Went out in search of trout in a desert lake. About a mile hike back in rugged country and very picturesque this time of year with the desert flowers starting to bloom.

Took my wife and 2 dogs and packed in a float tube



Saw cruising trout feeding on flying ants and beetles





Geared up and started fishing. One of my dogs , a vizsla loves fishing, and swam out to investigate while I was fighting a fish. I was laughing hard and trying to fight a big trout at the same time






On the hike out ran into quite a few rattle snakes.

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A big one. Made it out unscathed but wife was starting to get concerned

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What could be better?
(Minus the buzzers, that is...)

Veddy cool!

The snakes give it flavor.....

the pooch liked the fish but stayed away from the rattlers?!!

I have given both dogs snake avoidance training because of the area where I live.

we stayed on the hiking path and were both dogs on leashes. wife let the vizsla off the leash to swim out on join in the fun.


when Summer heats up There are some areas with too many rattle snakes and I will not take the dogs hiking in those areas.

I used to spend a bit of time in the Yakima River canyon. Too many rattlers for my tastes. Had to keep the dog leashed. Seemed unnatural, out where a dog could run, but the risk was too great.

Spent some time with my father there, he could not hear the rattles! He was worse than a dog!

Spent some time there myself...and yeah, the dogs would be my biggest worry. Those are Pacific Diamondbacks.... serious rattlesnakes....as venom and attitude go.....