Norm breaks the ice on big Laramie Lakes trout

It seems like Engelbrecht has been looking hopefully under Wyoming ice for years now, seeing an occasional whopper but never bringing one to the surface.

If I hadn't taken this picture myself I'd swear it was 
Photoshopped. Look at the tiny head on that
big fat body...They grow fast in Cowboy Country.

That all changed abruptly Tuesday, first at Meeboer with a big cutbow, a few hours later at Twin Buttes, with another cutbow and then a handsome post-spawn brown. His fishing companion, who shall remain anonymous, uh, got skunked. But I did see a monster swim annoyingly, slowly, past my hook.