On a warm summer’s afternoon we returned to one of our favorite small lakes for some fishing.  Our plan was to fish through the sunset and after dark – something I have never done before.  The winds died down throughout the evening and set up for a beautiful sunset, with the colors of the sky reflecting in the quiet of the lake’s surface.  We’d shared some dinner in the boat and the fishing had been successful.  The light in the western sky faded to black, the near-full moon was high in the sky and we were the only ones still out on the water.  We pulled out our fly fishing gear and settled in for some night-time fishing.  Our eyes adjusted to the darkness and our ears became our “eyes” as we listened for the fish to take  the poppers we laid out on the surface.  More reliable for me was feeling the fish tug on the fly line.  It was beautiful to be out in the dark; the shoreline was discernible with the moonlight, the lake’s surface was like glass, the stars came out overhead, and the night sounds surrounded us.  The experience and beauty of this summer’s evening and night on a small lake were now embedded in our memories.