Question:
(snip) Thanks, Dave
Dave, Don’t fish in Virginia! There are no fish here! All the fish are in Pennsylvania! More fish are in New York! So, don’t fish the Shenandoah, the upper Potomac, Stoney Creek, etc. THERE ARE NO FISH THERE! HONEST!! Fish the Inner Harbor at Baltimore! Many fish there. More than you can possibly catch! — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.
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Hello all, I am moving to Baltimore ,MD after the first of the year and was wondering what there is for flyfishing available within about a 2 hour drive of the city. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave
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I saw on the Trout Unlimited web site http://www.tutv.org/html/maryland.html info about the Gunpowder river outside of DC.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello all, I am moving to Baltimore ,MD after the first of the year and was wondering what there is for flyfishing available within about a 2 hour drive of the city. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave
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There is this little body of water that some call the Chesapeake Bay. There are a few fish in it. Good luck.
Hello all, I am moving to Baltimore ,MD after the first of the year and was wondering what there is for flyfishing available within about a 2 hour drive of the city. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave — Flyfish NC Capt Gordon Churchill http://www.flyfish-nc.com
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Dave – There’s more water within a couple of hours of Baltimore than you could reasonably fish in a lifetime. I’ve lived in that area (actually DC) off and on for many years, and I’d be happy to introduce you to some of the local waters. Drop me an email, and we’ll arrange to talk sometime. Michael Roegner – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello all, I am moving to Baltimore ,MD after the first of the year and was wondering what there is for flyfishing available within about a 2 hour drive of the city. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave
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Dave, I Live in Baltimore and fish the Gunpowder river, at least once a week. It is about a 30-45 minute drive, depending on where you live. Since our drought last summer, the fishing hasn’t been too hot. Plus the bay tribs are great for stripers now. Mark – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello all, I am moving to Baltimore ,MD after the first of the year and was wondering what there is for flyfishing available within about a 2 hour drive of the city. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave
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Dave: Ditto that for me. I’m 20 mi north of Balto. Two excellent fly shops in the area, The Fisherman’s Edge & On the Fly. A couple good streams nearby, dozens more within a few hours’ drive. Drop me a line & I’ll fill you in. Joe Fleischman
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dave – There’s more water within a couple of hours of Baltimore than you could reasonably fish in a lifetime. I’ve lived in that area (actually DC) off and on for many years, and I’d be happy to introduce you to some of the local waters. Drop me an email, and we’ll arrange to talk sometime. Michael Roegner Hello all, I am moving to Baltimore ,MD after the first of the year and was wondering what there is for flyfishing available within about a 2 hour drive of the city. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave
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Hello, this is Caddis 7 I saw on the Trout Unlimited web site
http://www.tutv.org/html/maryland.html info about the Gunpowder river outside of DC. Hello all, I am moving to Baltimore ,MD after the first of the year and was wondering what there is for flyfishing available within about a 2 hour drive of the city. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave
http://www.newsfeeds.com The Largest Usenet Servers in the World!
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Hello, this is Caddis 7
I read you, Caddis 7. How are things out there? Over. a big 10-4, buddy. Mark Faulkner
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Question:
Did you ever see the Walker’s Cay Chronicles, where Flip Pallot and Lefty Kreh were down in that area fly fishing for False Albicore? – Bud — Bud Feuless & Miki Magara-Feuless
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Did you ever see the Walker’s Cay Chronicles, where Flip Pallot and Lefty Kreh were down in that area fly fishing for False Albicore? – Bud — Bud Feuless & Miki Magara-Feuless
No. I’d like to see it though. That has become one hot light tackle fishery. Since most people don’t like the false albacore, it is also a catch and release fishery, which will certainly help sustain the stocks as the popularity increases. Jeff Sorry, but email address disguised due to unscrupulous spammers. Please respond in Usenet.
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Jeff; Congrabulations! Hope you fall as much in love with your Scout as I have mine. False Albacore should be running in your area soon, right? – Bud — Bud Feuless & Miki Magara-Feuless
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Jeff; Congrabulations! Hope you fall as much in love with your Scout as I have mine. False Albacore should be running in your area soon, right? – Bud — Bud Feuless & Miki Magara-Feuless
Yes. It usually happens in April. Worry not, I will be catching them! Jeff Sorry, but email address disguised due to unscrupulous spammers. Please respond in Usenet.
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Congrats Jeff !!!! Have fun Mike G.
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just womdering what you paid? and do the scouts come in center consoles and what is there cost if you dont mind thanks rob
With 150 HP Yamaha and a $2000 single axle trailer for this new 19′ boat, my guess would be $25,000. — Skipper
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just womdering what you paid? and do the scouts come in center consoles and what is there cost if you dont mind thanks rob
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just womdering what you paid? and do the scouts come in center consoles and what is there cost if you dont mind thanks rob
I paid a fair price to the dealer in my area that was most helpful. Amazingly, I was able to negotiate a deal without knowing dealer invoice, blue book value, and wholesale cost. If you are serious about prices, I suggest calling some dealers in your area for some quotes. Tell me what they are quoting, and I will give you my opinion on that price. Scout makes boats up to 20′ in center console, dual console, side console, and flats style. They are at www.scoutboats.com. Jeff Sorry, but email address disguised due to unscrupulous spammers. Please respond in Usenet.
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just womdering what you paid? and do the scouts come in center consoles and what is there cost if you dont mind thanks rob With 150 HP Yamaha and a $2000 single axle trailer for this new 19′ boat, my guess would be $25,000. — Skipper
Good guess, Skipper. I got a dual axle trailer, and the boat is closer to 20′ than 19′ (19′ 10" LOA). Jeff Sorry, but email address disguised due to unscrupulous spammers. Please respond in Usenet.
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Got the call from the dealer today. My new Scout 202 SF is in! I’m going to go down on Saturday and lay out where I want the electronics mounted. It will be ready for the water next week, and I anticipate picking it up on the 13th! Now I just need the fish to start their trip to the NC coast… Jeff Sorry, but email address disguised due to unscrupulous spammers. Please respond in Usenet.
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Got the call from the dealer today. My new Scout 202 SF is in! I’m going to go down on Saturday and lay out where I want the electronics mounted. It will be ready for the water next week, and I anticipate picking it up on the 13th! Now I just need the fish to start their trip to the NC coast… Jeff
Congrats indeed, Jeff! It always seems that the first year or two, when you’re busy turning the boat into what you want it to be, are the most enjoyable. We just switched and there’s all the usual redoing to change the obviously stupid decisions the manufacturer and previous owners made to the One True Path of Righteousness (and humility???) Enjoy!
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I try to bring a rod/reel with me when I backpack (my friend always brings his). I mainly bring a few flys with me. I think a good time to fish is when the mosquitos come out. If you look at a lake you’ll see if fish are in there when the mosquitos are out (feeding time). Harold. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Alright, the truth has to come out sooner or later. Why is there never a post on fishing and backpacking? Don’t ask me to go to the alt.fishing newsgroup–those people are dedicated. I am not. I just want to know what I can expect if I carry a very small collapsible rod and mini-reel. Whenever I try to fish in the backcountry, I come across tiny streams that look like there is no hope or mountain lake that is snow-free for all of two months a year and you can see to the bottom of and personally verify there are no fish in its sterile environment. In 25 years of mountain backpacking, I have never caught a fish–although I do pretty good in the stocked lowlands. Does anyone have any wilderness fishing secrets to share with us? Who packs a rod and are glad they did? Secret bait? Techniques? Equipment? Eggs, worms, lures? Just give it up? Hunt for crawdads instead? Catching local bait? Set a line overnight? Anything . . . — John Kiljan
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – An interesting thread. I’d like to ask a question of the experienced mountain fishermen out there : Is there a "fish line" analogous to timberline ? i.e. an altitude above which you will not find fish ? We’re heading for CO next week and I know of a gorgeous little lake way up around 13,000. Any chance there’ll be fish in it ? I don’t know the answer but the highest lake I have fished at with success is the Upper Hancock Lake (near the ghost town of St. Elmo) and it is, if memory serves me, just over 11,000 feet. One other lake (where I had the best fishing day of my life) is also just over 11,000 feet. Geez, 13,000 feet seems pretty high up there for fishing? 
To the best of my knowledge, trout are not native to most alpine lakes. There is always a fall or bad rapids that prevents upstream migration. If there are fish in high country lakes, they probably are stocked. You’ll just have to ask. the best place is a local fly shop. …… Seek harmony and balance in the mountains, find harmony and balance within…..
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Alright, the truth has to come out sooner or later. Why is there never a post on fishing and backpacking? Don’t ask me to go to the alt.fishing newsgroup–those people are dedicated. I am not. I just want to know what I can expect if I carry a very small collapsible rod and mini-reel.
Well, here is an answer from a dedicated fisherman who backpacks. Whenever I try to fish in the backcountry, I come across tiny streams that look like there is no hope or mountain lake that is snow-free for all of two months a year and you can see to the bottom of and personally verify there are no fish in its sterile environment. In 25 years of mountain backpacking, I have never caught a fish–although I do pretty good in the stocked lowlands.
Hard to say why you have never seen a fish up in the mountains… They are harder to see because they are wild and blend in with the bottom better, and they tend to be a lot smaller due to the restricted growing season. Does anyone have any wilderness fishing secrets to share with us? Who packs a rod and are glad they did? Secret bait? Techniques? Equipment? Eggs, worms, lures? Just give it up? Hunt for crawdads instead? Catching local bait? Set a line overnight? Anything . . .
The secret? Flies. Pure and simple. Wild trout feed on insects. Learn how to fly fish. I rarely fail to catch at least a few in most of the high mountain streams and lakes. At least in the California Sierra Nevada Moutains. Darryl Hayashida
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snip Does anyone have any wilderness fishing secrets to share with us? Who packs a rod and are glad they did? Secret bait? Techniques? Equipment? Eggs, worms, lures? Just give it up? Hunt for crawdads instead? Catching local bait? Set a line overnight? Anything . . . — John Kiljan
Hi John, I do a lot of solo hiking and always carry fishing equipment which pays for the space and weight. Most of my experience is in Yosemite and Sequoia, and I’ve never failed to catch small native trout. I know there are a lot of purist who’ll object, but this is food, and I eat every one. I carry a collapsible 7′ rod, a mini spinning reel with 4# mono line. I use #18 bronze treble hooks and carry a black film canister filled with fresh velveta. I barely cover the hook, this is small, like the head of a book match. More will work, not any better though, and the fish are usually small anyway. I fly fish some, so I understand a little about reading water. I found fish in 4" slow runs, places too small to hide a canteen, places you’d swear wouldn’t hold a 6" trout. I don’t cast, just drop it in and let the water pull off some line, and when it stops I reel in the slack. Never counted how many tries to catch a fish, but I’ve never gotten bored or hungry. Landing the fish is no problem. I use the 2" blade on my Swiss Army knife to clean them per the Rappalla book. I rinse them well and nestle them head to tail, wrap them in aluminum foil, and place them in the hot embers. They have a lot of flavor. Other things in my fishing kit: Red plastic hook disgorger with the big end cut off and the shaft roughened A clean plastic super market vegetable bag which I rinse and use again to put the dispatched fish on my belt 1/4 of an old facecloth for picking up wigglin’ fish Guess there are some other things I carry, sliding sinkers for lakes, a couple of small casting lures to amuse myself with, and a couple plastic look-alike bugs. Hope this helps. –Charleroi
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Do you really think that experienced people are going post their favorite fishing spot? Would you like by some land which occasionally above water? I don’t fish, so I won’t suggest that people fish at the V. place. But others can.
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The secret? Flies. Pure and simple. Wild trout feed on insects. Learn how to fly fish. I rarely fail to catch at least a few in most of the high mountain streams and lakes. At least in the California Sierra Nevada Moutains. I like fly fishing too, but I doubt that it is "the secret". I have used a lightweight (4 lb test) with 1/16 oz. spinners and never failed to bring home fish for dinner in Colorado. I go for the fly fishing also. But, the learning curve can be brutal. For someone not into fly fishing, I recommend spinners (ie: Mepps ‘0′) on a high quality 2 lb test line, -or- Power Bait fished 6 to 9 inches off the bottom with a tight line. Nothing to be proud of but they will catch fish. — I find that most people fall into one of two groups. Those that are quick to tell you that it can’t be done, and those who are quick to try to make it work. When all is said and done, I hope to be counted in the second group. - George POWER BAIT??? That’s as bad as baiting bears!!! Shame on you.
I thought they were talking about trout. When I go for bear I use a much heavier line. 2lbs test is just not strong enough for bear. My mistake. — I find that most people fall into one of two groups. Those that are quick to tell you that it can’t be done, and those who are quick to try to make it work. When all is said and done, I hope to be counted in the second group. - George
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The secret? Flies. Pure and simple. Wild trout feed on insects. Learn how to fly fish. I rarely fail to catch at least a few in most of the high mountain streams and lakes. At least in the California Sierra Nevada Moutains. I like fly fishing too, but I doubt that it is "the secret". I have used a lightweight (4 lb test) with 1/16 oz. spinners and never failed to bring home fish for dinner in Colorado. I go for the fly fishing also. But, the learning curve can be brutal. For someone not into fly fishing, I recommend spinners (ie: Mepps ‘0′) on a high quality 2 lb test line, -or- Power Bait fished 6 to 9 inches off the bottom with a tight line. Nothing to be proud of but they will catch fish. — I find that most people fall into one of two groups. Those that are quick to tell you that it can’t be done, and those who are quick to try to make it work. When all is said and done, I hope to be counted in the second group. - George POWER BAIT??? That’s as bad as baiting bears!!! Shame on you.
Actually, I thought they were walking about trout. When I go for bear I use a much heaver line. 2 lbs test is just too light for bear. — I find that most people fall into one of two groups. Those that are quick to tell you that it can’t be done, and those who are quick to try to make it work. When all is said and done, I hope to be counted in the second group. - George
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The secret? Flies. Pure and simple. Wild trout feed on insects. Learn how to fly fish. I rarely fail to catch at least a few in most of the high mountain streams and lakes. At least in the California Sierra Nevada Moutains. I like fly fishing too, but I doubt that it is "the secret". I have used a lightweight (4 lb test) with 1/16 oz. spinners and never failed to bring home fish for dinner in Colorado. I go for the fly fishing also. But, the learning curve can be brutal. For someone not into fly fishing, I recommend spinners (ie: Mepps ‘0′) on a high quality 2 lb test line, -or- Power Bait fished 6 to 9 inches off the bottom with a tight line. Nothing to be proud of but they will catch fish. — I find that most people fall into one of two groups. Those that are quick to tell you that it can’t be done, and those who are quick to try to make it work. When all is said and done, I hope to be counted in the second group. - George
POWER BAIT??? That’s as bad as baiting bears!!! Shame on you.
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The secret? Flies. Pure and simple. Wild trout feed on insects. Learn how to fly fish. I rarely fail to catch at least a few in most of the high mountain streams and lakes. At least in the California Sierra Nevada Moutains. I like fly fishing too, but I doubt that it is "the secret". I have used a lightweight (4 lb test) with 1/16 oz. spinners and never failed to bring home fish for dinner in Colorado.
I go for the fly fishing also. But, the learning curve can be brutal. For someone not into fly fishing, I recommend spinners (ie: Mepps ‘0′) on a high quality 2 lb test line, -or- Power Bait fished 6 to 9 inches off the bottom with a tight line. Nothing to be proud of but they will catch fish. — I find that most people fall into one of two groups. Those that are quick to tell you that it can’t be done, and those who are quick to try to make it work. When all is said and done, I hope to be counted in the second group. - George
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writes: The secret? Flies. Pure and simple. Wild trout feed on insects. Learn how to fly fish.
I use flies, but I don’t know how to fly fish in the traditional sense. I use a spinning rod and reel. About 2-3 feet from the end of the line I attach a elongated teardrop-shaped bobber. It has a rubber tube inside that the line slides through, then to secure it, I just give it a few twists. A plug opens on one end that I can fill with water; too much and it’ll sink, too little and I can’t cast far. Simple! Then I just tie on a fly on the end of the line and, wallah, flyfishing for people like me! My knowledge is that most high lakes in Washington state are stocked. I’m not sure how to tell the difference between wild and harvested fish. Anyone know? Jason R. wherever you go, there you are – HDT
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: An interesting thread. I’d like to ask a question of the : experienced mountain fishermen out there : Is there : a "fish line" analogous to timberline ? i.e. an altitude : above which you will not find fish ? : We’re heading for CO next week and I know of a gorgeous : little lake way up around 13,000. Any chance there’ll : be fish in it ? I’ve fished Ice Lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and caught many 6 – 8 inch trout. Ice Lake is at 8,000 ft. That’s the highest lake with fish that I know of, but it was stocked back in the ’20s.
Colorado has excellent fishing in alpine lakes above 9000′ primarily as a result of aerial stocking begun in the 1950’s. Cutthroat trout are the most common with brook and rainbow trout doing well also.Due to the pristine environment, abundant aquatic insect population and light fishing pressure these trout can grow larger than their cousins in low altitude streams and rivers. The dramatic changes in water temperature of high lakes probably has the greatest effect on fishing success. As the sun warms water close to shore the fish will migrate to the center or to deeper areas of the lake. Not very productive for a fisherman stuck on the shore. For this reason the higher the lake is the better, especially as summer wears on and the lower lakes gradually become warmer. Regards, Brian
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Third, the biggest mistake that people make when they fish alpine lakes is that they do not fish deeply enough. Most of my fly fishing is with an extra-fast sinking shooting head (this will mean something to flyfishers), at depths of 20-40 ft. Fishing deep is easy with spinning gear; you just need to let your spinner sink.
Would you mind terribly to expound a little bit on "extra-fast sinking shooting head" for us novice fly fishers? I mean, this is some sort of wet fly? Do you need a sinking line (maybe that is obvious but I will ask anyway). Thanks, Lawrence Kennon
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Alright, the truth has to come out sooner or later. Why is there never a post on fishing and backpacking?
There are: In "rec.outdoors.fishing.fly" Virtually all of my backcountry travel centers on fly fishing. I usually make one trip a year into the GSMNP and one trip into the Wind River Range. The former is stream fishing, the latter almost exclusively lake fishing. Most of these lakes are at or above timberline. I don’t want to rub it in, but we always catch fish; lots of them too. Let me take the liberty to answer some questions and clarify some misconceptions: First, just because you can’t see fish does not mean they aren’t there. You have to look VERY carefully to see fish, must have a trained eye, and you must have polarized glasses (to reduce glare). Keep in mind that trout are prey for many beasts of the wild, and if you can see them, they can almost certainly see you. On many occasions, the only fish I ever see are those in my hand when I’m releasing them! Second, there are few lakes of any size in the U.S. that really have only a 2-month ice out. There are lots of lakes, however, that may be completely iced out for only 3 months or so. This does not preclude a productive fishery. I have fished lakes in the Wind River Range that are ice free for at most 4 months a year (July-Oct), and yet are extremely productive. I fished a lake last year at 11,000 ft that held cutthroats up to nearly 30 inches (yep, 30 inches, not 30 centimeters). This lake was still 1/4 iced-in the first week of August! There probably is a limit to how high a lake can be and still support fish, but it is probably about the same limit as for people, which is higher than 13,000 ft (I think it is between 15K and 18K, but can’t remember). Third, the biggest mistake that people make when they fish alpine lakes is that they do not fish deeply enough. Most of my fly fishing is with an extra-fast sinking shooting head (this will mean something to flyfishers), at depths of 20-40 ft. Fishing deep is easy with spinning gear; you just need to let your spinner sink. Fourth, although it is true that few alpine lakes outside of the Sierras have native trout, many alpine lakes have self sustaining populations of wild trout. For example, none of the lakes in the Winds originally had fish. Much of the stocking was done by Finis Mitchell and his family in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these lakes have received no fish since then. Fifth, there are fishless alpine lakes out there, no doubt about it. Lakes can be too shallow (they freeze solid, or nearly so); they can become oxygen depleted in the winter (esp. a problem if there is no inlet or outlet); and the water can be so sterile that there aren’t enough nutrients to feed the bugs that feed the fish (typically a problem for the first lake immediately below glaciers, etc.). If you have any questions, I’d be happy to try to answer them, except for the names of the lakes 
. 2-3 months of the year, and yet are extremely productive fisheries. are ice free for
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The secret? Flies. Pure and simple. Wild trout feed on insects. Learn how to fly fish. I rarely fail to catch at least a few in most of the high mountain streams and lakes. At least in the California Sierra Nevada Moutains. I like fly fishing too, but I doubt that it is "the secret". I have used a lightweight (4 lb test) with 1/16 oz. spinners and never failed to bring home fish for dinner in Colorado. lk
Spinners would be my second choice if I didn’t have my fly fishing gear with me. I fished spinners for ten years before I started fly fishing. It isn’t that one is more successful than the other, I just enjoy fly fishing, especially dry fly fishing more than spin fishing. My favorite spinner was (still is on the rare occasion that I spin fish) a size 1 or 2 (small) Panther Martin black body with yellow spots, gold blade. Darryl Hayashida
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: An interesting thread. I’d like to ask a question of the : experienced mountain fishermen out there : Is there : a "fish line" analogous to timberline ? i.e. an altitude : above which you will not find fish ? : We’re heading for CO next week and I know of a gorgeous : little lake way up around 13,000. Any chance there’ll : be fish in it ? I’ve fished Ice Lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and caught many 6 – 8 inch trout. Ice Lake is at 8,000 ft. That’s the highest lake with fish that I know of, but it was stocked back in the ’20s.
As someone else commented, most of the alpine lakes in CO were stocked at some time. My father-in-law worked for Colorado Fish and Game, and one of his jobs was stocking wilderness lakes. He’d ride a horse and lead a pack string with panniers filled with fingerlings! Lakes that were farther than a day’s ride, or inaccessible by horseback, were stocked by helicopter. That must have been a sight! We’ve caught trout in lakes at 12,160 feet. Most very high lakes are small and freeze thickly in the winter, so many are sterile unless there is ongoing stocking. Trout are able to swim through some pretty impressive falls, though, so there is some migration, and if the lake is big enough the fish will be ok through the winter. Most of the lakes I’ve backpacked to in the Colorado high country have fish in them. This doesn’t guarantee dinner, though. — _][ Data Support Section * National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) __PO Box 3000, Boulder, Colorado 80307 * 303/497-1214 * 303/497-1298 fax
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: An interesting thread. I’d like to ask a question of the : experienced mountain fishermen out there : Is there : a "fish line" analogous to timberline ? i.e. an altitude : above which you will not find fish ? : We’re heading for CO next week and I know of a gorgeous : little lake way up around 13,000. Any chance there’ll : be fish in it ? I’ve fished Ice Lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and caught many 6 – 8 inch trout. Ice Lake is at 8,000 ft. That’s the highest lake with fish that I know of, but it was stocked back in the ’20s. greg rose
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The secret? Flies. Pure and simple. Wild trout feed on insects. Learn how to fly fish. I rarely fail to catch at least a few in most of the high mountain streams and lakes. At least in the California Sierra Nevada Moutains.
I like fly fishing too, but I doubt that it is "the secret". I have used a lightweight (4 lb test) with 1/16 oz. spinners and never failed to bring home fish for dinner in Colorado. lk
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It’s not hidden, you didn’t bother looking: Panel 26: Fishing alt.fishing alt.archery rec.outdoors.fishing rec.outdoors.fishing.fly rec.boats Just like the white water paddlers. Like Muir said, Fishing is boring.
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An interesting thread. I’d like to ask a question of the experienced mountain fishermen out there : Is there a "fish line" analogous to timberline ? i.e. an altitude above which you will not find fish ? We’re heading for CO next week and I know of a gorgeous little lake way up around 13,000. Any chance there’ll be fish in it ? Gary
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An interesting thread. I’d like to ask a question of the experienced mountain fishermen out there : Is there a "fish line" analogous to timberline ? i.e. an altitude above which you will not find fish ? We’re heading for CO next week and I know of a gorgeous little lake way up around 13,000. Any chance there’ll be fish in it ?
I don’t know the answer but the highest lake I have fished at with success is the Upper Hancock Lake (near the ghost town of St. Elmo) and it is, if memory serves me, just over 11,000 feet. One other lake (where I had the best fishing day of my life) is also just over 11,000 feet. Geez, 13,000 feet seems pretty high up there for fishing? You will let us know how this turns out, won’t you? Lawrence Kennon
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alt.fishing newsgroup–those people are dedicated. I am not. I just want to know what I can expect if I carry a very small collapsible rod and mini-reel. Whenever I try to fish in the backcountry, I come
I always do the same thing. Most of my hiking is done around larger bodies of water (lakes and such) Does anyone have any wilderness fishing secrets to share with us? Who packs a rod and are glad they did? Secret bait? Techniques?
I’m always glad I packed the rod. Even if I don’t catch anything (most of the time) I like to fish anyway. Gives me an excuse not to do the dishes after supper! Andrew Roberts
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Does anyone have any wilderness fishing secrets to share with us? Who packs a rod and are glad they did? Secret bait? Techniques? Equipment? Eggs, worms, lures? Just give it up? Hunt for crawdads instead? Catching local bait? Set a line overnight? Anything . . . I’ve had reasonable success in the last few years in fishing the
backcountry. My buddy and I mostly catch-and-release (e.g. last year in Colorado we landed over 30 in an afternoon), but we sometimes keep enough to "have a feast." I guess I could say that the secret is to be prepared for a "hunt" to find what the fish are interested in. Last year, it was easy enough because they were hitting small spinners (e.g., Panther Martin’s and Mepps) on very light line (e.g. 2 lb.). However, the previous year (in New Mexico), the fish just weren’t interested in anything in our "tackle box." So, we resorted to using little grubs found in the stream bed (helgromites (sp), I believe they are called), and the fish went nuts. We used a very small hook and "bobbed" the bait up and down. Actually, it was more like try to get the hook into the water and out again before one latched on. (I actually had one fish–they were native cut-throat–jump out of the water to get the bait). So, a lot of trial-and-error will probably be necessary to find what they are attracted to. However, it has been load of fun. BTW: These cases were both streams above 9000 feet. My only recent experience with mountain lakes was a small lake in Apache-Setgreaves (Arizona), which had obviously been stocked with Artic Grayling (and "interesting" fish to pull out of the water in Arizona!).
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Does anyone have any wilderness fishing secrets to share with us? Who packs a rod and are glad they did? Secret bait? Techniques? Equipment? Eggs, worms, lures? Just give it up? Hunt for crawdads instead? Catching local bait? Set a line overnight? Anything . . .
In Colorado I have had very good luck with a small spin casting rod/reel (4 lb test) using little 1/16 ounce spinners (Wooters, or Hooters, or something like that are my favorite). I have caught trout in lakes over 11,000 feet while standing on old snow on the bank and icebergs floating in the lake. Most of the lakes _do_ have edible (_very_ edible) trout in them. Have never had any luck on streams (haven’t really tried) but have seen fly fisherman catch them in streams. There is the little lake around Garfied (sorry, can’t tell you the name, that is my secret!) up about 11,000 feet or so, very small and fishable only at one end where it is deep enough. I had the best fishing day of my life there a couple years ago. We set up the tent and left the wife and kids to go look for a place to fish on this lake (first time there) and I found this little "hole" at one end. In a few minutes with approx. 7-8 casts I caught 5 great trout, several of them quite big. Needless to say we feasted that night. The bad news is that it is quite a hike off the beaten path to get there. Perhaps that is why there were a lot of hungry and unwary fish. Look for a lake like that, one that is _hard_ to get to, one that isn’t visited often. lk
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Alright, the truth has to come out sooner or later. Why is there never a post on fishing and backpacking? Don’t ask me to go to the alt.fishing newsgroup–those people are dedicated. I am not. I just want to know what I can expect if I carry a very small collapsible rod and mini-reel. Whenever I try to fish in the backcountry, I come across tiny streams that look like there is no hope or mountain lake that is snow-free for all of two months a year and you can see to the bottom of and personally verify there are no fish in its sterile environment. In 25 years of mountain backpacking, I have never caught a fish–although I do pretty good in the stocked lowlands. Does anyone have any wilderness fishing secrets to share with us? Who packs a rod and are glad they did? Secret bait? Techniques? Equipment? Eggs, worms, lures? Just give it up? Hunt for crawdads instead? Catching local bait? Set a line overnight? Anything . . . — John Kiljan
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The last time I used a dropper fly I had horrible problems with the line tangling up. I had attached the fly to the tag end of a surgeons knot Has anyone got any suggestions for keeping the whole thing untangled when fishing? I guess you could attach the dropper onto the first fly, but I often wonder about hooking success? Any thots would be appreciated. Jeff Dueck Calgary Alberta Canada
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The last time I used a dropper fly I had horrible problems with the line tangling up. I had attached the fly to the tag end of a surgeons knot Has anyone got any suggestions for keeping the whole thing untangled when fishing? I guess you could attach the dropper onto the first fly, but I often wonder about hooking success? Any thots would be appreciated.
I use a two-fly rig often. I tie the upper fly onto the end of the taper then with this attached I tie my tippet in with a barrel knot, leaving the fly hanging about 2" from the knot. As long as the lower fly is heavier and the upper isn’t hanging down too far I don’t have problems. When I tangle it is the fault of my casting. When I overpower the rod it forms a "tailing loop" where the flies tangle in the line. With a two fly rig it works best to cast a gentle slow cast with a nice wide loop. If it’s windy forget the upper fly. Mark Vinsel Visit my gallery: http://www.lanminds.com/local/vinnie/gallery.HTML
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The last time I used a dropper fly I had horrible problems with the line tangling up. I had attached the fly to the tag end of a surgeons knot Has anyone got any suggestions for keeping the whole thing untangled when fishing? I guess you could attach the dropper onto the first fly, but I often wonder about hooking success? Any thots would be appreciated. Jeff Dueck Calgary Alberta Canada
I have good luck by tying a loop knot into my tippet and then tying a pefection loop into my dropper leader, and looping them together. Keep the dropper leader short, less than 6 inches, and the stiffness of the loop junction will keep you good. ATB
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The last time I used a dropper fly I had horrible problems with the line tangling up. I had attached the fly to the tag end of a surgeons knot Has anyone got any suggestions for keeping the whole thing untangled when fishing?
I tie the tippet for the dropper to the curve in the hook of the first fly (usually a dry, with the dropper a nymph) using an improved clinch knot. I’ve never lost a dropper even tho’ my hooks are debarbed, and I don’t think that the dropper has interfered with hookups on the upper fly. The big advantage is that this rig casts much like a single fly and avoids the twists and snarls that I formerly encountered tying the dropper off from the leader above the other fly.
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The last time I used a dropper fly I had horrible problems with the line tangling up. I had attached the fly to the tag end of a surgeons knot Has anyone got any suggestions for keeping the whole thing untangled when fishing?
Tom Johnson at Johnson’s Pere Marquette Lodge taught me to tie a second peice of tippet to the eye of the first fly, and attach the second fly to the second tippet. So far it has worked great for me. . Lenny Bloksberg . .
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The last time I used a dropper fly I had horrible problems with the line tangling up. I had attached the fly to the tag end of a surgeons knot Has anyone got any suggestions for keeping the whole thing untangled when fishing?
Another method of avoiding tangles is to run your tippet through the eye of the dropper fly, tie on another length of tippet with a double surgeon’s knot and then tie on your tail fly. The dropper fly runs free but snugs up against the surgeon’s knot during casting. The only problem is that the dropper fly can’t be larger than a #14 or it slides over the knot but I rarely use flies that large so it’s no problem.
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: The last time I used a dropper fly I had horrible problems with the line : tangling up. I had attached the fly to the tag end of a surgeons knot : Has anyone got any suggestions for keeping the whole thing untangled : when fishing? : : Another method of avoiding tangles is to run your tippet through : the eye of the dropper fly, tie on another length of tippet with a double : surgeon’s knot and then tie on your tail fly. The dropper fly runs free : but snugs up against the surgeon’s knot during casting. The only problem : is that the dropper fly can’t be larger than a #14 or it slides over the : knot but I rarely use flies that large so it’s no problem. For a classical dropper, make sure that you are using a reasonably stiff piece of mono to make the leader. I find that if the mono can support the weight of the fly horizontally over the 5-10 cm length of the dropper, then it is stiff enough not to tangle when casting. However, I too prefer the methods previously mentioned.
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Tom Johnson at Johnson’s Pere Marquette Lodge taught me to tie a second peice of tippet to the eye of the first fly, and attach the second fly to the second tippet. So far it has worked great for me.
This works only if the eye is complete – and many hooks have either a small gap in the eye, or where the wire was cut may have sharp corners exposed to the inside of the eye. Neither of these may affect the mainline, but a trailing dropper might decide to go it alone with some vigorous casting… <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< < Digital Equipment Corp. Alpha Server Engineering < < "Read this and nobody gets hurt" < <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
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The real key is learning to cast. Don’t bother with any kind of dropper set up if you can’t exercise a modicum of loop control in all wind/weather conditions. Mike in PDX "When the trout are lost, smash the state." Tom McGuane
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You can attach an additional wet fly to your leader by leaving the heavier tag end of the barrel knot closest to your tippet a little long. If the barrel knot is tied properly, the heavier tage end should stick out at 180 degrees from the tippet tag end. Trim off the tag end of the tippet and just tie the additional fly to the remaining line. The dropper line should be short (I usually use 6-8 inches) and no finer than 3X, or else it will tangle. You can use this to attach as many flies as you want further up the leader too. Jim Davis Philadelphia, PA Temple University
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