Fastpack / Hiking for Eastern Sierra Trout over Mono Pass in the John Muir Wilderness September 2023

Trail running and hiking into a high eastern sierra lake in the John Muir Wilderness to fish for trout. This trip takes me over Mono Pass at over 12,000 feet.
#highcountryflyfisher
#jimlowe
#flyfishing
#fishingtheeasternsierra
#HCFFGoldenTrout

[@chrisdevine7122]

Awesome job Jim. Always enjoy your journey.

[@highcountrychronicles]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@chrisdevine7122]

Jim I have that spot on my list. Worth camping and fishing for a Night? I try to get I got these lakers at ice out but it’s dicey as you know.

[@highcountrychronicles]

Yes. Worth it. I wished I had more time and was properly equipped.

[@sweetbodhisoul891]

Love your videos!

[@highcountrychronicles]

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words!

[@michaelb1761]

Thanks for the video. One of the many places I hope to visit one day as part of a week long exploration of the Mono Recess, et al.

[@highcountrychronicles]

Cool. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ChaseCrawford-gm3eh]

Love your videos man!

[@highcountrychronicles]

Thanks! More coming soon!

[@rodoutdoors]

Very cool challenge. Cool that you still brought a big knife 😃 Nice fish. Thanks for sharing. I gotta figure out a trip to the Eastern Sierra region next year.

[@highcountrychronicles]

Thanks! Yeah, the more time I spend out here the more I want to be here. Tough to try to spend my time between here and the Emigrant. Maybe I need to schedule week long trips in both next year....🧐

[@chili1593]

Love that area.

[@highcountrychronicles]

Yeah. It's great!

[@stuartdooley2624]

jim, love the videos! I always try to bring a dry line spool, but never made it that far hiking out of Mosquito flats. Appreciate the indepth look at what lie around the next bend!

[@highcountrychronicles]

Thanks! Yeah, I was trying to lighten my load because I wanted to run as much as possible and in the past sinking lines were the way to go. Learned my lesson. Thanks for watching and the kind words!

[@rustyshackelford5758]

A friend and I did an overnighter at that lake. I learned what a 5% chance of thunderstorms means. We camped on the knob where you scrambled down and got absolutely pounded by very close lightning strikes for hours. One of the scariest experiences ever haha. We both also caught zero fish. Glad you got into some!

[@highcountrychronicles]

Wow. That sounds pretty scary. I've spent the cold night at that little tarn beside the lake. I'm looking forward to going back some time.

[@haggeoromero]

Same thing happened to us at Gem Lakes, super scary lightning and hail, we bailed at around 5pm and hightailed it out.

[@outsidewithmike]

It's fun seeing a group of fish and just targeting them. I remember doing that a few times when I was bass fishing. Couldn't always catch them but it was fun trying. I want to do some trout fishing, maybe start with the Stanislaus River since my Dad has a place up in Dorrington. You picked a great day for your adventure, and nice fish!

[@highcountrychronicles]

Thanks! Yeah, it's always a blast. Lots of fish in the middle fork. Lots of good water up over Ebbetts too.

[@haggeoromero]

I recently went up to Gem Lakes from mosquito flat, beautiful area.

[@highcountrychronicles]

Very cool!

[@highcountrychronicles]

Very cool!

[@davis6048]

Way to go Jim.

[@highcountrychronicles]

Thanks!

[@Vanyoung66]

Hey Jim, I suspect your Stillwater fly is too big. From my experience fishing high country lakes they prefer size 16 and up nymphs like pheasant tail or hares ears. Depth is not critical as cruising trout will come up considerable distance if the offering does not raise alarm. Nice video and I will be sure to visit the East Side again next spring. My last visit was Halloween in the Lee Vining area.

[@highcountrychronicles]

You know, I may actually give a size 16 a shot. Typically I'm fishing 12s, 14, 18s and 20s. but 16 is a good call when I'm thinking scuds, which I believe this lake does contain. I used to pair a size 12 and size 20 but have slowly moved away from that as typically the larger fly has done better. A 16 though might be a good compromise. Thanks!

[@Vanyoung66]

Yeah, Just my personal preference/experience but size 16 natural colored nymphs has done really well for me When fishing these remote high lakes.Plus they cast really well in windy conditions or roll casting when there are lots of trees behind me. That lake you fished I figured out which it was. You hooked some nice fish there! I'll have to go there next summer. I am guessing those fish are able to reproduce because of the multiple inlet streams. I'll have to watch it again but looked like that first one was a rainbow and the others were some kind of hybrid, perhaps some golden in them? @@highcountrychronicles

[@highcountrychronicles]

@@Vanyoung66 Yeah, who knows. It's supposed to be a Golden lake but who knows anymore. I don't really worry about that stuff anymore. If you watch the links. I did a 3 day trip in there several years ago. Enjoy!

[@monsterslayer4317]

My first on your channel, que'd it up cuz' high country and knives. At the intro, I was doing the math 4-5 hours in, 4-5 hours out, 3-4 miles per hour, 10,000 ft and up, WTF. Then you said high altitude 50K, and I got it. No common hiker, you. Great video!

[@highcountrychronicles]

😅 Yes, crazy hiker. 🤣 When I was younger, I'd drive to Cottonwood Lakes, 14 hours round trip, day hike in, 6hrs round trip and return home in 24 hours. LOL. Yeah, left me about 3 hours of fishing. 🤣🤣😅 Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoy more on the channel.

[@DannyRiskit]

At the beginning I was thinking, "Take care of yourself Jim, we're not as young as we used to be!"

[@highcountrychronicles]

🤣🤣🤣

[@BigDoeJ424]

random question... did you see any deer up there?

[@highcountrychronicles]

No. Hardly ever, if ever see deer here. The other Mono pass is filthy with them though.

[@Vanyoung66]

It's 12,000 ft elevation

[@BigDoeJ424]

@@Vanyoung66 Yes.. I've seen bucks up in 11k' basins in the high sierra..

[@highcountrychronicles]

Yeah, the Kuna Crest is lousy with them. Biggest herds I've ever seen. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKHbeI1_ba11irMsi=TpJELDeRu-j8i-AA&t=1431

[@BigDoeJ424]

@@highcountrychronicles Thanks for the link JIm! that's awesome. Yeah those are definitely protected national park deer! Most of the bucks I've seen have been in Kings canyon NP. Ive been pondering trying to hunt the high sierra in mid sepember. There are a few zones that are over-the-counter tags and not in the NPS. one of them is over Mono pass south.. It would be quite the effort though..might need pack animal assistance