Northwest Fishing Reports

Lotech Joe wrote:Marc and I, along with my back yard neighbor, were supposed to go fishing at Amber Lake today. Marc canceled, so my neighbor Sean and I went to Fish Lake between Spokane and Cheney instead. I read a report that someone had a good day there using a yellow and black rooster tail, so I tied up some buggers in yellow with black marabou tails and black hackle. On my way to the south end of the lake, trolling that fly along the rip rap, I managed to catch a brookie of about 8". I let him go. When I got to the far south end in shallow water, I switched to an olive wooly bugger with a black tail and black hackle. That's when I tied into something bigger. As luck would have it, my fly line got tangled around the buckle on my fins. So I stripped in as much line as was needed to keep the fish on. I was using a full sink line, so the stripped in line sank to the bottom and got tangled in the weeds. Now I'm fighting this really nice fish, fighting the line around the buckle on my kick fins, and fighting the weed holding to my fly line. I wanted to get this big guy in as fast as I could, but I hadn't extended the handle on my net and had to get him in close to land him. With Murphy, Murphy, Murphy and Murphy all working against me, I got lucky enough to bring my first Tiger Trout to the net. A 16"er and broad across the shoulders. I wanted to invite him to dinner so I put him in the net bag that my kick fins came in and tied the stringer around the oar lock on my left side. Now it's a long story, and to make it short, the knot holding the net bag to my oar lock came untied and I lost my first Tiger Trout somewhere in the middle of Fish Lake. At least I have and eye witness in my partner, but I don't have photographic proof. Even with all the BAD LUCK, I had a great day on the water.