Back home at Bussard Lake, we encountered three days of rainy weather which somewhat cramped our fishing. In fact, apart from Wayne standing on the dock and doing a little fly fishing (he got some nice hits by the bass), we did not really fish Bussard Lake this time. And we could not ride Rich’s three frisky horses who had been clipped and shoed for their first ride of the season. Given my history of riding one of Rich’s frisky horses (the now retired Kidlat), this might have been a blessing!
However, both before our trip to Lake Curlew and after, we had two most enjoyable fishing trips to the always successful Waitts Lake which is just a few miles away from Bussard Lake. The closer to home you stay, the more fish you catch!
On our first day at Waitts Lake, Rich and Wayne were in wonderful form. In no time at all, they were catching good-sized fish and Wayne was netting them with great finesse. I was catching NOTHING! To further complicate matters, I was not understanding all the instructions I was receiving from the Commander in the first hour. Hey, I was jet-lagged and still adjusting to lake-side living and the terrors of living in a cabin loft with a killer ladder.
At some point, Rich passed me a Rainbow trout in a polystyrene cup and told me I had better put some water in with him. Without thinking, I poured some bottled water in the cup and then placed the now hydrated fish in the ice chest that was full of....yes....ice. As Rich and Wayne kept passing me fish, I kept putting them in the ice chest and when they told me to put in water I did so--bottled water. I just wanted the best for these fish--what’s wrong with nice, fesh spring water for our fishy friends?
On one occasion, Rich saw me pouring bottled water into the ice chest and exclaimed: “Newport, what the hell are you doing?” “Putting water in the ice chest, what else?” I replied, a tad defensively. They both burst out laughing. “You idiot--the cup was for getting water from the lake. Newport, we are surrounded by water. Get the water from the lake. Don’t waste our drinking water on the fish!”
I mean, on a scale of 1to10, this seemed like a fairly minor error (probably a 0.05 demerit) but they both went on about it and said it had to go into the blog so that I could be publicly revealed, rebuked and reviled for this outrage. (Maybe Gawker will get hold of it)? I have done as they asked and can only get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness. However, my utter devastation at this grievous fault was eradicated when I got, as always, the biggest fish of the day, four colors down. As I pulled it in and Wayne scooped my beauty into the net, Schatz muttered, “A nice little fish, Newport”. I don’t get any respect!
We had caught our 5 fish per man limit but I do acknowledge that my contribution to the day’s catch was meager. We brought them home, Rich cut and gutted and we brought them with us for dinner to Fred and Makrina’s up the road. Makrina turned them into a delicious, traditional Filipino paksiw or fish (trout in this case) stew with vinegar, tomatoes, onions, ginger, cilantro and other ingredients, no doubt. My other failing was to forget to take any photos of this or the other dishes that Makrina served that evening so, once again, groveling apologies to all concerned.
Sadly, Wayne did not join Rich and me for our second trip to Waitts Lake because he had to return home on Monday, May 23. Rich and I went out on the Wednesday with his smaller two-man boat after Wayne’s departure. With only two of us, we were limited to 10 fish. Where was Wayne we we needed him? However, through a number of tragic mistakes, we somehow lost quite a few of the very small fish we snagged and, without really trying, ended up with exactly 10 fourteen inchers or above!! The Wildlife and Fisheries guys are a bit anal about limiting your catch so we put on a pretty good show of screaming and wailing as yet another small fish somehow leaped off the hook at the last moment. I may not be much of a fisherman but I sure can act and emote!
On the home front, we ate exceptionally well. Yvette baked some trout one night and they were divine. Nothing can compare to fish which have come straight from the lake (Waitts in this case).
On other nights, I tried my hand at cooking and nobody died. And here is the excellent rhubarb and strawberry tart that Kirstine made--in fact, she made two! And if you didn’t cook, you had to wash up. Reimes was the best washer upper ever--and always did it with a smile.
However, on Wayne’s last full day, he and Rich did manage to move the horses from the lower field by the lake where they had been gorging on the green, green grass to the upper field. The weather was not good enough to ride and for that I breathed a sigh of relief.
However, both before our trip to Lake Curlew and after, we had two most enjoyable fishing trips to the always successful Waitts Lake which is just a few miles away from Bussard Lake. The closer to home you stay, the more fish you catch!
On our first day at Waitts Lake, Rich and Wayne were in wonderful form. In no time at all, they were catching good-sized fish and Wayne was netting them with great finesse. I was catching NOTHING! To further complicate matters, I was not understanding all the instructions I was receiving from the Commander in the first hour. Hey, I was jet-lagged and still adjusting to lake-side living and the terrors of living in a cabin loft with a killer ladder.
At some point, Rich passed me a Rainbow trout in a polystyrene cup and told me I had better put some water in with him. Without thinking, I poured some bottled water in the cup and then placed the now hydrated fish in the ice chest that was full of....yes....ice. As Rich and Wayne kept passing me fish, I kept putting them in the ice chest and when they told me to put in water I did so--bottled water. I just wanted the best for these fish--what’s wrong with nice, fesh spring water for our fishy friends?
I mean, on a scale of 1to10, this seemed like a fairly minor error (probably a 0.05 demerit) but they both went on about it and said it had to go into the blog so that I could be publicly revealed, rebuked and reviled for this outrage. (Maybe Gawker will get hold of it)? I have done as they asked and can only get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness. However, my utter devastation at this grievous fault was eradicated when I got, as always, the biggest fish of the day, four colors down. As I pulled it in and Wayne scooped my beauty into the net, Schatz muttered, “A nice little fish, Newport”. I don’t get any respect!
Fred BBQs pork belly strips--masarap!
We had caught our 5 fish per man limit but I do acknowledge that my contribution to the day’s catch was meager. We brought them home, Rich cut and gutted and we brought them with us for dinner to Fred and Makrina’s up the road. Makrina turned them into a delicious, traditional Filipino paksiw or fish (trout in this case) stew with vinegar, tomatoes, onions, ginger, cilantro and other ingredients, no doubt. My other failing was to forget to take any photos of this or the other dishes that Makrina served that evening so, once again, groveling apologies to all concerned.
On the home front, we ate exceptionally well. Yvette baked some trout one night and they were divine. Nothing can compare to fish which have come straight from the lake (Waitts in this case).
On other nights, I tried my hand at cooking and nobody died. And here is the excellent rhubarb and strawberry tart that Kirstine made--in fact, she made two! And if you didn’t cook, you had to wash up. Reimes was the best washer upper ever--and always did it with a smile.
Given the really bad weather in the last couple of days before Wayne left, this was a familiar scene. It is called sitting around and not doing much of anything.
From L to R: Sidney, Rich, Mary Kay, Harriet and Wayne
So, another excellent road trip and a delightful stay with the Schatz Family. Many thanks to Rich, Yvette, Linda, Reimes and Kirstine for their hospitality, good food and the cosy little cabin by the lake. We look forward to seeing you all next year!
L to R: Reimes, Kirstine, Linda, wayne, Rich and Yvette
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