MY BEST DAY FISHING
The date was July 10, 1976. I’ve just checked in to my favorite fishing camp, Aurora Lakes Resort, near Little Fort, British Columbia. In spite of an eight-hour drive, I’m excited, as I had not wet a line since the previous summer. I rush to set up two rods, get a long-handled net and stuff a back-pack with wet and dry Hardy Marquis 8/9’s, my wet and dry fly-boxes, a gunny sack, an anchor rope, my old Pentax Spotmatic, two sausage rolls and three beers.
My goal is the big-fish lake – Richard. But first is a 1½-mile hike to Gem Lake on a bush trail. I practically run up this trail organize the boat and do the Muskol spray thing. I bow-wave my way across Gem, and gallop the 200 yards to Richard.
I load up a boat and head to the drop-off just out from the boat-launch inlet. I drop anchor in about 15' of water and set-up a wet line with a twelve-foot 4lb-tippet leader and a Montana Nymph. I open a beer, take a deep breath, cast as far as I can out into the lake, take a deep pull at the beer and start a twitch retrieve. Nothing! I try again a little to the right of my first cast, take an even deeper pull at the beer (I hope you sense my Scientific Method training) and begin my retrieve.
This time the line stopped dead. Oops, a log! But then the line headed west at breakneck speed and stopped perhaps 50 yards into my 200 yards of backing. I stood up and carefully started retrieving line and I can see by the flash of silver in the clear water of Richard Lake, that I have hooked a good fish. I think seven runs later I boat the fish, quaff the remnants of my beer, up anchor and head to shore to the lunch site where I plan to photograph this beauty which I estimate at ten pounds. I fear that if I put this prize in the gunnysack I would mark its beauty with criss-cross marks.
On shore, I realized that that I have two problems. I have only one picture left on the spool and the exposure meter battery is dead. I do my best to estimate the camera settings and take the shot. I celebrate with another beer and contemplate quitting right then and heading back to the camp to the anticipated hero’s welcome.
On my way to the dock I had to go right over the spot where I had caught the fish and I thought I would try just a few casts. Would you believe on my very first cast I caught a twin to the one in the bag. Actually, the first one was nine pound, eight oz and the second was nine pound, three oz. Back to camp I go. We sure celebrated so no picture of the pair was ever taken. This photo was the one taken on shore, and you’ll just have to take my word that there was a twin.