I fixed the last sections of blown down fence and for play time I decided to head back to the same lake from last week. I kinda wanted to avenge myself for the previous week's butt kicking but it was also a weather thing. Unfortunately, the only way I was gonna see 72 degrees (like Clarkman) was to stay home in front of the fireplace. 
The forecast for my area was rain and wind just about everywhere....except for this lake...where there wasn't supposed to be much wind. 
Cloud cover was low when I got on the water and there was fresh snow on the hills but it was above freezing at the lake and there wasn't much wind...so things were looking acceptable...
![IMG_4608[1].JPG](https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/data/attachments/8/8252-b8d264202a2a61c51c3a760fb02e2dfd.jpg?hash=uNJkICoqYc "IMG_4608[1].JPG")
I got one nice little cutthroat with my 'go to' search pattern...an orange & olive hale bopp-ish leech pattern...but overall it wasn't getting much love so I forced myself to step out of my comfort zone and try a waterboatman pattern I've read others had good luck with.
No bueno.
Still, being somewhat thick headed, I kept at it eventhough the friggin weather forecaster had lied and the wind was now driving some wicked cold rain into my back.
![IMG_E4611[1].JPG](https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/data/attachments/8/8253-4ac10add33cce086d3a260ef03a77c46.jpg?hash=SsEK3TPM4I "IMG_E4611[1].JPG")
Continuing out of my comfort zone, I added an indicator and a trailing nymph but still got no love.
I have a hard time watching an indicator on a nice day so after what seemed like an eternity in the wind and rain, I said screw it. I switched back to an intermediate line and a more natural colored leech and started moving down the shoreline in the direction of my rig and some heat
I quickly picked up a fiesty little rainbow on meth and continued working my way down the shoreline...hoping to also get outa the wind.
While casting in a numb stupor, I thought I snagged a root from a submerged tree, and then it tugged back. Before I knew it I was talking loudly to a beauty of thick fish that wanted to get away pretty badly and came out of the water a couple times before I could scoop it up in my little Grinch of a net that was two sizes too small.
![IMG_E4609[1].JPG](https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/data/attachments/8/8255-c5d0114ea48e1062d9d41494d873c82e.jpg?hash=xdARTqSOEG "IMG_E4609[1].JPG")
This was one of the two pounders planted by WDFW late last year.
It's head was jammed into the bottom of the net with the tail draped over the top and it couldn't swim freely or seemingly move water over it's gills so a quick snap shot and off it went. Hopefully it won't develop a hankering for powerbait and will live to be even bigger.
My cockiness wore off once the adrenaline faded and the cold once again began to seep in. I ended up finding some shoreline out of the wind and caught a few more fish. None were anywhere near the two pound plant...but at least there was one left.
The forecast for my area was rain and wind just about everywhere....except for this lake...where there wasn't supposed to be much wind. Cloud cover was low when I got on the water and there was fresh snow on the hills but it was above freezing at the lake and there wasn't much wind...so things were looking acceptable...
I got one nice little cutthroat with my 'go to' search pattern...an orange & olive hale bopp-ish leech pattern...but overall it wasn't getting much love so I forced myself to step out of my comfort zone and try a waterboatman pattern I've read others had good luck with.
No bueno.
Still, being somewhat thick headed, I kept at it eventhough the friggin weather forecaster had lied and the wind was now driving some wicked cold rain into my back.
Continuing out of my comfort zone, I added an indicator and a trailing nymph but still got no love.
I have a hard time watching an indicator on a nice day so after what seemed like an eternity in the wind and rain, I said screw it. I switched back to an intermediate line and a more natural colored leech and started moving down the shoreline in the direction of my rig and some heat
I quickly picked up a fiesty little rainbow on meth and continued working my way down the shoreline...hoping to also get outa the wind.
While casting in a numb stupor, I thought I snagged a root from a submerged tree, and then it tugged back. Before I knew it I was talking loudly to a beauty of thick fish that wanted to get away pretty badly and came out of the water a couple times before I could scoop it up in my little Grinch of a net that was two sizes too small.
This was one of the two pounders planted by WDFW late last year.
It's head was jammed into the bottom of the net with the tail draped over the top and it couldn't swim freely or seemingly move water over it's gills so a quick snap shot and off it went. Hopefully it won't develop a hankering for powerbait and will live to be even bigger.
My cockiness wore off once the adrenaline faded and the cold once again began to seep in. I ended up finding some shoreline out of the wind and caught a few more fish. None were anywhere near the two pound plant...but at least there was one left.
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