Something old, something new.

Dave Westburg

Dave Westburg

Fish the classics
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Took my 8'6" phillipson power pakt 5 weight bamboo rod up a short way trail to a shallow 3 acre Snohomish county high lake that I'd never visited. It's was stocked with 80 fish a year. Lots of insect activity but no fish caught or seen and no rises. Maybe a winter kill?

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We pivoted to this well known brookie lake just down the road which many of you have fished. The slide on the access road has been repaired. A wind was blowing terrestrials off the hills.

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I fished a size 14 claret bumble and a black zulu on an intermediate line and took the usual brookies and a few surprise rainbows.

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Anyone else fish a marsupial chest pack? They keep your flies and gear high and dry when you are in a wilderness light. Only holds small fly boxes, some leader spools and maybe a small reel but I'm usually traveling light in the high country.

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Next week there will be a new trail to follow...

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Dave Westburg said:
Took my 8'6" phillipson power pakt 5 weight bamboo rod up a short way trail to a shallow 3 acre Snohomish county high lake that I'd never visited. It's was stocked with 80 fish a year. Lots of insect activity but no fish caught or seen and no rises. Maybe a winter kill?

View attachment 120419

We pivoted to this well known brookie lake just down the road which many of you have fished. The slide on the access road has been repaired. A wind was blowing terrestrials off the hills.

View attachment 120420

I fished a size 14 claret bumble and a black zulu on an intermediate line and took the usual brookies and a few surprise rainbows.

View attachment 120421

Anyone else fish a marsupial chest pack? They keep your flies and gear high and dry when you are in a wilderness light. Only holds small fly boxes, some leader spools and maybe a small reel but I'm usually traveling light in the high country.

View attachment 120422

Next week there will be a new trail to follow...

View attachment 120423
Click to expand...
I’ve fished that first lake twice if it’s the one I think that is sorta near the brook trout one. The first time, I caught a couple decent fish. The second time, I had my Fishin Buddy 120 and it seemed lifeless. Maybe a fish or two on the sonar, but maybe those were salamanders or who knows, but it was warm, and it’s shallow. I think it’s a hard knock life for trout in that mountain pond.

I never caught a rainbow in that brookie lake that I can recall so that’s pretty interesting. They should put some tiger muskies in it 🤔😁
 
But, there’s that third lake reached by a trail further up the road… have you tried that one yet Dave?

@Matt B , take your kids and harvest some fish for the frying pan from that Brookie lake. It’ll improve the fishery, and no muskies required!
 
Greg Armstrong said:
But, there’s that third lake reached by a trail further up the road… have you tried that one yet Dave?

@Matt B , take your kids and harvest some fish for the frying pan from that Brookie lake. It’ll improve the fishery, and no muskies required!
Click to expand...
I would love to take them up there! They would hate the car ride! Especially that one spot where it’s one super narrow lane by a thousand foot cliff. At least, it seems like a thousand feet.
 
Matt B said:
I would love to take them up there! They would hate the car ride! Especially that one spot where it’s one super narrow lane by a thousand foot cliff. At least, it seems like a thousand feet.
Click to expand...
It’s for the good of the lake, it needs harvesting! And kids love an adventure!
 
We caught fewer brookies but bigger this trip. My biggest brookie was 11-12".

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I visited "the third lake reached by a trail further up the road "in June 2019 and caught fish like this...

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There's a fourth lake beyond the third lake which involves elevation, switchbacks and some way finding. It's on my list.
 
That marsupial pack looks good!
I used to use a Remington chest pack but I found I had to be a bit careful while hiking. I couldn’t always see over it, and would could trip over rocks and roots along the way.

I have one of those old original Fye/Richardson chest packs that was part of a bundle of old bamboo rods I picked up a few years ago. It was missing the harness but the company is still in business so I should probably order it. I’ve never used it, but some guys covet them.

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I really like the bumbles for alpine lake fishing. They make a good terrestrial or shrimp imitation; they have multiple colors; and the seals fur gets more buggy the more it gets fished. Also winding the hackle front to back and then counter ribbing with oval tinsel gives the fly extra durability. Here's a claret bumble...

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A fiery brown bumble which uses grouse hackle for the collar...

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And a golden olive bumble which has been fished. You can see how the seals fur glistens...

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