On Diamond Lake with a View of Mt. Thielson

(+4 insets!)

Since I've been posting about Diamond Lake for the past two days, I thought I'd continue the trend with another adventure we had when we were there!

We'd done some reading and learned that Diamond Lake was supposedly an absolutely fantastic place for fishing! If reports were to be believed, the fish nearly jumped into the boats, so eager were they to become our dinner. We couldn't wait to try our luck!

First we tried shore fishing. A few hours of nary a single nibble, we retreated to our RV feeling a bit disappointed but understanding that you can't always get lucky! And besides, we were looking forward to the next day, as we'd signed up for an all-day boat rental! Visions of a boat full of fish swam around in our heads as we fell asleep that night.

We PLANNED to get up at about 7am…but when the thermometer read 30 degrees we quickly decided a nice long snuggle was a much better idea. The fish could wait, thank you very much!

The sun was shining brightly when we arrived at the marina. It was a much warmer and more reasonable hour of 9am, and we were soon on our way with Steve happily motoring us along. We'd gotten advice on where we should try our luck and soon we were anchored, baited up and casting our lines into the cobalt waters of Diamond Lake.

Cutting to the chase: we are now convinced that Diamond Lake has no fish! :D We spent about 12 hours between us with not a single bite. We tried fishing all over the lake with no avail. We did catch some weeds and an old, rusty lure but I don't think that counts. We saw a few fish jump so there ARE fish in the lake. As highly touted as one of the best lakes to fish in Oregon, they certainly didn't bite while we were fishing.

We tried everything from real and fake worms to flashy spinners and all kinds of interesting baits which included floating and non-floating marshmallows in a variety of colors and scents, we tried using bobbers to get distance, down and up presentations (bait sinking down from a bobber or floating to a specific depth, using weights to sink the bait or bring the bait down to a certain depth as it floats from the bottom) reeling in slow and fast, and just letting the bait sit. Not a single nibble.

Even though it would have been fantastic to catch even one fish--or get a single nibble for that matter, we didn't mind. It was fun to get the opportunity to try. We got to use lots of different methods. We both got better with our casting and rigging our lines. Our conversations were very nice and it was so peaceful just sitting out there on that beautiful lake, gazing up at the lovely mountains that peered down at us with their snowy caps. One of the things I mentioned was the bliss of having all of this time to just SIT and soak in the atmosphere and setting. Steve agreed completely.

In between our attempts to catch fish, we had a fabulous day on the lake. The weather was wonderful. Puffy-white clouds kept the heat down when the sun caused us to take off our sweaters. Later on the storm clouds raised a bit of concern but it never rained. Steve was happy as a clam motoring up and down the lake, across from one side to the other, maneuvering in to dock up for bathroom breaks, and even keeping us from harm!

When we began the day's adventure on the lake, the water was mirror-smooth, but as the hours passed, a breeze formed and in the afternoon it began to get windy enough that being out in the middle of the lake was quite choppy indeed. After returning to the boat after a lunch break at the RV, we decided to motor the long distance to the southern shores. We'd read that bait fishing was said to be fruitful and since we saw no boats so far from the marina, we thought maybe we'd have a chance at a nibble. However, the closer we got, the choppier the water became. Upon arriving at a likely fishing spot, our boat bobbed up and down like a cork with waves that we large enough to be disturbing. We realized that fishing would be stressful and perhaps even dangerous because of the unpredictability of the white-caps and wind. Looking at the ominous storm clouds above, we agreed it was time to head back.

Carefully moving through the choppy water, Steve hugged the shoreline and I held on tight. We likened the trip to an "E-Ticket-Ride" with the constant slap-slap of the boat bouncing over the waves and steering to aim into the swells. Both of us laughed with the excitement of the ride, what a thrill! Once we returned to the marina, we climbed out of the boat, exhausted but very happy with our day. We squared up with the harbor master and as we drove the three miles back to the RV, both of us enjoyed talking about the nice day we'd had. Yes, it would have been nice to have caught some fish we still had a great time!

I am including four other pictures as insets which show the lovely setting, including Mt. Thielson (pointy cap) and Mt. Bailey (round cap), the beautiful forest edging the lake, and a pair of fun pictures of Steve fishing and motoring us along!

Pam, I'm hoping this day has treated you well--I'm sorry to hear that you have a similar problem with pesky rodents. Moles are absolutely horrible as well. We get them too but not as much as the ground squirrels. UGH! Oh well, live and let live…but we don't have to like it! :D *BIG HUGS TO YOU!*