High Sierra Fly Fishing: A Trip Report

[Fly Guy Dave]

In an attempt to avoid the warm weather and water temps in the lower elevations, the latter of which can be fatal for our trout friends, I decided to head to the Sierra high country and fish some lakes. Little did I know that there would be some monsoonal moisture coming up from the south, which would lead to cooler weather and water aplenty. The sudden change in the weather didn’t help the fishing much, often it was a challenge to get anything to strike at all, but I did manage to get into fish, just nothing huge or memorable. In spite of the almost constant rain and cold, I still had a good time and will certainly head back to these places in the future. Following my usual modus operandi, names or specifics will not be provided. Sorry.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Camp_zps3d7bb575.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Camp_zps3d7bb575.jpg.html)

Here is my humble camp on the first night. I spent far too many hours in my tent avoiding the rain and reading a book. That’s OK, but I would’ve rather been out wetting a line.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Misty_zps63c845ab.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Misty_zps63c845ab.jpg.html)

The next morning it wasn’t raining, but COLD, foggy and misty. Pretty cool, but not your typical weather in August in the high Sierra.


It took a while, but I did manage to catch a few brook trout. I like the dark coloration on the top these fish. A pretty cool looking adaptation to their environment.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Brookie_zpsa411b38a.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Brookie_zpsa411b38a.jpg.html)

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Brookie2_zps253f0647.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Brookie2_zps253f0647.jpg.html)

I sampled several of the lakes in the vicinity and appreciated the beauty. This pic is the only one that might give away where I was, if you’ve ever been there. Very distinctive.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Lake_zps0cccb97d.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Lake_zps0cccb97d.jpg.html)


I did catch this rainbow/golden trout hybrid that also seemed to have some large mouth bass in its background. I’ve never seen such a huge maw on such a small fish.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/BigMouth_zps33d7243a.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/BigMouth_zps33d7243a.jpg.html)

I fished until the rain started up again in earnest. I wasn’t up for another session of long hours in my tent reading, so I packed up and headed back to the trailhead. I headed further north and to another trailhead, where I spent the night. The next day I packed into another lake and caught…guess what? …more small brook trout!

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Brookie3_zpsa6685726.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Brookie3_zpsa6685726.jpg.html)

Still, the hike wasn’t bad, the scenery was excellent

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Lake2_zpsec3c0cb0.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Lake2_zpsec3c0cb0.jpg.html)

And I saw the potential of the place when I saw these wild onions growing all over the edge of the water. Beautiful lake, nice camping spots, tons of stunted brook trout, wild onions along the shoreline…I’ll head back in the future with some aluminum foil, a bit of olive oil and have me a brookie feast!

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Onions_zpsd2c03739.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Onions_zpsd2c03739.jpg.html)

Even though this trip wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, I still had a good time poking around the Range of Light, having some new experiences and seeing so much potential for future explorations.

Enjoy!

[Ned Morris]

I used to catch Goldens around there all the time as a kid. They are all but gone with a couple exceptions. I heard rumor LCTs are being re-introduced to one of the lakes (no-native) but no confirmation from DFW. This area will be my daughters first backpack trip next summer no doubt

[Ned Morris]

I was camping with the family in the canyon below you

[wineslob]

Nice area, but pretty far from me. Have to agree about Brookies............YUM.

[Fly Guy Dave]

I was camping with the family in the canyon below you

You mean down in this canyon?

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Canyon_zps79a85c8e.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Canyon_zps79a85c8e.jpg.html)

[Larry S]

Dave,
Your photo essays really capture the moment. Don't know how old you are, but, we used to haunt the Sierra - always from the
west slope - in the 60's and 70's. Today's tents are light years ahead of the old "tube tents." Plastic sheeting, nylon cord, and
clothes pins. I did possess a great back pack from Andy Drollinger who started A-16 out of a rented space at El Cajon's
Gillespie Field. Your pics take me back to those days. Thanks.
Best,
Larry S

[Fly Guy Dave]

Your photo essays really capture the moment. Don't know how old you are, but, we used to haunt the Sierra - always from the
west slope - in the 60's and 70's. Today's tents are light years ahead of the old "tube tents." Plastic sheeting, nylon cord, and
clothes pins. I did possess a great back pack from Andy Drollinger who started A-16 out of a rented space at El Cajon's
Gillespie Field. Your pics take me back to those days. Thanks.

Hi Larry-

I'm glad you enjoyed my post! I first went backpacking when I was a kid in the Boy Scouts back in the mid to late 1970's. No tube tents for us, but a lot of military surplus gear, which was durable, but in NO WAY was it lightweight or high tech. It's amazing that I even wanted to go backpacking after some of the death march slogs I took with my troop back in the day. The scenery, the solitude and the solid fishing is what keeps me on the trail even now.

Cheers!

--F.G. Dave

[Ned Morris]

Yep down to the Beaver Ponds


You mean down in this canyon?

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/dderuysscher/Canyon_zps79a85c8e.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/dderuysscher/media/Canyon_zps79a85c8e.jpg.html)

[Ted S.]

Dave-

Great report. The wild onions reminded me of a trip we did on the JMT in June in the mid-1970's. Our army surplus tents got flattened by a couple feet of snow while we slept. Cold morning...

T.

[Scott V]

Great pics and report. I need to get out more often like that now that I have all the light equipment. I've been exchanging my backpacking equipment out for the last 2 years and have all that I need to go back country with a lighter set up.