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Distracted
Our next long adventure was planned around searching for native cutthroat trout in their home waters in Wyoming. First, we had to travel through the state of Nevada, and we were immediately distracted. Since I had added a Nevada non-resident fishing license to my fly vest, this helped enable the distraction. We started off early in the morning, heading east on highway 50, the Loneliest Road in America. Unfortunately, the days of this stretch of highway being lonely are long gone, but it’s still so much better than an Interstate. Pavement grew boring and we turned onto graded dirt county roads for a more stimulating journey, especially with thunderstorms rolling through. And being stopped by sheep grazing. Our destination was the Ruby Mountains. This was a Friday. We needed to consider the additional weekend users. Our plan was to overnight in a close by spot so we could scope out camping options early Saturday morning.
The rain stopped and the storm cleared enough for a long evening walk. Sandhill cranes were our close neighbors, their vocalizations so distinctive. It was music. Light and clouds played across the Ruby Mountains to the east.
The Thomas Canyon Campground was filled - most campsites are reserved months in advance but there are a handful of first come first served sites - as expected so we drove over to Angel Lake in the East Humboldt Mountains further east, our plan B. Here we snagged the last open campsite.
The last time we stayed at Angel Lake we’d seen large trout working a cove on the west side in the evening. After dinner we hiked over to that side of the lake and down climbed the rocks to reach the cove. There was only one trout visible and it had no interest in my fly offering. We moved to the north of the tiny inlet stream into the lake. A large dark trout cruised the shoreline a couple of feet out. It also had no interest, but also seemed completely unconcerned with my presence. It did not spook or increase its speed, it just slowly cruised by. As it grew darker we both noticed activity in the shallow water at the inlet. Trout had moved in to feed on insects on the surface. I moved into position behind a large rock and cast to the far shore. The trout struck immediately. The surface boiled as I felt the weight of a heavy, huge fish. It turned to the deep water and broke off fly and tippet and was gone. I replaced the tippet in the fading light and tied on another fly. I cast to the same spot and another trout was on. This one was brought to the Lady’s waiting net, a much smaller fish, and a man made tiger trout.
I remain curious about that first fish.
On our first visit here well more than a decade ago we spent a day fly fishing for cutthroats at Smith Lake, a short hike above Angel Lake. With studying our map we saw Greys Lake was just under a 6 mile hike. In addition, information stated it had Lahontan Cutthroat so this was our hike for the next day, and what a hike it was.
We hit the trail to Greys Lake early the next morning.
There was no sign of trail use after the turn off to Smith Lake. We entered the East Humboldt Wilderness.
The trail circles the mountain block, first dropping into Clover Creek and climbing out the opposite side.
Reaching a high ridge, the trail then descends into the Trout Creek drainage.
Reaching the dry bed of Trout Creek, it was time to make the steep climb up through the thick stand of stunted aspen.
The ridgeline is in the upper center of the photo above. The trail is pretty much indiscernible and has had no maintenance. It’s an old trail that was put in, jokingly, before switchbacks were invented.
The trail bed reappeared near the top of the ridge.
The trail dropped into the next drainage, into thick aspen, and again disappeared. The next highpoint is on the high ridgeline in the middle in the photo below.
It was more of the same on the other side of ridge. But, after the steep drop into the basin, we could see Greys Lake.
On the steep side hill we entered an impenetrable aspen thicket with no sign of the trail. It appeared it has been years since this trail was used. Past our turnaround time and with a continuing miserable ordeal ahead, it was time to call it quits. We turned around.
We returned to camp at 1800 hrs. It had been a long day and we relaxed the rest of the evening.
Returning to the Rubies and checking on openings at Thomas Canyon Campground worked well Monday morning. We scored one of our favorite campsites.
We relaxed with a hike up Thomas Canyon to the end of the trail. Shadows of passing clouds added to the visuals.
It was a hot day. The Lady cooled off by dunking her head and thick mane in the cold water.
We wandered back up the trail for our evening walk.
We were last in the Ruby Mountains in June 2025 with our friends, Deb & Steve, the rubberlegs. On that trip the Lady and I saw trout in Island Lake and that piqued our curiosity about fly fishing there. We headed up the trail the next morning.
It was a surprise to find the bridge had been replaced during the last year.
We arrived at Island Lake and began fly fishing.
We like to sight fish for trout in alpine lakes. As we worked around the lake, we saw only one cruising trout. The information we had from Nevada Department of Wildlife was that in June of 2025 1400 3.5-inch-long tiger trout were planted in Island Lake. So, we expected to find trout now about 6 inches long and, with that many, they should be easy to see. This was not the case. Near the inlet the Lady finally pointed out a cruising trout and I placed the small ant pattern ahead of it. Soon it was in the Lady’s net, a tiger trout.
Still surprised trout were not readily visible; we slowly moved to the other side of the lake. We’d been alone in the basin until then. A family of four hiked in - mom, dad, two kids, and two large dogs. They staked their territory on the lake shore across from us. The noise was outrageous. They hollered and screamed as they and the dogs splashed in the water. They howled at the top of their lungs. It was exceedingly rude behavior, disrespectful of others, and in defiance of principal seven of Leave No Trace ethics. We could not wait for them to leave.
We found a high spot for a snack that also had a good view into the water. We had not given up on finding trout. Another group hiked into the basin and the loud group turned down the volume a little. A few minutes later an older couple (yes, younger than us) hiked in and joined them. Grandparents. They quieted more.
We took our time circling the lake and looking for trout - not an easy task with dwarf willow and talus blocks.
Our strategy worked and after a couple hours they left. Peace and the sounds of nature began to return to this small alpine basin. We had circled back to the inlet. I decided to change tactics to work deep water. I tied on a weighted scud pattern below a strike indicator and cast as far out from shore as I could. The strike was hard. The indicator disappeared below the surface. The fish zipped about the lake but was soon subdued and brought to the Lady’s net.
This was an odd-looking fish that we initially thought was a brook trout. With further research, I believe this is a Splake, another man-made trout hybrid, a cross between a female lake trout and a male brook trout. This could also explain what happened to most of those 3.5-inch-long tigers that were planted a year ago - dinner and snacks for splake, a highly piscivorous fish.
We did not connect with any other trout, but we lingered in the basin as it was now quiet and this place was beautiful. In the late afternoon we started our hike out.
In June of 2025 with Deb & Steve, we turned around from reaching Liberty Pass due to snow, and we did not have our ice axes.
Lamoille Lake in June 2025
The Lady hates unfinished business so a hike up and over Liberty Pass on the Ruby Crest was the plan for the next day.
The intersection with the Ruby Crest Trail at Lamoille Lake. We took the stock trail up from the trailhead.
The view back at Lamoille Lake as we hiked up to the pass.
There were two young men also hiking up and over Liberty Pass. As we met them - the Lady who excels at conversation (36 years of getting the truth out of middle school students) - asked about their plans and if they’d been in the area before - usual happy and pleasant trail conversation. As we passed them the Lady added, “We were last over Liberty Pass 20 years ago, back when I was 50 and he was 54.”
The hike up to Liberty Pass, especially with the well-constructed trail, was so much fun. It was such a joy to move through this beautiful, rugged terrain.
A view north - the way we came - from the pass. The end of the road is in the right center.
The pass is the boundary and entrance into the Ruby Mountains Wilderness.
The view south from the pass and down to Liberty Lake.
Past Liberty Lake we took a use trail down to Favre Lake.
Another reason we were excited to be hiking here was that our “adopted daughter” hiked the entire Ruby Crest Trail last summer. Amy will be featured in an upcoming blog story.
We made great time hiking, even with stopping and chatting with people, so we enjoyed a long stop at Favre Lake.
We saw no fish activity in Favre Lake - Lake Trout (according to Nevada Department of Wildlife) are planted in Liberty Lake - so we were pleased to see amphibians.
The planting of trout into historically fishless high country lakes has negatively impacted amphibian populations, especially where amphibian species have evolved without predation from fish. I should note that I have not looked for trout planting information on Favre or Castle Lake, so my comments here are just mine.
Speaking of Castle Lake, the Lady took a look at our map.
“Castle Lake is in the high basin above us,” she observed. “Can we go up there too?” Of course she added, “I want to.”
“How’s our turnaround time?” I asked.
Again, of course, this was only a fun little duel we enjoy. The Lady knows she usually gets everything she wants - and she more than deserves it. But it is good to always keep that “turnaround time” in the plans.
“Would we rather be up here or back at that busy campground?” she answered with a question and hit the nail on the head.
Castle Lake.
With no hurry and watching the remaining sunlight, we turned back toward the trailhead.
A nice break with the boots off at Liberty Lake.
The two young men we’d passed were nearby and the Lady chatted with them. They asked about our plans.
“We’re on our way to Wyoming for lots of fly fishing,” the Lady explained. “But we got distracted by Nevada!”
“Nevada’s a good distraction,” one replied.
The return hike up to Liberty Pass.
And Lamoille Lake below as we descended.
As we took a short break at Lamoille Lake, two teenage girls approached with distance between them. One called to the girl ahead and then saw us. “I’m sorry I yelled and was loud,” she said to us. “I shouldn't be loud, I apologize.” What a stark contrast to the loud group the day before. We thanked her and her mother who soon joined them. They were from Alaska.
The next morning, we resupplied in Elko and also washed a couple hundred pounds of caked on mud from the truck - remember those county roads and thunderstorms at the beginning?
Before Wyoming we needed to make a detour into Oregon.
This story will continue in future posts.
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