The line spun off my reel as the largest golden trout I ever hooked made his last run for the depths of the cold, clear waters of Lightning Lake. I had caught numerous smaller goldens in the little outlet lake, but never one like this. For years I'd studied this brilliantly colored wonder of the mountains, weighing, measuring, trapping, and stripping eggs for seeding other Montana waters. Finally, during the twilight hours of a beautiful day, it was my turn to outwit a large male golden trout. The evening was cool and the snow-capped mountains caught a lingering of evening light. Mixed emotions gathered about me: why had he taken the poorly constructed ant imitation I was retrieving across the rocky lake bottom? It was true I wanted this fish, yet I felt sickened that a goal was about to end. But then, I had earned it. Who else had spent the years I had studying fish and their habitat in the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains? Still, it didn't seem right. Had he eluded me yet another day, my goal would be prolonged.
A GORP Content Partner
Adapted from
Fishing the Beartooths
by Pat Marcuson
Golden Trout
And Lightening Lake
In Montana's Beartooths
The scene couldn't have been better. How fortunate I had been . . . the mountains I had crossed, the thrill of a close encounter, a slip on a seemingly endless snowfield fanning downward around an occasional lichen-covered outcrop of granite as it disappeared from view. The nights I huddled close to my campfire drying clothing soaked by a spectacular mountain storm. The ache of muscles straining under a load too heavy for common sense. A coyote running wildly through a bluebell meadow with a mountain lion methodically putting the fear of death into the wild dog's desperation. The spectacular stone arches, domes, glaciers, the careening waterfalls and shimmering lakes I beheld. Yes, I was indeed a fortunate person.
The force of the rod's steady resistance to the heavy fish woke me to the reality of the moment. The battle was swinging toward my advantage, but the fading evening light was on the side of the fish. It would take quick, precise action to beach him and finalize the victory. No doubt a fish his size could easily dislodge the small no. 14 hook, particularly during the wild struggle that was sure to occur anytime the fish approached the shallow shoreline.
A sudden jerk of the rod again awakened me. In spite of the spectacular golden trout's reluctance, his tired body approached a rod's length from defeat. After disagreeing violently with the landing site I had chosen, the great fish turned heavily on his side. The hook held, the battle was won.
Lightning Lake
Location: T6S, R13E, S. 2
Elevation: 9,340 feet
Area: 61.3 acres
Maximum depth: 122 feetFrom Lake Plateau, Lightning Lake is an easy jaunt around Chalice Peak. From the West Fork of the Stillwater, it's easy going from Initial Creek trailhead to Lightning Creek via trail. From Lightning Creek's confluence with the West Fork of the Stillwater, it's a tough pull and can be a nightmare if you choose the wrong route. The easiest climbing is on the west side of Lightning Creek. Stay out of the creek drainage. This route takes you to the plateau country above Lightning Lake. Nobody likes climbing higher than necessary, but it is better than the downfall jungle encountered between Lightning and Tumble Creeks.
Lightning provides special memories for me because of numerous trips to study its extraordinary fish, the golden trout. Lightning Lake is by far the best golden trout fishery for several reasons. The goldens are pure-strain, achieve large size, are located in unspoiled country, and are self-sustaining but not overpopulated. To top it off, between Little Lightning and Lightning one can catch a dozen. The large lake can be hot or cold: when it's hot, look for a state record, and when it's cold, Little Lightning will produce lots of smaller but colorful trout.
Goldens are notorious for their stubborn resistance to a hook. In fact, many a golden trout lake was ruined because of complaints of no fish, followed by the stocking of another species, and a resulting crop of hybrids. The larger fish disappear after the spawning season when they seek the depths of the lake to feed on larger bottom organisms. If that doesn't suggest fishing deep, we're not communicating.
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