A few days in the Beartooths.

[Aenigma]

I couldn't make it to Burning Man this year, and the fishing in the valley sucks right now, so I went up in the mountains for four days.

I started at Island lake, which is one of many lakes in the Beartooths brimming with 6" brookies.


So I kept going past a few more lakes full of little fish, hoping to get some relaxing time around camp that night.


Becker Lake:


There are way too many lakes up there that are completely full of fish like this. It seems like there should be some bigger ones, but there aren't. Brook trout are only fun because they'll hit flies they can't even fit in their mouths.


My first cutthroat of the trip, at Albino Lake.


This was my campsite for three nights, I ate breakfast and dinner on top of the point on the right, overlooking the lake.


There were a lot of moths and hoppers out (at 10,000', surprisingly), so I broke out all my ridiculous foam patterns.


Jasper Lake:


Jasper's outlet and Lonesome Mountain:


The first of the Cloverleaf Lakes I fished:


I got into some bigger fish here.


Another fish on.

[Aenigma]

This is where the big fish were.


Another shot of Lonesome Mountain, with one of the very few snow patches left this year. It's astounding how little snow the Beartooths have right now.


Lots of cairns, but not many trails.


Lunchtime.


Fish on! It was cool seeing them come up from 15' down--the water up there is incredibly clear.


The biggest fish of the trip, at about 22":


Another one:


Arrowhead Lake


My favorite photo of the trip


It was cold as hell and blowing 20+ mph the entire time I was up there, but when I packed up to leave I was in a t-shirt and there wasn't even a breeze. Oh well! I'd call the trip a success.

[schwerty]

I'd call the trip a success too. Some nice fish in there.

[bushman]

Why no photos of your fish cleaner and cook?
Nice TR other than that.

[senior researcher]

Pure gold!, better off in the ground.

[Meadow Skipper]

Excellent pics. Looked like a great time.

[lifelinksplit]

Very nice! was supposed to go do "the beaten path" again last weekend, but ended up getting drunk on the stone and missing the boat ramp at 10:30pm(btw a 30ft tow strap makes a nice addition to the boat trailer strap). Love the beartooth stoke lately!

[tone capone]

Nice trip, I really want to check out that general area. Caught some nice Cutts left and right in a lake off the beaten path the last few days but got skunked at a Golden Trout lake.

22"? FuckinA that's a nice mountain lake fish, I didn't catch anything like that and would sure love to take a walk back there with ya sometime or just chat with ya a bit.

[Z]

good stuff!