Yesterday I took a trip to Lenice Lake, WA, for some of it’s legendary (or perhaps fabled?) good fishing. I saw none of it. However, it was a blast getting out there and slinging a few streamers.

The surrounding country is varied and gorgeous, a perfect example of the rough, desert landscape so common in the Columbia Basin.
Fauna residing in our Basin deserts is really amazing,with nearly every step you see a lizard or huge spider flit away to cover. By the end of the day I had seen perhaps thirty of the small tan lizards, and only caught one of them.
They are super fast, and know where to hide!
Once I had the little fellow in my hand he played dead in the classic manner of many smaller reptilians.
On the trip up, we spotted a flock of sandhill cranes chilling in a cropped corn field, and I managed to get a few pictures before an impudent diesel rumbled by and sent the group flying.

After flogging Lenice, we went about a mile up the road and I fished the lovely lower runs of Crab Creek. Ah, Crab Creek–filled with huge juicy scuds, mayflies, and freshwater clams.
A perfect stream. It was in its spring run, running fast but had several slow, deep runs that was pure bliss casting a line on. I was unable to stay for long but I did spot a nice looking fish feeding along the banks of a deep pool. I casted for a while at him but was finally forced to leave.
I am proud to say Eastern Washington is in a class all its own….
