Lots of bites but no whoppers

Yesterday was free fishing day in Idaho. We finally got around to dangling our spinners in the water about 3 p.m. It seemed like we'd never get to the lake. Once Laura arrived around noon with her triplets and her two adult friends, including Michelle from Coeur d'Alene and Gayle from Wellington, NZ, we finally set off to for our roundabout trip to Round Lake.

Round Lake is southwest of Sandpoint, about ten miles down Highway 95 and off Dufort Road. We headed north on Highway 95 after picking up a few goodies at Schweitzer Conoco. We needed one more fishing pole to add to the gear already on hand. Each triplet carried a brand new designer pole. I even saw a Barbie tackle box.

One of our spinning rods and all of our spinners had spent the winter in our boat. Our boat spent most of the winter in Marilyn Chambers' barn, so our first stop was the Burning Tree Ranch to retrieve the pole and lures and for Marilyn (a brand-new grandmother of her second set of twins) to meet the triplets.

We even enjoyed watching a couple of fruity canines meet each other and proceed to race in wide circles around the Chambers hammocks and outdoor play stations. Yup, Kiwi and Peaches (Marilyn's Boxer/Rottweiler cross) hit it off big time while the kids and adults enjoyed recreating and talking. Of course, Kiwi should like the Chambers dogs since we Love's have owned two dogs born and bred at the Burning Tree Ranch. That would include Annie Dog, Kiwi's buddy here at the house.

After a good visit with Marilyn, we loaded up again and headed for Mother's house at Colburn. While Laura visited with Mother, the triplets with adults headed outside to see the horses. The triplets learned a couple of weeks ago at the Love house how much horses love willow limbs. They had not forgotten, so we witnessed many trips by 4-year-olds trotting up the hillside to Mother's willow tree and galloping back to provide welcome gobbles to Rusty and Telly at the barnyard fence.

Once again, we left to go fishing. As we drove into town, with fishing on our mind, I remembered that a famous fisherman was holding a book signing at that very time. So, we made one more stop, unloaded all occupants (except Kiwi) and headed for the Corner Book Store where Patrick F. McManus was wrapping up his signing. He met the triplets and happily signed a few books for us. Then, we told him we were going fishing. He was impressed.

Finally, we arrived at Round Lake. The new poles for triplets came from their packages and were soon doing their job off the dock, which was lined with far more kids than adults. When we first arrived, one of those kids was holding up a blue gill or sun fish and beaming with pride. With all the lure action, I'm sure most of the wiser fish had figured out it was free fishing day, so they were doing their best to remain free fish.

We did catch a lot of green fish though. They're the kind that grow from the bottom and bend the heck out of your pole, making you think you've surely hooked a big one. Annie snapped a few photos of the larger catches of green stuff, just so the folks back home would believe our fish stories. We also marveled at the giant blue heron swooping back and forth overhead and apparently unconcerned about all these fishing folks invading its space.

Eventually, when it became apparent that we might be hooking more humans than rainbows, we decided to head on down the lake trail to Cocolalla Creek. With the wooden bridge constructed high over the water, the scene was splendid and the water looked as if it could be loaded with fish. No luck at the bridge, plus Justine kept threatening to jump in, so we moved a little further down the creek where an open shoreline offered us plenty of room to cast.

That's where they started biting. The mosquitoes, that is.

With a heavy barrage of the critters landing every which way but loose and inflicting their clodhopper-like stingers, we didn't last too long at that great hole. Plus, four lures were lost within two minutes, so nobody argued when someone suggested we call it a day.

We rewarded ourselves with some of Carolyn's delights at Second Avenue Pizza and all agreed that our roundabout trip to Round Lake had been a success, even though the whoppers are still out there swimming and waiting to dodge the hooks come Free Fishing Day 2007.

A good time was had by all, including the fish and the mosquitoes.