Between our cold wet spring, a trip to NY and getting over that pesky virus 
I picked up on the way back, it's been a slow start for the backcountry season. Last week my wife and I finally got out for a little conditioner up off Highway 2. Last year I did a grand tour of the lakes just south of here. A little sleuthing would reveal just where we were, but you won't get their real names here. We parked at ~3600' and hiked up a steep 1000' to the first small lake, which surprisingly enough maintains a population of Cutthroat. I had to stop and fish of course, and after a few LDRs landed one on an ant pattern.
From there the route continues over the ridge top and drops down to Island Lake at about 4500'. This pretty spot gets a fair amount of traffic, and enough fishing pressure to give the resident Brookies a suspicious attitude. They're mostly small as is often the case, biggest one I landed may have been 8” and again a size 16 Ant was the winning fly.
The next morning we scrambled up the ridge to a beautiful camp overlooking Iceberg Lake with views out to the Snoqualmie Crest peaks. There was maybe a bit less open water than expected, but this looked good enough.
After setting up camp it was time to drop down 300' and check things out. Fish were busy cruising the shoreline picking off the occasional insect, mostly terrestrials. The necessary stealth was achieved by staying low, getting the line out where you hoped a fish would eventually be, and imitating a rock. Again, nothing big, but so pretty!
The views from camp were great, the bugs weren't too bad, and while Seattle was enjoying a string of 90 degree days we had a nice shady tent site and reasonably comfy temperatures.
Day three we traversed over a pass to another basin holding East Fork Lake 600' below.
There are a few ways to access this lake with cliff bands down to waterline blocking much shoreline travel. I chose to commit to a small bay that has always held fish the previous times I'd been there. And so there were, but not many. I saw only two, missed one and came away with none. Beautiful remote spot though!
One more day to explore the snowy bench and ramps beyond Iceberg Lake and look south at the glacial carved landscape.
I picked up on the way back, it's been a slow start for the backcountry season. Last week my wife and I finally got out for a little conditioner up off Highway 2. Last year I did a grand tour of the lakes just south of here. A little sleuthing would reveal just where we were, but you won't get their real names here. We parked at ~3600' and hiked up a steep 1000' to the first small lake, which surprisingly enough maintains a population of Cutthroat. I had to stop and fish of course, and after a few LDRs landed one on an ant pattern.From there the route continues over the ridge top and drops down to Island Lake at about 4500'. This pretty spot gets a fair amount of traffic, and enough fishing pressure to give the resident Brookies a suspicious attitude. They're mostly small as is often the case, biggest one I landed may have been 8” and again a size 16 Ant was the winning fly.
The next morning we scrambled up the ridge to a beautiful camp overlooking Iceberg Lake with views out to the Snoqualmie Crest peaks. There was maybe a bit less open water than expected, but this looked good enough.
After setting up camp it was time to drop down 300' and check things out. Fish were busy cruising the shoreline picking off the occasional insect, mostly terrestrials. The necessary stealth was achieved by staying low, getting the line out where you hoped a fish would eventually be, and imitating a rock. Again, nothing big, but so pretty!
The views from camp were great, the bugs weren't too bad, and while Seattle was enjoying a string of 90 degree days we had a nice shady tent site and reasonably comfy temperatures.
Day three we traversed over a pass to another basin holding East Fork Lake 600' below.
There are a few ways to access this lake with cliff bands down to waterline blocking much shoreline travel. I chose to commit to a small bay that has always held fish the previous times I'd been there. And so there were, but not many. I saw only two, missed one and came away with none. Beautiful remote spot though!
One more day to explore the snowy bench and ramps beyond Iceberg Lake and look south at the glacial carved landscape.
