Hello from Ontario... I'm on a trip through California!

[MichaelAngelo]

Hello everybody!

I'm a newbie angler from Toronto, Ontario currently on a family trip through California! I'm hoping of doing some cold water, small stream fly fishing up here in the Sierra-Nevada mountains! My goal: the elusive golden trout. If anybody has suggestions for me, let me know :).

Michael

[mems]

Kern River, Volcano creek. Longest hike I ever made for a 6 inch fish, but they are pretty, Mems.

[MichaelAngelo]

Kern River, Volcano creek. Longest hike I ever made for a 6 inch fish, but they are pretty, Mems.

Thanks Mems, I'll look into that. I don't care if I catch a 1" one LOL I just want a pure-bread of one of the three varieties! :)

[gusstrand]

Michael, where exactly are you in the Sierras? Goldens are going to be easiest to find in places like the Muir Wilderness near Yosemite and the Kern Drainage like mems says. Kern is in the southern Sierras, south of Sequoia Nat'l Park. Heading East up Hwy 190 out of Porterville (lived there for 10 years and my wife grew up there) is a nice (crazy winding) way to get up to that wilderness, or HWY 178 out of Bakersfield. Good luck and welcome to smallstreams!

[MichaelAngelo]

We will be staying in Visalia, and I'd like to make a day trip from there. Also, the family we will be driving to the "General Sherman" tree, I'm not sure if there are goldens in that area. I will have to keep up my homework!

[gusstrand]

Two of my kids were born in Visalia! We lived in Portervile for ten years... My wife grew up there. Hwy 190 goes out of Portervile up in to the Sierras... There are Goldens up that hwy, but your best bet would be to go down to Bakersfield, hang a left and go up past Lake Isabella...

[MichaelAngelo]

I might have to do the Hwy 190 thing... my family's schedule is fairly tight and I'm not sure they'd appreciate the 3 hour drive past Lake Isabella. Darn!

I'll update you guys on how it goes!

[Horace]

Gus,
That's a good recommendation. I was up there last week and the Kern is running low and clear with lots of pocket water,
Horace

[MichaelAngelo]

Hey guys,

Thanks a million for the advice! Unfortunately, due to a sudden change in my parents' plans we weren't able to visit the suggested locations. Drat! I settle with hooking small rainbows on Marble Creek.

California s a magical, gorgeous place to fish and I will be back from the Goldens. I can guarantee that.

Thanks again for the help guys! It kills me to be so close, yet so far away!

[gusstrand]

PM replied to. You can get to the Golden Trout wilderness/Little Kern via 190. More details in he PM

Saw this report on youtube... might be a tricky, low year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGCvSuEJCy0