Again this year I had the privilege of fishing for three weeks. I should start by saying that Eagle Lake is in great shape: the water level is good; weedbeds are quirky, with some old standbys almost nonexistent, but many of them are spectacular this year; and really big fish are showing up whenever conditions are good. When I got there, the wind was blowing so hard that we wondered at the wisdom of going out on the lake at 3:00 that Saturday afternoon, but I had boated a 46 and seen a fish Herbie later guessed at a heavy 55 before dinner. That evening, I went out with Herbie and got a 52.5 on Stretch Reef. When I boated a 47 on the first spot I fished the next morning, it seemed as if this was going to be quite a trip. Unfortunately, the weather gods had some other ideas. It turned roasting hot and totally flat for most of the next 10 days, and fishing was tough. The full moon had them eating at night and then sitting out the scorching daylight. Even the evening wasn't a respite because water temperatures went over 80 degrees, so the fish weren't moving until later. People were seeing the weirdest follows, where a fish would turn up ten seconds after the angler had made two full turns at boatside and then hang around, not at all interested in eating, but maddening to watch. Many of these were very big fish. You had to make the most of any opportunities, because there weren't going to be many of them. Some of us were fishing walleye humps to bring up open water fish. A musky fisherman might book some walleye guide days to learn some of these spots. Whenever we got any break in the weather, like a day of big wind or the one day of rain, the lake would turn on and remind us of why Eagle Lake looms so large in our dreams. Scotty and I were fishing together when it rained hard for a large part of the day and we saw 35 fish. I boated a 50+ and two small ones on consecutive casts (the first ate out and the second at boatside and, in a strange coincidence, Scotty had boated two small ones on consecutive casts on our prior outing together, the first eating out and the second at boatside...I wouldn't want to have an assignment to repeat that sequence). We might have had 4 or 5 more if conditions hadn't gotten so rough and visibility so poor in the downpour. Scott hooked a legal fish and broke his line on her, so we might easily have had two over 50 in the boat that day. The next day was back to hot and flat. Late one afternoon I was in the mid-lake by the East Three Sisters and was struck by the magnificent thunderheads that were building all around. Then I looked back at the big stretches of open water between me and camp and watched them turn black in front of a huge storm. I started for home, but had to stop to cast to just one spot and quickly raised a magnificent fifty pounder that nearly ate at the boat. I raced back as the rain and lightning began, but stopped once more to fish and was rewarded with a good look at one of the superfish that show up on rare occasions. It was stunningly large, unlike anything I've seen before, and I've accurately estimated 57 inchers. It came in and made one full turn and then sat there sideways at my feet before sinking out of sight and into my dreams. A huge crash of thunder sent me back to camp, where I convinced Herbie that we had to go looking for her while she was still around, but the lightning never let up and by the next morning she was gone, replaced by a beautiful 52 incher. These fish are pretty good at getting into our heads. When I left it was still hot and flat, but it looks as if it has cooled off a lot, and I imagine there is some great fishing going on up there right now. The camp is in great shape. The Kalkas are wonderful people and tremendously hard working. Herbie is more relaxed than I've seen him in years and the staff is thoughtful, tireless, and terrific as usual.
Bill Hedden
