Page 62 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL11

searched for a new spinner to tie to my line. It seemed like it was the right time for the lake trout to feed. The wind was strong while the water swelled violently. The chill was squeezing my veins and seemed to freeze me...While I was wrenching my hook out of the rocks, my new friend flicked his rod and another trout rose to his bait. Seeing this, I reeled in my empty line and got the net and scooped out his fish. Partly my heart was rejoicing at this camaraderie. At the same time, the same heart was trembling at my own misfortune.“Hey, if I get one more, I’ll give it to you,” the man said kindly.Less than five minutes later, this friend’s rod jerked from a third trout. I had put down my rod for a while as I had run out of good lures.“Are you sure you want to givethat to me?” I said, repeating his offer.“Sure.”“If so, could you pass the rod to me? I want to fight it myself.”To battle the fish was more valuable than to have it. My friend accepted my offer, passing his rod over and preparing the net. Gradually I pulled the trout closer, feeling its strength for the first time. It was not much different or distinctive from other trout species. Tugging the heavy line, my lake trout ran away every time it got close to the net. Right after it was netted, the three-barb hook of the spinner slipped from its mouth. Had the net been delayed for a second, the fish would have swum back into deep water.We sat down smoking my ciga- rettes. Seeing me searching my tackle box without finding anything, the man took out one of his spinnersand handed it to me. It was a size- 4 rusty golden Vibrex spinner from Blue Fox.“Don’t you think I’ll lose it?” I said, feeling that he was more generous than the average American.“Nope, I got a lot back home. Let’s try it. I’m not sure if it works. I haven’t tried it today,” he answered as if it was a very common lure.I believed it would work since its size and colour fit the cloudy weather. What I was afraid of was getting it caught on the rocks again. Since I had not fished this spot before, I was not familiar with the lake bottom. Plus my lines were only 4-pound gauge, always breaking when I tried to untangle them from the rocks.Tying the bait tightly, I cast it far across the pond and reeled the line in slowly, allowing the propellers of the spinner to spin. As it crept along the bottom and reached the middle60 Elite+