As warmer weather is soon upon us, we begin to think of those backcountry excursions that will take us away from the hustle and bustle of civilization and take us to more remote places to get in tune with nature and enjoy a little solitude. A day-hike into the backcountry is a very affordable vacation option gauranteed to be remembered for life. Make sure to bring the camera!
Getting off the beaten path can offer some dramatic landscapes.
Two of your most useful tools for finding places like this, are your legs. Many times, even in places frequented by crowds of people, you can find a little corner of the outdoors for yourself if you’re willing to put a little time in on foot. Generally speaking, the farther you’re willing to walk, the more alone you’ll be.
Lots of elbow room.
Hiking in to a remote lake or section of stream can have many more rewards than just catching fish. Obviously, the less fishing pressure any body of water gets, the better the fishing should be. But hiking to some back-country places offers great exercise, a good opportunity to view some wildlife, and almost always picturesque views of nature at its finest.
Studying a map of the area you visit can reveal some hidden secrets. There was no trail to this small alpine lake.
This type of fishing can be as simple or as complicated as you’d like to make it. I figure I’m about in the middle of the road. I will be using a simple rod and reel set-up but will be taking a pretty good assortment of flies. As far as my fishing gear goes, I think I came in at less than $100 for the whole outfit.
The rod I’ve chosen for this article is a beautiful little 7 1/2′ four-piece pack rod from Eagle Claw. The good folks at eagle claw were generous enough to send a rod for me to test. The model is the Trailmaster III and it is a 5-wt rod. This is a relativley inexpensive (NOT to be read cheap) fly rod. The fact is, this is a very well made rod. All four pieces fit together flawlessly. The rod has very good action and there is no chance of the rod segments separating during use. A cloth storage sock is included. The sock has four pockets so each piece of the rod has it’s own space. The rod can then be rolled and tied for easy packing. Eagle Claw is a class-act company all the way and their customer service is superb.
Check out their site here: http://www.eagleclaw.com/site/products
I’ve paired this rod with a 5-wt reel from Okuma.
For fishing these backcountry streams and lakes, I like to use a varied assortment of flies. I think that the less pressure the water gets, the less fussy the fish are. I fish mostly small spring creeks and mountain streams and find that the trout are eager to rise to anything that resembles a bug of some sort. They are definitely not fussy at all.
A nice rainbow taken from a spring creek.
I sometimes carry my pack rod in a home made rod tube that I made out of stuff from the hardware store for about $12 total. A small box of dry flies and nymphs, a few extra leaders and some dry fly dressing to keep the flies afloat go into my daypack. A jacket, some proper emergency gear, a lunch of sorts and a bottle of water round out my gear.
Many of the bodies of water in these locations do, in fact, offer fantastic angling opportunities. The fish are often not large but usually plentiful. They will eagerly attack almost any bug that hits the water. You’ll be able to witness fish acrobatics as they race each other to be the first to the fly.
Not a big fish, but a trophy just the same.
If fly-fishing isn’t your game, Eagle Claw also offers a 4-piece spinning pack rod. The quality and action are the same on this rod as the fly rod. If the fish are feeding heavily on bugs, you can still target them with a spinning rod. All you need to add is a couple dollar casting bubble to the above mentioned fly gear. A casting bubble is just a plastic bubble that you can fill with water(for weight) and have two or three feet of line behind it that will float any kind of dry fly or nymph. The spinning rod may be a little more versatile as you can take some spinners and spoons in addition to flies. So you have all your bases covered.
In addition to the fish and the scenery, a little hiking is often a good chance to observe some otherwise missed wildlife.
So the next free weekend you have, assemble your gear the night before and start out early the next morning. Whether you choose to go solo or with your favorite hiking partner, you’re sure to have a good time. I can promise you that as much fun as you’ll have fishing, the other rewards will be even better and it’s those times you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
