August 31, 2009

September is practically here.  The days are getting shorter.  The nights are getting cooler.  The skies are getting clearer.  It is the best time of year, but it is somewhat depressing.  It is the end of summer and soon it will be the worst time of year, the time between fall and ski season. 

We had doubts about the weekend.  The forecast was for rain.  We decided on kayaking since it is the least impacted by rain.  We packed up the camping gear and the boats and headed south.  We were hoping to get one of the three campsites on Watson Lake.  The weather forecast, the start of school, and the state fair probably all combined to keep people away.    We got a nice lakefront site with a perfect grass area for our tent.  We set up, ate lunch, and launched the boats.

Watson Lake is a nice lake along the east fork of the Moose River.  The area is all flat and relatively swampy.  We paddled down the lake, weaving our way through the lily pads that kept the water almost mirror flat in spite of the high winds that slowed our progress.  I fished a few spots and hundreds of tiny fish followed my lure.  I rounded a corner and found some slightly deeper water and cast for several minutes while waiting for Kris to catch up.  A big rainbow grabbed my spinner and began running around the boat.  It soared high in the air above me at least a half a dozen times.  The lively fish finally arrived boat side where I quickly released it with a splash.  It was a healthy 20” fish and a ton of fun on light tackle.

We found our way through some weeds to a small channel that is the Moose River.  We paddled the river for a couple miles.  At times the river disappeared into lily pads that brushed against the sides of the boat and grabbed at the paddle.  A second lake was simply a wide area that was 90% covered in lily pads.  We pushed on and arrived at a third lake, a beautiful remote expanse of water with no other visitors that day.  We found a nice campsite on the shore.  Had we known that it existed, we would have brought the little tent and camped there.  We hung out for awhile, relaxing in the surprising sunny warmth.

We headed back for dinner.  I fished a little more and caught another small trout.  After dinner, I fished from shore.  A large fish showed itself several times, but I couldn’t seem to get any interest.  Instead, the water was boiling with tiny fish that would chase my lures and get caught frequently on my spinner’s treble hook.  I tried flyfishing.  Dry flies brought instant action from the small fish.  As the sun was setting, I could see more clearly as the small bugs were grabbed right out of the air by the small fish.  It was fun to watch.  I finally gave up and headed back to the tent.  Kris came out and we walked down by the water again.  A big rainbow was working the shallows right off shore.  It came clean out of the water chasing something right in front of us.  I had to try again, but eventually darkness ended my effort.

It was a beautiful evening to stand there on the shore and watch the sun set.  Mount Spur dominated the horizon.  The loons made crazy calls across the lake.  Big rainbows were leaping high out of the water in the distance.  I stood there for a long time enjoying my surroundings, using fishing as an excuse.

The night was cold, dropping to 42 degrees.  The big tent was cold, but the old foam sleeping pad proved much warmer than the air mattress.  It was still a little tough to get up in the morning.  I slept in awhile.  The sun was already hitting the tent by the time I got up to make breakfast.

It was a perfectly still and sunny morning so we decided to float Watson Lake.  We hadn’t really explored the lake completely in our efforts to head down the Moose River on Saturday.  The calmness provided a clear window into the weeds and shallows of the lake.  We found a lone salmon cruising along the shore and followed it for awhile as it swam under our boats.  Decent fish were feeding on the surface in the deepest water.  I really wanted to catch on these big active rainbows on my flyrod, but I think they were pretty scattered.  I tried to watch what they might be feeding on, but I lost patience.  A spinner produced quick results, landing me another lively rainbow, a bit smaller than the one from Saturday, but still exciting in a kayak.

We returned to the campsite and had lunch.  We packed up the gear and got home at a reasonable hour.  Kris ran out to the grocery store for some steaks while I unpacked the boats and gear.  It was a perfect weekend.