| Date: April 29, 2004 | | Location Bradley Lake & Chris Lake Fishing | | Where: Willamette National Forest | Bradley Lake was my goal for the day. For one reason, my guess was that the elevation should be about right for the snow to be melted, and secondly I knew that Bradley Lake had received 363 Brook, and 250 Rainbow fingerlings last summer. Arriving at Big Meadows Road we found it still blocked with snowdrifts. Having skied from that exact location many times in the winter, I knew we would be able to hike to the lake from there. The GPS showed a scant mile and a half. Off we went over the frozen hard snowdrifts on the road and then up the bare ground cross-country, following the GPS arrow. In an hour we were at Bradley Lake. Jeanette pumped up the raft while I strung up my fly rod. Not a sign of a rising fish.
|  | | Bradley Lake The water clarity was good, but I saw not a sign of a fish. In fact the only life to be seen was a pair of Canada Geese and a pair of Common Mergansers. After an hour of careful searching with wet flies and nymphs on a wet line I called it quits and we packed up and headed for Chris Lake. Here the GPS was invaluable and we walked right up to Chris Lake.
|  | | a pair of Canada Geese Chris Lake has a lot of trees, both submerged and floating that offer cover for trout, so I had my hopes up. I knew that Chris Lake had been stocked last summer with 400 rainbow fingerlings. We took a breather and enjoyed our lunch in the sun before re-pumping the raft and re-stringing the fly rod. No rising fish were to be seen here either, but here there were places to hide which Bradley had none. Just as I was about to give up, I had a fish on, he was deep and I never saw him before he came free. Now I was encouraged, and in a few minutes I was connected solidly to another, and after he made a few aerobatic moves I landed a nice fat 10' rainbow. Two more strikes tempted me before my tired butt said quit.
|  | | Chris Lake Our hike back the two miles to the car was uneventful, the GPS kept us appraised of our progress, which was made slower due to the softening snow. I should mention that all photos of the day are by Jeanette Scott. |
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