Baching It At Upper Blue Lake

My wife was headed to Sacramento this morning to get her hair done and do a lunch/dinner with her BFF whom she hasn't seen in almost 10 years, so I figured that the only logical thing for me to do is go fishing. I think most of you would agree.

I've been chomping at the bit to get a little time up at Upper Blue Lake before winter sets in. I checked the weather report at 7:00 and it said "sunshine and blue skies" with a high of about 62 and winds 5 to 15 in South Lake Tahoe (closest place to Upper Blue Lake), so off I went.

Pulled out of the house at 7:45 and after a coffee stop (you know where) got to the lake just before 9:15. 

Did I mention that it was 28 degrees in South Shore (that's what we call South Lake Tahoe) this morning? Did I also mention that Upper Blue Lake is almost 2000 feet higher in elevation? That would make it 2000 feet colder than South Shore. And the 5 to 15 mph winds were (and this is just my opinion) sustained at 15 mph. It looked something like the photo below minus the snow. I let my wife take the camera with her so I was cameraless (that a real word?).

Please ignore the snow

On the road, just before you get to Lower Blue Lake, there are two or three (depending on whether they have water in them) small ponds (not deep enough for fish, maybe 3 inches deep) that I noticed had ice on them and frost on the grass around them. A definite omen of the winter to come.

Not to be deterred, I put on my heavy hoodie, gloves, and hat. For the most part, that took care of the cold and wind, but just in case, I did have my parka.

By 9:30 I had two lines in the water and a pink Kastmaster on my little Okuma. I was ready, but where were the fish? It was a little before 11:00 when the first hit came. Being cold and a little slow (I've got to use some excuse) I missed the hit and managed to get the hook and sinker jammed in the rocks. The first of many today. Shortly thereafter I got a hit on the other line and managed to bring this one to shore. It was a little 11 inch Rainbow and being lip hooked, put back for another day.

The next hit came right at Noon. As soon as I picked up the rod, I knew this one was larger than the first one. I got three or four good runs before I got it to the net. Again it was lipped hooked and a nice 14 inch Rainbow was put back for another day.  In between all that waiting, I did swing several Kastmasters in pink, silver, and gold, but that's all the Kastmasters did. 

Since my wife was going to be gone all day and probably into the night, the day was mine. Around 1:00 pm I decided to take some of my gear up to the truck because I had lot there and I would have had to take a couple trips to get it all back to the truck anyway.

I was just at the top of the hill by the truck and all of a sudden, I was on the ground. I must have tripped over a rock or something, but at 68, THAT HURTS. For sure, that put the skids on the rest of the day. Even with a "stupid" pill, I was going to hurt so I figured that I'd better get the rest of my gear while I still could.

A walk down, a careful walk back up the hill and my bachelor day of fishing came to an end.

I hate when that happens.