Camp Opened

We opened camp this past week. The stove in main camp finally works, albeit because of the new one installed last minute. The trees along Boulder Road—potholes and all—formed a magical, tunnel-like canopy as we drove down to the house. Birdsong welcomed us, as did the lady with the net hat, who waved to us along the way. Traffic on Boulder Road is no thru-way—just a few backwoods carts with youngsters bouncing along. Approaching 239, the view of the lake is clear. Small craft trolling for lake trout and salmon. The sky is overcast with temps in the high 60s. Katie greets us with a welcoming smile. She always wants the first day to be perfect. In my mind, I am already anticipating tomorrow’s day of fishing with Andy as my guide. I walk through the woods to my tent camp and head out toward the rocks. The water is high for this time of year with the rain constant. I quietly search for a 5 wt rod with a popper fly. Casting out free on my back cast, I avoid the fly tree, where there is a collection of flies from years past. The fly lands calmly into the lake in between several large rocks. A sudden pull at the fly awakens me. A take already! My instincts are not yet finetuned, and I miss it. It is a welcoming Hello from the depths of East Grand Lake. The message is loud and clear: We know you are here, Lenny!