Thank You for the casual day of fishing and hiking. The brown trout was beautiful. I was at Parker Lake on Thursday, May 23 for a hike past the lake and a scramble up to the bottom of the waterfall. The few people I saw walked to the lake, took a photo, then retreated. Fortunately, only four vehicles in the parking area when we arrived in the morning and maybe five when we departed. I only saw two or three fishermen ( one TH-camr ) while there and only ten people all day coming and going. It was fun retracing the path through your video, but somehow the camera made the path seem so narrow. So many more people invaded the Sierra and Eastern Sierra on the Memorial Day weekend. By casual, I mean to compliment your video for being a simple documentation of a beautiful day, in a beautiful place -good, bad, or uneventful, instead of a production with inappropriate music, macho fish hunting, hyperbolic exaggerations, etc..
Hi, Thank you for recognizing that. These videos are meant to be a video extension of the high country chronicles on highcountryflyfisher.com. Which are exactly as you say, to take you with me on a trip to the backcountry with everything that entails. Good and bad. It's always meant to be about the story/ the journey much like Charles McDermand's writings. They're meant to evoke memories of past trips or perhaps dreams of future trips and aren't meant to be a guide book or a fishing expose. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for taking the time to create the video. I look forward to watching what I find to be a video log of your outings. Nothing is much of a secret anymore. I find that waiting until after Labor Day Weekend, the summer crowds in the Sierra vanish like a fart in the wind. One can find solitude on a nice crisp fall day with very few people in sight. Plus, the fishing can be great as well. Keep them coming!
Oh, how I remember Parker Lake years ago when like you said it was a secret but not anymore. Still a nice easy hike and good fishing. I had pretty good luck with fly & bubble fishing a black ant.
Gorgeous brown trout. Was just fishing hotcreek last week. Threw up a video of it. The fishing is absolutely epic right now. Two good water years, fish are loving it. Nice vid!
I miss the mountains. I was laid off my last year on college and my car is not good for long voyages anymore. things are looking better now, i hope to be back up there in a better car by next summer now that i have my adult job
rediculous number of cars yikes. last time i was there you still had to have your fishing license on your back in view lost it going through the trees, not sure when that was 2000 maybe/ great place though keep um coming.
Sorry I don't. I likely say or show in the video and would have to re-watch. I won't have time this weekend. I rarely fish two dries however so if i'm fishing two flies it's likely a dry fly and midge in the surface. Typically on lakes I fish dries by themselves however and not dry dropper. I may have been fishing differently on the lake as I was on the stream. I'll watch it later in the week and see.
@@edg4462 Hi, I just re-watched the video. I started fishing a caddis cripple dry fly on the lake on the surface. Then switched to a Soft Hackle Gold Ribbed Hares Ear and midge subsurface. On the creek I never said what I was fishing but when I got caught up on the tree I was able to see that one of the flies was an ant with some rubber legs. So it it would have been the cripple caddis with the ant tied 18 inches behind. Typically when I fish a dropper, its 18 inches to the bend of the point fly. Hope that helps! 🙂
Split bamboo ... metal ferrules and snake guides ... that's an old school flyrod. Your narration is like "being in the huddle". I've always down better at Parker with some wind and midge fishing
Well, now everyone is talking/posting text/videos about these places on social media ... so now EVERYONE knows about these places. Which is going to increase stress on the the fish population and the ecosystem supporting them.
Unfortunately that ship has sailed or I wouldn't have identified it... we saw at least 100 people and counted over 35 cars parked in the lot and along the road. So folks wanting to spend the afternoon at a "city pool" will come and those that don't, now know to stay away... at least on weekends... I've sat on Parker for over 20 years but the truth is, it's been written up in books, in Cal Fly Fisher, on fishing boards and fishing websites. Social media certainly accelerates the process but it's an easy google search... And with COVID we have a huge influx of folks in the backcountry. That won't last, just like the Flyfishing boom didn't last. That said, COVID convinced or forced a bunch of people to make a living of social media and some of that was outdoor destination blogging. I wouldn't be surprised if there are folks offering guided hikes / backpacking trips here soon as that seems to be all the rage these days...😓 It's just part of people enjoying the outdoors. Some people like crowds and some do not. We just need to adapt and find the places we enjoy.
I hear the concern, but I think the good news is that most people are not willing to put in the effort to get to these locations to fish. I think Jim framed it well, and to paraphrase, some of these places used to be super secret, but not anymore- I even recall seeing the locations in some of the books that I used to collect. Same thing with hunting, surf spots, saltwater fishing, camping, and even off roading-the world is indeed a small place.
Over fished. Too many people up there now. All my friends up there don't even tell anybody where they fish now. Most of my planned trips are farther up in central , northern california, and out-of-state now.
Fished for about 20 years in the Eastern Sierras so long ago that we would park on the side of the road and hike to Parker because the so called road was so bad. Took a trip to Idaho and Montana and I haven’t been back to the Sierras in 30 years. In fact just got back from a 21 day trip to Utah and Montana in two weeks I’ll be in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado for 2 weeks. These states have good rivers, a lot of space and big fish. Parker used to kick out 2-5 pound brooks.
Memorial Weekend, that’s why it’s so crowded. You complain that it’s not a secret anymore because people post about it on social media but then you go and post a TH-cam video about the lake! 🤔
@@mikemac22 Actually, I don't think I made that complaint. Only replied to someone else essentially pointing out its been happening all along (books, Cal Fly Fisher) only accelerated now. Welcome to the 21st century information stream. I also pointed out that I make it a point not to mention a place unless it's already outed. 100 people in one day qualifies and it's not simply because it's Memorial Day weekend. It's an easy access lake, it's been crowded for a while, even during non- holidays... Thanks for commenting though.
Thank You for the casual day of fishing and hiking. The brown trout was beautiful.
I was at Parker Lake on Thursday, May 23 for a hike past the lake and a scramble up to the bottom of the waterfall. The few people I saw walked to the lake, took a photo, then retreated. Fortunately, only four vehicles in the parking area when we arrived in the morning and maybe five when we departed. I only saw two or three fishermen ( one TH-camr ) while there and only ten people all day coming and going. It was fun retracing the path through your video, but somehow the camera made the path seem so narrow. So many more people invaded the Sierra and Eastern Sierra on the Memorial Day weekend. By casual, I mean to compliment your video for being a simple documentation of a beautiful day, in a beautiful place -good, bad, or uneventful, instead of a production with inappropriate music, macho fish hunting, hyperbolic exaggerations, etc..
Hi, Thank you for recognizing that. These videos are meant to be a video extension of the high country chronicles on highcountryflyfisher.com. Which are exactly as you say, to take you with me on a trip to the backcountry with everything that entails. Good and bad. It's always meant to be about the story/ the journey much like Charles McDermand's writings. They're meant to evoke memories of past trips or perhaps dreams of future trips and aren't meant to be a guide book or a fishing expose.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the wonderful video Jim. I visited Mammoth Lakes for the first just a month ago. It's a gem in the eastern Sierra for sure.
@@madeinusa5395 Thanks for watching!
Love the re-bite on the Brownie.
Next time I'll fish black caddis to imitate that other big.
Thank you for taking the time to create the video.
I look forward to watching what I find to be a video log of your outings.
Nothing is much of a secret anymore.
I find that waiting until after Labor Day Weekend, the summer crowds in the Sierra vanish like a fart in the wind.
One can find solitude on a nice crisp fall day with very few people in sight. Plus, the fishing can be great as well.
Keep them coming!
@@1970SBenny Thank you! And all very true. Mid September until the first snow can be a great time!
Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Oh, how I remember Parker Lake years ago when like you said it was a secret but not anymore. Still a nice easy hike and good fishing. I had pretty good luck with fly & bubble fishing a black ant.
Yeah, I would imagine fly and bubble would work really well here. Lots of ants and March flies on the surface. 👍🏾
Thanks for watching!
1990 I caught a 12 inch brown at the mouth of the stream as it came out of the lake and saw one person on the trail,beautiful lake.
Yep. It certainly is. Thanks for watching. 🙂👍🏾
Bro your roll cast is on point...nice brownie!!!
@@kevm552 Thanks!
Gorgeous brown trout. Was just fishing hotcreek last week. Threw up a video of it. The fishing is absolutely epic right now. Two good water years, fish are loving it. Nice vid!
Thanks. I'll check it out. Thanks for watching!
You've a beautiful family. It's great that everyone seemed to have such a great day and pull some nice fish! 👍
@@highcountrychronicles thank you for the kind words. Hot Creek was epic. Enjoying your videos. Keep em coming.
Hot creek is spring fed it's always good duh
@@Hancock-r2v 😂😂😂most clueless comment Ive seen in awhile👌🏻👍🏻
Nice content. Split bamboo rod? Old school!
@@jimarmstrong5868 Thanks! Yeah, 8ft 4wt cane.
Nice! I just did a quick little video of the creek as well, it's beautiful. I didn't have any luck at the lake.
@@HookontheFly Thanks! Liked your video as well!
I miss the mountains. I was laid off my last year on college and my car is not good for long voyages anymore. things are looking better now, i hope to be back up there in a better car by next summer now that i have my adult job
I hope my videos can help take the edge off. Thanks for watching!
Beautiful. You got a permit for those vented pants?
🤣
Oh yeah you can still find dry fly lube here in the CO shops. I keep a bottle of it in my kit.
@@sinepari9160 cool. I'd like to get my hands on that old toxic liquid Orvis stuff. 😅
rediculous number of cars yikes. last time i was there you still had to have your fishing license on your back in view lost it going through the trees, not sure when that was 2000 maybe/ great place though keep um coming.
Yep, ridiculous for sure but.... inline with the number of people we saw...🙃
Do you recall the way you were rigged? Two drys or a dry dropper? Thanks.
Sorry I don't. I likely say or show in the video and would have to re-watch. I won't have time this weekend. I rarely fish two dries however so if i'm fishing two flies it's likely a dry fly and midge in the surface. Typically on lakes I fish dries by themselves however and not dry dropper.
I may have been fishing differently on the lake as I was on the stream.
I'll watch it later in the week and see.
Not to worry, just curious how you approached the creek. Looks like you were pressed for time on this trip. Dry and midge makes sense. Thanks Jim.
@@edg4462 Hi, I just re-watched the video. I started fishing a caddis cripple dry fly on the lake on the surface. Then switched to a Soft Hackle Gold Ribbed Hares Ear and midge subsurface. On the creek I never said what I was fishing but when I got caught up on the tree I was able to see that one of the flies was an ant with some rubber legs. So it it would have been the cripple caddis with the ant tied 18 inches behind. Typically when I fish a dropper, its 18 inches to the bend of the point fly. Hope that helps! 🙂
@@highcountrychronicles I appreciate that Jim as I enjoy your style/approach in the backcountry and it has helped me as I learn the craft.
Split bamboo ... metal ferrules and snake guides ... that's an old school flyrod.
Your narration is like "being in the huddle".
I've always down better at Parker with some wind and midge fishing
@@martygrove3986 Thanks! Are you fishing midges loch style in the wind or Brian Chan style under an indicator?
Was this on a weekend?
Memorial Day weekend. Sunday.
Well, now everyone is talking/posting text/videos about these places on social media ... so now EVERYONE knows about these places. Which is going to increase stress on the the fish population and the ecosystem supporting them.
Unfortunately that ship has sailed or I wouldn't have identified it... we saw at least 100 people and counted over 35 cars parked in the lot and along the road.
So folks wanting to spend the afternoon at a "city pool" will come and those that don't, now know to stay away... at least on weekends...
I've sat on Parker for over 20 years but the truth is, it's been written up in books, in Cal Fly Fisher, on fishing boards and fishing websites. Social media certainly accelerates the process but it's an easy google search...
And with COVID we have a huge influx of folks in the backcountry. That won't last, just like the Flyfishing boom didn't last.
That said, COVID convinced or forced a bunch of people to make a living of social media and some of that was outdoor destination blogging.
I wouldn't be surprised if there are folks offering guided hikes / backpacking trips here soon as that seems to be all the rage these days...😓
It's just part of people enjoying the outdoors. Some people like crowds and some do not. We just need to adapt and find the places we enjoy.
I hear the concern, but I think the good news is that most people are not willing to put in the effort to get to these locations to fish. I think Jim framed it well, and to paraphrase, some of these places used to be super secret, but not anymore- I even recall seeing the locations in some of the books that I used to collect. Same thing with hunting, surf spots, saltwater fishing, camping, and even off roading-the world is indeed a small place.
Over fished. Too many people up there now. All my friends up there don't even tell anybody where they fish now. Most of my planned trips are farther up in central , northern california, and out-of-state now.
Yep. Can't argue that. The place was packed. Thanks for watching!
Fished for about 20 years in the Eastern Sierras so long ago that we would park on the side of the road and hike to Parker because the so called road was so bad. Took a trip to Idaho and Montana and I haven’t been back to the Sierras in 30 years. In fact just got back from a 21 day trip to Utah and Montana in two weeks I’ll be in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado for 2 weeks. These states have good rivers, a lot of space and big fish. Parker used to kick out 2-5 pound brooks.
Memorial Weekend, that’s why it’s so crowded.
You complain that it’s not a secret anymore because people post about it on social media but then you go and post a TH-cam video about the lake! 🤔
@@mikemac22 Actually, I don't think I made that complaint. Only replied to someone else essentially pointing out its been happening all along (books, Cal Fly Fisher) only accelerated now. Welcome to the 21st century information stream.
I also pointed out that I make it a point not to mention a place unless it's already outed. 100 people in one day qualifies and it's not simply because it's Memorial Day weekend. It's an easy access lake, it's been crowded for a while, even during non- holidays...
Thanks for commenting though.