Blue Lake Loon

I owe you the Blue Lake Loon story. Blue Lake is a small crystal clear lake halfway between Merritt and Kamloops in British Columbia whose only access is 4x4 with high clearance.  I caught my largest trout (8 pounds) at Blue Lake. Daughter Ashley caught her largest trout (7 pounds) there. Whenever we went there we were visited by the Blue Lake Loons. The loons could hear  the "zinging" of the reel from the other side of the lake. It was like sounding the "dinner bell." But it wasn't easy -- for us or the loons. These trout would always take your line out into the backing. They could go down 50 feet or more. I remember once, fishing in the deepest part of the lake when a trout took my line so quickly and so fiercely, with the reel zinging and zinging and zinging, that I thought I had a record trout on my line. I watched as the trout kept taking more and more line, until "snap" the fly, the tippet, the line, the backing were gone. I was left with nothing on my reel. Everything was gone. We had to stop fishing and drive into Kamloops so I could get new fly line and backing. I also remember my first catch on the first trip. The fish was being chased underwater by a loon while still holding my fly in its jaw. I watched it happening beneath since the water was so clear. Finally, the loon got the fish and I came up empty. So, it was with future trips. The first fish caught was always taken by a loon. In fact, it seem to become a ritual, a ceremonial offering to the Loon "God." The photo above was a loon sitting next to me waiting for me to catch my first fish of the day. I must say I fed him well over the years.