One of the terrific things about living in Montana is the accessibility of the outdoors. Last Friday after work I drove to a favorite lake and camped on public land for the weekend with a buddy of mine. We go every year about this time because the ice is just coming off the lakes and the fish are consequently hungry. Also, they are in the shallows attempting to spawn where you can see them and cast to individual fish.
An added bonus is that the fish in this particular lake are huge; often 5lbs, but sometimes up to 12lbs. Connect with a big rainbow trout in shallow water on a light fly rod and you have great sport, often with aerial acrobatics.
Add to all this that we see very few people on this five mile long lake. Maybe one or two during the day, but few ever camp overnight; we have the lake all to ourselves.
This past weekend I was able to catch over 20 of these monster rainbows. Most of them are still swimming in the lake, but I brought a few home with me. So five or so fish results in about 25 lbs of salmon-red rainbow trout fillets. I marinate them in soy, brown sugar, lemon juice and white wine and then smoke them. We freeze the resulting fillets individually and then we eat them as appetizers throughout the year. Each time we have one, I remember that year’s trip.
I have been doing this trip every year for the past 14 years. Sometimes we catch lots of fish, sometimes only a few, but it is always a tremendous experience. That is why I keep going back.
What experiences do you have that are so great you keep going back?
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