Sierra Trout

[Troutin Man]

Hit the Sierras this past weekend. What a great trip it was! My family and I went up to the Sequoias for a weekend camping and fishing trip. Awesome to fish amongst 450 year old trees as tall as buildings!

My son and I caught 6 trout on Saturday, safely released 2 rainbows, and cooked up 4 of them. Nothing like trout fresh out of the water in pristine mountain air. On Sunday, we pulled out 6 trout together in 20 minutes!

The fish hit on mostly power bait on a 1 foot leader. Used a variety of PB just to mix it up. They mostly liked the Chunky Cheese red and yellow mix! I tried mosquito and Elk Caddis flies, but they were not interested at all. Just got 1 bite on the mosquito fly. Caught a few on inflated crawlers with a 18 inch leader. The success came when I put on a small split shot that can float a bit until it hit the ground in the creek/small river...then I threw the bait up river and let it flow down. Then it would settle right in front of the fish. BITE! Sometimes did not use any weight depending on depth of fish and let the power bait or worm just float down the river...and BITE! Worked very nicely.

Sierra fishing is the way to go. Going to Big Bear, paying at GVL, etc. just isn't the same. Kind of a downer just thinking about it! You all have got to get up there and try it out if you haven't yet...and if you have and its been awhile, well....this is a reminder of the beauty this great State holds!

[Natural Lefty]

Fishing in Sequoia is excellent. I have to agree that the local mountains just aren't the same. They don't have the variety of trout the Sierras do, either, although you caught Rainbows. I have a pretty good idea which stream you were fishing if you were in SNP. I don't know if you saw my comment about my birthday trip to Sequoia in June, but my wife and I caught probably over 50 Brookies in one afternoon.

Be aware that there are special regs inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon parks, aside from the state regs. We picked up a copy of them at the visitors' center. You were probably close enough to civilization to be within the regs, but anyplace more than 1/4 mile from "developed areas" and under 9000 feet, you are supposed to use artificials only and release any native species including Rainbow Trout. Other trout species are not subject to the release rule.

[Troutin Man]

Thanks for the info. Talked to camp host about what could beused and we were all clear on PB and live bait. Good to know though for future trips up there. Would one day love to do the Golden Trout Wilderness and Dinkey Wilderness area to catch wild trout! Has anyone ever gone up to these areas?

[Natural Lefty]

Yes, if you were by a campground, anything that is legal elsewhere is legal there. There is no stocking in national parks so those were wild trout. They are very abundant in a lot of waters there, but it depends.

I fished the Golden Trout Wilderness area a long time ago, and it has good fishing, mostly for Goldens except in the Kern River. It has artificials only regs though. I have never fished in Dinkey Lakes Wilderness but it would be a really good area for a trip I am sure. I have read good things about it.