After last year’s trip into Inyo National Forest I couldn’t help but go back again for another eight day stint in the wilderness. This year however I dragged not only the Mrs. but two of my buddies from back home to experience the breathtaking magnitude of the Eastern Sierras. We followed the same 70mile South to North Lake route as last year but it was nothing last year. Nearly all areas above  11,000 feet were still locked in snow and the trail was literally none existent so progress was very slow. Walking below 10,000 feet was relatively easy but because the season was so late getting started the mosquitoes were of epic proportions. It took us about one extra day to complete due to being forced back down from Bishop Pass at 11,700 feet by a surprise electrical storm that appeared in about five minutes. I have never felt static electricity in the air before and it is a felling I do not want to observe again.  Needles to say the wife was not impressed as the hail associated with the storm was so large and moving so quickly that it put holes in my buddies’ ponchos.

The fishing in comparison to last year was also somewhat subdued but fish were caught in every body of water we fished and again I managed to achieve the fantastic four; rainbows, browns, goldens and brooks. Fished both dry and wet with each about as successful as the other. I had hoped to spend more time fishing the rivers (Kings and San Joaquin) but with all the water surging through the steep valleys it was very difficult to wade if also a little dangerous. My two friends who has never fly fished before took to it like ducks to water with good results and plenty of small goldens to hand. As usual the fish were small and numerous but still fantastically put together.

If you have never taken a trip for at least five days of eating out of a bear bin and crapping in the wilderness that I highly recommended that you do so, and bring a fly rod!!!

Regards,

Denis