Monday, January 16, 2012

Mt. Morrison - Convict Lake

Convict Lake is one of my favorite fishing lakes in California. Nestled high in the Eastern Sierras,Convict is a paternoster lake. It is one of a series of lakes in a glaciated valley, like beads on a string.
Mt. Morrison which guards the lake, is one of the most notable peaks near Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada. Its precambrian rock, composed of Dolomite and Marble - basically metamorphosed limestone, makes it some of the oldest in the Sierra.
Convict Lake and creek were named from an ambush that took place in 1871 when a group of escaped convicts holed up at then Mount Diablo Creek. Sheriff George Hightower and his posse caught up with the escaped convicts. In a shoot out posse members Robert Morrison a Benton Merchant, Mono Jim were killed. The convicts were caught later in Round Valley. Mount Diablo was renamed after Robert Morrison.
Besides its unmatched striking beauty, Convict Lake's depth and shelves make it an exceptional fishing lake. Loaded with plentiful trout, large German Browns and stout Rainbow Trout await the eager fisherman.
I fished from this exact spot many times. A few times my mother joined me. Usually I would fish and she would sketch. This beautiful watercolor painting started with a series of sketches and photographs. This painting by my mother hangs appreciatively in my office. Not a day goes by that I don't think of the summer days I spent with great friends and on solitary quests hunting the big trout of Convict Lake.

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