Humbled

 

Yup, I'm humbled by the fishing here in Mooontana. It's bad enough that ol slimey is way harder to catch than I had thought but the rules and regs are about as confusing as it is on the world famous.  I've always, well mostly always , been a rules guy so you can imagine my heart rate the other day when I had this conversation with a Park Ranger while putting the boat on the trailer....you know how I feel about Park Rangers.....

Him....well do I have to get my ticket book out ?

Me...I doubt it, we only caught a couple Walleyes but that darn lake is chuck full of Perch .

Him...You didn't keep any Perch did you ?

( Now this guy must have not have done so well in the interrogation class at the academy because he kinda showed  his  hand and I had the feeling ) sooo I said....

Me....keep them, why would anybody keep them when they're the size of the Angel Fish in my aquarium ?

Him...Well that's a good thing because this is the only Lake you can't keep them until July 1st. 

mmmmmm....well with June 1 right around the corner and having promised some new Team Xers that we'd have an all you can eat Walleye feed before that date and figuring nobody could tell the difference we had some gorgeous Perch....Yikes....and we still don't have enough for the much awaited Walleye feed. Here's pic of MPeasy with her first ever Walleye, may the fish gods grant you more and larger baby.

At one point I was busy trying to tie this new fangled invisible line that I've been told to use and I glance up an MP's rod is hammered down with a Walleye bottom bouncer rig on it . Of course it got off but we now know the big uns exist . She kinda knows there's more to the trip than catching, after all we're the poster kids for  ' the joy is in the pursuit ' movement. She saw a Taniger and although that ain't a Grizzly Bear or a Mountain Lion it's a pretty big deal.

So she's looking in the trees.  Me, I'm looking at boats and fisherman. I'm wondering why this guy is in the middle of the Lake and how fast he's trolling and what's he towing and at what depth. And of course a boat in the high country of Montana is a beautiful thing even if he is running an old smokey two stroke.

So, I got the right depth . I can see the targets . I'm up early . Got nice fresh leeches , my first experience with those babies and they're about half disgusting, really slimey...AND  the rod goes off ! It feels like a...dare I think a large Wally finally ?.....nope, just another normal trout . Ain't know way this helps. It's absolutely impossible for even the most convincing expert pescador to succeed in telling people it's a red meat Walleye....kinda like the fabled White King...I could of  came through in the clutch if I'd offered an all you can eat trout fry.  But who wants to go to that ?

So any of you that were waiting on the Fish fry, it's been rescheduled for August 1st . If we need to we'll import some semi fresh salmon which will be a substitute people will like and I'll of course have crow on the menu for myself.  And to my buddy and mentor that told me " find the Perch and you'll find the Walleye " all I can say is thank you so much for damn near getting me my first and only ever fishing violation .