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This year has been exceptional for fishies for some reason.

Here’s my biggest so far this year, 27.5 inches. Frustration lake was ice free enough to fish. As soon as I get permission, I’ll post my buddies fish – same lake and trip, makes this guy look like a minnow!

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@Sandy McKean wrote:

Stocking lakes without WDFW authorization is illegal.

And yet it’s done time and time again. I have never even heard of somebody getting in trouble for stocking a high lake.
Of course, I don’t condone breaking the law.

I’m glad whoever stocked this lake originally did! It’s never been “officially” stocked. I know it had fish back near the turn of the last century, and they are still there. Low population density, naturally reproducing. 6500+ feet. Every once in while things work out just right.

[youtube:3g86qesy][/youtube:3g86qesy]

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Not my fish or picture, but a dandy measured 26″. Posted with permission from my friend. I also posted this on nwhikers.

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Not too hard especially considering the title of your image…. 😀

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I went back through my record in the Hiddens and it looks like when I caught the most cutties was in ’01 or ’02. Seemed like every other fish in Middle Hidden was a cutty. And they were all about the same size, around 10 inches or so.

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I’ve been to the Hidden Lakes many times over the past 10 years or so. Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve caught. I’m not saying somebody else hasn’t caught this or that, this is just my experience.

Cougar Lake: Bull and Rainbows
Lower Hidden: Bull and Rainbows
Middle Hidden: Bull,Rainbows and Cutties
Upper Hidden: Rainbows

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Kat,

I can’t count the fish I’ve caught using fireline.

For everything up to steelhead, I use the 4lb stuff. I have never had a fish break off this line in an alpine lake. I’m a total convert.

For steelheading I use 8lb. For salmon I use the 14lb. That is probably pretty big, but I err on the side of caution with the kings. I had a king spool me with 14lb fireline…. I was at a spot in the river where I couldn’t run up or down the shore, and he zippppppped up the river and took all my line. I tightned my drag down the whole way, but it wasn’t helping. when the line got to the spool I wrapped my arm around the line and my hook finally bent and came out the fishies mouth.

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Brownster –

Having been to the lake in question I guarantee you that fish was every bit of 5 lbs. Wouldn’t surprise me if they had packed in scales to weigh fish either. 😀

I posted this on nwhikers too, but here is my biggest fish of year. Alpine lake, 6500+ ft. Well in excess of the 20″ rule.

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@RPBrown wrote:

Mr. Sooperfly,
Hey, when you get a chance would you mind sending me a private email with the T/R/S where you caught these fish. If that doesn’t work Lat. & Long. would be fine.
Wow, what a slab. I’m surprised it wasn’t a little longer than 20.5 inches to be that heavy. Thanks for sharing.

Hmm, I would but I bumped my head after I got home and don’t remember where I went? 😆

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I doubt the rainbow record will ever come out of an alpine lake, but you might check some threads on here about other fish. If you want to chase records in the mountains the golden trout record is a doable one. 😀 😀

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The state currently lists four types of cutthroat. Click the link below for a listing

http://wdfw.wa.gov/cgi-bin/database/fish/fishing_record.cgi?keyword=cutthroat&field=all&srchtype=within&job=search&submit=Search+Records

The records are for state-wide, not just “high” or “low” lakes.

Not having cut the fishies open (yet) I couldn’t tell you what they were eating. I can tell you the lake isn’t very deep and it’s chock full of insects, including a high-lake troutie favorite, scuds. I didn’t observe a single small fish in 4 days. I do know it was planted in the last couple years. All those fry had either become fish food or were hiding outta sight. And in that time I watched several hatches and never once saw a fish either feed from the surface or jump. Some people had told me the lake was barren as they neither caught or saw anything on their trips.

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Here are a couple pics of the smaller (weight-wise) cutty.

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Brian,

No problem embedding the picture, I didn’t because I thought it might be a tad bit wide. I’ll put up a picture of the smaller fish when I get home. Kinda a bummer that it weighed less, besides being longer it just looked bigger. Go figure.

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Got the certificate back from the state a couple days ago.. They messed up and listed it wrong but hopefully I can get that fixed. 😡

Old record 2.41 lbs, new record 4.71 lbs. 20.5 inches.
Hauled two fish out, the second one was over 2″ longer and looked much bigger but actually weighed in at 4.205 lbs.

Picture here: http://www.rivercolor.com/images/westy.jpg

Video on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHIHePZJbDo

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In Eastern Washington. And I’m not sure how it doesn’t winterkill. Some of the lakes I go to are only 4-5 feet deep, you can wade all the way across, and they don’t freeze out.

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