Among clear water, steep rocky terrain and high esteem for seeing great wonders, a day after my twenty-fifth birthday, my dad, our good friend Cody, his good dog named Spud, and myself ventured into the mountains in search of a good time seeing something new. What wasn't mentioned(or perhaps remembered) what was to come on this certain mountain trail. From a previous experience, an ATV ride up there wasn't too much for just my dad and I some years earlier. Now we were all testing ourselves on fat tire motorcycles, a skill dynamic that's totally different from two and four wheeled vehicles. This trail was very testing on a 7 out of 10 difficulty in my opinion, with many various rock bed protrusions, and wet conditions that are tricky to navigate.

Due to reasons I care not to describe, our friend Cody could not ascend the trialing mountain. About two thirds the way up, we all had to make a decision. To go further without our friend or turn back to congested waters? My dad and I didn't feel right leaving anybody behind or for them to endure any further pain, but Cody gave us incentive that he was safe and happy for a couple of hours without us to rest up. So, in hopes of seeing what we came for, my dad and I continued up the testing trail. Over lots of rock, loose soil, and uphill battles that must be thought through as to not damage ourselves or the machines that help us. Oh, and a yellow lab named "Spud" follows us intently in search of completing his mission too!

A couple miles or so further ahead, we were confronted with relief as we were greeted by a beautiful lake full of trout. As far as the eye can see, a trout is hungrily foraging on an insect, creating a ripple. As we glance crystal clear waters, the trout were only inches away from the shoreline, and as far out as the middle. Just standing there and watching them do their natural behaviors is equally, if not more humbling than fly fishing for them. Little pieces of natures great animals to be in the presence of. I take care of them in similarity of not dropping a child as much as I can, their energy is hard to hold sometimes. A fish isn't worth hurting unless you intend on harvesting them.

What I take from the fish itself is worth far more than it's meat. The ability to present your skills with efficacy and thought without infliction of damage and a safe return of such a beautiful animal is beyond reward of their edibility. In the balance of existing in such a place, we leave cleaner than we were before, while help clean the earth of human debris they leave behind from those who don't respect nothing. Leave none but your tracks, and you will be rewarded with visions others fail to observe.

Westslope Cutthroat Trout coast the lake, foraging on all that they can, fattening before the hatch's cease to produce. It wasn't hard to obtain a trout nearly every cast here with a proper dry fly rig. Standing on the rock of my favorite mountains, casting a fly into a super clear stillwater, I find few activities that are equally gratifying as an adventuring fly angler above 8,500ft with friends and family, even if they don't get there all the way(sorry Cody!) next time darnit. We all still had a great time(and made it in one piece) we will remember forever!............