I’ve been saving today’s topic for a “rainy day,” or for a really cold day when there’s nothing I can do but look out the window and stare at the thermometer watching the temperature drop. As I hunt and peck on my keyboard it’s currently a frigid -19 degrees. It’s the perfect time to tell you about my encounter last fall with both a “beauty” and a “beast.”

On the last day of the catch and release trout season I hit up my favorite trout hole for one last time. The plan was to catch a trout or two and maybe stockpile them in the freezer to enjoy them at some point during the long winter. That was the plan anyway.

To the die hard trout people, this may be something you already know, but the reason the season closes in the fall is because unlike most fish species that spawn in the spring or early summer, trout spawn in the fall. That’s why the season closes when it does and doesn’t open up for catch and release fishing until January which is well after the trout spawn is over. 

While the female trout grow their eggs all summer and into the fall, the males also do some prep work anticipating the annual right of fall: their colors become even more vibrant. The reason is to simply make themselves a sort of “eye candy” for the females in hopes of increasing their breeding position. 

But back to fishing. On almost back-to-back casts I caught two pretty decent size males and was mesmerized by how beautiful they were. The bright orange underbelly on both fish seemed to glow. In both cases, I was so awestruck just by the sight of them that I knew they would never become part of my winter fish supply. I slipped both fish back into the trout stream without hesitation or regret. Beauty seems to fall short in describing the pre-spawn Brook trout.

Back at home, I was dealing with an infestation of moles. It seemed like every time I turned around there was a new tunnel or dirt pile in my backyard. It was crazy just how quickly they showed up and then occupied so much of my lawn. I knew I needed help so I turned to my most trusted advisor: Google. I learned everything I could about moles. A more accurate statement would be that I was trying to learn all I could on how to get rid of the moles.

I figured my status as a novice trapper would help me against those invading rodents, a/k/a my new nemesis. I got my hands on some traps and it was game on. Fast forward to when I bagged my very first mole. Looking at the creature up close, I was startled by the chubby, snout-nosed, paddle-handed underground dweller.

In conclusion, if a Brookie can be classified as a “Beauty,” then a mole can surely can be classified as a “Beast.”

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal