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It looks like a nice rod, but I wouldn’t use anything with fewer then 4 pieces for high lakes fishing.
Forget the Trailmaster for fly fishing. If you are going to fly fish get a dedicated fly rod. The Trailmaster should be a nice spinning rod, but it will be a terrible fly rod. Carrying two rods is always an option, though it does add a bit of weight.
When shopping for reels I like to go to Cabella’s website where they list reels by weight and look for the lightest one they have. Looking at the Shimano reels this one weighs 6 oz. That’s not bad. I didn’t go through the other brands. I’m carrying one similar to this Shimano these days but I bought it years ago and this one is listed at 8.9 oz so it is a bit heavy.
I use a 5-wieght fly rod. I add a small Shimano spinning reel on the normal fly reel seat. It works great and can cast a mile. I fish 4-lb line and prefer to fish 3/16 to ¼ oz lures. I’m using a 4-piece rod but I need to upgrade that to a 6-piece so it will fit into any pack I’m carrying. I save a bit of weight by using my pack as my protective case instead of carrying a separate hard case.
@jnoyes1026 wrote:
I got my first and only fly pole when I was 13 and all I ever really used the thing as was a whip. I never had anyone show me what I should be doing so it turned into just a game of how loud can I get the floating line to crack.
LOL, that’s definitely not a skill that will help your fly fishing. Every time I hear that snap I know I’ve just lost another fly.
Whether or not you’ll be able to easily fly fish from shore is very dependent on the lake. If you can find a rockslide or meadow you’ll be in good shape, but if the lake is surrounded by brush fly fishing will be difficult. The best place to practice fly fishing is a lawn somewhere with a hookless fly. I’d bring spinning and fly gear so you can take advantage of good fly fishing opportunities and won’t be frustrated when conditions are tough.
We always entered the reservation from the westside, so I don’t have any experiences with the trailheads or guides on the reservation. We did our first hike on the reservation back in the 70s after it had been completely closed for some years. The fishing was incredible. We hit a few of the same lakes a few years later and while they were still good, they weren’t the same as they were that first year.
Elkhart Park is the most popular trailhead. It is huge. Most traffic goes straight to the Titcomb Basin and back. The second most popular destination is probably the Cirque of the Towers out of Big Sandy Opening in the south. Both destinations are spectacular so there is good reason people go there.
You truly can’t go wrong no matter what trip you plan. Cross country is easy so go ahead and plan as much in as you can. Get off the main trails and away from the most popular trails. Make sure you plan your trip so that you go over the crest. If you email me directly I can send you some of our old itineraries and routes.
They have similar action to a Dick Night, but they are weighted for casting. You don’t have to be subtle. I throw either 3/16 oz or ¼ oz spoons. You need to have enough weight for good casting. I like 4-lb test line. Krocodiles are excellent spoons. I like brass/red patterns best. My favorite lures are Daredevils or Kamlooper Jrs for 3/16 oz and Jakes Spin-a-Lures and Krocodiles for ¼ oz.
Rooster Tails are difficult lures to fish. They can be extremely effective, but they require some technique. To get the spinner sported you need to give them a bit of a twitch. And they are horrible line twisters, even if you are using a snap swivel. So you have to let your line untwist after you reel in.
There is a good thread on favorite lures here on the forum.
Not at all. Very few lakes are barren. The recommendations on the WDFW site are places that can generally handle increased pressure from being recommended destinations. Almost all lakes outside of national parks will have fish.
Hi John, welcome to the site. You’ll have a great time learning to fish high lakes. You really can’t go wrong with pretty much any lake. Once you gain some experience you’ll be able to start picking up maps and looking for blue spots. In the meantime, I’d go read Trout Fishing in Washington’s High Lakes on the WDFW website. Their list of recommended lakes is a good place to start. Many of those lakes have lots of easy to catch, but small, fish. But that is a great way to get started and catch the bug.
H.R. 1158, the North Cascades National Park fish stocking bill, passed out of committee in the Senate again today, 19 Dec 2013. You can watch video of the committee hearing but the bill was considered non-controversial and they did not discuss it at all so it isn’t very exciting. Now we need to get it out of the full Senate.
I’ve been all up and down in every section of the Winds. It is Mecca for high lake anglers. The scenery is incredible, the fishing is incredible, and there is no brush. Go.
The board has been very happily free from spammers for quite a while. That might have been because it was impossible to register. That should be fixed now. Hopefully the spambot controls will be effective. It won’t take long to find out.
If you have any problems registering let me know at the email address upthread.
If my memory serves, the state record is, er, was, over 9 lbs. That is a huge fish! Did you weigh it?
Here’s another one from last year.
Brian Curtis with 20" CT 2012 by brianc9, on Flickr
