Sometimes you need to pivot.

Dave Westburg

Fish the classics
Forum Supporter
Yesterday Phil K and I took our annual high lakes off trail scramble to a group of four small lakes in the Alpine Lakes wilderness. Two hours of hard work uphilling through blowdowns...
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The first lake was beautiful but no sign of the 80 fish which were planted in 2021.
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Ditto for the second lake. Not a fish seen or caught in the middle of the largest callibaetis spinner fall that I've ever seen...
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Saw black bear tracks as we exited the basin...
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We pivoted to a lower elevation lake nearby. The fish were taking callibaetis mayflies and traveling sedges. I wasn't fishing dries but did well with a size 12 black pennel and a size 12 green wells glory on an intermediate line. Healthy, acrobatic rainbows which gave my Granger 8642 and Phil's Orvis 4 and 7/8's ounce bamboo rods a workout.
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A clear lake with a marl shoal, well conditioned acrobatic rainbows and a traveling sedge hatch. If I closed my eyes I could pretend I was @Ron McNeal up at Rock Island Fishing Camp.
 
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What can I add? It was a good conditioning hike. I am now one for three on hike-in lake trips with Dave that we've actually found fish where we hoped to. My wife is starting to give me the look that says "Are you sure this Dave guy knows what he's doing?"

The Callibaetis hatch at the first lake we fished was absolutely bonkers. The lack of predation plus ideal conditions; shallow warmish water and mucky bottom generated more bugs than either of us had ever seen. The emergence left the lake surface covered with rafts of nymphal shucks. (not a great pic.....)

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