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Yesterday I decided to hit an alpine lake that a friend of mine suggested. The lake is between 3500 and 4000 feet in elevation and it is about a mile hike from the trailhead to the lake. The lake wasn't very large. I'll say about 6 surface acres, maybe less.
My recent go-to pattern has been a white bead-headed black bugger. Most times fish are very receptive to it. I started trolling and after about 10 minutes, I got my first hit. Unfortunately the fish came off fairly quick. I then got several soft taps. I was trolling in a horseshoe pattern and when I got to the other side, managed to stick one.
This lake was a beautiful emerald green color and my photo does not do it justice. The lake was also very clear, like looking into an aquarium. I saw several fish in a shallow area of the lake and proceeded to cast and retrieve. Lots of willing fish. I needed to take a break and when I got back on the water, decided to change things up a bit by putting on a Carey Special with a peacock body. This fly elicited a lot more strikes than the bugger. It was almost non-stop action.
The fish averaged 6 to 12 inches, with the majority in the 6-10 inch range. All fish looked super healthy and the spotting was spectacular. I don't know what other word to use, but I had never seen a cutthroat in person with spots as big as these.
The hike into the lake was pretty effortless. There is a spot where the trail got washed out and you need to cross a very small creek. It took a while to see where the trail continued on the other side. The way back was a little more exciting as when I got to the washout, I could not readily pick up the trail. I was crossed the creek and was getting nervous because I was not seeing the trail. Fortunately I saw three hikers making their way towards me and I immediately felt some relief. They said the trailhead was about 5 minutes away. It turned out that I was about 50 feet off of the trail.
Today, I'm a little sore. I carried in an Outcast Fish Cat. It was fairly heavy and little unbalanced with the gear that I had lashed to it. It was also difficult to get the backpack straps on. On the trek out, I didn't have the straps properly cinched and it just added to my discomfort. Next time, maybe I'll carry it in deflated or somewhat deflated.
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My recent go-to pattern has been a white bead-headed black bugger. Most times fish are very receptive to it. I started trolling and after about 10 minutes, I got my first hit. Unfortunately the fish came off fairly quick. I then got several soft taps. I was trolling in a horseshoe pattern and when I got to the other side, managed to stick one.
This lake was a beautiful emerald green color and my photo does not do it justice. The lake was also very clear, like looking into an aquarium. I saw several fish in a shallow area of the lake and proceeded to cast and retrieve. Lots of willing fish. I needed to take a break and when I got back on the water, decided to change things up a bit by putting on a Carey Special with a peacock body. This fly elicited a lot more strikes than the bugger. It was almost non-stop action.
The fish averaged 6 to 12 inches, with the majority in the 6-10 inch range. All fish looked super healthy and the spotting was spectacular. I don't know what other word to use, but I had never seen a cutthroat in person with spots as big as these.
The hike into the lake was pretty effortless. There is a spot where the trail got washed out and you need to cross a very small creek. It took a while to see where the trail continued on the other side. The way back was a little more exciting as when I got to the washout, I could not readily pick up the trail. I was crossed the creek and was getting nervous because I was not seeing the trail. Fortunately I saw three hikers making their way towards me and I immediately felt some relief. They said the trailhead was about 5 minutes away. It turned out that I was about 50 feet off of the trail.
Today, I'm a little sore. I carried in an Outcast Fish Cat. It was fairly heavy and little unbalanced with the gear that I had lashed to it. It was also difficult to get the backpack straps on. On the trek out, I didn't have the straps properly cinched and it just added to my discomfort. Next time, maybe I'll carry it in deflated or somewhat deflated.
