Packed into Seven Devils in Idaho with horses and mules in late August. My first pack trip. Used to do a lot of backpacking but getting too old for heavy packs and thought I'd try this. Good part was we could take float tubes. Bad part was ridding horse - sore butt and thighs. Seven Devils is a rugged area where trails are very steep and lots of sharp and loose rocks. Need good boots and even hiking with day packs can be tiring due to elevation between 7-8,000 ft.
There is a loop trail of about 24 miles than has many spur(side) trails into a number of lakes(20-30). It is very popular with horse packers and backpackers. Most of the lakes contain rainbow or cutthroat trout. A few are barren. IDFG stocks some of the lakes with rainbows every 3 years. The cutthroat are self-reproducing.
We fished in 8 lakes. Some contained many fish but were all small(6-12"), others contained fewer fish but were bigger(14-20"), one had many average fish(10-14") and one had no fish. The fishing could be much better if IDFG would adjust their management regulations. Currently, they allow a 6 fish limit with no restriction on gear or bait. If they just halved the limit and designated a couple of lakes to single hook/catch and release it would make a difference. All and all a great trip despite my ineptitude with a horse.
There is a loop trail of about 24 miles than has many spur(side) trails into a number of lakes(20-30). It is very popular with horse packers and backpackers. Most of the lakes contain rainbow or cutthroat trout. A few are barren. IDFG stocks some of the lakes with rainbows every 3 years. The cutthroat are self-reproducing.
We fished in 8 lakes. Some contained many fish but were all small(6-12"), others contained fewer fish but were bigger(14-20"), one had many average fish(10-14") and one had no fish. The fishing could be much better if IDFG would adjust their management regulations. Currently, they allow a 6 fish limit with no restriction on gear or bait. If they just halved the limit and designated a couple of lakes to single hook/catch and release it would make a difference. All and all a great trip despite my ineptitude with a horse.