Skunked At Ross Lake, no Trout for this Lout.

Yeah, yeah, now y'all know what i look like:

So, Ross was a blast, but the fishing was SLOW and HOT. We missed last year's trip due to family obligations (a big Disney trip with both of my sisters' kids) and evidently the fishing was great in August 2009. Oh well, 2010 will be known as the year I caught nothing, nothing but sunburned hands and ears! I lost a hell of a lot of lures as well. Several brand spanking new Dick Nite spoons, which have long been a favorite of myself, a fondness passed down from old Unce Bill. Despite his age and disability, Bill courageously makes the trek to Ross every year, which involves catching a boat @ Lake Diablo under Ross, then riding in a flatbed up the mountain, then being ferried via high speed boat over to Ross Lake's floating "resort". All this while communally loading and unloading not only your own gear, but that of how ever many folks are catching a ride into the lake that day. It's no picnic, but the trek in is well worth it. Ross is a special place, and, not to sound morbid, but it's in my Top 5, of places where I'd like my ashes sprinkled someday.

I was hoping to make use of the Bechmade 15000-1 plain edged Bone Collector Skinner, but I didn't catch a damn thing!

I SHOULD say, that I had plenty of action, I had 3 plus keepers reeled in, ready to net, when they shook loose of my hook. I also lost a few lures to strong fish, underwater snags and poorly tied knots. Ross requires single, baitless, barbless hooks, restrictions are fairly strict. I tend to use Dick Nite spoons, and crimp the barb with pliers.


I made good use of Benchmade's original black Rescue Hook, I prefer cutting line and leader with it, over a nail clipper, and the overall design makes it very safe to use on a slightly rocking boat out on a giant lake. My EDC up there was the now-discontinued Zero Tolerance MUDD 0500 folding knife, which is impervious to grit and dirt, due to its sealed pivot & locking mechanism. It's a Grant & Gavin Hawk design, and brilliantly executed by ZT/KAI, my only complaint is that the G10 handles are so roughly textured and sharp edged, that it can sometimes scrape up your hand when you need to grab something (pocket change, Swedish snus) out of your pocket, other than the knife.
The pic below, with the red lanyard, is mine, from my original post back when I obtained my MUDD 0500 knife:


So the ZT MUDD performed admirably as my EDC on the trip, and I also used an old Leatherman PST, the cheap Cold Steel Canadian Belt Knife and a VicNox Hiker Swiss Army. Just for good measure, I had Triple Eight Professional's little SOL knife in my pocket @ all times, and actually used it to destroy several bratwurst into bite size chunks to enjoy with Uncle Wayne's sauerkraut! My dad's kit included the original USA Made Mini Buck, a CRKT Big Eddy fillet knife and an assortment of foreign made multi-tools that I always give him shit about. He caught 3, which, in total is a low, low number, in better years we get 3 fish per half-day! And that's over 4 days each! So, my hope is that next year I can compensate for my lack of fish brought into the boat. What counts though, is that I saw action, had fish on the line, and got to spend lots of time with my dad, and some of my favorite relatives, the older of which might not be able to go back to Ross again because of declining health. It's just beautiful up there, the air smells so different and clean compared to Seattle/Tacoma, and it's so peaceful, we frequently find ourselves nodding off in the boat, if it's not too terribly hot. Check out the lake, and what Tom's little resort has to offer, it's well worth the dough if you live in the area, and want a little, peaceful, yet adventurous getaway.

Is it just me? Or do I spot a skeleton head in this awesome rock face?: