Fishing Henrys Lake in Fall

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Henry's Lake and Autumn Trout

By Lukas Pryanovich

The day was one I will remember. After two weeks rolling in my own guilt and slowly withering away from the great denial of a woman, I needed to get away from the harsh torments of reality and life. My destination was the great Henry's Lake of Idaho.

The autumn day was cold and drizzly. Tree leaves were painted golden brown, accenting the white powdered snow resting on the mountain peaks. The lake was motionless glass. The only ripple in front of my float tube was the tiny splash landing of my fly.

A roll cast, that made ocean waves jealous, sent my fly into perfect position. Slowly the fly sank into the coldwater depths, while I waited patiently for a fish to take my lure. My fingers were frozen from the frigid air, while I slowly stripped the line - until I felt a pulsating jerk. My mind began to race as force from the fish sent my rod into an arching bow. The metallic clicking echoed throughout the desolate lake as the fish raced for the bottom.

The fish swam at a fast pace, jumping out of the water and swimming in circles around me, spinning my tube like the second hand of a clock. Minutes seemed like hours while the adrenalin rushed through my body, easing the aching pain in my wrist. My mind set adrift into a thousand different guesses of the fish's size. The only image I could comprehend was the extensive tugging from below. Closer to the surface the fish came, until I witnessed an epiphany as I gazed upon the golden body gliding in the water. After 15 minutes of confrontation, the great hybrid was trapped within the confines of my net. I held the beauty in my hands, admiring his vanilla-cream belly and the scarlet red stripe running along his golden body.

My dad paddled beside my tube; together we shared a moment of silence, lasting while we admired the fish. He ulled out my camera and took a picture.

Gazing upon the body of the fish reminded me of the changing colors of leaves settling on the mountainside. Running my finders down the hybrid's soft, cold, golden skin made me think of autumn.

Fall Equinox is the time when the plain color of green blossoms into the unique colors of red and gold, on their way to winter's death. This season is the time when the frost befalls the grass and the leaves settle for winter's resting.

Not wanting the trout to parish like the yearly leaves, I returned him to the icy Henry's Lake waters, thanking him for a fight worth remembering.

Henry's Lake and Autumn Trout

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