This is a little off topic but you might like it....

I did a canoe trip in June and posted a video you may have seen. Since then I have been back in Northern California and did a Sierra backpack trip in search of some good trout fishing. We had a lot of snow last winter so the backpacking areas in the mountains were not accessible until late July. A lot of lakes in the Sierra either have no fish or 6" fish so the trick is to find the lakes that have decent sized fish. I hiked a 40 mile loop in six days and fished six lakes and a couple of streams. I have a waterproof point and shoot and was doing some barefoot wading so it was convenient to get some underwater fish shots. These fish were caught 15 miles from the trailhead at about 9000' elevation. My dog likes to backpack but after six days she is wiped and needs about three days on the floor at home to recover.

There are a lot of similarities between backpacking and canoe tripping. You take less gear because you have to carry it but otherwise you are rambling freely through a wilderness checking out lakes and looking for fish. Good times for sure.

Welcome aboard John, great underwater shots of you holding the fish with the flies still in their mouths.

Great pics! Thanks

Did a backpack trip up into the Golden Trout Wilderness outside of Bishop many years ago (1978) in the same sort of situation. Couldn't get above 12500 feet for the snowpack until late July so that was when we went. Caught plenty of fish and sadly, lost the pictures. But the Golden Trout were small but gorgeous. The biggest I caught was around 14 inches. The high Sierra is awesome. Glad you had a great trip!!

Very cool pictures !

Hey Wow sounds like an awesome trip!

The John Muir trail is on my must do list. You sound like my kind of guy. Good job!

The JMT is awesome. It really is. If you can do it you should. 12000' passes day after day and you finish by going over Whitney. Hard work but incredible. I like it in September. I did it in 2002 and the did the PCT last year which covers the JMT.

I liked your panfish story about lucking into four walleye. That was classic.

Whoa, you did the PCT? Now that's a trek! I did the "J" section in Washington Cascades a few years ago but wildfires prevented me from getting to the Canadian border. I ended up hanging in Alpine Lakes.

The high Seirras are very intriguing to me. I have spent time in the Rockies and Cascades but not the Sierras. Gotta go!

Some great trail in Washington. A lot of vertical and downed trees nothing like I had ever been through. Here is what is left of me entering Canada. Quite an experience but it is a lot of hard work.

quote Savage Voyageur: "Welcome aboard John, great underwater shots of you holding the fish with the flies still in their mouths. "

+1

quote Johnh: "Some great trail in Washington. A lot of vertical and downed trees nothing like I had ever been through. Here is what is left of me entering Canada. Quite an experience but it is a lot of hard work.


"

John I'm not so sure I would be cut out to do the PCT.........every thru hiker I have seen had their head down just laying one foot in front of the other as fast as they could. My hiking style is slow, with pauses to look and listen around some. I can put in huge days time wise but head down and just trying to make mileage doesn't sound good to me.

Admirable accomplishment however. Looking to do the Wonderland trail again around Mt Rainier and then climb the mountain via RMI services in a few years. You should think about joining me.

It could happen. I am always looking for some adventure. I will be back in Quetico on August 26 for a couple of weeks which should be some adventure. Bass will spotty on the top water so I will need to work on my walleye and trout game. Ordered some new lures off of that show me your tackle box thread. Maybe that will help. Being from California I have no walleye instincts and they are a bit of a mystery.

August in the Quetico is my wheel house. I like the bigger lakes......troll the 25 ft contour line with deep diving crankbaits a bit on the quick side and you will catch them. I have taken a strong liking to Mega Bass deep six in sexy shad. It is a bang-em lure and walleye seem to instantly appear when I run it. Otherwise Taildancers, Berkeley Frenzy, and banana style deep diving cranks will take them.

Try not to fish shallow as you will be dissapointed. Big pike an hour before dark up until dark in 15ft.

Lakers are a major hoot to catch and can pull hard. Troll the same crankbaits in the main lake basin......let them out very far, troll a medium slow meandering circuitous route. I have heard they will blast a jig worked very quickly but I have had good luck trolling medium speed.

quote Johnh: "... I will be back in Quetico on August 26 for a couple of weeks which should be some adventure... "

Will you be outfitting through Moose again? Adam (AdamXChicago) and I will be showing up at Moose's September 1st

We are outfitting with Moose. Maybe we will see you back there somewhere. You can give us some walleye tips if we see you. We may go down to Camel and then over to Kawnipi but we don't have a route set.

quote mastertangler:

Admirable accomplishment however. Looking to do the Wonderland trail again around Mt Rainier and then climb the mountain via RMI services in a few years. You should think about joining me. "

@johnh - Fantastic pictures and good job. I love your photo and video captures of your adventures. Very innovative, emotional, and puts you right in the moment. Love it!

@MT and others who may be wondering - It's never too early to get those Wonderland Trail permits. I believe the park went to a lottery system this past year because of the traffic on the trail and as such it is harder to get permits now, although I believe a limited quantity are still available on a walk-in basis. I've never done the whole trail myself but have done portions of it and can tell you based on that and the pictures I've seen that it is totally worth it. Also Mt. Rainier is nothing to sniff at - you'd better be in shape to do it. I knew a guy, very much in shape, who climbed it cold, without any training, and said it was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

quote Johnh: "We are outfitting with Moose. Maybe we will see you back there somewhere. You can give us some walleye tips if we see you. We may go down to Camel and then over to Kawnipi but we don't have a route set."

@Johnh - hope to cross paths. You bringing Olive again?

AdamX

No dog this trip. My brother in law is coming. He is from Bozeman and has done three trips there with me. We have done a couple of Yellowstone Lake canoe trips together also. He is good guy to be in the wilderness with. Very safe guy and cuts a lot of wood. We are coming out on the 8th.

A few years back I looked into getting a personalized California license plate that said QUETICO but it was already taken. Any chance you are the one that has it?

No such luck on the QUETICO plate, but I do have a bwca.com sticker on the Land Cruiser. We're putting in on the 2nd (Beaverhouse) and coming out on the 10th (Lac La Croix). If you happen to be in our neck of the woods, and catch us on the right day, join us for a walleye shore lunch! Hopefully, I didn't just jinx the fishing...

AdamX

BTW: I didn't get a chance to paddle Yellowstone Lake when I was there a few years ago, but managed to get a little trout fishing while in the area. Do they have rental canoes available or did you have your own?

You can rent canoes at Yellowstone Lake. They also have a boat to take you across to the Thumb areas where the better canoe camping is. Cutthroat trout fishing can be good and there are other lakes and streams you can hike to from your canoe camp spot. It is a pretty good trip I would like to do again.