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carry a flyrod in the alpine

Original Post
Curt Haire · · leavenworth, wa · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 1

I grew up in Idaho Falls, 100 miles south of Yellowstone, 100 miles west of the Tetons, less than 20 miles from the confluence of the Henry's Fork and the South Fork of the Snake River.  Started flyfishing at age 10.   For 50+ years I've carried a flyrod on alpine climbing trips -- occasionally doing a 3+day trip carrying no food at all, and eating trout & mushrooms.  any other alpine flyfishers out there?

mediocre · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 0

Just started last year. I haven’t had the pleasure to carry a rod into the alpine yet but starting to tie it into climbing trips. Just what I needed, another expensive hobby.
But damn it’s addicting. Even bought a place on a  river. 

Chad Namolik · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 2,905

Ive been using the Orvis Encounter 7 piece rod for years. Packs small. Fish On!

mathtutortim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 0

Tenkara is a game changing setup for me in the Sierras. 

Chad Namolik · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 2,905
mathtutortim wrote: Tenkara is a game changing setup for me in the Sierras. 

Have a friend that uses a Tenkara in the Sierra, they are pretty sweet but casting distance seems limited for lakes or bigger streams. For small streams I think it’s way better than any other rod. 

He loves it though. What’s it weigh a pound or less? I’m definitely interested in getting one. 
Sunny-D · · SLC, Utah · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 700

I carry my sage one rod every time I head into the backcountry.  I’m a total hack, but love fishing the streams and rivers on the way in and out of climbing destinations.
Coming out of Big Sandy last year I fished for an hour and caught 16 fish. It was almost more fun then the climbing.

A few years ago we went in to Titcom Basin and one evening I hooked into a big beautiful golden trout in the little outlet below the upper Titcom lake. I still think about that fish.  I am planning that trip again more for the fishing then the climbing. 

Malcolm Daly · · Hailey, ID · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 380

I’m a total Tenkara convert. Everything I need fits in a small, chalk bag sized pouch, the rod collapses into a length that carries well in a side pocket. I leave the line and fly rigged and it takes me about ten seconds to e tend the rod and lay out the line. I only use one or two different flies (it’s the presentation, not the imitation) and I don’t need split shot or floatant. My tippet is always 5x. With a 12’ rod, a 15’ line and my reach I can easily get the fly out 25’ so I don’t think casting distance is an issue in an alpine or mountain setting.

The best part is that I catch a shitton of fish.

' ' · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2017 · Points: 446
Curt Haire wrote: I grew up in Idaho Falls, 100 miles south of Yellowstone, 100 miles west of the Tetons, less than 20 miles from the confluence of the Henry's Fork and the South Fork of the Snake River.  Started flyfishing at age 10.   For 50+ years I've carried a flyrod on alpine climbing trips -- occasionally doing a 3+day trip carrying no food at all, and eating trout & mushrooms.  any other alpine flyfishers out there?

which mushrooms do you eat? do you recommend any books on foraging for mushrooms? Note: I am a Cali climber.

' ' · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2017 · Points: 446
mediocre wrote: Even bought a place on a  river. 

Can we be friends?

' ' · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2017 · Points: 446

Anybody just take line and use their trekking pole as a rod? Anybody string up some lines before they climb and then return after they climb to snag fish? Could you make that work? Need to know.

Curt Haire · · leavenworth, wa · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 1

I've been known to leave a line in the water - sometimes overnight, sometimes while climbing.  it has proven productive enough to make it worth doing, but not dependable enough to really count on.  this works better with bait than with an artificial lure like a fly...
and yes, I've used just hook, line and a stick I find on the ground, and it works, but it really limits your presentation --- works  best with a bait presentation - a bit too clumsy for presenting an artificial.

as to mushroom varieties I eat -- boletes are ubiquitous, and easily identified -- their undersides look like foam rubber - hard to mistake.  a king bolete may be as large as a small loaf of bread, so makes a decent meal ---- major issue is getting them before the worms do.  the vast majority you find will be wormy.  when I'm desperate, i tell myself the worms are getting cooked when I saute the shrooms, so its ok...  denial can be quite handy at times.  I eat morels whenever i can find them, which is not often, but getting to be more so, since they explode in burned areas.  Puffballs are another easily identified variety.  Corals are also easily identified - look like chunk of coral from a reef.  I've probably eaten more corals and boletes than anything else, because they're distinctive enough to be easily/safely identified.

books? my brother gave me a mushroom book about 40 years ago, and I sort of learned to use it to key out shrooms; I even learned to make "spore prints", but I never got comfortable about  using text & photos to try to verify a life/death decision.  I recommend finding someone who knows their stuff and is willing to show you a few safe varieties, and you follow them around on a few trips.  you may end up passing on some of the more "exotic" varieties, but you'll learn a handful of types of which you'll be absolutely certain, and when you're out on your own, you don't take chances messin' around with "maybe".

Curt Haire · · leavenworth, wa · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 1

oh - yeah -- tenkara.   If I didn't already have more rods than I can use, I might try it, but my 11-foot   3-wt packs down to 18", and I'm too cheap/lazy to buy another rig that doesn't do anything I can't already do with the gear I own.  Although --  If I was just starting out, I would go tenkara in a heartbeat for the simplicity.

Nathan · · Tel Aviv · Joined Mar 2015 · Points: 107

I've carried a handreel to fish while backpacking, turned out well all two times I've done it. Lots of fun.

Dustin Stotser · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 371
 From what I've observed, I feel the tenkara rods are mainly for bros who wish to do the trendy new fishing thing, no offence if you fall into this category.  On a more serious note, the rods themselves seem ideal for small stream casting so if that's all you want to do I imagine they excel there.  

I almost bought a tenkara, but in the end the diversity of presentations that a classic fly rod/reel setup delivers is well worth it's weight to me.  In the tight holes I simple hold the line and cast "tenkara" style. Works great!

Ziggy, in the right holes a line on a trekking pole would definitely work(think small, deep holes under falls), just a bit trickier to cast.  Not sure about setting trot lines, that will depend on the area regulations and type of fish available. Though if I lived on a river I'd definitely buy a pole!
Chad Namolik · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 2,905

No matter what rod or method is used, I think everyone would agree that after a big day in the alpine, there’s nothing like that fatty protein bomb to help recover. Climb On! Fish On!

And this thread needs pics!


Caught streamer fishing somewhere in SEKI, CA. Streamers have been my go to lately for lakes. I rarely throw a fly in a lake anymore. Pull, pull, pull, Boom!

Hey Ziggy, as for mushroom books,....
The rather new, very well done go to ^^^

&

The old classic. David Arora, legend. Go see him give a live talk if you can, won’t be disappointed. Quite a character, funny AF.
Dustin Stotser · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 371

You aren't kidding about the streamers, last fall the color didn't even seem to much matter.  As long as I had on a small wooly bugger, or similar I just like buggers, I was good to go in the lakes.  Nice fish!

Sunny-D · · SLC, Utah · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 700

Tenkara is fun, regular fly fishing is fun.  Does it matter what kind of rod is being used?  It’s fishing and very enjoyable either way.  I love the fact that either way I get to catch fish and enjoy the mountains in a different way.
Last fall I took my family into the Winds, for the first time in 20+ years I didn’t carry climbing gear but we had our fly rods.  What a great trip.  I’ll admit I kept looking up at the granite walls wishing ...

Sunny-D · · SLC, Utah · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 700

Anyone in the Salt Lake area that wants to take me out mushroom hunting and show me how.  That would be awesome.
Dallen 

Dustin Stotser · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 371
T G wrote: ...and you clearly have no idea what you're talking about.

Wow, chill out.  It was tongue in cheek based on my observations of mainly seeing these in the hands of bros attempting to fish in front of their girls.  Yes I have seen them used effectively, yes I understand their advantages.  I may actually buy one someday, but for the moment I can't justify it.

Norm Larson · · Wilson, Wy. · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 60

I carry a fly rod on most trips in the Winds. I’ve also been too burdened with climbing gear to justify the extra weight. On those trips I carry 50 ft. Of mono filament wrapped on a 1 inch diameter by 6 inch stick and a clear bubble float and some flies and a spinner and some loose hooks. Fish it as a hand line. Works great for getting dinner. The presentation leaves something to be desired though. But those alpine starving trout, they generally don’t care.
I’m tempted to get in to  a Tenkara setup. They are awfully light. Any suggestions for length/ kits/ brand?

Dylan Valvo · · Marshall NC · Joined Nov 2017 · Points: 1,861
Norm Larson wrote: I carry a fly rod on most trips in the Winds. I’ve also been too burdened with climbing gear to justify the extra weight. On those trips I carry 50 ft. Of mono filament wrapped on a 1 inch diameter by 6 inch stick and a clear bubble float and some flies and a spinner and some loose hooks. Fish it as a hand line. Works great for getting dinner. The presentation leaves something to be desired though. But those alpine starving trout, they generally don’t care.
I’m tempted to get in to  a Tenkara setup. They are awfully light. Any suggestions for length/ kits/ brand?

I have a tenkara rod co. model and have purchased them for my son and brother too as I feel they are great for impromptu fishing and add very little weight to my kit. I carry a sawtooth mini in the back country and it has seen several alpine ranges and various other terrain on climbing trips. Its somewhere just under 9'. I generally use a leader of similar length and is more than enough for my needs. To each his own. There's elitists in every activity you can imagine. I'm not a serious fisher. I'm a climber who just like to eat from the range. I also do lots of foraging. My favorite back pack ready/smaller book/easy read is All The Rain Promises and More by David Arora who is also the author of Mushrooms Demistified which is also fantastic but a much deeper and involved study encompassing a broader spectrum of micology. 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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