Thinking of you, Sierra high country

      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!