Exploring the Manti

I had a feeling that exploring this mountain so I have been told is not likely to yield big fish but the country is alone is worth the trip.  I had also heard of a couple of larger tiger trout coming off this mountain range as well.  I wanted to focus on exploring new water and not do a big fish hunt.  Those two lakes I know of on this range can wait until the fall for a big fish visit.  We hadn't taken the trailer to a full hook up spot yet so this was going to be the weekend for the luxury camping trip.

Since I was going to be going solo and making my furthest journey the fist day my wife wanted me to take the truck she thought it to be safer that way.  I agreed and was off to find the magic lake that had tigers and greyling in it with a backup lake just in case.  The roads where brutally rough for a truck but perfect for a 4 wheeler I was wishing I was on the ATV not getting bounced around to death in the truck!

 This is the high country and even at the first of August there was still snow.  In fact part of skyline drive was not passable due to a large snow drift still covering the road!

 Which way should I go there is only like 40 some odd lakes on this range to explore! 

 Hmmm...

 See more snow in August!

 Life begins at 10,000 feet!

The lake finally comes into view! After driving back and forth and back and forth looking for the first lake I was never able to find it.  I did not see any trail heads leading to a lake or any visible water from the road.  I really need a GPS bad and some lessons on how to use one. Since I was solo rather than drive around for ever I went to the backup lake it was supposed to have tiger trout and rainbow trout.  Not a bad backup so lets give it a whirl!

 Someone had set up camp but they were still asleep while I was out fishing it.

 A decent size like worthy of a float!

 To my surprise the fish were opposite of what I was expecting.  The rainbows where in the mid teens while the tigers were smaller.  I kept getting bumps on the jigs but couldn't hook up.  The rainbows liked the thin mint bugger, and my Grey colored minnow bugger best. 

 This explains the bumps and no hookups.  Hard for a 7" fish to swallow a 3" inch jig! 

 A little better but still under 10" not what I was hoping for.

                                                                  The escape shot!
The drive back was brutal.  The roads are marked for UTV/ATV use my truck was doing it darnedest to look like a UTV but after 90 miles of dirt roads I was sick of being bounced around like a rag doll.  I had the battle scars on the truck to prove it as well.

 Yeah the truck got to be a mans truck today not a soccer mom grocery go getter!

Yea it took about 45 min at the car wash to get it close to white color again.  I was covered in mud and dirt.  It was time for a nice dinner and I had a couple of brookie lakes on the menu for tomorrow morning.

I woke up the next morning to find out somehow I had gotten sick in the mountains on vacation.  How someone gets a cold in the middle of the summer is beyond me!  Five days later I am still sick! Kathy and Jim had driven up to stay the night so I at least got to enjoy breakfast with them and say goodbye as they had to run back to work.  I suffered all day and even though I did not feel better the next day I was going to explore another set of lakes.  This time I was taking the wheeler those roads are meant for them!  Manti is a town that you can ride your wheelers on the road so I stopped at the gas station for some fuel and was on my way.

Today's destination had Tigers and cuts for me, those brook trout were saved but I will have to get them the next time I am up this way.  I got a chance to see a couple of lakes along the way and the wildflowers were out in bloom. 

 Thought this field of purple with the tree's in the background was worth a picture.

 Lots of lakes on the Manti to explore just not enough time this trip to try them all.

  Love seeing lakes in the distance more places to try in future trips.

 Water everywhere I wonder if some big ones lurk there.

 Yellow and pink and blue wildflowers in August love the high country.

 A lake right on the trial saw some risers awful tempting but not enough time for a stop at this one.

The trial I got to ride down the canyon with the hill a blaze with yellow wild flowers.  It turns out I never did get to meet a cutthroat trout at this lake but the tigers were willing to play.  Being sick I just didn't enjoy it like I usually do though.  But how can one complain about more time on the water. 

 This one fell victim to the red bugger on the sinking line.  Have to love getting a legitimate fish on the fly rod!

 They were a little bigger here but nothing over 17" was caught.

 A shot from the tube prior to the release.

I liked the bright orange coloring on this one!  It was some rough roads for the few hours of fishing time I did get.  A fun place to explore and I am sure there are larger ones on the mountain but they and I did not just connect this trip.  Only a couple more family camping/fishing trips and summer is coming to a close I have had a great season this year!  Hopefully a couple more good trips to get in before the ICE monster takes over!