Those that live near Lake Helena know its history. This unique but shallow lake can be great fishing. This is a lake where walleye spawn, The Devils Brigade trained, and geese flock to.
Being retired offers some opportunity that many others do not enjoy. We get to hunt and fish during the week without taking off work. This privilege is well earned. Handy and I are retied teachers with over 60 years of teaching between us. Meat Stick was a geologist at gold mines for decades.
Today, Meat Stick, Handy Randy and I went fishing at Lake Helena. The big rainbows are cruising this area and with the right gear and bait, you can wrestle some huge Bows.
This was Handy Randy’s first trip. Meat Stick and I have been weekly regulars. I took my grandson CC last Sunday and wore him out. There is a fine line between fishing and catching. On this day the air was cool, and the wind was harsh. Lake Helena was full of breaking waves.
Catching is about overcoming weather and other challenges. Having fun is rule #1. This was the day’s requirement,
I spread the boys apart so that Handy was in the middle and Meat Stick was on the right, in his favorite spot. This was Handy’s first visit to this Honey Hole.
You would think that the middle guy would catch fewer fish than the flankers. Not today. Handy was slaying the big bows. Meat Stick and I were doing ok but Handy was the master and he was just using one rod!
The bite is not fast, and patience is needed. As we discussed politics and other stories, our rods began to get a real workout. The fish we were on are HUGE and can easily break your line, rods, and spirits. Proper netting is also an important skill. Not everyone knows how to net, and these pigs require a BIG NET and a dedicated and experienced netter.
The fun thing is that these bows are beasts. Your drag better be set properly, and you need to pay attention. There were no witnesses to today’s fish catching. The FWP warden slowed down but did not stop. A limit of 5 trout can weigh in at 25 pounds.
I have heard that Big Trout do not taste great and … That story comes from anglers that can’t catch Big Trout. These fish are wonderful. The emat is orange and there are so many ways to prepare them. Just pretend that they are salmon.
Catch a big one!
Montana Grant
