Salmon-Willows Pack Trip 12Aug16

Some of CoWW's most intrepid and timely master fisherman (Jim Yohanan, author Tom Wilke - ok not so much a fisherman - but a fearless alpine leader bound for Capitol on Monday, Greg Lehmann and me) stole a weekend in the alpine. CO late-summer at 11.5K feet elevation deep in the Gore is sublime. We hiked 2.2 extra miles out of Willowbrook TH then 5.5 miles up to our campsite and hiked and fished five alpine lakes at treeline. We caught fish everywhere - including a CO cutty in a connecting stream! Spectacular views, terrain, weather, sites, debates, meteor showers and friends made the jaunt into Eagles Nest Wilderness and our weekend memorable. Biffs in streams & lakes, big fish, numerous fish, electric yellow, cool nights, vertical pitch cirques, awesome Pearsids "shooting stars" in perfect dark, fine food, 3 lost dog leashes, a butt busting 2.5Kft climb, and 100s of beautiful brookies beckoned a recall. Almost any flies worked but we favored tossing dries. My best was the lime trude; Jim scored with elk hair and parachute Adams and Greg used "the one" (PT peacock partridge soft hackle) almost all weekend. Salmon Lk and Willow 1 have fewer but bigger fish (I caught a 15" and a ~16" and GL caught a 17") - they are a bit tougher to catch. Salmon requires a 45' cast to reach the edge of the ledge. The other three lakes are teaming with brookies. I also did well in the connector stream from Willow 2 (large dubl lobe) to Willow 3. Together we caught hundreds of fish this fine weekend.