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I wonder, if Henrys Lake could express her thoughts of exasperation, would they be……
You’re killing me, Smalls….
Year round fishing, allowing ice fishing w/ 5 treble hooks & 5 rods per fisherman, years of drought, toxins, scourge of recently built lakeside homes, apathetic game and fish, jet skis, higher temps with lower tolerance displayed on the lake.
But, I regress, every single day the clock resets, and I personally, have to reset my mind, that today, each day, is a special day when spent on Henrys Lake.
I’m blessed to be a fly fishing guide for Eagle Ridge Ranch, and co-owner of Henrys Lake Guide Service to spend many a magnificent day on the Lake. The older I get, the more I enjoy the splendor, and beauty of this lake like no other. The birds, cloud formations, entomology, people, mountains, flowers, wildlife, brisk mornings, dazzling sunsets, enchanting evenings all interweave magically to add to the brilliance and grandeur of this remarkable creation.
To add a little perspective of what Henrys means to others, I share a recent guide experience.
Forty year old, Chicago broker, Chiseled Chet jumped on board with a big smile and a quirky way about him. He said, “I just got out of a family intervention, I’m second day off coke, on my fourth cup of coffee and pumped to fish.” He was like a caged cat, I picked up on some small nuances of his 16 year old son, as he pointed out different things he thought cool about the fishing experience. After setting anchor and watching him momentarily sit in every possible place on my boat, I pulled anchors and noticed that as we drifted, he was less antsy. He loved all my flies and the names of each one, he had a photographic memory and could have repeated the names of every fly.
He was at the front of my boat, wanting to observe my casting and retrieving. There was about a 10 mph wind moving the boat, casting into the wind, I absentmindedly double hulled a cast, and simply did 4” bumps on the RIO Aqualux intermediate line, tipped with a Purple Showstopper. Drove the fish wild, but Chet was only interested in the casting technique and retrieval method, he took the fly off as he practiced his casting! He was a quick study, his casting and retrieving and hanging the fly were all spot on.
We moved to the Cliffs, the Eagles busy with their fishing tasks. No casting, just fascinated by the bird watching for a bit. He asked me more questions about the lake than I had answers, but, constant dialogue throughout the day. There were a couple Moose by A-frame bay, as we moved in closer, he asked me to stop the boat, not wanting to scare or make the moose nervous by our presence. He was as am I, in awe of these awkward, yet amazing creatures. He wanted to see more of the lake, so we boated up the outlet, several Ospreys in flight, Chet was calming, anxiety diminishing, enjoying the boating, fly fishing and magic of Henrys Lake.
As the day came to a close and we approached the dock at the state park, he came to me, hugged me, tears in his eyes, said, “no sh… man, today was the best day of my life. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I reconnected with my son, nature, and I frick’n love Henrys Lake, you are one lucky SOB.”
Thanks for the perspective Chet!
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Please make plans to join us at the Henrys Lake Foundation Annual Fundraiser and Social Gathering on June 30th, 5:30 p.m. @ Meadow Vue Ranch. Price $50/adults and $25/children, call 208-558-7411 for reservations. Everyone is welcome! The Henrys Lake Foundation’s Mission is to protect and conserve fish and fish habitat in Henrys Lake, Idaho and its watershed. Every project aims to improve catch rate, increase natural cutthroat reproduction and improve water quality. The foundation board is made up of volunteer stewards that utilize their knowledge and expertise to enhance and sustain the quality of experiences at Henrys Lake.
Kevin Skenandore
Author: Time Flies, Adventures of an Avid Angler
Board Member: Henrys Lake Foundation
Co-owner: Henrys Lake Guide Service
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