild fish. Timothy Lake is extremely clear and those ridiculous Ford Fender contraptions will spook the fish, especially the large Brook Trout. In addition, nearly all of the fish in Timothy will be in and among the shoreline structure. Stumps, rocky coves, creek channels, drop offs, points, etc. Fishermen who concentrate their efforts around areas such as these will have far more success.

What to look for. 

An average sized Timothy Lake rainbow caught on a Frog Flatfish.

I started off by heading to the southeast corner of the lake. This is where the Oak Grove Fork drains into the lake (at least one of the places where it does) and also acts as a spawning tributary for fish. I trolled a brown beadhead Wooly Bugger along the shoreline of the cove and caught one small Cutbow. Timothy Lake once had native Cutthroat populations, but nearly all have bred with the Rainbows to produce hybrids like the fish pictured below. It also set a record for the most failed photo attempts I've had on a single fish.

Now that's something you don't see on the cover of Salmon Trout Steelheader. 

Again. 

And again. 

Finally!

The fish had been through enough, so I released the little guy and kept fishing. I worked my way out of the cove and began trolling along the eastern shore of the lake. The Wooly Bugger I was using imitated a small crayfish, a prime food source for Timothy Lake trout. The lake is famous for its healthy crayfish population, and the Brook Trout in particular love to feed on these crustaceans. In addition, I deployed a Frog Flatfish on my other rod. Small plugs like the Flatfish are the ticket to trout in this lake, as their vibrating action is irresistible to the trout that live among the rocky structure of the lake. In addition, they look realistic enough to be readily taken by trout in the clear, shallow water of the lake. The Frog color is my favorite, followed by a rusty orange that resembles crayfish.

Most of the bites I received in the first few hours were on the Frog Flatfish. I worked my way along the shoreline and into the north arm of the lake. This section is by far the most productive. The narrow channel that connects the shallow, weedy area around the North Arm Campground to the main lake has excellent fishing. This section of the lake is rich in insect life, as well as the numerous baitfish and crayfish that the trout feed on as well. 

A decent sized Brookie from inside the channel.

Despite its size, Timothy Lake is ideal for fly fishing. Although I usually fish crayfish patterns, there are a wide assortment of insect species that reside within the lake. These include Callibaetis, Chironomids, Caddies, and giant Yellow Hexagenia Mayflies. The day I was there, trout were rising to Callibaetis duns and emergers. I hadn't brought any, but the fish were still eagerly striking my subsurface flies and plugs. Double hookups even began to happen.

I worked my way up the channel until it got too weedy to continue fishing. The aforementioned low water levels were also in effect at Timothy Lake, with normally fishable areas rendered weedy and impossible to navigate. The lake was also unusually warm, a factor that was likely stressing out the trout. In conditions like these, it's extremely important to revive the fish properly and minimize their time out of the water. This is even more important with larger fish that stress far more easily. Although none of the giant Timothy Lake trophies were caught today, there were still plenty of decent sized fish in the 12-16 inch class. 

Crawdad patterns catch lots of fish at Timothy.

A Timothy Lake Rainbow that took me into my backing! 

I worked my back a ways before reeling in my lines and heading straight back to the boat ramp. It had been a good day of fishing in one of Oregon trout fishing's best kept secrets. Although the conditions this summer have led to lousy fishing across the state, it still goes to show how good the fishing can be in the Mt. Hood area. The weather is also much milder. Even though there had been scorching temperatures in Portland and the greater Oregon area, I enjoyed mild overcast conditions in the mid 60's at Timothy Lake. This, coupled with the fishing, made for a successful day on the water. Hopefully there'll still be some left by the time the summer is over. 

Everything you need for a day of fishing.

Trillium Lake June 14, 2015

You'd think that after a day of fishing the Oak Grove Fork and Frog Lake, I'd be exhausted and wanting a day to rest and relax. That's the wrong idea entirely. Summer isn't for resting and relaxing, it's for ceaseless fun and activity that leaves you so physically and mentally exhausted that you're ready to spend the upcoming school year complaining about how tired you are. For my most recent fishing trip, I headed off to Trillium Lake, one of the most popular and accessible lakes in the area for a wide variety of recreational activities.

Any fisherman knows that "accessible" and "popular" tend to actually mean "extremely crowded" and "get ready to get into a fistfight" but Trillium Lake is actually a nice place to fish. It can get really bad in the late summer, but the fishing isn't very good at that time of year anyways. During the spring, summer, and early fall, it has excellent fishing for rainbow and brook trout. 

As any reader of my blog (all three of them!) would know, my preferred method for fishing such a lake is trolling. I started out by letting two lures out a reasonable distance behind my canoe. On one rod was the old standard, a frog flatfish. I always start at least one rod with this lure, as the number of times its saved me from fishless days is...well, not very many, but I still like this lure. I tied a small green wedding ring on the other, and tipped it with a piece of stale Powerbait. I set both rods down in the boat and began trolling. Almost immediately, the rod with the wedding ring got crushed.

I lose so many trout on wedding rings. The single small hook that comes affixed to the lure doesn't hook large trout very well, and I'm always too lazy to put a second one on because it means I'll have to take the entire wedding ring apart. The slightest amount of slack is all a fish needs to toss the hook, and I'll need to start manning up and put that second hook on before I embarrass myself anymore.

I found that the fish were biting the hardest along the lily pads lining the west side of the lake. After a few more fish on the wedding ring, I tied another one on the second rod and began having double hookups. In addition to the hatchery fish stocked every year by the ODFW, Trillium Lake has a self-sustaining population of fish that thrive in the rich environment of the lake. These fish can be distinguished from their hatchery counterparts by their vigor and brighter coloration.

Whenever you go fishing, no matter how well you plan everything out, there's always something that doesn't go according to plan. Maybe you forgot your license or a certain lure you wanted to try, or maybe you get lost on your way to the lake. Maybe it's just that the fish aren't biting. In this case it was the wind. As anyone who goes canoeing knows, canoes are at the mercy of the wind. Unlike a kayak, which can cut through powerful gusts, canoes catch every ounce of the wind and go wherever it wants it to go. This is difficult enough to handle by itself, let alone when there are two fishing rods with lines in the water to manage. None of the pictures seem unusually windy, but this is because we were too busy frantically trying to regain control of the boat and cursing amidst being tangled in the fishing lines to even consider taking photos. Once the wind died down, everything seemed to return to normal until I realized that I had forgotten something along the way.

You're going to need that.

Of course, right as we realized we had left our oar halfway across the lake, the wind had picked up again. It's safe to say that at least half of the trip was spent trying to recover that oar. Thankfully, the fish were still biting by the time we had sorted everything out.

Much of Trillium Lake's popularity is owed to the fact that it is essentially the ideal lake. When driving past Government Camp along the highway leading to Central Oregon and Hood River, Trillium Lake is the first you encounter. It's a quick and straightforward drive, unlike the meandering maze along a 60 mile dirt road that leads to Olallie Lake. It's also the perfect size and the natural layout of the lake makes it ideal for a wide variety of activities. It's reasonably large, but not overwhelming or unusually deep like Timothy Lake. The bottom is slightly muddy, but not like the mucky ooze that lines every inch of Frog Lake. Although the water is cold, it's not freezing like Timothy Lake, and this makes it ideal for swimming. And most importantly, the fishing is great. 

Like many of the other lakes in the area, Trillium Lake is one I've been going to for years. Although I haven't visited it much in the last few seasons due to its crowdedness, I remember coming here for group camping trips when I was little. Like I said, Trillium Lake is perfect in many ways, and this made it attractive to the people who invited me camping with them. Although I didn't do much fishing and it was so long ago I can't remember most of it, I do remember the parents inflating one of those giant inflatable water castle things for us to play on. The thing was enormous, and it seemed like it took up half the lake. We spent hours climbing and jumping off that thing into the water, trying to outdo each other in who could create the biggest splash. It was fun back then, but the thought of a similar group of kids doing something like that while I'm trying to fish makes me cringe. 

Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a rod get crushed while trolling. Unlike the hesitant little taps that come with still fishing Powerbait or worms, lures like wedding rings and plugs incite aggressive strikes from fish. I've never had a situation where I wasn't sure if I had a fish on or not. Even if you aren't looking anywhere near your rod tip, you can always feel the force of the rod slamming down from wherever you are in the boat. It's always hard to tell what size the fish are when they strike.

Having a party I needed to attend in a few hours, I needed to reel up and head back a little early. It had been a productive few hours of fishing in one of the most beautiful lakes in the Mt. Hood area, and reminded me why I loved fishing here. Although the rainbow trout here by Mt. Hood are no different than the ones they stock in the ponds back in Portland, it's an entirely different experience to fish here. I could go on a sappy tirade about everything that makes the Mt. Hood area "magical" or quote something from "A River Runs Through it" but I'll just end it by saying that I would rather fish here than anywhere else. Then again, I haven't been to Alaska yet.