Cascade Lake Tube Fishing

[Orygoner]

For your entertainment, I thought I might post a little "trip report" from a hike-in trip a friend and I made in the spring of 2004. Hopefully I can negotiate the photo posting process OK. There's quite a few pics, so I apologize in advance for those of you with dial-up connections.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I really like the mobility afforded by float tube fishing. With all the backcountry and Wilderness (the designated by Congress kind) we have in the West, it's a shame not to get out and enjoy it.

So, my buddy and I had been wanting to do this trip for a long time and our calendars and other considerations came together in June of 2004 for this canoeing,hiking, camping, fishing trip.

We began by canoeing approx 3 miles across a Cascade Mountain lake that has drive in access.



At the end of that lake we cached the canoe, paddles and life jackets and shouldered our packs.



My pack is one that I've used extensively for canoe tripping in the Boundary Waters and Quetico. It's a large capacity pack, but really feels comfortable on my back. With all the camp gear, plus float tube, fins, rod, etc I think this pack was in the 60# range. That's quite a bit heavier than I would load for a "normal" backpacking trip.



My buddy uses a different approach for his tube. He leaves it slightly inflated and just hangs it over his pack. You'll see some hanging stuff in this pic. He quickly repacked that after it started banging the backs of his legs.



One considerable improvement in our hike-in experience has been to acquire some neoprene booties that weigh next to nothing. These replace our normal wading boots and probably knock 3-4#'s off our load.

The destination lake was 5 miles into the Three Sisters Wilderness. It sits at the base of a mountain that used to have a fire lookout on it. My father-in-law was a lookout up there in his high school years shortly before he got diverted into the US Navy during WWII.

Since it is in the Wilderness a self-issuing permit is required (no limited entry in this area). That means a stop at the permit station just before entering the Wilderness.



Anyhow, the hike in is a beautiful journey. Here's a couple of pics of a little cabin (unoccupied) that sits in a meadow with a small lake (and 10 bazzillion mosquitos).


Here's another view from a bit further up along the trail.



At some point though we actually do arrive at the lake. Our campsite is at the rocky knob on the left of the lake in this shot. You can see my partner standing there if you look closely.



After getting our camp set up, the first order of business is to go fishing of course. We inflate these tubes via lung power but it doesn't take too long. The breathable waders are a significant step above the old neoprenes too. If it's cold you'll need extra layers of wool and/or fleece underneath but I've never had too much trouble staying warm enough in this sit-in-the-water style tube.




Here's a few shots of our fishing efforts. This lake holds both rainbow and brookies. The fish don't get too big, but big enough to enjoy.







Since it was early in the spring - still patches of snow to walk through in the shade - the fishing was pretty consistent morning, noon and night. We hiked into another small lake or two but didn't do any good there.

Here's a few scenery shots...

This is the inlet creek and our source of drinking/cooking water while camped there.




Flowers along the edge of the inlet stream...





A panorama of the lake with one of our everpresent mosquitos in the center of the frame.



And, finally, morning dawns.



All-in-all, this was a great trip. I think it gives you an idea of why I love having a float tube in my equipment inventory. You just couldn't fish such a place very well without one.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

...Randy
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[RiverRat77]

Absolutely gorgeous. I used to camp with my dad in the Marble Mountain Wilderness in Northern California and I love that scenic loneliness that you apparently have found as well. Nice bow too... not bad for a wilderness lake.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good stuff. Every pic reminds me of some place I have fished either in the Sierras of California or in other states of the west.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thanks for sharing. Gives us all something to look forward to. I think a lot of us would trade snow for mosquitoes right about now.[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Beautiful and very well put together. Reminds me of the Uinta's (Washington Lake) Thanks for the pictures and story. I loved it and a little blue cause we are suppose to get hit with another storm for the next 5 days---More Snow! and Cooooooollllddd! Awwwww![/size][/black][/font]
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[zonker]

Randy,

You're my new photo essay hero. Great report! Thanks for putting this one together. (The members of this forum will attest to my love for fishing pictures.) Yours make the viewer feel like part of the action. Since you are in my neck of the woods I was doubly impressed.

By the way, looking at the picture you included of yourself, I'm thinking that I have met you. One day just a couple of months ago in G.I. Joe's, either in Eugene or Albany, I met and talked float tubes and pontoon boats with either you or someone who is your stunt double. After the conversation I found myself wishing I had a close fishing buddy with that much zeal for fishing. If it wasn't you then you must have a twin brother. []

If you're interested in doing a little private lake tubing for trout sometime, let me know. I can take you as a guest into some of the Oregon Fishing Club properties. We're sitting on the edge of some of the best fishing stillwater fishing of the year.

RiverRatt77,

I've hiked and fished in the Marble Mountains of N. California. Years ago we made a trip into Hancock Lake with a group of church youth. We caught trout like crazy - pink fleshed from eating shrimp and hungry for our flies - all about 12-13 inches long. It was a trip I'll never forget.

zonker
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[smallmouth89]

Excellent pictorial report, Orygoner. That's the way I hope to use my tube in conjunction with canoe or kayak. I love to kayak/canoe camp and fish. Many years ago (before tubing)I did a trip into Quetico which is the northern section of the Minnesota Boundary waters. I live in Southern Ontario and driving to Quetico is equivalent to driving to Florida. Consequently I don't get up there often enough. Did you used to live in Minnesota? If so it looks like you've traded one quality wilderness experience for another. I wish we had mountain lakes back here in Ontario.
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[Bluegillman]

Ah yes I remember you sent me that story, always a joy to read! Makes me wanting to do one!
How many people make that trip like u did? Do they keep logs on how many vistors took it? Does that cabin get any uses?
Five miles of hiking in and tubing all day, by the time it is time to head home boy I would have been way burned out and would fall asleep before I drive back home!
My son always falls asleep while I drive an hour to get home after tubing. Our walk is about a mile and a half but feels like ten miles of it! Walking in everything feels pretty light but after fishing everything is soaking wet and that drags us down! Maybe I should air the tubing with balloon gas and hold on the string to the tubing and it would be lighter......(just kidding!)
Great story Orygoner, more?
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[tubeN2]

Nice trip report and very nice pics. Thanks for sharing with us.[cool]
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[ATFISHING]

BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.....THANKS FOR SHARING []

AT
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[Orygoner]

Thanks gang for all the good reviews. I'll have to do another report or two I guess, but later.

I'll try and answer a few questions that I see in your posts ... or make a comment or two.

First of all Flygoddess, you'd better get another log for the fire. We got up this morning to an inch of snow. Not much snow, but the first we've had at valley level this winter. And I checked out the automated weather station at Hoodoo Ski Area up at Santiam Pass. It's 17 degrees and they picked up 16" of new snow overnight. No tubing up there today. []

Zonker... It wasn't me at GI Joe's...must have been my stunt double alright. Just make sure you're looking at a pic with me in it, I'm the one with the green tube in the story above. I am interested in your generous offer of a fishing trip. I'm not familiar with the "Oregon Fishing Club". So, if you've got an opening one day this spring, give me a holler. To return the favor, I'll give you a holler when we're going into a little mountain lake down here. I like to hike in 3-4 times before the road to it is opened in the spring. It's a short 10 minute hike the way we go. Lots of brookies and some nice rainbows in this lake.

Smallmouth89... You really gotta get up in the canoe country man. Not sure what you have locally in your home area, but I looooovvveee the Quetico. Fabulous in all aspects, but especially the fishing. We go every year, generally in late August. I want to spend more time there!!! I was raised in Illinois and the canoe country was always a place I wanted to go. We just didn't have the means or parental interest to go then. It's a long drive from Oregon...but worth it.

Bluegillman... the US Forest Service does track the permits to see how many people are using an area, how long they stay, size of party, etc. It just helps them track Wilderness use as well as be helpful in Search and Rescues at times. This was a three day trip so we only had to hike in and set up camp and fish the first day. Brook trout from a cold mtn lake are delightful eating by-the-way. That helium filled tube sounds good too. Let us know if you come up with something there. []

later...Randy
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[flygoddess]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][blue][size 3]I got up this morning to a total white out. 6" of wet heavy snow right now and more to come, and I live in the city!, not sure how much Park City got (20min away). I live very close to the main airport. I can deal with it, but would rather the rain.[/size][/blue][/font]
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