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For the adventurous angler, the wilderness offers thousand of lakes and ponds to choose. It is up to you to find that perfect fishing hole,but once you find the fish, it is Nirvana.
Once you make up your mind to do some wilderness fishing the best lakes are usually only accessible by walking in, or using a pack mule. Wilderness waters differ from lowland waters. Trout seasons are shorter at high altitude and in the back country because of lower temperatures and the icing over of lakes and ponds for such a long period of time in fall and winter seasons. Because of this you will find smaller pan sized fish but their are exceptions to this rule.
The back country wilderness have excellent food sources in the way of nutrients, plant, and insect life and these lakes also have the largest populations of trout.The biggest and hungriest trout can be found in deeper wilderness lakes.
Although the population of trout may be large for the size lake you will find in the back country,usually by numbers these trout are small schools by comparison to many larger lowland waterways.In the back country wilderness it is survival of the fittest and these trout survive from year to year on high nutrient food sources, and in lakes that are not by any means over fished. What you end up with are giant sized hungry trout.
In these high altitude lakes I have actually seen Golden Trout jump out of the water when the fisherman is casting because the glimmer of the sinker is enough to grab the attention of that trout.
One thing to keep in mind about high altitude fishing. The waters in these lakes are crystal clear and the trout do spook easily. Not only can you see them, but they can also see you.
Follow this golden rule:
Walk Silent, Fish Deep.
When selecting your gear remember that you can use much of the same gear that you use at lowland lakes and waterways. Light spinning action rods with six to seven foot length work well, or seven and a half to eight foot fly rods are equally good. For the hard core backpacker there are several varieties of rods that are specifically designed for this type fishing. You can select four to six feet spinning rods or spin-fly combos that work great. Avoid the telescopic models because stiff heavy action telescopic models generally overmatch the fish.
As for lines,use premium grade two to four pound monofilliment for spin or spincast outfits. For fly fishing, stay with your floating fly lineand an assortment of light tippets.
As for your baits, artificial or real bait is your choice. One question to ask yourself is " can I pack live bait successfully?" If the answer is "Yes" then go for it. For that type bait salmon eggs are best, but I have used velveeta cheese and Zekes' floating bait often.
Mini marshmallows work excellent are are easy to pack also. For natural baits that will attract the trout because this is what comes from their environment, try grubs,ants,crickets,or beetles.
As for artificial baits, try a simple Colorado spinner. Other popular spoons are Needlefish,Wob-L-Rite,or Z-Ray. A backpacker or camper never leaves home without his fishing gear or lures,that is almost an unwritten law.
The back country can offer some of the most sensational fishing and large trout you have ever experienced.Anyone that is willing to make the treck to the higher altitudes will be amazed at what the higer elevation lakes has to offer.
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