Back on the Yak

Back on the Yak
3/16/2014

As winter turns to spring I cannot help but dream of kayak fishing.  Needless to say, kayak fishing in Salt Lake City has been tough for me.  In over 7 months as a Utahan my kayak has only been in the water once!  My time has been spent learning to fly cast in tight quarters, tie flies and chase small stream trout--nothing picture worthy, but a lot of fun.  

After clearing my kayak of neglect it was time to hit the open water for the first time in 2014.  Kari and I decided to remove the rear seats from the trusty minivan with the intent to convert it into a camping mobile.  After the conversion was complete we set course for Deer Creek Reservoir.  

The day was windy, warm and very sunny.  Upon arrival I was somewhat discouraged as I knew I would be fighting the wind for the biggest portion of the evening.  I thought, "ahhh shit, might as well try", and I am glad I did!  I launched around 4:00 pm and was off the water by 6:30 pm with three beautiful rainbows to show for my effort.  It started off slow but as the wind picked up so did the fishing.   By the end of the day I had taken several wind-chopped waves over the bow and my hands were frozen from the spray.  There were a couple other people out in float tubes and personal pontoons, but they stayed in the protection of the bay to the right of the ramp.  I hope they eventually got their share.  

As night crept closer we retreated to the camp site.  I gathered some wood for a fire, sparked the charcoal, and enjoyed one too many cold ones.  After a great dinner of brats and mushrooms we decided to hit the sack.  I woke up maybe 3 hours later in what seemed to be some unfamiliar version of the human popsicle.  I would guess there was at least a 1/16" of ice coating all of the interior windows.  It wasn't easy, but with a super serious 3-way cuddle between Kari, myself, and our pointer Savannah we made it through the night. 

The morning was bitterly cold but the air was perfectly still.  After stoking the fire, shaking off the chill and having a bite for breakfast it was time to do it all again.  With the mild winds and warm temperatures it was obvious I wasn't going to be the only one out on the lake.  Many other boaters and bank tanglers beat me to the punch, but I was still able to get my  fill.  After only two hours I had my limit and was headed off the water.  

Other than the cold, it was an awesome weekend with my lady and hound out at the lake!