Thursday Shifty and I went west to the desert to find an Oasis. The trip out to the lake was across the Pony Express Trail, yep when the mail was delivered by horseback and riders rode across the nation as fast as they could. The trail has been through many changes over the years but they have now let it go back to gravel. The washboard on it can be teeth jarring. So we traveled it as fast as we could to minimize the effect of them. Along the way looked for rabbits, deer, and antelope but didn't see any. We pulled onto the pavement at the other end and headed to our destination a small reservoir nestled in the foothills of the west desert.
We arrived and to our surprise, there were quite a few folks camped out. We pulled around the lake and parked and readied our gear. Shifty was packing light and on his way quickly toward the dam. I took a little longer and did an intro for the video of the day in hopes that we caught a fish. I got on the water around 11:00. The wind was strong at times, but it was chilly all day long. I started tossing Kasmasters and changing colors every 10 or so cast.
My first hook up came about a half-hour after starting to fish. It was a short-lived battle. The little Tiger trout hit within a few feet of the bank and as quick as it hit it threw the lure at the bank. I could the bright orange pec fins and thought it was a tiger trout but didn't know if they actually stocked tiger trout in the lake, until later in the day.
I fished along the bank for a while moving toward the dam and noticed Shifty was more than halfway across the dam. So I decided to move the truck over the dam parking lot and start fishing the dam with him since I hadn't gotten another hit since the one earlier.
At the dam, we had a long-distance conversation about our efforts. He had a few hits but no hookups and me only the one. I started in the shallows and started getting hits and follows right up to the bank but no hookups. I changed the size and color of my lure hoping the smaller hook size would be more attractive but nothing. I moved down the dam tossed lure after lure and nothing. Shifty having the same results, he walked up to me and we talked about the day and what I had hooked up earlier. I explained I didn't know if they stocked tigers or not so it was my guess that it was.
He moved back down to where he was earlier and then a family came and we talked for a few minutes and the daughter kept the conversation rolling. Talking about rocks her fishing pole and they fished. I cast and reeled as we talked and changed colors.
This color change did the trick or the fish just decided to start eating, not sure which but it was fun for the next little bit. I got the first fish to the bank. A nice rainbow trout full fins and silver sides. The family and the girl raced back over for a look and then we released it. Next up was the answer to my question from earlier. A tiger trout came to visit. Pretty colors and a good fight for its size. I hollered at Shifty and told him the color of choice. He switched up and got into his first one of the day also. A nice fat tiger trout in full color with huge swirls and an orange belly.
We fished for the rest of the early afternoon and I got my limit within an hour of the first fish. Shifty landed another rainbow trout. Then just as quick as it began it stopped. We started going through colors and different spoons trying to get them to engage again but to no avail. By 3:00 we called it a day and headed for home with some good memories of the day. Back across the Pony Express Trail, we rode as fast as we could just like the old days of carrying the mail.
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