So as I spend this week getting ready for finals, and look ahead towards my spring break, which I'll be spending tying flies and enjoying Microbrews. It got me thinking about this summer and my desire to get up to the alpine lakes and get some fishing/backpacking in. So my question to you (without giving away your secrets, which I understand) is what advice do you have for someone when fishing alpine lakes? Anything in particular about fly selection or best time of day to fish?
Thanks in advance, can't wait to hear the stories.
:beer2:
While 'brookies on a stick' sounds great and is the simplest suggestion for cooking requirements, frying fish in a pan can be messy and there is no good way (in my experience) to keep them from curling and becoming difficult to cook uniformly. Unless you are testing the fates by not taking any other food and planning to eat trout only (in which case you should also be prepared to either go hungry or go home early), here's an alternative preparation for back-country trout. Try poaching them in a little water in your fry pan or cook pot and then peel the flesh off the skeleton and put it into whatever you were planning to prepare for dinner that night. This can turn your blah dried dinner preparation into a gourmet meal. Season to taste! No extra cleanup.
D
I bring a lightweight backpacking stove that simmers (my favorite is the MSR Simmerlite), a lightweight non-stick fry apn (not too thin so you don't have major hot spots) a little bottle of vegetable oil, and a little corn meal with only salt and pepper in it.
I find lemon overpowers the delicate taste of trout.
Bread those brookies and fry 'em up. If they curl a little, no worries...they will still taste great.
Fry until done to your preference.
I like 'em a little crispy and the simple breading makes em real savory.mmmmm...eat 'em, skin and all (peel out the bones of course, easily done when the fish is cooked)
Clean up is pretty easy with non-stick.
I've looked into buying our REI backpack boat but don't really feel like packing a boat along. I may just bring along my spinning rod as an alternative. For cooking the fish I've bought the new Chefware set that REI just came out with. Suppose to be a great cookset and it's non-stick!
My mouth started watering when you guys started talking about lemon juice and breading. That sounds awesome. I so look forward to tasting fresh, clean fish. I'm looking at trying to get up to a place called Necklace Valley. It's a 7 mile hike with 2500 feet vertical gain in the last 2 miles. Needless to say I'm going to have to start hitting the gym as much as the vice if I want to land some fish up there. The water is incredibly clear and clean up there. This should be a great summer.
I went to Necklace Valley about 3 summers ago. The last 2 miles was tough (but I was 56). When I got there the mosquitoes were pretty bad and I got disgusted and left the next day and didn't fish... I would say there is probably some nice trout there tho. It was very beautiful. About 5 miles in at the creek before you climb is a nice camping spot.
There are awesome lakes with similar fishing that are less than 4 miles, but also 4,000 vertical feet. The death marches lead to some very fine alpine lake fishing.
Yeah that cabin looks cool to go explore but wouldn't want to sleep in it.
Seeing that picture reminds me of that guy who gave up living in the city and moved out to a place in Alaska and built a cabin out of trees he cut down. Super handy guy and all around gentleman. PBS shows the documentary he made about his adventure every so often. That would be a sweet life but one of loneliness. Guess a man would need a dog.
Kingpuck, his name was Dick Proenneke, and the documentary is called "Alone in the Wilderness." Its an excellent video. You can order it on-line. Just Google "Dick Proenneke." Sorry, thread drift.
There are a few other Mtn. lakes with cabins along their edges. Was up at a lake near Tonga ridge a couple years ago and found a cabin. Two young fellas were camped in it, I took a peek inside with their invitation. Said to myself, I'd rather sleep outside. Woulda been cool to been around when the cabin was built, probably a hunting cabin originally.
That documentary is awe inspriring. Just neat how he did that all from scratch. What a carpenter he was. As for cooking trout, I carry an aluminum, slightly larger 12" diameter pan and pan fry them, and to prevent curling, I place a heavy flat rock on them, almost like a bacon press. It works very well.
Yeah, it weighs about 15 pounds, but it's a good rock, so I carry it in my survival kit.....
:rofl::rofl:
Actually, I usually carry a wire fish grill (that I found hanging on a tree up in the Jewel Basin a long time ago), but I was going minimal on this trip, and considered myself lucky to find such a sweet fire pit (complete with big flat rock), next to a lake full of big aggro cutts.
I prefer my wild food minimally dressed (no spices, butter, lemon juice, etc), and cooked as simply as possible. Mainly that's because I'm not willing to carry anything more than I absolutely need. I'm not a culinary snob, I just like wild food simple, and my pack as light as I can make it.
Cooking like a caveman (on a flat rock over a fire, wrapped in wet grass and covered with coals/hot rocks, skewered on sharpened green branches over a fire, etc.) is a good skill to have.
But it can be tough. Easy to overcook, or lose the flesh to the fire, as previously noted.
I've lost count of the times I've lost flesh to fire. Mostly ex-lovers.....
No worries. Thanks for the name. I got of the computer and started kicking myself trying to remember. I loved that show and would love to retire and go do that. What a life. Would need a bush pilot to come in every 2-3 months to replenish the Jack Daniels and ammo supply and I'd be good.
My buddies and I have spent the last 30+ years seeking secluded alpine lakes to fish. Generally more effort and distance equals better quality fishing. Most of our best destinations involve cross country (no trail) travel.
Many lakes do not have sufficient back casting room due to vegetation or topography. We have solved this by using a Sevylor "trail raft". It weight about 4lb with paddles. If it is windy, we pull micro leeches. If it is still, we cast dries. The rafts aid in traveling to other parts of larger lakes that would have difficult access on foot.
Alpine trout are not selective. They are hungry and opportunistic. Their growing season is short so they must eat constantly when food is available.
We use 4 and 5 weight rods with floating lines. I will sometimes carry a sinking line. We fish elk hair caddis, grass hopper patterns, ant patterns, Wulff adams, leeches and Doc Spratelys.
The magic hour on most alpine lakes is just before sundown. The fish feel more secure with the sun off the water. The wind typically dies down. Dry fly action can be intense.
Just wanted to provide an update. Finished my last final on Friday, after Easter I'm at the tying bench a bunch. Gonna try and tie up some of the flies suggested. Cannot thank you all enough for the wealth of info you've provided me. Had no idea this was a popular as it appears!
i recommend a steam pit if you ever happen to go backpacking with a group (maybe a non fishing related group).
dig a pit about 2 feet deep to suit your size needs. line the bottom and sides with rock that is not from the water. light a fire in the pit, get it good and hot, then let it burn down. remove any unburned wood. while you are letting the fire burn down gather ferns or likewise plants to cover the fish. wrapping the fish in skunk cabbage is ideal, but other wraps can be used. layer the ferns with the wrapped fish in the middle then cover your hole with dirt until no steam comes out... wait about 1.5 hours and enjoy
First of all, I can name some lakes NOT to try fishing. Dorothy and Coal off the top of my head. I've never fished Dorothy myself, but read several reports, most of them negative. Coal lake gets too much pressure since it has a road right to it. I got skunked at Boardman too, but have read a few successful reports. I caught a nice lunker at lake 22, but I think that was an exception, I don't think there's many fish there because it's so popular. Gorge lake has plenty of trout, but I've only been able to catch one fish there over the years.
I will reccomend a lake to you, since it's so hard to get to and rarely fished- Trapper lake at Cascade pass. I backpacked there a few years ago, and that was one of the hardest trips of my life. It is full of good sized fish though, but lots of bugs in the summer.
As for time of day, if it's cloudy you can catch them anytime, but when it's bright and sunny you might get skunked in the afternoon. I find that in Wa alpine lakes fishing is usually good till about 11 or 12. Rainbows are much more particular about the sun than cutthroats in my opinion. In fact, I find cutthroats easier to catch in general.
And rafts or floats are definitely a good idea. Many lakes have no fish in the shallow outlet areas the trails usually go to.
All these years and still no report on how the trip went?
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