MONO CREEK AND THE PIONEER BASIN
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THE FOUR OF US WHO REGULARLY FISH TOGETHER, IN 2006, TOOK
THE DF&G HERITAGE
TROUT CHALLENGE, WHICH HAD US HIGH IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRAS CHASING
GOLDEN TROUT. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN DOING THIS WE DECIDED THIS YEAR TO
RETURN TO THE SIERRAS, BUT MUCH DEEPER INTO HEART OF THE RANGE. OUR DESTINATION WAS PIONEER BASIN AND THE MONO CREEK DRAINAGE, ACCESSED FROM THE EASTERN SIDE VIA 12,000 FT MONO PASS. RATHER THEN BACKPACK AS SOME OF US HAD DONE IN PAST YEARS, WE DECIDED ON A DELUXE FULLY-OUTFITTED TRIP. NO MORE CARRYING HEAVY PACKS, SETTING-UP CAMP AND COOKING, IT'S ALL DONE FOR YOU AND AT A VERY REASONABLE COST. OUR POINT OF DEPARTURE WAS ROCK CREEK PACK STATION 10 MILES OFF OF HWY 395 AND 24 MILES NORTH OF BISHOP, CA. I HAD LAST USED THIS SAME OUTFITTER ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO TO ACCESS THE SAME WATERS AND WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO RETURNING TO ONE OF THE SIERRA'S BEST FISHING AND PHOTOGRAPHY AREAS. OUR HOPES ARE TO CATCH SOME CALIFORNIA GOLDEN TROUT ALONG WITH THE RAINBOWS AND BROOK TROUT WE KNOW ARE THERE. ADDITIONALLY I HOPE TO RETURN HOME WITH SOME GOOD PHOTOS OF THE TRIP AND THE SCENERY. |
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"THE TROUT DO NOT RISE IN
THE CEMETERY, SO YOU BETTER DO YOUR FISHING WHILE YOU ARE STILL ABLE."
SPARSE GREY HACKLE |
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HERE'S THE USUAL CAST OF CHARACTERS |
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| JAN HORN | WAYNE HOFER | CRAIG McMULLEN | YOURS TRULY |
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GETTING THERE |
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| STARTING POINT | THE PACK STATION | LOADING UP | JANE OUR WRANGLER |
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| WAYNE MOUNTING UP | CRAIG'S FIRST HORSE RIDE | ON THE TRAIL | LITTLE LAKES BASIN |
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| THE PACK TRAIN | NEAR THE TOP | MONO PASS 12,000FT | INTO THE FOG |
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CAMP AND THE FISHING |
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| OUR CAMP | LODGING | MORNING COFFEE | DINNER |
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| MONO CREEK | A BEAUTIFUL STREAM | A NICE POOL | WAYNE ON THE CREEK |
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| A GOLDEN | A BROOKIE | A RAINBOW | THREE ON PIONEER TWO |
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| LOWER HOPKINS LAKE | NOT A SOFT NAP | THE FOUR OF US | HEADING HOME |
I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS PAGE AS MUCH AS WE ENJOYED THE TRIP. HOWEVER I KNOW THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE AS WE REALLY HAD FUN AND A LOT OF GOOD FISHING. MONO CREEK IS A BEAUTIFUL STREAM WITH A LOAD OF FISH AND SOME DAY I WOULD LOVE TO FISH THE ENTIRE LENGTH CLEAR TO EDISON LAKE ON THE WESTERN SLOPE OF THE SIERRAS. THE LINKS BELOW WILL TAKE YOU BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGES.