I call it Fishing on the Wild Side. It is my version of adding a puny extra adventure to a fishing outing. Fishing the wild side has taken me on some unforgettable escapades, sometimes incredible, occasionally a puny frightening, but never boring.
The first step is to scour a topographical map of an area you want to visit. For me that is approximately all the time California's rugged Sierra Nevada. Before long I spot a lake, or maybe a stretch of river, that matches my criteria of what constitutes a good wild side fishing destination.
Telescope
My beloved lakes or streams are the ones that, because of their location, are overlooked my most anglers. Sometimes they have no name. Often they are small. They are not on the way to anything else. Regularly they are just far enough off the beaten track that most fishermen overlooked, dazzled by other, closer, larger, or more renowned bodies of water. Sometimes they are tucked away up a side-canyon only a mile from one of the big attractions. Every year thousands of anglers toss their hooks into the Virginia Lakes near Yosemite, but how many bother to trek less than half a mile up to Moat Lake? If they did, they would have a chance at some golden trout.
When I am fishing on the wild side I care very puny about the size of the fish or the estimate of fish I catch. Just so there are at least some fish. It is the destination that is the real prize. Sometimes you will get skunked, but not often. And once in awhile you will make one of those miraculous discoveries-a underground lake showing no signs along the shore of previous visitors, while all colse to the lake, 15-inch rainbows glide about the shallows.
A wild side destination need not be far from civilization. In valleys with large rivers, try finding a safe crossing to the other side of the river where there is no trail. An example of this in the Sierra might be Paradise Valley in Kings Canyon National Park. Or watch for places where a trail diverges from the stream, such as up Bear Creek near Lake Edison. Three miles from the trailhead the footpath swings away from Bear Creek. Most yet only a half-mile farther upstream are a series of great pools with astounding fishing.
Staying Safe on the Wild Side
There is never a trail to my wild side lakes or streams, so I all the time go ready for cross-country travel. If mountain tour is new to you, go out with others more experienced until you learn the art of off-trail route finding. For your first outings on your own, pick low-risk destinations where you can clearly see the route back. And take a friend with you.
While a Gps is a handy tool, I still carry a topo map and compass. If you are going alone, make sure a trusted someone knows exactly what route you will be taking, when you are staggering to return, and who to call if you don't show up. Carrying a satellite phone, one of the new Spot Satellite Gps Messengers, or a personal locator beacon (Plb) would give you an extra layer of safety. I all the time go ready for inclement weather, along with adding an crisis shelter to my daypack.
Along the way I keep a close eye out for poisonous snakes. Rattlesnakes are rare now along the heavily used trails in the Sierra, but as soon as you start clambering colse to in country where few others venture, you will approximately well encounter snakes.
One observation with fishing on the wild side is that you are often making your way over difficult terrain. I am not an enthusiastic bush whacker, so any important fence of brambles is likely to turn me colse to or send me off other way. Often though, you will find yourself in places where you need both hands free: scrambling over rocks, crossing a stream, or pushing your way straight through pine boughs. As a consequence, I put all in my daypack, along with my fishing rod.
Choosing a Back-country Fishing Rod
Among the most beloved fly rods for off-trail, high country fishing is the March Brown Baden Powell extra edition. It is a 7-piece, #5, 8'6" rod, which is excellent compromise in distance for both stream and lake fishing. Broken down it is only 17" long. Many population like its medium-fast action. other rod to think is Cabela's Stowaway 7. It is an 8'6" rod which breaks down into 7 pieces, which is quite convenient for slipping into a daypack. other choice, best for streams or small lakes, is the Fly-Lite Mini Rod and Reel. It is a 2-piece, #4 weight rod and comes in lengths up to 6'.
For those of you who are spin casting, you might want to look at Eagle-Claw's Pack-it telescopic rods. other selection is the Crystal River executive tour Pack Spinning Combo. This 6' rod breaks down into 6 sections. Whichever rod you choose, you'll want to get an ultra-light carbon fiber or plastic case to safe the rod in your pack. The cases that come with some of the rods are Regularly pretty heavy.
Where to Fish in the Sierra Nevada on the Wild Side
If you are already an experienced cross-country hiker, then spread out your maps and pick a destination that catches your eye. If you are just beginning out you might want to pick some lakes that aren't too far off in the wild and aren't too difficult to reach.
In the Sierra Nevada a great place to begin is out of Rock Creek on the eastern side of the mountains. Any easy entry hike takes you up Rock Creek into puny Lakes Valley where you can perambulate about all day trying your luck fishing in a dozen puny lakes. other good destination is out of North Lake. With less than two miles on the trail you can be at Lamarck Lake and from there originate yourself up into the scattered Wonder Lakes.
For experienced cross-country hikers there is nothing to assess with the high country. Once you are at the edge of timberline, above most of the annoying thick timber and bushes you find at lower elevations, you are free to perambulate from lake to stream without hindrance.
There is no calculate you couldn't try fishing the wild side anywhere close to wherever you live, whether it is in the North Cascades, the Adirondacks, the Great Smokey Mountains, or the Rockies. Even if you only investment a few hundred yards from the well-beaten pathways, you will find great rewards.
Fishing on the Wild Side in California's Sierra Nevada
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