Siamese ponds

[sunsignarcher]

Heading out to The Winds in WY at the end of Aug. w/my boys to backpack/fly fish the high country. I've got a 7n/8d 31mi. loop planned. To get ready we've been running and hiking w/weighted packs and this past weekend was our trial run.


I had been planning to hike to a remote pond in the daks for awhile and was set on the 5 five ponds wilderness area or a pond near the ausable that looked like a good hike.


This months issue of eastern fly fishing just happen to have a write up on the exact types of ponds I was looking at, their focus was on the Siamese ponds wilderness area. At 6.5 miles it was right where I wanted to be for distance and almost an hour closer to home so I said what the hell and changed up last minute.


I drove through the night Fri w/a 1hr power nap on the way. That got us at the trailhead at 7:30. I got two groggy kids geared up w/there 25 lbs packs and me carrying 35. Marked the car and headed out.


The first 4.? mi to a lean to we were going to break and eat breakfast at went pretty smooth. Saw some cool fauna, many amphibians along the trail w/greatly varied and wild colorations and scoped the east branch of the sacandaga. The water LOOKED awesome but it's shallow, warm and nearly fish less. Real shame, it looked very much like a mini ausable loaded with pocket after pocket.


After our peanut butter bagel breakfast we geared back up and headed down the trail....unfortunately it wasn't the trail we were supposed to be on. 4 mi. later we bump into a ranger on patrol who informed us that we needed to go back to the lean to and use a different trail to Siamese. He told us the signs directing one to Siamese kept getting stolen so the state stopped replacing them. Worst part was I had all the info I needed on my gps but I just assumed we were headed the right way. Oh well, the point of this trip was to continue/test our training and do some gear testing and we were certainly about to do just that.


The return trip to the lean to really brought to light just how hot and oppressively humid it was under that canopy. I set the pace as quick as I thought the boys can handle (and I could handle) in hopes of making up some time but more to keep ahead of the god£¥+%! Muthr£?}!in mosquitos! Bastards. I hate every single one a those sons a bitches. DEET DEET DEET. MORE DEET.


We made it back to the lean to and none to soon. The boys were hangin tough but a full on psychological collapse was just barely averted. When the lean to finally came into sight I thought I saw tears wellin up in their eyes...or maybe that was just the water in mine.


My plan for day 1 in the winds was to cover 10 mi. I wasn't sure if that was doable and the boys were definitely intimidated by that number. After we rested a bit in the lean to I threw some numbers at them and let them total up just how many miles we ate up. When they realized we were most likely well over 10 for the day already and it was only 1:30 they were stoked. Not only was 10mi in Wyo on day one doable it was gonna be "easy", they said.


With renewed vigor we set out to gobble up the last 2.6 to Siamese.






2.6 MY ASS!! Maybe 2.6 till your in proximity of the lake but the trail wrapped around that Siamese ocean till INFINITY!! AND IT WAS STRAIGHT THE FUCK UP THE WHOLE WAY!!!! CHRIST!!!!!!!


I died twice on that trail.


To say we were relieved to see water and find the camp site is the understatement of my life. My oldest set his pack down laid across a felled tree near the fire ring and went instantly to sleep. At first I thought he musta died it happened so fast but he was definitely breathing so I let him be. My little one is like me though we had to check out the water first thing....


To be cont.

 

[Oliver10]

Sounds like a great trip! It also sound like you have some lucky kids.

 

[golden beetle]

What's in those ponds?

Brookies?

 

[sunsignarcher]

Brooks, rainbow, lakers.

 

[iflifish]

Heading out to The Winds in WY at the end of Aug. w/my boys to backpack/fly fish the high country. I've got a 7n/8d 31mi. loop planned. To get ready we've been running and hiking w/weighted packs and this past weekend was our trial run.

Sounds like you have a great trip planned. I went out there one July in the late 90's. We went in on horseback with an outfitter from near Pinedale and camped for about 5 days at Section Corner Lake. The creek running in was loaded with grayling which loved Renegade dry flies. The lake itself had mostly brookies, but surrounding ponds had cutthroats which were easy to catch on Humpy dry flies or practically any streamer. One spot above Heart Lake had a good 3 or 4 feet of snow still remaining in a shady spot - ice out on the ponds was only about two weeks prior to our arrival. We ran into a hiker at one point who had become lost and panicked after finding out the route he had planned through a pass was still blocked with snow. He was to the point of running out of food and hadn't seen anyone for over 3 days. Our guide got him back on track and gave him some supplies and directions. Saw a lot of moose and one in particular chased one of our pack horses around the meadow - I guess he didn't like intruders on his turf. The altitude and dry air definitely takes some getting used to. Will be looking forward to a report after you get back - that is definitely an area I would like to return to one day.

 

[emoussa]

You are a good Dad and your kids seem pretty cool.

 

[sunsignarcher]

We followed a short trail to the waters edge and it was beautiful. We were in a small cove, the water was crystal clear and full of salamanders, frogs, and minnows. There was a pair of loons out in the middle announcing our arrival, but here was one thing missing. The bugs. The surface was calm and void of insect activity.


I left jr to the salamanders and walked back up to set up camp. With tent pitched, pads inflated and bags laid out and a good breeze coming through the tent to kept the mosquitos down the three of us sacked out.


I woke up about three hours later headed down to the pond to filter water and see if anything was happening. I saw one large mayfly emerge every now and again and the birds would swoop in and snatch them outta the air right quick but there wasn't enough going on to get any attention from a rising trout. Not that it mattered we were in no shape to do anything other than relax and enjoy the surroundings.


I got the kids up to gather wood and build a fire. The breeze was gone and the bad bugs were back, it was time to smoke em out. With that done we kicked back with our Mt house and told stories. After awhile we headed back down to the pond to watch the sun set and soak it all in.


It tried to rain off and on through the night and I enjoyed listening to the thunder roll across the hills around us with the calls of the loons making it all sound surreal. The morning was a different story though, the sky's opened up and we got pounded from 7-8:30. We hunkered down and waited for a break and when it looked to be clear enough we broke camp and loaded up for the hike out.


We said goodbye to the pond and told the fish we'd be back.


The kids powered out with one quick break at the lean to and we were at the car in no time. Fishing was secondary on this trip. The kids got to test their limits and came out feeling like they could conquer the world and our gear all passed the test. Next time we'll be back packin float tubes and ready to fish.

 

[MikeValla]

As the author of that magazine piece let me offer some further advice. Try the other ponds I mentioned in the article, the ones that have photos in the story. Those are the prime brookie waters. I go in 4X times a year and have found that spring after ice-out and again in the fall (mid- September-October 15) are best.

As mentioned in the story, a Kevlar canoe, mounted to a metal frame backpack as you're trekking in, is the best craft to use once you get on the water. They are very light, but very tippy. See the story.




This is my Hornbeck mounted to my backpack, riding overhead into an Adirondack Wilderness Pond. This trek, one way, was 11 miles in, one way. So, we started out at 3:00AM. On this particular trek, we stayed in 3 days, camping and having a great time. No cell service, people, or anything else but fish and the stars and loons.
And, glad you went in!








It's beautiful country.....

 

[emoussa]

Mike,

Where can I read the article?

 

[MikeValla]

Mike,

Where can I read the article?

Eastern Fly Fishing magazine---this issue.

-It takes a while to understand the wilderness ponds, and how to fish them, and when. You can run into anything way back in there. Fish--but also snow, bugs, etc. It can be very exhausting getting in and I don't think there was ever a time when I didn't feel like giving up---half-way in. On one occasion, at 4:00 AM, I discovered I was lost. And had to reverse course---all up hill---a wasted 35 minutes. This past May, a buddy of mine never showed up to the Lean-To shelter on one of those distant ponds. He went the wrong way, 6 miles the wrong way, through the woods. He turned back, and headed home and said the hell with it. Ha!

Trekking through mud, and tripping on slippery stones climbing up mountins. Falling down with 65Lbs in your pack, and a canoe bolted it to it. No fun. But, the rewards are there.

 

[lightenup]

That last picture looks like a dream.....very nice place to be.

 

[golden beetle]

I want to do this myself.

Great stuff, sunsignarcher and Mike Valla.

 

[sunsignarcher]

Wow, 6 miles in the wrong direction. I don't feel so bad now.


When reading the article I couldn't picture how the canoe was riding on your frame. Even with the pic I'm still scratching my head. That does not look easy at all and maaan do I wanna try it.


Do you fish ponds in late June to catch the hex's?


65lbs? Your a better man than me. I'd love to see your gear list.


Thanks for the article, your name on it had a lot to do with us heading in there and thanks for the added tips.


Oh, and the pictures are fantastic. I refused to disgrace that scenery with cell phone pics and haven't yet added a quality camera to my growing gear list. Soon though.

 

[sunsignarcher]

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also thanks for sittin down with jr a couple years back at the raritan show when were just getting interested in tying. Every tyer that gave they're time to a curious kid added to the spark that became a flame that became an inferno that consumed our family whole. He still has that fly and can get around the vice pretty good himself these days (for an 11yr old).

thanks again.

 

[MikeValla]

When reading the article I couldn't picture how the canoe was riding on your frame. Even with the pic I'm still scratching my head.

Kevlar canoes are not cheap. But after trips in with float tubes and also some trips wade casting (when you can---limited) I'm almost always using a canoe now. Float tubes work---but when winds are up, you're screwed.



Here's a photo of how my Kevlar canoe attaches to my Kelty metal frame backpack. There's a cross bar that's screwed into the pack metal frame. Both sides of the long crossbar are bolted to the canoe frame. (I learned in a hurry to make sure to bring along extra bolts. They can come undone or lost when you're heading back out on a return trip).

And another support bar (not seen in the pic) that angles from the pack frame to the rear of the canoe where it's bolted in to one side of the canoe frame.



You can actually trek along without even putting your hands on the canoe overhead. Only (as shown) to reposition the thing from time to time).

You just, well.....walk for hours and hours and trek with no need to support the thing with your hands overhead. That's the beauty of those things....light.

You can see here the pack is being attached to the canoe. Once attached, you get your arm into the backpack strap and then rotate the whole damn thing up onto your body. Even with 60-65 Lbs and the canoe bolted on, you can do all of this alone with no assistance at all. The canoe only weighs 10-12 lbs or so. The oars are tied to the floor of the canoe for the ride. As I mentioned in the story, my canoe is custom fitted with oar locks. You need those for trolling streamers in Spring and fall but oars come in handy anytime.

You asked if I fished the Hex hatches. Yes, I have.

 

[PinelandsGillie]

Hey Mike , big fan of your books founding flies and Catskill dry flies. Did you make that canoe? I am considering getting an adirondack guide boat if I can find a cheap fixer upper. I was looking for hex hatches a month ago up at some beaver ponds in vt but no luck. Found a monsterous 10 acre beaver pond up there that was pretty remote but caught nothing but a million chubs.

 

[MikeValla]

Hey Mike , big fan of your books founding flies and Catskill dry flies. Did you make that canoe? I am considering getting an adirondack guide boat if I can find a cheap fixer upper. I was looking for hex hatches a month ago up at some beaver ponds in vt but no luck. Found a monsterous 10 acre beaver pond up there that was pretty remote but caught nothing but a million chubs.

No, I didn't build my Kevlar craft. Pete Hornbeck builds them. I mentioned him in the article. He also has super, super-light kevlar-graphite models. I may upgrade soon; my 10ft kevlar is pretty beat up now.



Here's Pete at work.

 

[Future Fanatic]

We made it back to the lean to and none to soon. The boys were hangin tough but a full on psychological collapse was just barely averted. When the lean to finally came into sight I thought I saw tears wellin up in their eyes...or maybe that was just the water in mine.

You can rest, assured, that at your funeral, one of your kids will say to the other, "Remember when Dad tried to kill us hiking in the Adirondacks?" The other will reply "yeah" with a big grin on his face. And they'll probably plan a trip that next summer with THEIR kids and grandkids.

 

[Thursthouse]

You can rest, assured, that at your funeral, one of your kids will say to the other, "Remember when Dad tried to kill us hiking in the Adirondacks?" The other will reply "yeah" with a big grin on his face. And they'll probably plan a trip that next summer with THEIR kids and grandkids.

morbidly nice thought

 

[Barleywine]

You can rest, assured, that at your funeral, one of your kids will say to the other, "Remember when Dad tried to kill us hiking in the Adirondacks?" The other will reply "yeah" with a big grin on his face. And they'll probably plan a trip that next summer with THEIR kids and grandkids.

That paragraph contains more meaning and truth than anything that I've ever read on a fishing board.

 

[sunsignarcher]

Anyone know when ice out occurs on these upstate ponds. Should be gettin close.

 

[tomfly]

Anyone know when ice out occurs on these upstate ponds. Should be gettin close.

I fish the upper Adirondacks a lot. From my experiences some years mid to late April. Some years it is not until Mid May. 4 or 5 years ago it was in March.I have been up there in the first week in June and had to deal snow falling while fishing. Two years ago we had to cut our trip short by a few days because of a winter storm warning projected 8" that was on June 9. Every time I go up there in the late spring every other day has heavy fog until mid morning. That cuts into the suns ability to melt the ice. With the ponds up in the Adirondack if there is a lot of snow on those ponds and lakes it can take the sun a while to burn through it to unlock the Ice. The temp can hit the 60s and 70s during the day and 20s at night. Keep an eye on the temperatures. That will tell you everything.

 

[MikeValla]

Sunsignarcher:

It's still very much winter up here. "Ice-out" on the ponds I wrote about in that article can vary by 3-weeks to even a month, depending on the severity of the winter. I've also run into snow up there, as late as May.

Last year, we went in 11 miles to a very remote Adirondack wilderness pond (a pond not mentioned in the article) and hammered them. That was around May 10. But, I've gone in as early as mid-April, but that was an unusual winter.

MV