Fishing

All this warm weather has me wanting to do some fishing. I'm going to go to California later this summer, and I'm wanting to do some fly fishing for native golden trout while I am there.

I'm still formulating my scheme, my plan if you will. I'll probably end up going up the eastern side of the Sierras near Bishop, California. The fishing isn't near as wild and wooly on this side of the Sierras, but it is a more doable proposition for me at this time. If I have to go alone, then this will definately be the place I'll be going, because it has numerous day hike streams, creeks and lakes that contain golden trout that can be reached via short day hikes.

If I can talk Billy Ray into doing it with me, we could go further north and west into the Golden Trout Wilderness. We'd do a bit more hiking and camping there, but we'd hit far more isolated and theoretically less fished high mountain lakes this way.

I've been reading about golden fishing since I was in junior high school, and it's always been one of those "someday" trips I would take. Since I'm having to go to California anyway, it only makes sense to add a few days to my trip and do some fishing.

I don't know how the fishing is yet for goldens, because the trails and lakes have just opened up in those high areas. The snows melt in May in most of those areas, although it is not uncommon to still have snows or patchy snow on the ground in July in the Sierras.

Most golden trout are tiny by comparison to other trout, and indeed, to other freshwater fish that I commonly fish for. You use super ultra light fly and spinning tackle, with spinning tackle having the edge on the high mountain lakes. You have to use barbless hooks so as to foster better catch and release, so the barbless hooks and ultra light tackle not only add to the sport but making catching a wary fish harder than it already is.

There are a ton of websites about those who seek these legendary fish, and this site is a good one that details treks for some of these elusive and rare trout. http://dragfree.blogspot.com/2005/08/rarest-trout-in-world-and-golden-trout.html

I've got the gear, it looks like I'm going to have the time, so I'm going to give it a shot.