Has been several weeks since I was able to wet a line, due to my wife's two major surgeries and my being her caregiver, a role I now share with my friend Pete. So it was very good to get out with Pete for a few hours this AM. We had decided to target Green Lake once again and traveled together to the lake, arriving about 7:00, with lines in the water by 7:15. Already two fishermen stationed on the northeast shoreline, we selected our spots and began the serious business of catching fish. Air temp was 47 degrees at the outset, water temp had dramatically increased to 50 degrees. Lake surface a flat calm, not a breeze! I began fishing with chartreuse Power Eggs on one rig, pink PE on the other. Both fishing 2 1/2' leaders. First half hour I noticed a lot of surface activity, many fish in the area, some leaping completely out of the water. Changed one of my rigs to a 4' leader (chartreuse PE) and within five minutes had a solid hit and reeled in a silver bullet Rainbow of 15". Twenty minutes later my rod tip doubled over and was into a heavy fish... several runs and violent head-shakes, several breaches at the lake's surface, and finally brought to the net a beautiful 16 1/2" Rainbow (this one on 2 1/2' leader with pink PE). Another 8" to 10" in length and it would have been the twin of Steelhead I used to catch on the Sky years ago. By 9:30 the sun had risen high enough in the sky to bathe the lake in bright sunshine and the bite seemed to tail off. Pete had landed two fish in the 13" to 14" range, then about 10:15 my rod tip began to dance and I reeled in another silver bright bullet of 16" (chartreuse PE). Had several subtle hits through the morning, and two fish on that came unbuttoned after several aerial displays... another hook-up was obviously a much bigger fish as it peeled line off my reel, several violent head-shakes, and then only 20' out, spit the hook... never saw the fish! Pete landed his third, about 11:00, and then we packed up and left about 11:30, to return to our roles as caregivers.
All in all, a great morning at the lake. Several other fishermen in the area, saw 7 or 8 other fish landed. One whom I know as Malcom, said the afternoon fishing has been good lately. Saw something I had never seen before... a Merganser, flying low over the lake's surface, had a small trout leap out of the water in front of him... without missing a beat, the Merganser dove head first into lake while still in the air, and snagged the trout, all within the span of two seconds... amazing! I love watching such drama of nature being played out on the stage before me as I fish.
Great to be back on the lake for a few hours this morning, pursuing the sport I love so much. "GO HAWKS!!! PTL!

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