Its funny how things work. All summer long I couldn't wait for fall and winter to arrive, for the big rivers and lakes to be more fish-able, for the weather to arrive and bring much needed water. However during the recent celebration of the 25 days of fishmas ( where i recap my 25 best fish of the year), i found myself missing some of my high country fishing locations.
During the warmer months of the year i love heading up to streams and lakes above 8k feet, many above 10k! I am able to beat the heat, and experience some of the best fishing of the year. Its all about perspective though. There are no monster fish at 10k feet, on the crest of the sierra, a monster there is an 18" Trout. the beauty and quality of the fish, the beauty of the mountains, and just being out in remote country alone, makes it worth it.
I tend to head in search of Golden's once June arrives. This means long hiking trips into granite filled mountains. It means gasping for air at 11,000 feet while hiking 5 miles to reach a secluded lake. Having the warm summer air in your face, starring into the glacier blue depths of a lake that sits nestled at 10,800, beneath the staggering granite peaks, well, its a very wonderful feeling.
Even if you don't find yourself a golden, you can always find some hungry brookies, that will literally chew your hopper to bits. No joke, I've watched as after 15min my brand new hopper is torn to shreds and all that remains is some scrap foam and a hook! Its always a blast to try and pull a sierra slam, or a grand slam, or my favorite, the ultra slam. If your skilled enough, there are several locations, with enough work, where you can catch ; Golden trout, cutthroat, rainbow, brown and brook trout. Its nearly impossible, but it can be done. Last year, i managed to catch a Golden, rainbow, Brown, and brookie all in the span of 8 hours. It wasn't easy, and the rainbow actually came on luck as i was waiting for my water taxi to arrive!
There are a few locations you can go to get some truly amazing Trout, but they all require back breaking hikes. Marlette is a fun lake to travel to. It seems so close, nestled between Tahoe and Carson. Yea, try again, its a 5 mile hike, with a 1500ft elevation change. Unless of course you feel really crazy, and do the front of the lake, which is only about 1.5 miles, but a 2000 ft elevation change in that short distance. Marlette is big, 1.5 miles long, and 50ft deep. Its a Catch and release only lake, barbless hooks required. However, its a blast to fish with hoppers in august, and has some rainbows and brookies that reach 22", which for Trout at 8k feet, is pretty dam impressive!
So as they snow falls, the days end a 4pm, and I'm stuck out at pyramid lake, praying for my big take, ill be thinking of you Sierra high country!
On Sunday i decided to take a break from Pyramid lake, and head out to one of my most favorite rivers, the East walker river. As usual i was in for beautiful scenery, and remote open river, but i was in for an unfortunate surprise.
The river suffered from one of the worst drought winters in decades. It brought flows to just a trickle during the hottest part of the summer. Usually in July and August, flows average 150-300 cfs, keep water temps below 70* most of the summer. The last few years, the river has managed to hold about 125-150cfs during the peak heat, which has let the river survive our hot summers. This year though, flows ranged between 50-100cfs, which lead to sustained water temps of 77* being recorded well into the Nevada side. This temperature is lethal to trout.
While these temps managed to stay just cool enough on the California side, and the first 9 miles of the Nevada section of river, beyond that appears to have been severely impacted. Impacts where minimal on the stretches left unhurt, but once your travel below the Elbow, fish loss may have been as high as 50%, with as much as 95% of fish over 18" not surviving.
Typically, this time of year, in early December, with my spin cast rod in hand, i cant count on an amazing day. Usually I'm able to land several 16-20" Brown trout, with just as many chasing my Lil Cleo rainbow pattern lure. Ive watched hungry 22" browns literally plow there way onto shore in pursuit of my lure. This time tho, not a single fish over 12". I did catch several small browns, which gives me hope! This is my second trip out to the river since fall begin, with similar results the first time. Other sign indicate the fish are gone. Planted rainbow trout often don't survive long in the river, they either become food for the browns, or are so picked on by them, they die. This time, i notice every rainbow i caught was very healthy, no stress marks or attack marks, and in plentiful numbers. That means no big fish to crowd them out. Also the population of crayfish was much higher than i have ever seen it! Those guys also usually end up as food, suggesting the big hunters are not there.
There was some good news, i did see several fresh Redd's, suggesting some browns had spawned on the lower river, which was great news! If the big fish are gone, than at least some fish remain. Its also possible as the water temps rose, the fish moved up the river to get to cooler water. The optimistic side of me prays this is what happened, and when spring flows return, the fish will work there way back down the river.
Needless to say, Sunday was a sad day. The river i love fishing, the river that helped breed my catch and release side, the river that helped me get into fly fishing, the river that taught me there was just more than the Truckee river in my region, may have suffered a serious setback. A river that once carried 18-24" in every single hole, a river that brought the chance of amazing fish on every single cast! Not a total loss, but a painful one nonetheless. Hopefully winter brings us lots of snow, and the river is able to begin to recover, and return to greatness!
This fall, with severe drought plaguing us in the Sierra Region, I have been left with very few fishing options compared to normal years. I can usually count on fishing the Truckee river, the East Walker, and many small creeks. They are all far to low to risk the fishes health. However, i have on option, that provides and irresistible allure.... 25lbs Cutthroat trout!
With the amazing emerald jewel just 45 minutes from home, a 27 mile long graveyard for the Truckee river, Pyramid lake currently contains some of the best Trout angling on the entire planet. What makes it so special is the ability to catch large fish, from shore! Casting spoons, or slinging buggers, could easily get you a 10lbs, 15lbs or even a 25lbs cutthroat. Personally, they are not usually the most stunning in beauty, nothing like a fall brown, or spring bow', but sometimes, these cutties can be on fire, and truly beautiful! Its their size, the fight, and the possibility of a 20lbs cutthroat on fire, that draws me to this lake.
You are probably thinking to yourself, this guy is an idiot for considering fishing anywhere else! why pass up the chance at 36" cutthroat, for 20" Browns on the East walker? Well, its simple really. First, i consider myself a good angler, but not a pro. I can catch fish with the best of them, but I'm not they guy who can go to Pyramid and catch 10+ fish a day slinging buggers. For me, it takes some work. And that often means standing on a ladder for hours, and hours, and oh, a few more hours. Sometimes not getting a tug for 3-4 hours straight. when is 45*, wind gently blowing in your face, and your feet going numb, it can get a little, tiresome!
But i am hanging in there. My biggest fish of the season is about 24", although i have lost several fish that would have been over 30". Thanksgiving weekend really tested my resolve. On Thanksgiving day, i lost a 10lbs+ fish on my spin cast rod. Friday i stood from 7am, to 3pm, in wind that reached 60mph gusts. I watched the blue waters around me become littered with tumble weeds, and a huge dust storm arise at the north end of the lake. But nothing special on my line. On Saturday, i sat in cold winds, and cloudy conditions, from 7am to 430pm. Just as i was getting ready to leave, rain showers arriving, i got the tug. A big one to, probably 15lbs, quickly ripped line from my spool, until my knot broke, and my line fell slack. It was so heartbreaking! Finally on Sunday, i stood in the rain, all day, soaking cold to the bone, slinging flies all day, hoping, hoping, and nothing came.
I am hoping all this patience pays off. If i land the 20lbs fish of my dreams, all this will be worth it. But until then, i question my resolve, and once spring arrives, if i haven't landed at least a 10lbs fish, it will be very difficult, with water back in the river, to keep at it! I will be out there this weekend though, search hing for my hog!
