Fly Fishing While Scouting

[BrownTroutGuy]

I’m planning on fly fishing some high alpine lakes while scouting for Mulies this July & August. The plan is to glass morning/evening and fish in the afternoon. For some context, I’m in Colorado (very heavy trail usage above timberline and pretty much everywhere in the unit I’ll be in).

My question is, with even more trails and heavy use around the alpine lakes, do you guys still find big bucks in those areas? Or am I better off going over a ridge to the next basin where there aren’t any lakes to glass? I feel like I know the answer here, just curious what everyone’s experience has been regarding mulies around the high country lakes.

 

[Poser]

I do this quite a bit in the summer -haul glassing gear and fishing gear and do some of both.
From my experience, yes, you will see mule deer in moderately trafficked areas around lakes. They will, of course, usually be higher than the lakes, but they will be visible. You'll see elk, too, though usually not near as close as mule deer. I often see quite a few goats, too.

Animals are super active during the summer months and also tend to be super visible out in the wide open tundra as late as 11 AM or noon and as early as 2 or 3 PM. Especially if there has been some weather, you can productively glass at any time of the day and usually turn at least something up. Alpine lake fishing can be super hit or miss almost any time of day. You can catch fish on every single cast at 1:30 in the afternoon and experience dead glass at 7:30 PM for no explicable reason.

I'll often hike in on a Saturday morning, leaving as early as possible, get to the lake mid morning or so depending on the hike, set up camp and fish until mid afternoon. Then I will take my dinner and go set up on a high point to glass. I'll then wake up on Sunday, fish the early morning hours, head out before it gets too hot and stop and glass anything interesting along the way. -quite the enjoyable weekend.

 

[BrownTroutGuy]

I do this quite a bit in the summer -haul glassing gear and fishing gear and do some of both.
From my experience, yes, you will see mule deer in moderately trafficked areas around lakes. They will, of course, usually be higher than the lakes, but they will be visible. You'll see elk, too, though usually not near as close as mule deer. I often see quite a few goats, too.

Animals are super active during the summer months and also tend to be super visible out in the wide open tundra as late as 11 AM or noon and as early as 2 or 3 PM. Especially if there has been some weather, you can productively glass at any time of the day and usually turn at least something up. Alpine lake fishing can be super hit or miss almost any time of day. You can catch fish on every single cast at 1:30 in the afternoon and experience dead glass at 7:30 PM for no explicable reason.

I'll often hike in on a Saturday morning, leaving as early as possible, get to the lake mid morning or so depending on the hike, set up camp and fish until mid afternoon. Then I will take my dinner and go set up on a high point to glass. I'll then wake up on Sunday, fish the early morning hours, head out before it gets too hot and stop and glass anything interesting along the way. -quite the enjoyable weekend.

Appreciate the feedback. Do you think the quality drops off but the quantity is still there, or are you still seeing big bucks around the lakes?

 

[ColoradoV]

It can be done ..

 

[BrownTroutGuy]

It can be done ..

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This is encouraging, my 4 year old daughter will likely be coming on one of the trips. I’m trying to make sure she enjoys the entire experience as much as anything.

 

[Poser]

Appreciate the feedback. Do you think the quality drops off but the quantity is still there, or are you still seeing big bucks around the lakes?

I've seen huge bucks around lakes during the summer. I can't say I've seen them there after Sept, though.

 

[BrownTroutGuy]

I've seen huge bucks around lakes during the summer. I can't say I've seen them there after Sept, though.

Makes sense. Ya I’m more wondering about July/August. I think after Sept. starts they’ll be transitioning out of there regardless of foot traffic.

 

[highcountrymuley]

Do both: you may see animals around high traffic areas but it will make for a better experience to be looking at them without having someone's dog running through your camp. Be stealthy in your glassing- don't let every passerby know what you are doing. If one person tells their one hunter- friend that there are big bucks at Lake X, there goes your spot. Get up away from the paths to glass and tuck away your tripod when returning to camp so they don't see you are glassing. Be stealthy in these high vis areas. Also check out the next basin over to know where they may be going if they are bumped by someone hiking around with dogs that may rattle them for a few days.

 

[Hnthrdr]

It can be done ..

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Grayling are awesome!

 

[Hnthrdr]

Browntrout I would say it depends… if you are in the frontrange, where a certain wilderness area is the busiest in the US it seems like the high country buck numbers are down, I would potentially look into some of the surrounding basins that won’t have a horde of hikers/ campers moving through it all day. There are definitely still a few deer in there but a lot of them seem to live where they get bothered less, also if it’s one of the 3 units that I’m guessing it is, there are a lot of deer/ bucks that live most of their life in the lower elevations think like 8-6k ft

 

[BrownTroutGuy]

Do both: you may see animals around high traffic areas but it will make for a better experience to be looking at them without having someone's dog running through your camp. Be stealthy in your glassing- don't let every passerby know what you are doing. If one person tells their one hunter- friend that there are big bucks at Lake X, there goes your spot. Get up away from the paths to glass and tuck away your tripod when returning to camp so they don't see you are glassing. Be stealthy in these high vis areas. Also check out the next basin over to know where they may be going if they are bumped by someone hiking around with dogs that may rattle them for a few days.

Agree. I dress like a hiker, not a hunter, when I’m glassing. Completely different backpack and everything.