Arizona Native Trout: Isolated in mountain paradise

[@wvanglerdotcom]

Camped in that same spot, awesome falling asleep listening to the Elk bugle. Enjoyed exploring those waters and the white mountains, special place. Enjoyed watching this. Have a special place in my heart for Apache Trout

[@FLYALLSZN]

How could you not! They’re so amazing! Definitely a memorable adventure

[@JoeCharles-w4n]

Your shows have me addicted on lazy days!!! Thanks much!!!

[@jarretc6497]

I miss the White Mountains of AZ. That is where I was born and raised. Some of the most beautiful country there is. Great video!

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much!

[@ryan89870]

Being an Arizona native and fly fisher myself, I can say that you did an excellent job on this film!

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much Ryan!

[@markmills1163]

You are a gifted storyteller and it’s makes the videography so much more enjoyable. Well done!

[@richardreid3572]

After a full day of fishing, and then coming home and watching your video fulfill this day!

[@FLYALLSZN]

That’s phenomenal! Hope you enjoyed it Richard!

[@richardreid3572]

​@@FLYALLSZN I absolutely did enjoy it! Awesome footage of your adventure!

[@BourbonNBoardgaming]

The stream you're fishing is one of my favorites to hit in the fall. I miss the midwest falls and this little stream scratches the fall itch. Good job lads!

[@jeffcaganich1101]

It’s awesome to finally see you chasing Apaches in AZ. The whites are my old stomping grounds.

[@FLYALLSZN]

Had an absolute blast!

[@hgj2019]

I ALWAYS spent almost as much time gathering litter on that stream as I did fishing, especially gathering casually discarded treble hooks near the parking area. Still managed to catch and release more than a few Apache trout. I must also admit that I never realized there was so much beautiful water upstream of the beaver pond. Maybe one day I’ll be able to get back out there. Do remember that there are certain areas in the reservation where you MUST have a tribal affiliation or be accompanied by a tribal member just to be in the area. THANKS for bringing back some great memories.

[@loricollins3163]

Cool adventure! Thanks for taking us along.

[@FLYALLSZN]

So glad you enjoyed it Lori!

[@stephenp106]

Another great video, Mike. I also enjoyed the education on Apache Trout. Be safe. steve

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much steve!

[@mikeeckenrodt4762]

Awesome video! Thanks for taking us on your adventure! Loved it 🎣

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much Mike!

[@scottrick5190]

Great video Mike, one of your best!

[@FLYALLSZN]

SCOTT!! That means a lot thank you so much

[@barryhandahl8965]

Sweet video! Beautiful scenery and variety of trout!

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much Barry!

[@kevmet16]

Great video and awesome commentary. My dad and I just fished spot number one. Though we and up empty handed a great time was still had.

[@robgrubb420]

it begins again love to see it

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you rob!

[@TylerEmmel]

Thank you for sharing another great video and adding a new fish species to my bucket list!

[@FLYALLSZN]

Of course! So glad you enjoyed it Tyler!

[@5Placas]

Another great video. Now gotta add an Apache trout to my bucket list!

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you Philip!! They’re super fun!

[@backcountryskinz]

Always a pleasure to watch 👊

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much!! Skinz saved my ass in the rain!

[@Callaweginflyfishing]

Mike, good video. Interesting talk about the Apache Trout history. Keep up the good work.

[@Daniel-td1ou]

Thanks again for the adventure. I plan on doing an Apache, Gila trout trip sometime in the next year or so. I always like watching these videos as inspiration and as part of my planning process.

[@FLYALLSZN]

So glad you liked it Daniel! Thank you for the support

[@j0nmurill0]

Another banger as expected 🔥 👏🏻

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much!!

[@bigskyoutdoors4232]

Love fishing Arizona. I got to fish a little bit last year in Arizona, and it was awesome I’m going back this summer can’t wait. I hope you can get out to Montana one of these days.

[@FLYALLSZN]

I may be making my way out to big sky country sooner rather than later!

[@darrelbaillie7829]

Never caught a brown trout before 😢. Such beautiful colours and seen some nice sizes on KZbin. My next bucket list fish 😂

[@SoloSchmitty]

Nice vid man! I enjoy chasing the alpine fish as well and Rock Chalk!

[@FLYALLSZN]

Rock chalk!!

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Fantastic adventure!

[@FLYALLSZN]

It was so much fun!!

[@johnlear7716]

I really enjoy your video's. I live in Colorado Springs, Co. and the other day I walked in a local fly shop and they had Your video playing. I was very impressed. You have great content keep it up. You are going on trips what most of us dream of doing, thanks

[@FLYALLSZN]

You gotta be kidding me John! That’s so cool! Thank you for reaching out!

[@LanceElCamino7981]

Nice work. Great video work and very good narration!

[@Skfoster64]

I used to hunt in the area quite a bit. I'm nearly certain that your campsite is the same we used to use - a side road off of the road to Diamond Rock campground! The last time I was there was several years ago after a major fire. If it is the same place, it looks like it has recovered nicely! Great video!

[@gt_outdoorexcursions]

What's really cool to see is that there are relatives in nearly every watershed coming in along the mexican coast from the Gulf of California down to southern mexico found in the mountain and jungle streams of mexico. Supposedly more trout diversity than just about anywhere because all these trout are in isolated watersheds from each other. The apache and gila being the most northern relatives of these. Check out truchas mexicanas, there are maybe 10-12 or more confirmed relatives. Pretty Amazing we get to partake in catching some of the relatives!

[@FLYALLSZN]

That has fascinated me for years now! A dream of mine would be to tag along with a group of biologists and document it all!

[@ianjones6910]

Definitely one of my bucket list species, along with Gila Trout. I wanted to bag both last summer, but the gas prices scared me off. Driving out West is double the distance to the Smokies for me, coming from Louisiana. Maybe this year I'll make it happen - I've already done the online research.

[@FLYALLSZN]

They sure are an amazing species to chase!

[@9724470741]

Wow! Another payoff for an anticipated vid. Great job Mike.

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much Tom!

[@shantezdazen6752]

Dope video. Welcome to the Rez

[@woodworking878]

I really enjoyed the video. I love catching Apache trout in the Black River. I am, however, moving in a couple weeks from Arizona to West Plains MO. Hope to see you at Eleven Points sometime. Thanks for the videos and keep them coming.

[@FLYALLSZN]

The eleven has some amazing fishing too!! I may be a bit biased.. but I love Missouri waters so much

[@edreurink6717]

Love your work! Fun and informative.

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you Ed!

[@jeffreyriedenauer651]

I really enjoy the White Mountains as well as your story telling abilities Mike. Fished the Black River in the spring right as Covid hit. A massive blizzard made the river cold and mucky and impassable in most spots. I couldn’t even get to the Fort Apache area because all reservation land was closed off, no permits were being sold, not even to natives. Do plan on returning under better conditions, for I still haven’t caught my first native Apache trout.

[@c.mccrazy4891]

Awesome video 🤙🏾

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much!

[@caleshtcincredibles]

Well done !

[@fishingthedriftless4063]

Great video and crazy how good Jack is at fly fishing. I live in the driftless area of Iowa. I was wondering if you are planning on doing future driftless area videos. Thanks for all the quality content. -Riley Berns

[@FLYALLSZN]

I spent all of March in Iowa! I have quite a bit of driftless content to follow

[@TheBabadush]

I feel you on the thunderstorms

[@FLYALLSZN]

Not something to mess around with!!

[@Artificial_Fishing]

This is a sick video! I gotta find this place

[@BoldCreationsRL]

Another sick video! Need you to come up to Maine some day for monster native brookies

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you Ryan!! I’ve heard great things about Maine!

[@upinthealpine_]

Every time I fish with jack he never wears waders 😂 Someone get jack some waders for his birthday 😂 41:30

[@FLYALLSZN]

If it works it works!

[@upinthealpine_]

@@FLYALLSZN true true man just likes being cold 😂

[@desertfly1518]

Bro it’s Arizona! It’s cold 2 months of the year. You just gotta buck it up for that long hahaha

[@upinthealpine_]

@@desertfly1518 😂😂 idk man there’s been a couple times when we’ve fished and I really wish I had some waders 😂

[@upinthealpine_]

@@desertfly1518 especially elk bugling season at the forky 👀🥶😂

[@LittleElkTV]

Let’s go baby. 🎣

[@FLYALLSZN]

Hope you enjoy!!

[@chrisgarretson3783]

Mike,glad you made a trip to NE Arizona to fly fish the white mnts. I live in Phoenix and that's one of my fav places to hit . I have done those streams you and Jack hit ,fyi late spring is a good time to come bk. Thx for sharing the video. Be safe Chris Garretson

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much Chris! Funny you say that, I am making my way back soon!

[@hankremer6606]

Fantastic.

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you hank!

[@Adventures_of_ASJ]

Awesome video! I'm going out there mid May and have done so much research about the streams and locations, I'm starting to feel like I may have already hyped up the expectation in my head. Any tips you'd be willing to share on targeting the elusive native Apache?

[@FLYALLSZN]

They aren’t that elusive if you put your fly in the right spot! My advice would be to keep moving!

[@wvanglerdotcom]

Like he said cover water. May should be good conditions before monsoon season hits in AZ so you should be in great shape!

[@soylittle]

Looks like an amazing adventure! What’s your favorite rod set up for these AZ waters?

[@calvincharley4033]

You should look into Christmas tree lake on the fort apache reservation next time you're in Arizona.

[@FLYALLSZN]

I’ve heard of big stocked Apache on Christmas tree!

[@calvincharley4033]

Yeah, they are! Catch and release also. Some of the lakes on the reservation hold big browns too

[@red030907]

Great cut at 21:25 love it

[@TaterGrabbinBass]

Arizona is my stomping grounds, from the black river in the east to Tonto Creek I’ve fly fished all over the state since I was 8 or 9 years old and now I’m 43. I’ve caught some of the biggest browns out of the smallest dump buckets where most people wouldn’t even think a fish that big could even be swimming in there. Arizona is underrated for trout fishing and if you have the time and patience to hike back into places most people don’t want to go you can find some absolute slabs and super aggressive browns that will eat a mouse pattern once the sun goes behind the mountains. It can be epic at times. 🤘🏼😎🤘🏼

[@classiclobbyz5477]

I like the narration, amazing video! What month was this in?

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you! This was October!

[@darrelbaillie7829]

Hi there Mike. Great video as usual, and nice to meet Jack. Was just curious- are you using fibreglass or composite rods? More the colours, that have got me asking! Always great to share your adventures, and I always get the impression you like sharing stories. Do you write books?

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you Darrel! I don't write books (yet)

[@tylercompton9761]

in one of your videos, you should show us how you cast and strip streamers in small creeks/😁

[@FLYALLSZN]

Howdy Tyler! I dont know if there is much more to show than what you saw here.. but I will most certainly keep that in mind!

[@jakemartin1999]

When did you guys fish there? Was in recently or is this older footage? I absolutely love the film by the way, keep it up 🤙🎣

[@FLYALLSZN]

This was filmed in October!

[@jeremiahhedeen3879]

I really love catching giant browns on the truckee River in NV and CA, I know they are not native but they are the giants we all look to catch on that fishery I would be sad to see them go away!

[@FLYALLSZN]

Not saying there is a right or wrong! A lot of the mess that has been made kind of just is what it is at this point..

[@jeremiahhedeen3879]

@FLY ALL SZN absolutely, it's just so sad that a fish that was introduced to a system 200yrs ago can be said to be non native but a biologist that is 30yrs can say they are, if a fish thrives and survives for that long who is to say its not native, it's a very tricky topic forsure

[@FLYALLSZN]

@@jeremiahhedeen3879 Well on a very technical sense Browns and rainbows are non native.. because on the grand scale.. they have only been around for 200 years vs 100k years like their Gila and Apache counterparts..

[@davidgalemusic7447]

Nice narration! I've done a lot of fishing in those areas. What's the main way you can tell a native Apache from a stocked Apace?

[@johnconklin5180]

Dots pretzels and PB? Where is the jelly man? c’mon! No justice.

[@FLYALLSZN]

Jelly would be too sweet! Gotta keep it savory haha

[@barns.flydrift]

wish jack still made YT videos

[@FLYALLSZN]

I agree!!

[@ThoricAuthority]

Finally!!!

[@FLYALLSZN]

Hope you enjoy!!

[@feldwebel7734]

good vid

[@johnnylee610]

I'm loving your videos, but where's the funny stuff, the bloopers

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you!

[@morethanflies]

What do you think is the best cheap 3 wt rod

[@FLYALLSZN]

The best cheap rod is the best cheap rod you can find. Brand doesn’t matter. Look for used rods (they’ll be just as good) save your money and buy nice line

[@rickgoodwin6765]

I cannot agree more with you when it comes to muddying the waters with hatchery fish. Technically they are an invasive species. Am I rright? Unfortunately people want a fix right now not 40 or 50 years down the road. Love your videos.

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you so much Rick! I honestly think it would take less than 20 years to see some radical changes

[@pamelayamane1935]

Mike, I enjoy your videos, but I'm a little disappointed in your comments regarding hatchery stocked trout. It's well known that many (if not most) trout fisheries in NA would not exist without hatchery supplemented stockings. In particularly, Apache trout would have slipped into extinction decades ago if not for the work of the Apache tribes, and state and federal agencies. Hatchery raised pure-strain Apache trout helped secure the future of a viable population in the native range of this once endangered species. These efforts ensured a recovery that eventually led to the opening of several White Mountains streams and lakes to recreational fishing for this beautiful and relatively rare trout. So the next time you hold one of the many beautiful trout we are so fortunate to be able to fish for across the country, consider a thank you to the many federal, state and local agencies that work tirelessly to ensure we all have the opportunity to do so.

[@MeridianTowny]

good man

[@azapache2006]

with the least amount of spots is the TRUE native Apache trout , others are hybrids

[@Benk-d3f]

where is that meadow stream ?

[@FlyandFeather]

Always such great videos! Stocked critically endangered species for harvest intermixing with wild species? Why do we treat our wild spaces with the care and education of the 1960's. My god that's stupid. Thank you for highlighting that ignorant mismanagement! Check the history of Oregon's Dept of Fish and Wildlife's management of Alvord Cutthroat to see the results of such carelessness- extinction.

[@FLYALLSZN]

I hate to point fingers because I’m not a biologist.. I don’t have a degree therefore I can’t weigh in with legitimacy.. BUT boy howdy it seems to be a backwards ass way of management.

[@ferretapocalypse]

Just make sure to have tribal permits. Tribal cops aren’t very friendly and still hold a grudge. Don’t ask me how I know. Check maps carefully as it’s easy to hike onto tribal land without knowing.

[@FLYALLSZN]

We had them at the time! Definitely wouldn’t fish without one

[@bidenadministrationischina5091]

It would be neat if you included a map of your travels. For those who enjoy trekking

[@russlehman2070]

I'm a little disappointed that you released those brookies instead of eating them.

[@alfredmartinez7792]

nice and relaxing

[@FLYALLSZN]

Thank you alfred!

[@marclawson7552]

Hi Mike, how do I follow you on discord?

[@FLYALLSZN]

Howdy mark! I have the link to it in the video description