Bachelor Party/ Update: Collins Lake - May 19-20

Before I took the big plunge I was able to do one last day of fishing with the guys. My bachelor party was a night at the amazing Collins Lake in Oregon House, CA. If there was any way I was going to spend my last night out with the guys as a free man, it was going to be with a line in the water! 

We arrived at Collins Lake at 5:30 pm. After setting up our tents, we took to the water with our rods, a couple of cold ones and a celebratory cigar. Both of my buddies have only been fishing once and that was also with me. The last time they didn’t enjoy fishing so much as I left them alone and was determined to catch myself some bass. They left with the impression that fishing was somehow boring? So my objectives were two-fold:

1) Catch my First trout

2) Teach my boys how to fish

Fig. A

Little back story, I have never caught a trout before in my life! Shocking, I know. Most of my life I had fished for striper, catfish and bluegill and I never got around to it. Well for those of you who don’t know, my goal is to learn to catch every type of fresh water fish possible (from research and experts) and then to teach you all (newbies) and everybody else how to do the same. So on this trip, my target was a trout. We (I) set up four different poles. I set up one with a slip- sinker rig with rainbow Power bait (Fig. A) and the other with a basic catfish rig with anchovies (Fig B). I set up both of them with a floating worm rig (Fig. C).

Fig. B

Fig. C

As we fished we met some nice old timers who were visiting Collins from Reno. I quickly made friends with them and one of them even ended up blessing us with some hook removers! In return I warned them when they were getting a huge bite on one of their lines (they had stepped away for a while) but unfortunately they missed the fish. One of my buddies ended up getting a huge bite but since he didn’t know how to set a hook, he missed the fish as well. Day one ended with no trout, and no fish for my friends either. 

Day two was our final day. I was determined to catch some fish! I marched right out to the water first thing in the morning but unfortunately caught nothing!  Since I was dead tired, most of that morning was spent sleeping in my chair with a bell on my rod tip.

At around 1 pm we decided to try one last time. We found a nice little spot on the lake and we set up camp. I cast out with a Kastmaster and a roostertail, but no response. Finally I found a good spot, I hooked up a floating worm rig, cast out and waited. Within the next minute I got my first yank!  I set my hook and caught my very first 12 in. rainbow trout, a nice little milestone! 

With my first trout under my belt, I cast out again and started getting a good bite right away! I figured I must have encountered a school. I cast a third time and sure enough they ate up my worm within seconds. I called one of my buddies over and had him cast his line. He had a little trouble learning the art of setting a hook but sure enough he caught his first fish ever! I figured while we were up on our luck that I would call my other buddy over to see if he could catch one as well. Right after casting he got a bite, set his hook and after a short fight also hooked into a trout!

Both of the goals I was out to set were accomplished. On the same day I caught my first trout and taught both of my friends how to fish/ helped them catch their first fish. It was in fact a great day of fishing!