Catching Golden Trout in their Native Range-Golden Trout Wilderness! (Tenkara Fly Fishing)

In this video I hike into California's Golden Trout Wilderness to catch golden trout in their native creeks.
DATE FILMED: June 2021
LOCATION: California
GEAR USED
** SEE MORE INFO ABOUT MY FLIES AND GEAR HERE: tenkaraaddict.com/gear/​​​​​​
** ROD: Zen Tenkara Suzume
** LINES: 7- and 9-foot level lines (#3.5) with a few feet of tippet
** FLY: Size 14 Ishigaki Kebari & size 12 Idaho Killer Kebari
** NET: Medium Measure Net with rubberized net bag (the titanium and wood version)
OTHER LINKS
** Instagram (@TenkaraAddict): / tenkaraaddict​​​​​​
** My main KZbin channel (SUVRVing): / suvrving​​​​​​
** My other store: KamchatkaGear.com​​​​​​
#tenkara​​​​​​ #fishing​​​​​​ #flyfishing

[@EtCeteraRoundup]

Goldens have an interesting genealogical history. Before civilization came to California, there was a water route from the Pacific ocean to the upper reaches of the Kern River, at the southern end of the Sierra range in a steep canyon that led to waters at over 11,000 ft elevation. Steelhead (sea-going rainbow trout) would migrate all the way from the Pacific through the sometimes filled Buena Vista lake and up into the Sierra's remote, high elevation streams. At some point thousands of years ago, a volcano's degrees blocked off the South Fork of the Kern river so that the Steelhead could no longer swim up into the upper reaches (highest elevation) of the South Fork Kern. This isolated the fish trapped above the volcanic blockage so that they became a distinct species of landlocked trout which adapted to the high elevation and short growing period. When herdsmen discovered the trout while grazing their herds, they transported some small fish to the Cottonwood Lakes, on the other (eastern) side of the Sierra Divide. These became the brood stock from which golden trout were transplanted everywhere else they are found today.

[@BlurryHoplite1444]

Where do you learn this?

[@KayakhacksFishing]

In my dreams! I love the places you fish!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Me too! 😁

[@philmanglicmot2528]

Still remember my 1st golden trout, a narrow stream (2 feet) feeding into Whitney Creek, below Timberline Lake, John Muir Trail. That one fish change my life. Catch and release wild trout.

[@mikeyjllewellyn]

I’ve caught some lunkers, but I’m most proud of the 3” Goldie I pulled out of Whitney creek in Crabtree meadows.

[@Kimbeattie]

I am 63 years old and have been fishing tiny creaks for 58 years started with my father who has now passed on. Beautiful creek and golden trout are so pretty thanks from Canada .

[@jessemellingeriii5244]

I'm from PA and they were on my bucket list too! I was able to fulfill that list 13yrs ago when I was able to hike the JMT for 9 days. I can attest to the fact that they are more beautiful in person than on camera and its hard to believe, that as they got larger, (up to about 12") they even got more colorful!

[@michaelsmith7193]

I was looking forward to this video all day - in which I had to do a nine-hour drive. So worth the wait! Thanks for sharing this amazing outing!

[@kc195556]

Great fun watching you do this. I am inspired to do what I need to, so I can hike/visit this stream when I start traveling. I noticed that you did some longer shots in this video. They add a nice touch.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks. They were a pain to do, which is why I never do them, but I'm glad you liked them lol.

[@gp4708]

Ahhhhh. Backpacked there many years ago. Brought back some nice memories. Thanks for sharing!

[@TheLeesto]

i like this channel's good fish handling. much appreciated man thats stewardship

[@gp4708]

Agree!

[@brianratchford5643]

I agree. Those streams are much nicer than a stream in an open field. Keep fishing those beautiful, boldered, mountain streams.

[@clydeshope6942]

Some beautiful fish

[@markgunnell2149]

Absolutely wonderful again. I love your trips and fishing. I have some flame yarn also😀 love catching goldens as well in California or Wyoming. Thanks very much

[@FlickyFlies]

Good stuff man, what a fun little creek and those little guys are just jewels!! Love it.

[@woodyw9470]

Great Area, Great Scenery, Great Video!

[@loamtrailer805]

Well done! I have fished the horseshoe meadows region, amazing place!!

[@michaelpthompson]

Beautiful creek, gorgeous fish!

[@rickchandler2570]

Beautiful fish. First time I had caught one was while doing the John Muir trail there in CA. Had no idea what fish it was until I got home and looked it up. I think I caught like 40 of them on that trip.

[@onmywatchtv9376]

Thanks!, I enjoy your Tenkara stories! I am new to Tenkara and am learning so much from your travels. Jim

[@stephenzachary5745]

another great video . really enjoy all your videos . keep em comming.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Will do. Thanks Stephen!

[@jimpyle560]

That is one of my favorite of your videos.

[@geoffreymilke5176]

One of your best videos yet!!!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks!

[@HuckOutdoors]

Glad to see you make it out this way! I know of quite a few spots where you don't need permits if you ever make it back out this way.

[@michaeltichonuk2176]

Congrats! Any time we can catch a Native in its Native waters is such a thrill!! Well done Tristan! A wee bit envious.....such a beauty trout too! Wow!!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Agreed! That's my favorite fishing to do. Thanks Michael.

[@bradleyzanteson2571]

I’ve been waiting for this video!!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks for watching (and waiting)!

[@robertkemp622]

Wonderful creek to fish, an excellent video record. I could watch a couple of hours of video like this.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@gtoutdoorexcursions2938]

What an epic spot! Im looking into heading there myself soon and I definitely prefer hitting these small pocket water streams any time! You never know what comes out of some of the deeper holes!

[@chrisavelino2201]

Love this video! I have fished small creeks in the Eastern Sierra's and caught the Golden's there.

[@genedavis9819]

That's my kind of fishing! Thanks

[@elbertgarrett9909]

Beautiful little fish and that area is slice of Heaven for sure!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Agreed!

[@ianjones6910]

Wow...what a great video; this is a huge bucket list item of mine. For me, it would be quite a trek, and I would have to plan it out a lot more than my usual jaunts. People down here don't understand why I would drive hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to catch "tiny fish"...they don't understand the pull these places and fish have on me...catching these isolated species in their native waters.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

Beautiful fish on my bucket list

[@lauramullan319]

Great video, the Sierra Nevada are beautiful. This fish is on my bucket list, but for now, you have inspired me to chase our native brook trout in the mountain streams of PA.

[@carlosandreblatt]

A M A Z I N G !! Love it to the core 😍

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks Carlos!

[@outdoorswithjustin]

nice, looks like a great place, and solid job like always

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks Justin 👍

[@richmon9159]

Welcome to Cali! There are a lot of streams and rivers so hope you work your way up 395! Right now in the year, it’s really good for the Sierras so keep on fishing! Waiting for the next video😂👍🏻

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks!

[@stephencarroll8537]

Pretty little fish.. pretty place to 👍

[@braxtenfranz2257]

Love it! I’m excited to explore more Colorado streams there are still naturally reproductive goldens here but they’re extremely rare!

[@joeg5414]

I've never heard of tenkara until now. Interesting. I feel like I could get my non fly fishing friends to go on a hike and try this.

[@andrewbacon3583]

Got to do some tenkara fishing on the Rio Grande in Colorado last week. Hooked into some brown trout and had a decent sized fish (what I suspect may have been a Rio Grand Cutthroat) break off my leader. It was a good time. I've learned a ton watching your videos here, so thank you for posting these!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Awesome, I'm glad you were able to get out there! Thanks for watching.

[@djordan7979]

The most beautiful type of trout

[@grahvis]

Beautiful fish.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Agreed!

[@caseykaczmarek2240]

Used to catch golden trout high up in the sierra nevadas. Had to 4wheel drive in and then hike up. Some of my best memories. Sadly the roads got graded and then paved and i never saw another one again.

[@AquamanIV]

I was just in the Sierra Nevada area this weekend. I had alot of nibbles no bites. Still working on my tenkara technique.

[@williamgrissom9022]

Aggressive for their size. Reminds me of yellow perch in Tallulah Falls Lake, Georgia. Mean little guys who go after lures their size. I saw a lot of small fish darting under overhanging grass in the Golden Trout Wilderness on E. side of Sierra 30 years ago. Were likely those fish.

[@bssaassin1900]

I'm a northern California native(now in texas) and have spent alot of time in the sierras catching wild rainbows and browns (some pretty big) and I've always wanted to catch a golden but never got the chance to. I personally hate tenkara but to each their own lol. Love those little golden gems. The pauite cutthroat is the world's rarest trout also native to a very small portion of the Sierra. They're so rare you're not even allowed to fish for them at all!

[@alan4sure]

We've got a few off the beaten track lakes with golden trout here in Alberta Rockies. Transplants from California.

[@s09mmcdonald]

Great video, thank you for making it. I hiked into Templeton Meadows this year and enjoyed great fishing as well. Where in the GTW is this?

[@derppman5588]

No way! I’ve lived in SoCal all my life and have been going fishing to mammoth for years but never heard of the golden trout wilderness. Thank you for sharing this area with us!

[@TenkaraAddict]

You've gotta get up there!

[@geoffreymilke5176]

There are some tiny creeks south of Lone Pine where you can catch small Goldens without the 15 mile hike. One of them I just parked my car by the creek and caught them. Kennedy Meadows used to be good, but the beavers have messed it up

[@derppman5588]

I also forgot to mention. If you are still around the area, head up to Virginia lakes. They have a few Alpine lakes and streams that are pretty spectacular and the lower lakes get stocked with some monsters

[@bakotroop5365]

West side got burned up pretty bad. Especially the upper Kern from the forks up.

[@robertwolfe2971]

I've fished golden trout lake and their a little bigger. 8 to 10 inches rarely bigger.

[@kiloton1920]

Did this with my grandpa as a kid with a fly rod, right under waterfalls always caught them with black ant flies, good memories. Muir trail in California

[@rickchandler2570]

Suggestion, you might check into a backpacking hammock. I use them for situations like this where I don't have an established campsite. Works great and super comfortable.

[@joeg5414]

Those hammocks are nice

[@taylorfranklin1114]

Tenkara fisherman are the furries of the fishing world

[@Honeybadger_525]

Welcome to California! They call it the Golden State for one reason or another, lol. Are you trying to accomplish the western native trout challenge?

[@eastprospecthomestead]

My two favorite fish to catch are golden trout high in the mountains, and native brook trout in Pennsylvania.

[@joeg5414]

Nice! I have a few "secret" spots near me full of cutthroat that remind me a lot of this. I live in southwest Colorado near Durango. I've avoided the Colorado River cutthroat in Hermosa creek however. They've had a rough couple of years thanks to a wildfire and the resulting run off. Department of wildlife actually hiked in and removed all of them, then held them at the hatchery. They released them again last summer, so I've left them alone. Might go check things out this summer though. Never caught a golden though! Might have to make a trip to California 🤔

[@joeg5414]

Dunno if I can post imgur links but I'll try. Here's a nice one I caught last year out of the Animas River in Durango imgur.com/gallery/pzJB45t

[@musicvideos5196]

Hey man there’s about 25 lakes in colorado that have been stocked with goldens. You could definitely catch a few out here

[@joeg5414]

@@musicvideos5196 thank you. I'm going to have to make a trip. The stories I just saw about it said to give it a year or 2 to let the fish become established though. I guess that doesn't mean u can't fish though, just be careful handing them which I always am anyways.

[@musicvideos5196]

@@joeg5414 they’ve been stocked since 2011. There’s two lakes in the state with goldens over 18 inches, but most are below 10.

[@williama.walker2287]

Colorado tried stocking Goldens once before, but they only became established in one creek. There is a video somewhere in the depths of KZbin about the quest to find it.

[@lucianosilvestri8561]

amazinggg

[@richie0206]

Great video. I never caught what area you hiked into. What creek is that? I drove into Kernville earlier this week to hike the Forks but the road is still closed. I would like to try another area. Any help would be ideal.

[@EtCeteraRoundup]

I started "fly fishing" about 1967 with an old spin rod and reel. My dad took a friend of mine and i camping above Bishop in the Eastern Sierra. I tied a dry fly to the end of my spin reel's monofilament and began whipping it back and forth, casting forward under a bush hanging over the welter at a trail crossing. One cast the fish rose and took the fly. That was my first fly caught fish and my first golden trout. That spot was at about 9500 ft elevation - just at the lower end of the golden's elevation range. I was hooked along with the fish, which I took back to camp and my dad fried up for dinner. So I guess my first fly caught fish was kind of a tankara kind of rig - no weighted line. Soon after I bought an inexpensive fly fishing kit by mail order. Back then, there was no Amazon. I thing I might have bought it from Cabela's or Gander Mountain. I went on to tying my own flies until someone broke into my self storage and took all the fly tying stuff along with a dozen assorted reels and rods - many of which I built from blanks myself. But that first trout caught on a fly will always be the one I'll remember.

[@lionelazema205]

Hi great job for your Fishing technique and also the choice of streams, mostly golden trout creek. it looks a lot like the stream i fish in the south of france but in France we don’t have golden trout. Juste a question when you’re fishing with a nymphe.How do you feel the trout ?You don’t use an indicator. Sorry for my english. Thanks

[@johnsmalldridge6356]

A dream fish in a dream environment.

[@TenkaraAddict]

It was beautiful, for sure! Thanks John.

[@marcoverde9790]

How was the fire damage over there? I heard there was a fire last year that ripped right through the golden trout wilderness

[@John-ho2ks]

While fishing, are you using a GoPro harness or do you clip your camera to your bag? Great Video!

[@Upnorthof48]

And Now, it’s just a bunch of burnt sticks…. Those dead balsam behind you is part of the issue. Awesome vids! You do fish in spectacular places!

[@charliecurtis8852]

Seems like it’d be a cool trip but are there any big goldens left in California in a creek or river with that good of scenery? I’ve seen people catch big ones in Rocky Mountain lakes but no beautiful streams like that.

[@steveperry1344]

the water and the granite boulders have a reddish brown tinge is that maybe from iron in the water and do you think it has something to do with the color of the fish?

[@robertperman8967]

Nice ceek

[@millermonsterair]

sierra nevada mts? oh yeah? im from Truckee. i used to love hitting some of the less known trout in the area. i had to move out to NC a few years back and i miss Truckee, but where im at in NC, there is still some trout to catch, so its not all bad.

[@Max-wd8ox]

Do you guys have bears? I am always worried for you. Nice fishing

[@deanfirnatine7814]

Lots of Bears in the Sierra but just Black Bears not Grizzly, where he lives in Eastern Idaho there are Grizzly

[@hillbillysportsman5818]

What kind of waders were you using? Awesome video!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Chota Tundra Hippies

[@kimnielsen7449]

You are a very lucky man

[@TenkaraAddict]

Agreed!

[@steveperry1344]

you're fishing my dream, maybe someday.

[@tozankyaku14]

Which variety of golden were you fishing for?

[@stevekrieg5334]

I enjoy your videos. Beautiful streams and great descriptions. But with respect, I have fly fished for 50 years and I haven't seen you do anything that can't be done with a regular fly rod. A fly rod allows you to do much more, mainly because you can let out or take in line as needed. You can dap a fly with little more than the leader out, you can roll cast beautifully with a tapered line, and you can make a 50 foot cast, all with the same rod, reel, line and leader. You can easily make the short casts I see you make and you can make a bow and arrow cast. Enlighten me. When is Tenkara better?

[@TenkaraAddict]

I'm a tenkara angler for probably the same reason you're a traditional fly angler. It just appeals to me more than other types of fishing. I'm not here to convert anybody, just share my adventures. If you want to know the advantages or benefits of tenkara, you can Google that and find articles written about it. Thanks for watching.

[@user-js5wq3ym9j]

How often do you use tungsten nymphs with tenkara rods? Other than tenkara twitching streamers for smallmouth i find myself tenkara nymphing with tungsten bead flies the most

[@TenkaraAddict]

I've never fished tungsten nymphs.

[@cascades500]

What kind of flies are you using. It would be nice to show a picture of that. And let us know kind of where you're at.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Check the video description 👍

[@jadmcmaster4867]

Have you ever been up north Callf by Alturas there is some good fishing hear

[@bubbasizemore4556]

Goldens are rare. Congrats.

[@brianscheuermann9862]

I think the Appalachian Brook Trout I the most beautiful trout!!!!

[@danielprovost1]

I bought a 13 ft I feel like it may be a bet big for some spots is there deferential in line weight?

[@TenkaraAddict]

Yes, a 13 foot rod will be way too big for small streams like this. A rod that length is only for wide open streams. Not sure exactly what you're asking about regarding line weight.

[@steveperry1344]

is this one of the kern river creeks?

[@davekant6115]

What make are the waders and leggings that you wear. Thanks.

[@TenkaraAddict]

The waders are Chota Tundra Hippies.

[@davekant6115]

@@TenkaraAddict Thank you!

[@jondaniels6487]

U Should mention that only barbless hooks are allowed here. 👍

[@jsimons9630]

Long hike. Pocket water. Golden trout. What could be better?!

[@TenkaraAddict]

I had a great time, for sure! Thanks for watching.

[@peterbedford2610]

How much is a CA fishing license for non residence?

[@TenkaraAddict]

You'll have to Google it. I don't remember, sorry.

[@TheFishingNomad]

0:17 Aren't garibaldi the state fish of California?

[@TenkaraAddict]

Golden trout is the state freshwater fish of California.

[@TheFishingNomad]

@@TenkaraAddict Gotcha. Look at you teaching this Florida guy something new.

[@coffeedollsvp]

Do u have a gun ready for bears?

[@TenkaraAddict]

Nope. Not needed in most of the places I go.

[@Pwrcritter]

In PA they call them palominos..

[@jessemellingeriii5244]

I'm from PA and they are not the same fish and I have caught both. Palominos are nothing more than rainbow trout, not golden trout, and just in a golden yellow phase that can be reproduced in hatcheries and stocked. Golden trout are a species all their own and their native range is high up in the sierra's. They need the cold water temps found in high altitudes to survive and they generally are not found below 7000 feet. These are all wild fish and not produced in hatcheries like the palominos are.

[@Pwrcritter]

@@jessemellingeriii5244 Thanks for the respectful, insightful reply..

[@jessemellingeriii5244]

@@Pwrcritter You're welcome! You would be surprised at how many anglers from PA think they are the same fish because they want to call palominos golden trout. A year ago I had a difficult discussion on youtube with some one from West Virginia who couldn't understand they were two different trout because their state fish commission wanted to call palominos golden trout. To this day, I'm not sure if I ever convinced him about the difference. Anyway, thank you for your kind reply!

[@1diggers1]

Hike in 7-8 miles to fish for goldens there? I think maybe its more like 10 when I was there.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Then I'm guessing we hiked into different places. It's a big area with multiple access points.

[@1diggers1]

@@TenkaraAddict Or like maybe 20 miles. Wink wink. :)

[@Matt-ro7cb]

Brook trout def more beautiful