Golden Trout

[bikerfish]

and not the mutated things they stock here in pa!! Looks like I'm planning a California trip for next sept, girlfriend wants to see big trees, I'm thinking I'd like to catch some goldens. Both can be done in the sequoia national forest and surround areas. I know some of you have fished out in that area, hoping to get some advice on locations and such, don't have to get too specific, I enjoy the challenge of scouting out streams, but when they are on the other side of the country, makes it kinda tough! I'd like to find a campground to set up for a couple nights and spend some days hiking and fishing from camp.
I've ordered the southern CA gazetteer, various national forest maps, and various golden trout wilderness maps.
as always, this will be a motorcycle trip.

 

[sarce]

I was trying to see if I could do a golden trout trip this year, but I started planning too late. I was focusing on Wyoming but did a little research on CA out of curiosity. This map shows their native range - I'd bet they have been introduced elsewhere in the area though. Link

 

[bikerfish]

sweet, thanks for the link! Really can't go wrong fishing anywhere out west, and I'll probably fish CO, NM, UT on my way out, maybe even hit a couple streams in the driftless area of Iowa. The CA goldens have always been on my bucket list though, one of the most beautiful fish.

 

[Acristickid]

First off, it is an amazing area and secondly CA holds vast fishing opportunities (as much or more than any state that comes to mind). Things can be quite far away as the roads go, since there are only a few that go through the high country. Northern CA in particular is so remote most would not believe it.


I spent a few weeks last year about this time in the Golden Trout area and beyond. It is a high altitude area around 10,000 feet. I approached the Golden Trout wilderness from the Cottonwood Lakes Trail head area. Couple mile hike to a small headwater stream (similar to brookie fishing here in PA). Getting to the areas are harder than the catching. The road that goes up to the trailhead is truly amazing- probably the craziest road I may have ever been on. So high-so steep-so twisty- your gonna love it!






I would highly recommend looking at the CALtrout website and calling the biologists for the areas you want to fish. They were very helpful and give the latest data (most were several years old but still useful), they even gave tips on where to access, where to stay and eat etc….
In retrospect, I could have had maybe a lil easier time getting the goldens without such a long hike had I known about access via Sherman Pass and Nine Mile Canyon Roads and into Kennedy and Monache Meadows. I was flying by the seat of my pants and the biologist for this area didn’t get back to me right away (not enough lead time on my part). There are so many remote beautiful places in that area and into NV and Northern CA.



Recommend these books- be happy to lend them to you if it is convenient .

 

[bikerfish]

Awesome info, thanks a bunch!!!! I'm already seeing that I will have a VERY hard time coming home from this trip.

 

[Chaz]

Golden Trout are native to the South Kern River basin and fairly rare. I've never fished for them, but I have tried to figure out the best way to get to their home range. Do you fly into LA or Vegas to get there? It's a long way from either airport.

 

[bikerfish]

you could fly into either. I'll be riding there from PA, probably be a 4 week trip total, fishing along the way.
yes, they are long way from anything, lots of good things are like that!

 

[Acristickid]

I drove. I'd either fly to Vegas or Reno. Vegas will be a third of the cost- at least it is from Pittsburgh. I found $87 each way a few days ago- were late night flights tho.

Number #1. Call the biologists. You can fish for many natives in that area. Humbodlt city's in northern NV. Lahanton near Reno. Kern Rainbows and Lil Kern rainbows.

 

[icyguides]

I don't know anything about goldens in CA, but i did catch them in wyoming. They are one of the most beautiful and hard fighting trout imo. My advice is try using a red fly and get it moving. I did best on a red copper john nymph and it seemed like they wouldn't actually hit it until it moved, so i stripped it a lot and jigged it. It could have just been the day. YMMV.

 

[tomitrout]

I drove. I'd either fly to Vegas or Reno. Vegas will be a third of the cost- at least it is from Pittsburgh. I found $87 each way a few days ago- were late night flights tho.

My first choice would be to fly into Reno, mostly because I've got friends in the Tahoe area. When I finally go chase the Goldens there'll be some other roadtrippy activities also, like checking out Yosemite.

Sacramento would be my second airport choice, probably cheaper to fly into Reno though with the casino incentives.

 

[ryansheehan]

Why would you go that far for an ugly golden when you have the "real deal" right here?

 

[afishinado]

ryansheehan wrote:
Why would you go that far for an ugly golden when you have the "real deal" right here?

Wow! :-o That's the biggest yella trout I've ever seen.

Kinda cool looking, but kinda sad at the same time that's dumped in and left swimming around in our streams.

 

[bikerfish]

hahaha!! yeah, I hate those damn things, but I figure they make good heron food.
what's worse are people that actually think it's a real fish!!!!

 

[Acristickid]

Biker- you got me all fired up recalling my trip out there last year.


You didn't specifically mention this area (near Lake Tahoe) but the upper Truckee River (flows into Lake Tahoe) is one of the very few places in CA to fish for the Lahontan cutthroat trout.



Anyway I bring it up because some of these areas have specific dates for fishing, for example here it is July 1 to September 30th








A native Lahontan cutthroat trout






God, I need to go fishing!!!!!

 

[bikerfish]

man!!! awesome stuff! I'm getting pumped, got books and maps coming, figuring out campgrounds and such, and starting to investigate breweries in the areas I'll be traveling!!

 

[foxfire]

hahaha! Excellent Ryan! Legite belly-laugh!

 

[Chaz]

This thread makes me want to go back to California and do some fishing. I guess I'll have to plan a trip and hit some places in Oregon too.