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Please click here for – Part One
Cruising Cutthroat – White Cloud Peaks
We got an early start from our dispersed campsite above the South Fork Payette River. This gave us time for a side trip up Grandjean Road to check out the west side trailhead into the Sawtooth Wilderness. Sacagawea Hot Springs is a beautiful spot along the South Fork of the Payette near road’s end. Due to its proximity to the Sawtooth Lodge and the USFS campground, it is a busy place.
We arrived in crowded Stanley around noon, filled the truck's gas tank, and continued on. After 10 miles of steep dirt road, we put the truck into 4 low at the water crossing and for the steep uphill crawl ahead. And, we left everyone else behind. We settled into our camp at 9000 feet. We would spend 3 glorious nights here in superb solitude.
We stretched our legs with a climb over into the basin that holds Phyllis Lake. It was a wonderful place to relax for the afternoon.
Since adding the Seek app to her cell phone, the Lady most always carries the phone with her now. And it is put to work often, especially in beautiful high mountain meadows.
This is Elephant Heads (Pedicularis Groenlandica) she is identifying above.
Mountain Bog Gentian (Gentiana Calycosa)
Thanks to Tony and Ed for help identifying this white wildflower (notes from using the app and memories are missing), Mountain Deathcamas (Anticlea elegans)
……still need help with identifying this yellow wildflower.
A mule deer doe spent all of dinner time with us at camp. She was curious, circled the truck twice (probably wondering what it was doing here), and browsed nearby.
We returned to Phyllis for evening light and to watch for mountain goats.
Although unnamed on the USGS topo maps, we’ve heard this metamorphosed limestone prominence is being called Ivory Peak.
The next morning, at first light, we carried our mugs of coffee to the remains of Elmer’s mine.
Previously we had talked with a fellow from Hailey who said he had met Elmer. Elmer worked this mine for gold during the summers and Elmer named Phyllis Lake after the love of his life who turned down his proposal of marriage.
It was a pleasant cool day and it was time to climb up to the high basin near timberline and the unnamed lake we had visited a year ago.
Mountain goat wool was caught in plants along our route as we climbed.
The climb continued up into the white bark pine.
Up and over a small terminal moraine, and we were there.
And it was time to assemble the fly rod, get my vest on, and get on with fly fishing.
I’m reminded of the limerick my cousin and my brother put together over 25 years ago –
The fly fisherman from CA
His hair is starting to gray
With nymphs and dry flies
He can always get by
At the high alpine lakes where he plays
We were not alone up here. Fresh big cat tracks were in the mud below the snowbank.
The fishing was not easy and it was technical. The water was crystal clear, the wind still, and the cutthroat were wary. The Lady took the high ground and I stayed near the shore. We moved very slowly and we both watched for trout. Cutthroat trout in high mountain lakes often cruise along the shore and will take refuge in undercut banks. We always approach a lake shore with stealth and soft steps. When we sight a trout, we stay still and observe. The Lady, from the higher vantage point, will keep me informed on its movements and cruise pattern. Often times I will place a fly when its back is turned and patiently wait for its return. The refusal rate was above 60%. Many times, the trout slowly approached, rose to the fly, bumped it with its nose, and moved away. And just when I’d think it was time to try a different fly, a cutthroat would hit it like a freight train. Tippets needed to be long and fine and the fly needed to land on the water softly with accurate casts.
There was a population of smaller, younger cutthroat of a different subspecies planted (put and grow) in this lake. They stayed in the deeper water and away from the larger trout. They came out of the depths like rockets and their fight was quicker and more frenzied than the big cutts. The larger cutthroats pulled hard. The smaller cutts were lighter in color, had silvery sides, and smaller spots. They were also incredibly heavy for their length, healthy fat trout.
When
the Lady saw a flash of silver as she was ready with the net, she’d call out,
“Another football!” The largest of these was 14”. I’m anxious to return in a
year or two and see how their growth continues.
This was challenging, but exactly what we wanted, and what we came here for. The Lady, as we were stowing our gear for the hike back, said, “21 nice cutthroats caught and released today. I was keeping count. This was a good day!” She was right. Most of the trout were 15 to 18 inches, with the largest, I’d estimate, at well over two pounds.
Late in the afternoon we climbed back down out of basin and returned to camp.
We returned to Phyllis Lake to spend the evening and wait for darkness to come. We were alerted by rockfall and spotted 4 goats on the cliffs above the lake, including a nanny with a kid; too far and too dark for photos.
We returned to the high lake again the next day and all our wilderness fly fishing for cutthroat trout dreams continued to come true.
We had the added bonus of finding and watching mountain goats as we descended from the lake back to camp.
After dinner we spent quite a bit of time sorting gear and repacking for the next part of our fly-fishing adventure. During trip planning back at home, I asked the Lady, “When did we first backpack into Chamberlain Basin?”
“Let me check,” was her quick reply. She starting pulling photo albums (remember those? long before the digital age) off the shelf.
“It was August 1993.”
“So, it was exactly 30 years ago. Want to go back to Chamberlain and add a backpack to our trip?”
Our adventure continues. Please click here for - Part Three
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