As is the custom in our family, we generally spend a day or two up in the Eastern Sierras during Thanksgiving weekend or, later during the Xmas Holidays. This time, Ally and I did a quick up and back to the Owens valley to recon some places for us to initiate my Grandson Miles (or Moo 2) into the Troutastic angling arts…I had mentioned in a previous post - “THE MUTHA’lode…”, that I would put up some information on places that MY Dad took my twin brother and I to fish for Trout when we were little – here is a bit on Lone Pine Creek…we also spent some time looking for “pointy obsidian and jasper” objects and roamin’ around…that’s how we roll…
The Owens Valley, just after sunrise, from the White Mountains…
After a long “mush’, up from East of Independence, we stopped here for some deserty activities…
We pulled in here for some lunch and spent some time flipping over pieces of shiny black flakes…
Desert GOURMET lunch…
This place has been quite productive through the years…my Dad would get my brother and me out here at the crack of dawn on really cold December days…
It would be worth it to find a batch of these…this time we came up with only pieces…not a single complete point…
Ally wanted to send some pills out of her BHP… “THE SHADOW” documented her efforts…
Sunlight was getting short so we decided to gain some altitude…
Ally, bushwackin’ Lone Pine Creek…
Ally with Mt. Whitney in the background…it gets very cold when the sun drops below those peaks…
PT stands on a boulder overlooking Lone Pine Creek…this is one of the spots I would take my Dad into, to fish the creek…when he was two years younger than I am now, he refused to go down this hill, fearing he would take a fall…As Ally said: “What a WUSS”…
My Dad, Jess Barker, about the time he became a WUSS, in 1974…along Lone Pine Creek…
Ally, preparing to clobber her Dad with a snowball where the road was closed heading up to the Mt. Whitney portal…
PT shows Ally where her Grandfather would make us sit and fish with a size # 18 Mustad, gold, treble hook and Velveeta cheese for planted Rainbows…while he wandered off – elsewhere…This is at the bridge above Movie Flats road…
Ally checks out the water on the upside of the bridge…it looks like this…
While we were standing there, we saw a 17″ Trout wave out into the current, just above the mossy rock…
A reminder of memories past and fishing Lone Pine Creek with salmon eggs, crickets and red worms…
Somebody else, sitting on a rock at Lone Pine Creek, with FRYE BOOTS, when she was about Ally’s age…
Looking East towards the White Mountains from the base of Mt. Whitney at dusk…
Another location along Lone Pine Creek where one has to slither in like a serpent to present an offering to the residents…there are Rainbows and Browns in this creek…I have taken Browns up to 18″ in here if I do my part…
The sandtrap at the bottom of Lone Pine Creek just before it enters the LA Aqueduct…this will be the location of my Grandson’s first Trout outing…Ally MADE this decision…
My son Michael, explaining to Muy ( Miles ), the size of the TROUT he will catch with his Grandfather…on Thanksgiving…
Mt. Whitney at sunset…
OK…time for dinner…and Virgin Marys…
…and the best spot for food on the EASTSIDE is:
SEASONS…Lone Pine California…hands down !!!
Back to tying…
PT/TB 
PLANETTROUT: Fly Fishing, Fly Tying and LIFE
Some, oh so familiar territory. Years ago, we made our own floating bait with Velveeta and a packet of some stuff to make it float. Nice tour. Thanks.
Mark
I could never master fishing those brushy creeks with the fly rod. I would imagine you would have to fish downstream with an extremely short leader. Nice post!
Jim,
My Dad got my brother and I fiberglass, 9′, fly rods that were made by a friend of his, at the Long Beach Casting Club, back in the 50′s. We tied a 12″, 2 lb. leader to a floating fly line (loop to loop) and would crawl into openings (or make your own) and flip – sometimes it had to be slid over branches – that rig into the water downstream. Depending on the flow, we would add one, two or three BB shot…the limit in those days was 25 Trout…Vacuuming those Eastside streams is what finally got me into Fly Fishing…too much work on ‘yer belly and knees…
PT/TB
Tim
Hopefully, your dad didn’t wander too far ‘elsewhere ‘while you boys were
fishing-although back in that day, when we were growing up, kids had a
more carefree existence-not possible now. Did your mother ever take you
fishing-with or without your dad-when you were youngsters? Miles is a lucky
little guy and adorable-don’t you just love being a grandfather!
Elaine
Elaine,
My Mother took my brother and I Trout fishing ONCE when we were young…that was a “reward” for being good at a publicity shoot on Malibu Beach…It was a trout park on Malibu Canyon Road back in the 50′s…one of those places where one pays $$$ to fish with a pole and hook – in a stinky pond. We stayed for about an hour (she got bored)… they moved it here:
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2812856-troutdale_clago_s_los_angeles-i
What a dump…
She took us arrowhead hunting ONCE up in the Owens Valley when she was going through the divorce with my Dad…Unfortunately, she made the mistake of bringing her then boyfriend, Don “Red” Barry, with us…GOD that woman’s picker was broken…and a disaster ensued – then and later:
http://classicmoviechat.com/?p=606
I think Mom was trying to be competitive with Dad in areas in which she completely lacked expertise…her EGO made it impossible to acknowledge that…
Best,
PT/TB
Tim
It sounds as if your dad’s parenting skills were superior to those of your
mother; from what I’ve read,she didn’t have very good role models growing
up-may even have been abused. I hope you and your brother have some
good memories of her as a mother and at the end,you were able to lay the
past to rest.
Elaine
Elaine,
Neither one of them had role models upon whom they could base their parenting skills…both were sexually abused as children, both had problems with addictive substances and all the unpredictable/irrational behavior that goes along with that…LOVED ‘em both, only learned much later in life – to separate the loony-ness from the person…I was fortunate, I happened upon kind and loving mentors who taught me how to be a Dad and son…
PT/TB
Tim,
No one should experience what your parents did as children,nor grow up
as you and your brother did living with the fallout. Sadly,your mom and dad
did not get the help they needed-fortunately,you did. Hopefully, you brother
is happy as well. You should write a book. Bless you-enough said.
Elaine
Loved your story, especially the part about hunting arrowheads. When we were young we would always look for arrowheads when we were hiking around. Still to this day I find myself looking at the ground while hiking looking for the hidden treasure that was made in a different era. Thanks for the beautiful pictures and bringing back memories!
Thanks CT,
This pastime helps keeps one focused on what’s in front…
PT/TB