Fishing along the Highline Trail?

[Al Nichols]

Hi,

Myself and two friends are planning to hike from Green River to Big Sandy at the end of August. We're thinking about doing some fishing along the way. Since I've never fished for trout or ever been to the Winds, I have a few questions…………
1. Since we'll be at higher elevations, how is the fishing at 9-10k'?
2. Is a simple bamboo rod sufficient? I want something light and cheap.
I already have some spin casting gear but it's heavier than I'd like and bulky.
3. What kind of flies/popper/lures/spinners are used for trout?
4. Are steel leaders necessary?

Is there anything I've missed?

Thanks,
Al

[Ben Wortman]

I fished a few lakes last year with great luck along the highline trail. I think you want a spinning rig, since I had to cast a good distance from the shore in some of the lakes to get to the fish. I just used a Diawa minispin Combo with kastmaster lures and a few mepps black fury spinners. The 1/12oz gold kastmaster worked the best. I caught over 75 cut throat trout in one morning. It might just have been that I was there at the right time also.

My rig including rod reel and lures weighed 10.2

I am in no way a competant fisherman, so that tells you that the fishing is great up there. If they wrote a book called "trout fising for dumbies" all it would have to say is "go the the winds and get up to the high lakes"

Good luck

[Al Nichols]

It looks like it'll be a rewarding trip.

Al

[Scott Truong]

Can't help you with specifics of the trail as I've never been on it, but if you have time and are so inclined, collapsible rods are nice to have for backpacking. They're compact (about a foot compacted) and you can keep them rigged up.

Most stores carry the Shakespeare travel mate. Kinda pricey though and it's on 4'6". I have an Eagle Claw collapsible (5'6") and like it a lot. Google "Edge Angling" that's where I got mine.

I've had luck with Rooster Tail spinners. Especially the ones with a gold color disc, may want a silver one too. I like to get single hooks (not too small so they don't swallow it) and I de-barb them, as I catch and release most of the time. Your call on that one.

Might not be a bad idea to bring along a float. You might want to check this thread out too, for a different technique and probably helps with casting farther. I'm going to give this technique a shot next time I go out.

BPL Thread

Good explanation of a Bubble and Fly Rig

[Josh Leavitt]

Most of the lakes you will encounter will have Brook trout in them. It does not matter how you fish for them, sometimes spin rigs are better than fly setups though(And thats from a fly guy). I have literaly cought 100 fish(7"-10") from a single lake in the Southern Winds, the fishing can be phenomenal, quantity or quality. The lakes with fewer fish, will have larger fish, keep and eat all the small ones you catch, it makes for bigger and healthier fish. And just to get your hopes up, these were caught at No-Tell-Um lake, above 11,000'.

[Mark Ries]

Thanks for the name of that lake I will be sure to try it sometime. BTW if you eat the small ones does that mean that the ones on the stringer are the small ones :^) It kinda hurts seeing them on a stringer :^(

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