06-18-2001, 08:36 PM
My friend Dave Kassel and I used to go fishing in the Snowy Range Mountains west of Laramie just about every weekend. We went to a place that few people would even try to get to. We had to drive in to a picnic area located high in the range (about 7800 feet above sea level) park our car and hike up the mountain about 2 miles to an elevation of 9600 ft. This little hike would deter the non-serious fishermen and almost always left the two high-altitude lakes to us alone.<br>As you walked up the narrow trail, you came to a small rise. Once you walked over the top, the first lake, South Gap stretched out in front of you like a silver-blue carpet. The water was cold and deep and full of rainbow trout, California golden trout, and the fierce fighter, the Cutthroat. We would just stand there for a while and take in the magnificent view of the lake and the mountain peaks that border it on the west side. Peaks that still had snow clinging to them in August.<br><br>Dave and I would set up our tent as quickly as possible, grab our tackle and practically run to the waters edge to see who would be the first one to "drown a worm." <br><br>After 2 or 3 hours at South Gap, we would make the short hike over a 
dleback ridge to North Gap lake. From the silver-blue of South Gap, the water changed to almost pewter-gray in North Gap. The view from here gave us a panorama of the valley we had just climbed and surprised us every time by showing just how far up we were! Did we really walk that far just to fish?!<br><br>This lake was harder to fish due to the fact that it was surrounded by house-sized boulders and picking your way through them was tricky and time-consuming, but worth the extra effort.<br><br>Dave and I never seemed to care if we caught any fish. It was a chance to get away from things for a short time and just clear out the dust and cobwebs from the gray matter. It was the going and the doing that mattered; not whether we brought any fish back.<br><br>I've moved away from that area now, and do most of my fishing in rivers and streams in western Montana. I go by myself now. Dave lost his fight with a bad heart some years ago and fishing high lakes just doesn't have the appeal it used to. I miss him and the times we shared -- fishing in the clouds. <br><br><br><br><br><br>Submit your Fishing Adventure Stories to win great prizes at ReMemory.Com
dleback ridge to North Gap lake. From the silver-blue of South Gap, the water changed to almost pewter-gray in North Gap. The view from here gave us a panorama of the valley we had just climbed and surprised us every time by showing just how far up we were! Did we really walk that far just to fish?!<br><br>This lake was harder to fish due to the fact that it was surrounded by house-sized boulders and picking your way through them was tricky and time-consuming, but worth the extra effort.<br><br>Dave and I never seemed to care if we caught any fish. It was a chance to get away from things for a short time and just clear out the dust and cobwebs from the gray matter. It was the going and the doing that mattered; not whether we brought any fish back.<br><br>I've moved away from that area now, and do most of my fishing in rivers and streams in western Montana. I go by myself now. Dave lost his fight with a bad heart some years ago and fishing high lakes just doesn't have the appeal it used to. I miss him and the times we shared -- fishing in the clouds. <br><br><br><br><br><br>Submit your Fishing Adventure Stories to win great prizes at ReMemory.Com