It was time to fish…and Douglas Ranch did not disappoint.
The plan was to meet in Bellingham, WA on Sunday. The boys converged throughout the morning from Louisiana, Nevada, California and Washington. Ian and Olson stopped in Medford on their marathon trip for a quick Kro fix at Epic Ink. Jof hosted our meeting at his home and we all enjoyed pizza and seeing families. Three OGs: Wags, Shane and Scotty joined and relayed their regrets for not attending the pending adventure.
We struck out soon after and crossed into Canada without issue, then stopped in Merritt, BC to stock up for meals and drinks. Roughly four hours later, we pulled into our new home for the next four days. Stoney Lake Lodge was outstanding. The Great Room was perfect for hanging out with incredible views of the lake and a beer fridge steps away. The dining room offered plenty of space for tying flies and reviewing gear. Our quarters were similar to a nice Best Western: simple, clean and comfortable. The commercial kitchen was ready for anything with huge refrigerators and expansive countertops. The only deficit there was the lack of a coffee bean grinder! Perhaps the best part of the lodge was just out the back where eager boats called incessantly from their berth, reminding us that the time to fish is now. Other than the caretakers who occasionally popped in to be sure all was well, we never saw anyone during our stay. The place is on something like one million acres, so zero road or light noise, in fact nothing at all… beyond the wind and the many birds singing away.
The entire time at Stoney was what we had hoped for: catching up with old friends, enjoying food, drinks, cigars and of course plenty of fishing sessions. On our second night the honored mate ceremony went deep into the night and Seddy was chosen as our successor.
The fishing was solid. About half of the guys are seasoned fishermen and the catch rate seemed to follow that with everyone getting grabs but the vets getting more to the net. The two techniques that seemed to work were trolling/stripping streamers or chironomids under an indicator (red and brown seemed to be the winners).
After days of piscatorial bliss, we headed to Sudden Valley for golf and to wrap things up…. but the weather didn’t get the memo. Most of the guys decided to make their way home after Stoney, a few of us hunkered down and relaxed in a VRBO for a couple of days playing ping pong, ordering pizza and finishing off any remaining Canadian beers.
Ian and Olson drove all the way from the Lodge back to Santa Cruz, CA (16 hours!). They did have a stowaway, however, that caused a scene at the U.S. border. A marmot had crawled up above the engine and was relaxing under the hood, staying warm … not knowing that he needed a passport to travel internationally. The agents were pretty shocked when they popped the hood but finally sent the three of them off to figure out the relocation on their own as no laws seemed to have been broken. The little fella disembarked in Sudden Valley.
Until next time… Your HM.
Rob