Ratnip Lake

Ratnip Lake

Edda and Aaron must have wondered what I was getting them into. We had parked on the side of the Ratnip Forest Service Road near where the old trial used to be, and with the GPS turned on, were wending our way towards the lake. We soon began running into windfalls from the Okanagan Mountain Fire but found no trace of the old beautiful trail that we used to travel when my children were young.

Gone was the euphoria of gathering and eating the late July raspberries and Saskatoon berries from the roadside. The raspberries were very tasty if a little tart and the Saskatoons very sweet, it would be easy to picking enough for a pie or even a batch of jam. Now however without the old trail this was rough travelling. Cattle, moose and deer had left many short trails crisscrossing the slopes in the dry powdery soil. However, we kept running into burnt snags felled either by the fire or recent windstorms. These ranged from those easy to step over to some up to waist height and even some nearly shoulder height. In spite of being forced one way or another we arrived safely at last.

The first cast resulted in four strikes and I was expecting some fast action. However, the next cast did not get any action. If the fish were not biting it was a good time for a quick lunch. From 12:30 to 2:00 we had many strikes, but most were striking short. I did land a few but they were rather small, which I was expecting. Most seemed to be between 6 and 8 inches, although I’m sure there could be some reaching up to 12 inches.

We were treated to a couple of osprey flying overhead, always a good sign on a fishing trip. However I was a bit disappointed in not spotting the blue heron that once prowled the marsh edges near the old beaver house.

At 2:00 disaster struck, Edda slipped on a windfall and came down, impaling her shin on small branch. Investigation showed that it was well embedded, so we cut our fishing short, packed our gear and headed out. We headed up through the windfalls to higher ground, managed to find a slightly easier route back to the vehicle, and in an hour and a half were on the way to emergency: 1.2 kilometres down the Ratnip Forest Service Road to the Kettle Valley Railway and then 4 kilometres south to the Chute Lake Resort and the road back down to the valley.

By 4:30 we were sitting in emergency where they removed the branch, which was an inch and a half into Edda’s shin. Shortly after 5:30 I was back home and Aaron and Edda were heading back home themselves.
Perhaps the road continues along and getting in via one of the firebreaks put in for the Okanagan Mountain Fire would be an easier access the lake. I do however have on my list of things to do in the future: get a power saw and cut a decent trail into Ratnip lake, roughly where the original trail used to be.

Oh, yes. Ratnip co-ordinates N 49 - 43 - 115  W 119 - 30 - 150

Maps show several unnamed small ponds further back into the hills. As usual each time I study the maps the old itch starts to seek out these tiny bodies of water and to check the fishing potential. Unlocking this potential could really add to the allure of this area to vacationers with the fishing itch. What nicer way to get away from the hustle and bustle than to check out a small, out-of-the-way lake with its chance of fast action and possibility of a surprisingly large trout?

Future articles published Tuesday or Wednesdays