Right On Time
Lone Pine Creek
April, 2003
We arrived at
the Lone
Pine Creek Campground at around 2pm on a Thursday. As luck would
have it, we found ourselves having to wait behind the DFG stocking truck
before proceeding to our site. Needless to say, we didn't mind
waiting and counting the number of trips they made to the creek with their
net full of stockers. We had known the creek was scheduled for
stocking this week, and the timing of our arrival a good omen.
The Lone Pine
Creek Campground is located East of Lone Pine along the Whitney Portal
Road. Travel along Hwy 395 to Lone Pine, turning East on Whitney
Portal Road. Follow the road and signs to the campground.
Lone Pine Creek
is a familiar spot I've visited since my youth. Nestled at the foot
of the Mt. Whitney range (to the East) and above the Mojave (High) Desert
(to the West)., the relative temperature during the summer could be
defined as moderate.
The creek,
although somewhat narrow (this is not the Kern), has always provided me
with trout. As the creek, if need be, can be hiked and fished from
the Mt. Whitney Portal to the town of Lone Pine (approx. 15mi of
creek). As can be expected, the portions of the creek running
through the campground do get fished out. Not to worry, put on the
hiking boots and hoof it in either direction ... DFG has stocking points
all along the Whitney Portal Road.
Being perhaps
the southern most portion of the Eastern Sierra creeks, its a good
starting point during the Eastern Sierra trout season. Psst!
Lone Pine's trout opener is generally opened 2 weeks before the rest of
the Eastern Sierras along Hwy 395. Remember to always verify the
opening date prior to dropping that line.
After the stock
truck made its rounds and departed, we arrived to our previously reserved
site and hurriedly made camp ran to the creek. We naturally assumed
the crowds would begin arriving the next day (Friday).
Recently
planted stockers are finicky, but we knew that. They'll sit looking
at you, as if to say "What's this thing on a string? Where's the guy
with the bucket of feed?". Pay them no mind, it could take days
to a week before they decide to play along.
Travel
up and down the creek, stopping at the many small pools. Lower your
salmon eggs into one of the bubble filled pools and wait for the BIG
surprise. For some reason, or other, the trout in this creek tend to
be aggressive fighters. And that's the BIG surprise.
Short rods and
miniature reels are the gear of choice here. The creek, though
accessible, is filled with vegetation growth overhead and all
around. At points, you get the feeling you're poking your rod from a
jungle to reach the little pool. Which sometimes makes retrieving
the hyper-active trout a tangling experience.
By sunset,
after fishing a couple hours and traversing 100' of creek, I hiked back to
camp with 3 nice rainbows for dinner that evening. For those of us
who eat more than release, 'creek-to-grill' can't be beat.
Friday morning
found us chasing our next meal along the creek. Still getting little
action for the recent stockers, we hiked a 1/2 mile down stream and
continued the search. Ok, so that was the wrong direction today ...
we reversed and hiked a 1/2 mile back and another 1/2 up stream.
Spying a wide and shallow flowing body of water, I snuck to the head of
the flow and drifted a fly. Within seconds, I had a taker and
started the process over. I can't say how many trout were in the fly
catching committee that morning, but many were eager to take a ride on my
fly.
Meanwhile, my
partner was busy catching from nearby with salmon eggs. Although my
technique of laying down at the head of the flow and floating my fly
produced endless results., far exceeding his. It goes that way from
time to time.
Limits
reached, we decided to take a hike along the trail between Lone Pine
Campground and Whitney Portal. Roughly a 7mi hike with over 2000' of
elevation gain. If you go, remember to dress in layers and pack a
few warm clothes. As you ascend to the portal, the temps will drop.,
and the weather is always subject to sudden changes. Figure on
spending 4hrs hiking up and a little less getting back down. At the
portal you'll see the silly people fishing the portal pond with 'scooby-doo'
fishing outfits. The pond is often filled with visible large trout.,
and enough lost bait on the bottom to feed them through the year to the
next season. Yet, you'll always find the pond lined by these people,
eager to add their contribution of lost bait to the bored trout. A
visit to the Portal store and back down the mountain we go.
Back at camp,
as anticipated, the hordes had arrived. Undaunted, we prepared our
dinner of fresh trout and enjoyed the setting sun amidst the spectacle of
the new arrivals. Glad that we had arrived the day before.
Saturday was
spent leisurely playing the creek for trout, while bumping into others
doing the same. Many, if not most, visiting the area for the first
time. They seemed perfectly content dropping their line into large
shallow ponds of less than eager recent stockers. Fine by me, each
to his own. It matters not the 'how' or 'why' ... but that you
'went' and gave it a try.
One
more setting sun before our Sunday morning departure. Glancing to
the West, the shadows appear to bring the desert alive. This trip
was great, they often are. Lone Pines' diversity has a little
something for everyone.
We'll
be back
