I have unreasonably busy lately. Friday was my first real day off in over a month, and it was beginning to show (if you don't beleive me just ask my wife ). So yesterday morning I pulled out my canoe for the first time in years, and went out to the local city lake. I am new to town, and have never fished the lake before, but it appears to be one of those typical impoundments primarily created for the splashing enjoyment of people under 12, shallow with little cover or contour. It is about 6 acres, and is still at least 3 foot higher than its normal high water mark because of flooding earlier this year. No one knows what fish remain in it because of the flooding (did the fish they stocked this spring escape down the river or stay home?). And it is stained about the color and consistancy of choclate milk.

I also slept in a bit. So I didn't get out on the lake till about 7:30 and with a pretty good breaze I realized right away that one of my next projects will be adding Joe and Rick's two anchor system to the canoe. But I fished around the edges of the flooded timber for about 3 hours., and caught two (2) 6 inch blue gils.

There were fish hitting the surface hard, frequently jumping clear out of the water, big fish at that. And I have no idea what they were. They were a rusty brown color, and probably 14-16 inches long. The only think I could see that they could have been eating were those darn little scooter bugs and the only thing I had that was even close was a light dun mayfly pattern, on which I caught the 2 blue gills and had no other hits of any kind. So now I have a mission, catch one of those fish and figure out what they are. Mission 2 figure out a pattern that will imitate them darn skitter bugs. Maybe a #16 grizzly bivisible? anyway...

So it was hot... I didn't catch many fish. I got a kink in my neck from trying to fish with the canoe turned the wrong way about half the time... but man o man was it nice. Just what the Dr. ordered. It is amazing how much better I feal and how much more ready for work I am from just 3 hours out on the water with a fly rod in my hand.

Fish caught 2
Types of birds watched 5
2 Great Blue Herons
1 Red headed wood pecker
1 Mother goose and 2 goslins
6 buzzards
? barn swallows eating them darn skitter bugs.
Flys lost 0
cups of coffee spilled in the canoe 1

Priceless? You bet!

ED