Friday, September 9, 2011

Fishing for Golden Trout

We recently returned from a fishing trip in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. It was great! Power bait and worms are a sure bet to help catch trophy trout. I highly recommend this trip to any others who have dreamed of catching California's state fish.

As you can see from the next two photos, we needed to have a packer carry us and all of our gear. If you recognize this fine gentleman, be sure to send business his way! He's a favorite amongst the tight knit packing community in the E Sierra. Packers like ours sure enjoy taking people into the back country to fish remote, hard to access lakes.
Hi there! I know what you're thinking - that poor horse. Well, better him than me, that's what I always say!


Here's a photo of me attempting to climb the head wall to our secret lake. As you can see, all my gear is new - it sure was exciting getting outfitted for this trip. Unfortunately, there were sections where we had to hike ourselves - however, thank goodness our packer got us the entire way.  While I do enjoy fishing along a roadside as much as the next guy, beer in hand and cigarettes close by, sometimes a man has got to do what a man has got to do!

The great thing about having our packer carry all our gear were the dining opportunities. Yum, high country steaks - no need to catch and keep any fish for dinner when a mule can bring in everything you need to enjoy yourself! Note the full size frying pan and brand new, heavy gas canister - in my opinion, this is backpacking at its finest.

Of course, since California fish and game regulations allow us to keep our limit of fish, regardless of intent, and even though we could have easily released them, there's nothing quite like displaying a stringer of trophy fish for all to see. (Note the heavy chain link fish stringer - it was great getting a chance to use all of our car fishing gear - no need to make any adaptations for this unique environment.)
Once again, I would like to thank our packer for taking in us and all of our gear. Heaven knows we couldn't have made it on our own. Besides, who would want to do that anyway? If you have a chance, please feel free to drop me a line - I'll be happy to provide you with all the information you need to enjoy the same experience.

4 comments:

  1. This has been a trip I have been dreaming about for years. Iam planning a backpacking trip with my 14 year old grandson this coming summer. I would love to find out exactly what area and trailheads you took, along with the names of a lake or two so we could plan the same type of trip. Any info would be appreciated.

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  2. Hello Captain Tahoe. Those are beautiful fish! I am planning a trip with my son this summer with the hope of locating a place in the Eastern Sierra similar to your lake and one that will produce similar results. That is how I found your blog. This would certainly be a memorable life experience for the both of us. Would you consider sending me an e-mail with the name and location of the lake? Although my goal is to backpack to a lake, I would consider using the services of a packer as well. Do you have any suggestions. I appreciate any assistance you can provide.

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    1. These fish are taken from a lake called Crabtree Lake, I would suggest purchasing a High Sierra trail guide book and also using Google earth to determine how to get there. It is roughly 18 miles and very rugged I would reccommend the services of a packer. I have been there and caught fish like these up to 8 lbs. Very worthwhile trip. Hope you have fun.

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  3. Thank you for your help Charlie! It was nice of you to respond. This will be helpful on future trips as well.

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