The highlight of my summers these past few years has been entertaining my two oldest Grandson's for a large part of the summer. They are 14 and 15 now and have enjoyed my spoiling them as we camp and fish for trophy trout each summer. They come in shifts with one of them here from mid-June through mid-July and then we swap them with the next one coming from mid-July to mid-Aug.

My trips with Alec, the younger of the two, was tough for big fish this year as nothing really produced anything over 5 LB. for us. I was hoping that my time with Colin, the older, would be more productive for some bigger trout. For his last "Harrah" of the summer, we headed up to East Lake. The first morning we were there started really great! We hooked and landed (7) browns to around 4 LB. the first hour we got out. It started to slow after that but we still brought (17) browns to the boat before we got off for lunch. East can produce those kinds of numbers for browns in the summer if you know what you are doing. It is pretty much a depth control drill once the thermocline is established.

The highlight of the day was when I was trying a new drill with a large fly down deep and hooked a nice hookjaw that went 5 LB. and turned out to be our biggest brown for the outing. We did this video of the release. After lunch and a nap, we headed back out and pounded it until dark. We managed to land another (7 )browns and (1) Atlantic to end up with a total of 25 browns for the day. When I used to guide East and there wasn't near as much pressure as there is these days, it wasn't that uncommon to have days like that.

Unfortunately for us, the KFC chicken we both had for dinner got us both sick during the night and we didn't get out as early as we like. With a front moving in and some light rain, the unsettled stomachs made it easy for us to call it a day early that morning. We didn't graph near as many fish and only caught (2) small browns the first hour before we decided to head home and get ready for round two and the camping and fishing we would do with Grandma that weekend.

When we got out of town Fri. morning late for the second lap, the weather worsened during our drive to the lake and it was looking more like winter than summer. By the time we got there around 2:00 p.m., the outdoor temps had dropped from the 70's when we left Bend to 45 degrees when we got to the lake at 5500 feet. The wind was up to 20-25 mph and no one in the group was all that thrilled with being there, especially my wife that can barely survive in temps under 80 degrees. Just kidding honey!

We decided to fish for the smaller browns with "bubble and fly" rigs on spinning gear for the afternoon. I learned this as a kid in the 60's when my uncle used to haul me up to the High Sierra's each summer to back pack into the high lakes. It was a killer drill and something most kids enjoy for action when conditions are right. It was overcast and the browns were popping the top with regularity. We probably picked up a dozen small browns from 10-14 in. and had a ball doing it. After an early dinner we hit the lake for the evening drill of trolling for the bigger boys. At right around 8:30, the rigger rod bounced fairly hard and Colin got on it and was into a quality fish for sure. After a few minutes of giving and recovering line, he had the fat male up near the boat. It weighed in at over 12 Lb. in my net and that is a 8 LB.+ brown after subtracting the 4 LB. net. He was elated and after a few pictures we put the healthy buck back. That was the only fish that evening but really more like what we were looking for.

The next morning was slower than usual and I had an interesting experience and a first for me. We were trolling along in 75 feet of water fishing at 40-45 feet on the downrigger. Suddenly, I saw the rod load and then pop out of the release. Since it was a slow release process, I knew I was on to something other than a fish. Sure enough as I tightened up with the rod, I confirmed what I already knew. In all likelihood, I was attached to an anchor rope floating up off the bottom. This wasn't the first time and probably not the last either. I had Colin dig out my trusty old "hound dog" lure retriever from under the rail of the boat and then remembered that I probably only had about 35 feet of 100 Lb. nylon braid on the float that held the line. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to reach the lure but I had to try it. Sure enough, it ran out of line before reaching the lure. Luckily it was dead calm and without the wind I could stay right over the lure without any problems. I remembered that I had some heavier rope in one of my cargo boxes and had Colin get it out so we could tie on to see if we could reach it. Sometimes it is better to be "lucky than good" as I managed to get the chains on the retriever to grab the lure at about 45 feet down. After a few tugs, we felt the lure pop free and I had both to the top a few seconds later. It was a hand painted lure that I was really fond of and it was a joyous moment to say the least.

Over the years, I have pulled a lot of lures out of snags and even recovered about 3-4 anchor ropes with anchors attached though none over 30 feet down before. That is my new lure retrieval depth record! I would highly recommend getting a lure retriever and learn how to use it. I would guess and several of my friends would attest that I have probably saved at least a $500 worth of lures in the last 10 years using this technique. If you would like to learn more about how to set one up, feel free to contact me by email and I will fill you in.

Later that day as we headed out after breakfast, I decided to work an area of the lake that almost always produces for me. We were graphing fish at around 40 feet and I had the lure running at 38 feet when the rod instantly popped out of the release and was over hard with the reel drag clicking away as it gave up line. I got pretty excited as you rarely have browns get it out of the release. when you do it is usually a good fish or you have one snagged in the side or back. If it is in the back and near the tail, they will often feel like twice their weight and be able to burn line off the reel at will. Pretty exciting stuff until you figure out what you have when you get them close. This was the case for us. It turned out top be a 6 LB.+ male that was hooked near his anal fin on the belly. After some photos and a video of his release, we got to fishing again. That turned out to be our biggest of the day and we headed in for naps before the evening drill. It turned out to be a slow evening with Colin sticking a fat 3 LB. hen that was stuffed. That was it before we headed in at dark.

The next morning was slow and one more little brown mid-morning was it before we had to break camp and head home. Not many browns at all but (2) nice fish of over 6 and 8 LB. are really what we are after anyway. Look for some reports from Wickiup soon as she shapes up for some usually great summer brown fishing in later Aug.

Tight Lines,

Rick