Return to Lake Katherine

[EvilTyeDyeTwin]

After being "thwarted by thunder" last week, we just had to return to Brighton to redeem ourselves. We got a little distracted by the Olympics on TV, but the fishing addiction took over...and before we knew it we were in the parking lot, with both rain and sunshine falling on us.


As we started up the summer trail the clouds took off behind the ridge...allowing safe travel to proceed.


We continued climbing, and got a chance to see just how far we had gone already.


This time the annual "check for life" time waster, Lake Martha, was avoided...but we won't lie...we did try to look for some boils from our vulture vantage spot....and no...no life.


Soon we were at the target lake...Lake Katherine....and a split in the trail was encountered. Which way to go? CTL or CTR.....it's sunday.....CTL!!!!!!


We tried flies...and only got a few hits. TDT brought the spin rod along and got the 1st fish of the day on a gold blue fox size 1 spinner. We thought it was a brookie but the DWR DNA test confirmed it was in fact a poke'a'dotted kokanee, a very rare breed of salmon


Soon that spinner was getting some more brook trout of your typical color. Go figure...the day I leave the spin rod/gear at home...TDT slays them on hardware.


Ughh....that spinner just kept slayin them...meanwhile the flies were going completely unoticed. Some fish are just too dam picky! I guess they all had a lust for gold!



The reflections were not post card perfect...but still worthy of a few pictures.



Finally I threw a Olive Bunny and got a Brook Trout.


Then I noticed a mosquito on my arm and switched to a mosquito pattern. 1st cast...BAM! A "respectible for Katherine's standards" brookie took the fly.


It had some BEAUTIFUL colors.


TDT soon joined me in the mosquito pattern rampage and we were just slayin them. Dispite not having head lamps, we just could not leave! Plus the sunset was too beautiful to leave too.



As it got dark we quickly packed up the gear and high tailed it out of there...in complete darkness. TDT is in this picture. With no source of light...we were not worried...for we have taken this trail too many times to count...all year round. TDT is hiking in this picture


While hiking down in the dark we saw some big shadows...which were just up close deer. Another switchback later I saw some more deer. I touched TDT's shoulder and softly said, "speakin of deer, there are some just right over there". He jumped 4 feet high and yelled a very polite 4 letter word. Not a moment later, a low to the ground, large figure was standing in the middle of the trail. No headlamp, so no way of telling exactly what it was...likely a porkupine...some clappin of the hands took care of him. Just as we neared the parkin lot a large fox came straight up the trail...and calmly took to the bushes once it got near us. We got down in one piece....and honked at a fair number of deer on the drive down the canyon.

We ended up catching 22 Brook Trout and ended up with 7 keepers.
[signature]

[Flyfishinglover]

I think the wild animals just love your hair so much they just want to attack you'll XD
[signature]

[Wetfeet]

Great report and nice pictures. Has Martha been fish free for long? It always looks so good but I haven't ever caught anything there- but only 3 years trying?
[signature]

[EvilTyeDyeTwin]

In the 8 years that I have climbed that area I have never seen a boil, and there is nothing in the stocking records. My guess is NO.......No life. Same goes for the nearby Dog Lake.
[signature]

[STEVEF39]

The pics of the sunset are awesome, cant wait to get back up thier such an awesome hike, sounds like you got into some fish too, thanks for the report!
[signature]

[TyeDyeTwins]

I landed a brookie on a dry during that sunset. Evil tried to take a pic but the good camera failed and couldn't read the SD card. The crappy camera washed out the sky. Such a bummer.
[signature]

[Matador]

I've been going up to Catherine for over 30 years. There never have been any fish in Martha. It does produce some awesome mosquitoes though.
[signature]

[Matador]

Ah yes, your hike down in the dark brings back memories. But for me instead, instead of deer it was moose. A cow and a calf. That little adventure was pretty high on the pucker factor scale.
And man am I jealous. I wish I had time to go up again.
[signature]

[TyeDyeTwins]

[quote Matador]I've been going up to Catherine for over 30 years. There never have been any fish in Martha. It does produce some awesome mosquitoes though.[/quote]

What you talkin about? Sure there is fish there. Didn't you read the report......there were 2 huge suckers cuising the shore!

SUCKER FISH-erman are all about there. Sure is a very pretty lake. Way better with snow though in my opinion.
[signature]