Fishing for Higher Sierra Golden Trout
A person of the major elements in figuring out my backpacking locations is centered on fishing for Golden Trout. The California Golden Trout was designated the formal point out fish of California in 1947. Hatchery- raised fish extended the variety of the golden trout to several waters at higher elevation in the Sierra Nevadas and also other states.Their indigenous populations are now strained because of to the introduction of invasive species and habitat destruction and their introduction in to the superior elevation lakes has strained other native plant and animal species.
The coloration of the California golden trout is spectacularly shiny. The stomach and cheeks are vibrant crimson to dazzling orange, the reduced sides are shiny gold, the central lateral band is purple orange, and the again is deep olive eco-friendly.
Early Sierra settlers ended up as enamored with golden trout as present day anglers are now. Beauty these as this, they reasoned, should not be constrained to this kind of a small space.
Early 1900s Kernville resident Ardis Walker wrote
“Several of the pioneer site visitors to golden trout waters reacted with a desire that was almost compulsive they shared a frequent missionary urge to spread the golden attractiveness and existence of this indigenous habitat to the barren waters of far more elevated and far more easterly and northerly lakes and streams.”
It was widespread observe for settlers to carry golden trout in buckets of drinking water on the backs of mules for up to a week at a time, stocking thousands of fish along the way. Some kept meticulous documents other individuals none at all.
Scientific studies on the affect on vegetation and the Yellow Legged Frog because of to stocking of trout in usually fishless superior sierra lakes led to the end of this exercise and now golden trout are identified only in high lakes (10,000+ ft). They are no extended stocked and are only discovered in lakes wherever they are self sustaining.
To reverse the harm finished to the Yellow Legged Frog and other plant everyday living non indigenous trout species have been eradicated by gill netting. The best fishing has traditionally been in lakes at, or in close proximity to the Kern headwaters and to the south. These involve Lake South The united states, Crabtree Lakes, Wright Lakes, Wallace and Wales Lake among the other folks. Recent journeys have located the fishing not as excellent in some of these lakes but continue to very strong in other individuals.
I release most of the fish I capture since it is unlawful to have camp fires at the substantial elevations wherever the fish are observed and cooking them on a stove is demanding. If you like the taste of fresh trout it is really worth it. On a modern excursion I spoke with a veteran backpacker and fisherman who mentioned that she poaches them. That is an additional choice which I have not experimented with.