# Bushwhacked!



## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

I've been determined to hike to a lake in the Fish Lake area for the past few weeks but have always ended up elsewhere every time.

I heard word that the fish weren't really very big and possibly not worth the strenuous hike (much of it off trail), but I'd already made up my mind and just getting there was my main focus at this point.

I was on the road by 4:30am and decided to take the scenic route down Gooseberry Road. That's some pretty country.










Once I got closer to my destination, I couldn't resist flipping a spinner into the slow meander of 7 Mile Creek, just North of Johnson Reservoir. I didn't catch anything nor did I see any fish, but I noticed the temperature was pretty low, especially when I realized that my guides had frozen up for the first time since winter. :shock:

Just down the road, I saw a trademark of the landscape that I'd come to dread later:










I was planning for a 2 mile hike from the trail head and I knew that the last (the steepest) leg of the hike would be straight up the mountain, without a trail.

I'd spent the hours studying my maps and planning just the right spot to turn off the trail, so I was confident when I started my hike.










I didn't plan for livestock, however, and was quite humbled by the large beasts that didn't seem very enthused by my presence. I gave them a wide berth, sweet talking them the whole time, but there were several times that I felt safer busting brush to get around them, especially when some of the bulls started stomping their hooves.

Somewhere along the line, I missed my turn. Like I mentioned, no trail. It was hard to see through the thick forest that surrounded me and I couldn't see my position relative to the adjacent mountain which I had to ascend.

I consulted a basic topographic map several times along the way, but the feature I was looking for (signaling my time to turn) had never shown itself. The trail I'd studied was supposed to cross the stream bed twice and upon the second crossing, I was supposed to find the outlet of my lake and simply follow that up.

:roll:

In true LOAH form, I'd hiked twice as far as necessary and quite a ways higher in elevation than where my lake was. :lol: Once I saw where I was, I knew I had gone way off course. I figured the quickest and easiest way I could get anywhere would be to lose the trail, hike across the ravine and onto a giant rock slide so I could avoid the dense brush of the forest.

Getting to the rock slide was an adventure of its own with all the dead fall everywhere and tightly knit trees, but I sweat it out and made it in one piece. The rocks at the Western base of the slide had water trickling between them and showed evidence of some serious fluctuation in water level:










It was pretty though:










Okay, to the far Eastern side of the slide and down. Simple enough, right?

Wrong.

Here's part of the rock slide:










It doesn't look so bad until you're trying to maneuver through it with a heavy pack (oh, did I mention I packed in my tube, waders, fins, etc?). The boulders were quite large and it proved difficult to get from one to the next without jumping. I did my best to scramble through it with as little resistance as possible, but I probably still wasted a mile in steps just to navigate the slide. At times, I wondered if it would end (I was supposed to be on the far east side of the slide, not west).










At least the lichens were neat looking enough to keep me somewhat amused:










After chugging away on the slide for an eternity, I finally came within sight of my target, far below me:










I couldn't get down the rocks fast enough and once I'd gotten a bit closer, I could see a few fish right by the shoreline (look closely):










Ah, made it! Aberdunk, or Lake Louise (depending on your map) was now at my mercy.



















Heck of a nice place to be. I wished I'd gotten there sooner. 










I had hopes of large brookies, tigers, and cutts and knew that wouldn't be the case as soon as I arrived. I saw a larger brookie of about 18 inches, but he wouldn't have anything to do with my offerings. He made it a point to come and check on me quite often though.

In fact, I couldn't get anything to hit at first. Nothing on my favorite spinner, nothing on the Jake's, and nothing on the fly rod (streamers and buggers) before I destroyed my leader and gave up on it...What gives?

I decided to play dirty and rigged up a worm under a bubble. I lobbed out to an area that I'd seen a few rises at and waited while throwing hardware. Nothing.

:?

Time to switch spots. Armed with a night crawler, I crunched my way through some thick brush into an area that was practically boiling with surface action. I could see a good amount of fish working a hatch and I cast out a little ways past them. Nothing again. I reeled in slowly to get my night crawler higher up while being towed and that's when I saw the fish react to it. I watched as a small tiger slurped up the worm and quickly set the hook.










Just a kid and hooked right in the lip, I let it go. I threw the remaining chunks of worm into the water and watched the eager fish come right up and eat them, so I knew I could keep catching with worms, but I wasn't interested in doing that for fish of this size. Odds are that I'd have to weed through a bunch of dinks to find a decent sized fish and it was even more likely that I'd end up gut hooking some dinks on accident before finding any bigger ones.

I didn't want to fish with worms, I didn't want to blow up my tube (that I'd lugged all the way up here), jigs weren't working, my usual tricks weren't working...So I basically stopped trying to fish. I was quite fatigued from the trek in (and around) and didn't have the energy to keep working at it, especially if I ever wanted to get home again.

I basically just sat around and enjoyed the solitude and the scenery for awhile. This guy stopped in to give me a shot:










While sitting around, I observed the feeding habits of the fish for awhile and then tried to trick one into eating a bare hook. It was a small black drop shot hook. I lightly dotted it on the surface a few times, stopped, another tap, tap, and then I let it drift down for a moment.

What do you know? I actually tricked a near by brookie into biting my hook! No kidding!










How odd that these fish wouldn't take any of the traditional spinners, flies, or jigs, but as soon as I quit trying, I scored with nothing. That was a first for me.

For some reason, I'd lost my drive to catch these fish. I'm sure the exhausting hike had something to do with it, but I just wasn't feeling normal.

I was still quite content to sit there by my lonesome with my thoughts though. Like I wrote earlier, I just wanted to get to this place. That goal had been met.

While sitting next to a group of feeding fish, I pulled out my camera and got really lucky while taking underwater video of a medium sized brookie. Check this out:


(Please excuse the grainy video...It looks much better without the compression of Photobucket.)

Pretty cool to see it take that wasp and spit it out a few times. I wouldn't eat it either. :lol:

The sun had long since peaked in the sky and I was unsure how long it would take me to get back down. I knew I had my work cut out for me so off I went, intent on following the outlet back to the trail.

The outlet was nothing more than a trickle that quickly went underground leaving only ferns as evidence of its path:




























It still wasn't easy to follow the ferns and stinging nettle since this area wasn't exempt from the dead fall and other tangling obstacles. I zig-zagged for another eternity and just about lost my head when I finally came to the trail.

Whew! What a pain! I was glad to have brought my new water filter (save space/payload in the pack) and got some fresh stream water from Tasha Creek. After a well deserved rest, I was off with the wind at my back.

I'd forgotten about the beef though. :lol: Those sluggish, stubborn slabs of meat were still grazing in the intermittent meadows and I had to break even more bark to get around them AGAIN! They showed me no respect this time and that took another heavy toll on my progress.

At long last, I made it back to my car. I was beaten, beefed, bruised and bewildered at how a simple 4 mile hike (round trip...on paper) could turn into such a tiresome ordeal, but I feel it was a necessary experience for me. I had set out to find this place and I did. It wasn't easy at all, but I made the journey. It builds character right? :lol:

So for any of you who have ever looked at the DWR's fish stocking reports and wondered what Aberdunk was all about, well now you have an idea. It's a brutal hike (even if you know what you're doing/where you're going) once you leave the trail and the fish are no better than most drive-to lakes.

I _will_ say, however, that it offers spectacular scenery and peaceful solitude for the willing.

Happy Fishing, Humans.


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## BigIceHole (Feb 5, 2008)

Nice report Justin. What kind of camera do you have to take that underwater video?


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Pentax Optio W20. It's a great little camera at 7mp and a new one wouldn't cost a whole lot.

My only gripe is that it doesn't have a lens cover. The battery lasts forever and with a gig card, you'll be hard pressed to run out of photo space on one trip.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

LOAH, 
great report as always.
I love the way thet you take us with you!

It appears that you are ready for your next piece of outdoor equipment.
A GPS with mapping.

Even a cheep GPS would have shown your trip back from the lake which would help you get back there next time.

My son has used his mapping GPS to find lakes while hunting for Deer.
You will love having one.

Christmas is just around the corner!


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## FLYFSHR (Apr 16, 2008)

Very nice report.
Watching the brookie play with the bee was funny.
You gotta love them boulder fields. Keep climbing them...it'll put hair on your chest... :lol: 

btw- you have almost the same GPS as I but I also have the mapping program.
If it helps you out any, pm me and I will give you the gps coordinates so you can at 
least put that into your gps as a waypoint. Then all you have to do is walk towards 
that waypoint without veering offcourse. On your way back, just follow your 
cookie trail back to your car.


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## lvnstmc (May 11, 2008)

Great report thanx!


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

I knew I'd get heckled about a GPS.

I even have one minus mapping software. Without the software it doesn't do much for me, but you're right, I could've made a cookie trail. I doubt that I'll make that trip again very soon.

Then again, I know where that bigger one hangs out. :twisted:


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## Nueces (Jul 22, 2008)

Great video and photos. What a hike. Thanks for sharing.


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## seniorsetterguy (Sep 22, 2007)

Well done...fun to read...as usual. Thanks!


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

A mid-week getaway and quite the adventure that hike does look like it would take it out of you...


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## FROGGER (Oct 1, 2007)

Great post as usual, hey look on the bright side you still caught 2 fish... i know many many people, including myself who have driven to closer lakes and gotten the ole skunk... Thanks for the great post...


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## FishlakeElkHunter (Sep 11, 2007)

LOAH.....I was not far from you sitting in a tree stand this weekend.

There is a MUCH easier way in to Lake Louise......I have rode a horse in there MANY times and fished it all the time as a kid. 

It is a GREAT little lake and a fun place to be.


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## STEVO (Sep 13, 2007)

Dang Loah, Each trip just keeps getting better & better. That looks like a awesome lake to fish. Might have to hit it one day soon. Awesome pics & nice story.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

FishlakeElkHunter said:


> There is a MUCH easier way in to Lake Louise......I have rode a horse in there MANY times and fished it all the time as a kid.


LOAH -- Why on Earth didn't you just hike to the lake via the trail???? Didn't you see the trail leaving the lake to the south while you were hiking around it? Oh well. At least you got to see all the ferns...


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Trail? :shock: 

I saw no trail and the only information I could find about it said that there was no trail.

That would have saved me some serious time. I'll have to visit again and use the trail next time.

Silly Human. :lol:


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## rapalahunter (Oct 13, 2007)

There was a trail... Now that's funny!! :lol:


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## metal_fish (Mar 19, 2008)

Very Pretty area and looks like alot of fun.
Nice cardinal, but i thought you believed in inexpensive reels?

:shock: Expect some late reports from me, when i get time. :shock:


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

metal_fish said:


> Nice cardinal, but i thought you believed in inexpensive reels?


I do. It was the display model, so they dropped a chunk off the price. :wink:

Although I _am_ really taking notice of the difference in quality.


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## DIPPER (Jun 21, 2008)

Geat report LOAH! You always have cool reports! :mrgreen:


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

PBH said:


> FishlakeElkHunter said:
> 
> 
> > There is a MUCH easier way in to Lake Louise......I have rode a horse in there MANY times and fished it all the time as a kid.
> ...


Good lord (of all humans...)! If you hate trails that much, at least bring a real map rather than a "basic topo" and perhaps a compass? Find out when the local BSA troop is having their basic map and compass course and see if they will let you sit in with them. Here is a primer for you: http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/

P.S. I have yet to meet the cow that wouldn't give me a wide berth after bouncing a stone off their forehead.... Just sayin'...


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## Gameface (Jun 7, 2008)

Posts like this really inspire me. What a great experience it must have been.

Thanks!


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## Guest (May 18, 2013)

Ah...the stories I could tell you about fishing up "Tasha" Creek (that's the creek you followed). And about following the actual trail to the lake, rather than taking the "senic" route that you did...the trail that leads right to the south end of the lake...and is a very, very easy hike. And about the huge fish that, at least, once resided in Lake Louise, as it has come to be called. About the full limits of 2 and 3-pound brookies I pulled up from the bottom of this deep, deep (transparent only in the late fall) lake Also, by "huge" I mean fish that could range anywhere from 2 to 20 pounds (no kidding). Bigger brookies than you will find anywhere else in Utah...and maybe anywhere, period! No kidding. But...maybe they're all gone now. The first time I sent there was 70 years ago with my dad and grandad. The last I made the hike was in 2000. Plenty of large fish that time. But alas, in three generations, or so, the fishing in the West has been forever altered by pressure...and poor conservation. But I admire your energy, and I love your photos (since they brought back fabulous memories of my special "secret" place to fish in Utah)...and if you'd ever like to chat about the real past of Lake Louise and Tasha Creek (I can't even count the days when we caught and released more than a hundred small brookies on the creek) then get in touch with me: [email protected] And I'd be more than happy to reminisce with you about the good old days of Utah fishing.


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