Hunting Down the Rarest Trout in North America (Tenkara Fly Fishing Adventures)

In this video I head into the mountains in search of what has been called the rarest trout in North America...
DATE FILMED: June 2021
LOCATION: California
GEAR USED
** SEE MORE INFO ABOUT MY FLIES AND GEAR HERE: tenkaraaddict....
** ROD: Zen Tenkara Suzume
** LINES: 7-foot level line (#3.5) with a few feet of tippet
** FLY: Size 14 Ishigaki Kebari
** NET: Medium Measure Net with rubberized net bag
OTHER LINKS
** Instagram (@TenkaraAddict): / tenkaraaddict​​​​​​
** My main KZbin channel (SUVRVing): / suvrving​​​​​​
** My other store: KamchatkaGear.com​​​​​​
AUDIO CLIPS USED
** Creek 06 (loop) by VKProduktion on freesound.org: freesound.org/...
** camera_snap1.wav by thecheeseman on freesound.org: freesound.org/...
#tenkara​​​​​​ #fishing​​​​​​ #flyfishing

[@charlesloftis2920]

I am going to live vicariously through you on this one. Thanks for taking us along. What a great fish and high adventure!

[@geothefisher]

Amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing this adventure with us!!! I used to hike into the mountains here in PA to catch native brook trout. Now, with a lot of years behind me and diabetic nerve damage in my legs, I am no longer able to do it. Watching this video really took me back to my younger days!!!

[@FishingCircle]

Really cool fish man. Catching a new species has always been a near-sacred experience for me. Love the new species videos. Great video!!!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks Todd!

[@wiseguysoutdoors2954]

I love getting to see all of these rare trout and sharing your adventures

[@FlickyFlies]

Dude! I respect your effort, that’s quite a hike. Loved feeling the nervous anticipation at that big hole, it was high stakes for sure! Glad you landed him.

[@flyguy2021]

Back in the early 1990s I had the opportunity to work on a survey of the Paiute in its native range. The water in sOme of the tributaries was so pure that electrofishing didn’t work. We had to catch measure and release them on flies. Also built a bunch of rock barriers so rainbows couldn’t migrate upstream.

[@maknifeandrods7701]

Wow. Millions of fly fisherman will never get to experience what you just experienced. Thank you for sharing. And remember not catching fish is not a reason not to post it. We all do that but again it’s the experience not the catch.

[@skippylippy547]

I'm thrilled that you did all that for that single fish! 👍 I've done similar things. As I look back upon those excursions, they are my fondest memories. This will be one of your treasures. ❤️

[@TenkaraAddict]

It was a standout adventure, for sure!

[@closer2theheart684]

I love watching fly fishing videos for the smaller, more elusive trout.

[@MrKindermusik]

I hiked 4 hours to catch two 4" brookies in east Tennessee. I'm glad I made that trek.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Sounds worth it to me! Thanks for watching.

[@gt_outdoorexcursions]

Yep, did that myself, lol!

[@matthewmcnabb6227]

My first trout ever was a 6 or 7” brown trout caught at the end of a day out hiking when I was 12 or 13. That singular tiny fish made the trek so incredibly worth it

[@elbertgarrett9909]

I admire your dedication to the chase and the effort you put into producing these videos. Congrats on catching a PCT!

[@vlogfuji]

It is very interesting that you, as an American, are doing Tenkara fishing. (I’m Japanese) And thank you for showing us the wonderful wilderness through fishing. I also love small trout fishing, and like you, I catch and release. Thank you again. from B.C Canada

[@leemowers9395]

Some adventures are about the trip much more than the fish. Thanks For Sharing Tristan.

[@kingkiddfishing]

Such a cool looking cutthroat, thanks for sharing the history on them.

[@nickp.2432]

This is where passion takes you! 👍👍🇺🇸

[@rickkaylor8554]

Thanks for posting this adventure. I've near here once but going further down the Silver King creek is on my bucket list. After reading the The Thousand-Mile Summer by Colin Fletcher I've always wanted to explore this area.

[@classiclobbyz5477]

That story at the end is pretty cool! Awesome content

[@optomix3988]

Wow! What a pretty fish.

[@rphilip2768]

Loved it - beast of a hike. Your initial expectations enabled a winning day.

[@briangillman735]

Your fish handling is spot on! You should do a video on how to properly handle a fish. There's alot of people that need tutoring in that department!

[@centralcoaster33]

I'm pumped for PCT! Thank you for the inspirational adventure 😉

[@michaelsmith7193]

It must have been a truly grueling hike. But out of it, you produced a stellar lesson in conservation. Stopping at the capture/release of a single fish _ought_ to be the conservation model for all trout anglers seeking rare species. Thank you for the quite extraordinary example you shared today.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks Michael. I admit that I probably would have tried to catch more had the creek been better, but it was a good side benefit that it was easier on the fish population there to stop at the one!

[@michaelacurtis4660]

That’s awesome, your efforts paid off.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks Michaela!

[@vesdre4877]

(Tenkara) fishermen are crazy and... it's so good !

[@hankbraff1135]

Very interesting little fish, thanks for taking us along.

[@JohnYost-u3g]

Great video, you worked for it!

[@alexanderjoyce3305]

Awesome video, really enjoy the journey fishing with you 🤙

[@JohnYost-u3g]

Very glad you did this video. Very interesting and entertaining. Thanks!

[@gt_outdoorexcursions]

Chasing natives is where it's at! That spot reminds me of a stream I followed in new mexico to scare up a few 4-5 inch Gila Trout, lol! A great scholar once said size matters not.

[@Montenegroarcher]

Amazing video. Bravo for long walking route, for catching beautiful rare trout.. wild beauty nature and fish. Thanks for sharing. Best regards from Montenegro sir.

[@MikPii]

Nice work man!!! That is super cool and unique.

[@reggiebald2830]

Congrats! That's truly as hard as I've seen anyone work to catch a trout!

[@peterlamar8546]

I think I've now seen most, if not all, of the videos you've uploaded here. I've enjoyed every one of them. But this is the best by far. Hats off to you for hiking a full day (in and out) to catch one fish. I empathize completely; I'd guess that you think it was worth it? And thanks for the natural history lesson about this strain of cutthroats. I had no idea. Great work by you.

[@kimandrew3095]

Very tedious but memorable adventure for such a rare trout.

[@Brooklyn.NYC.]

Great video , very cool , nice seeing new species of fish 🐠

[@ianjones6910]

I love it - fishing tiny, isolated streams for native (or in this case, transferred) fish. I just got back from Colorado, where I caught some nice Rio Grande cutts, made nicer because most of them were taken with flies I tied myself. However, I have an ambitious plan forming in my mind for next year - a big sweep of the West; I hope to get: 1. Gila Trout, 2. Apache Trout, 3. Bonneville Cutt, 4. Lahontan Cutt, 5. Redband. I've already plotted out a route to hit all the spots.

[@johnbakken1853]

Great to see your efforts rewarded.

[@pinhookfishingclub]

Gratz! I admire your determination!

[@tenkaragenki]

Great video! Way to grind it out and catch one of those beautys! Great size to it too in such a tiny hole! And thanks for the cool story at the end!

[@stevensad38]

Great video and thanks for showing this rarest trout

[@gerhardtratter4336]

what an awesome "one-and-done" experience!!

[@bssaassin1900]

I had no idea that you can actually fish for them at all! I thought the whole species was off limits until seeing this. Glad you got to see one but it's also a good thing that it's so difficult to get to otherwise it would more than likely quickly get overfished. In a larger stream full of rainbows, browns or brookies there should be at least half a dozen fish in a pool but a stream that tiny likely doesn't have a high fish population. 1 or 2 trout per pool is not good numbers

[@carlosandreblatt]

Happy you did it , Tristan! Perhaps i love to fish places like that i'm not sure i would have survived that hike 😂 Congrats to the core!

[@kfu4657]

Real dedication. 10hr hike for 1 fish.

[@dwhall68]

Insane trip in. Glad you got one though. Very interesting fish. I wish I had the variety here in Australia that you do

[@sauceLegs]

Dude i love your videos so much. You are a big inspiration!!!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks Jimbo!

[@goring19]

It kind of has a purple sheen to it. Beautiful trout

[@tommyhunter1817]

Getting to see that country should make the hike worth it.

[@markgreer3560]

Is this near the CA Sierra Nevada Mtns, as Paiute Cutthroat are native only to Silver King Creek, a headwater tributary of the Carson River in the Sierra Nevada, in California.

[@idrissua]

kudos to your perseverance!

[@chadroberts44]

I know the feeling of hiking or riding horses for hours with little reward. Your video was worth it though as I've never seen one of those fish. Thankfully because of your video, I will be satisfied with seeing you catch it and I will never make that attempt to hike for it. :)

[@kellzkillz]

Keep up the great work! Love the content!!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks Kelley!

[@stevewalcott9546]

Congratulations! That was pretty awesome. Still don’t know if a 5 hour hike was worth it though!

[@TenkaraAddict]

I'm glad I did it once. I wouldn't do it again!

[@frankkawasaki3082]

Congrats on your goal of catching the Paiute cutthroat trout. My flyfishing club vojunteers assisted in capturing the trout below the waterfall, as rotenone requires a permit to use it in streams. I too didn't know that people could fish for the rare trout. Did you check the Fishing Regs?

[@FeldwebelWolfenstool]

..there are some rare ones out East...the Sunapee, the Blueback and up here in Canada, the Aurora trout...

[@Megahieron]

Can I ask where you got that head gear that keeps your ball cap on and protects the sides of your face?

[@shaundiltz5821]

Very cool!

[@jameswaggoner7295]

Need more subscribers! Some of the best KZbin fishing videos around. Beautiful locations.

[@darrinjbartlett1994]

Agree 100%!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@jsimons9630]

That's a great adventure!

[@TenkaraAddict]

It certainly was!

[@iflanzy]

I've got a handheld GPS on order right now so I can finally get to this small lake and stream in the Northern Sierras that supposedly holds paiute trout. From what I've seen, once the trail leaves the PCT, the trail isn't much of a trail and more of a crapshoot to find the lake.

[@refresh5690]

cool landscape, good video!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks!

[@robertcalamusso4218]

Good stuff.

[@goldorak1962]

That's dedication!

[@TenkaraAddict]

That or obsession!

[@WilcoxOutdoors]

This was awesome! I really want to go up and fish for some paiutes but I was wondering if its all the creeks except for silver king creek you can fish. Thank you!

[@adventureanglingpnw1821]

Have you tried catching the rare blue colored rainbow trout that are only found in crescent lake in Washington national park. Those fish are so blue it's crazy.

[@russlehman2070]

I did once hike 2,000 feet elevation gain to catch one fish. But it was about a 20 inch cutthroat (Colorado River, if native).

[@n.j.dougherty4872]

Well done👍👍

[@salvelinusmalma367]

Beautiful! Can you do video fishing for the hayden creek cutthroat? It is even rarer, in 2016 there were only 160 individuals in he world.

[@es0x]

Only in one or two creeks, and there’s plenty more than 160 of them

[@salvelinusmalma367]

@@es0x Yea these days there are thousands, which in 2022 would not make them rarer than Paiute cutthroats.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

Very cool, except now it is on my bucket list

[@jeroenschoondergang5923]

As far as I know the Pyramid lake population are Lahontan cutthroats, which aren't all that difficult to catch on fly. By the looks of it the Paiute is a different subspecies, although they are from the same basin.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Yep, they're different.

[@RippinLips1998]

Probably won’t make it up there but just curious where exactly this is at?

[@TenkaraAddict]

I don't give out creek names or locations, sorry!

[@cowboycody8094]

Why do you wet your net?

[@TenkaraAddict]

Same reason you want to wet your hands before touching a trout. It keeps the protective layer of slime on the fish.

[@gadzooks6811]

@Cowboy Cody That slimy layer is super important to the fish. It keeps them moving quicker through the water, makes it harder for predators to grasp them, and, most importantly, protects them from bacterial and other infections. Excellent question.

[@nathankrussow7303]

I've thought about hiking out there before... not sure if it'll be worth it...

[@TenkaraAddict]

It's only worth it if you want to catch the fish badly enough.

[@samdooley5577]

More rare than the Maine Blueback trout?

[@robertkemp622]

Maine’s arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus oquassa, formerly known as blueback trout and Sunapee trout, are indeed rare, but perhaps more available than the Piute trout of California. While most anglers have at least heard of these rare species of trout, many are unaware that they actually still exist. Unlike the Arctic char anglers are most familiar with, Maine’s Arctic char are landlocked, not anadromous. One of six species of salmonids native to Maine-along with Atlantic salmon, brook trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon, and lake whitefish-Arctic char are present in just fifteen waters, one of which is closed to fishing. Of these, twelve are native populations, two are introduced populations, and one was recently discovered and its origins are not completely clear. Maine’s native Arctic char waters can be found in clusters, in close proximity to each other, or all alone. There are four waters in the Deboullie Region, two in the Allagash Region, two in the Baxter State Park area, two in Kennebec/Moose River Valley, and two in what is known as Downeast Maine.

[@samdooley5577]

@@robertkemp622 Thank you for that very informative response.

[@TenkaraAddict]

I don't know anything about that trout, sorry.

[@newmoon984331]

@@TenkaraAddict there are a few videos on youtube dedicated to the blue back, or arctic char, you should check them out.

[@williamrobinson4265]

epic!

[@radigan209]

That looks like rattlesnake country as well. Especially bushwhacking like that. Any sign of them?

[@TenkaraAddict]

I mean, basically the entire West is rattlesnake country. No, didn't see any.

[@kevinlivengood9689]

@@TenkaraAddict Roger That. There are rattlesnake warnings on nearly every body of water up Hwy 395 in the lower Owens Valley. I've fished that area for 50 years, almost to the day, and I've never seen one. The big deal now is the number of black bear all over the Sierras (and the Trinity Alps, which are one county east of Humboldt - and, in the Trinity Alps, the rattlesnake issue doesn't relent with altitude - nice little monster know as the Timber Rattlesnake). And, remember that a rattlesnake bite will set you or your health insurance back at least $40K if the ER provider decides you need crotalfab (antidote). Trust me, I order it from a wholesaler.

[@KennethHarv659]

When he said that it was a 9" trout, and I then saw it in the palm of his hand, at around 6", it made me laugh. Poor fellow.

[@kevinlivengood9689]

White Mountains?

[@davidbloch5370]

Wow just think you caught a trout most fisherman never even heard of let alone caught. Would love to improve there habitat, like making larger pools to deter canabilism . Remembering to keep it wild for them not people. It would make a great work camp for two weeks.

[@paulg492]

Bummer, you had a opportunity to drop a cam in the water to show this rear fish in its natural habitat.

[@sugriv3405]

#happysaturday 🥰🙌

[@vincerobinson6223]

Ever heard of golden trout, thats a pretty rare trout only located in 1 river

[@TenkaraAddict]

I've caught several on this channel. They're in more than one river.

[@pecosnick45]

I thought these were illegal to fish for in all of the streams which they resided. At least the genetically pure ones.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Nope

[@jmy7622]

wow! that poor little trout. looks like it doesn't have any food.

[@stanm4601]

HOly Crap man…DID you make it out before dark??…dedicated fisherman, you are. Now take a rest!

[@housatonicfreestyle3308]

Great channel. You inspired me to again fish for wild trout here in Connecticut. It is something I haven't done in over 20 years. My first day out targeting these jewels, I landed a beautiful wild brookie and a gorgeous wild brown which ended up being my pb native trout ever. I had to hike deep in the woods and climb my way up the mountain steam on a hot and humid day but it was worth every drop of sweat. Thanks again for the inspiration. One quick question, what net is it that you use, and where can I buy one. My instagram is @housatonicfreestyle if you would be interested in seeing my wild trout pics.

[@williamkaylor1191]

I can't do hikes like this anymore, so Thank You for taking me along on this adventure.The struggle makes the success that much sweeter. What a unique looking trout...you may have caught the biggest one in the creek!

[@OffGridBackcountryAdventures]

5:56 - what a unique looking trout. Nice job, Tristan!

[@jaysmallen3067]

Hi Brian! And Tristan! Congratulations on your solid effort and success Tristan!! Kind of funny finding this video. This drainage is very close to where I live and I'm planning some more exploring up in this area. We camped one drainage over this last weekend and my curiosity got the best of me. Dang that looked dense though lol! But it's close, so I might give it a go.

[@hgj2019]

Paiute cutt. Well I’ll be. I’ve caught browns, bows, brookies, various cutts, Gila trout and Apache trout, but never heard of the Paiute! New bucket list item! Worth the walk for one fish and the view!🤠

[@mattachtemeier5296]

this was my favorite video of yours! as a michigan small trout creek scout, i know all too well the pain of bushwacking for hours just to find a tiny stream completely unfishable due to brush over, or literally even within, the small amount of water available. makes that one ya get so much more rewarding and awe inspiring!

[@soccercoach9803]

What region of California! Awesome video man!

[@kevinlivengood9689]

They (Piute Trout) were "re-wilded" in the White Mountains, which is the range on the East side of the Owens Valley in either Mono or Inyo counties in Eastern California. His description fits the place. Convectional precipitation takes damn near all water out of clouds coming over the Western slope of the Sierras. The Owens Valley is a desert. As clouds continue to travel East, sans water, there is very little precipitation on the White Mountains. The Owens Valley is only 4K in elevation at Bishop, yet, there are 13's and 14's in the White Mountains. Hence the brutal hike. If you go to a ridge on the White Mountains and look East, you are looking at the Great Basin and probably Death Valley. P.S. the White Mountains are named for the talc that was mined historically (although it snows like hell there). The Basque sheepherder only made the natural evolutionary strain available for transplantation for the right window in time. There were issues above the falls subsequent to milk can transport. The tale of the Basque sheepherder who shot an F-4 out of the sky is epic.

[@geoffreymilke5176]

One of the things I admire about you the most is your determination. That hike, and the difficulty of fishing that tiny creek, are something I'd never do...but I'm so happy you did. Well done!

[@TenkaraAddict]

Thanks, I appreciate that. I'm definitely glad I did it!

[@llewdis]

Amazing that there is a self sustained population there.

[@konasteph]

the highest grade for this fish and the video .. documentary

[@jamietenney4345]

Yeah the trout is exhausted too! Catch and release not catch and showboat!

[@andrewingram2108]

Oncorhynchus Clarki seleneris

[@sean4236]

It was worth the hike in. Perhaps not worth the hike out. Lol

[@blitztim6416]

Them Basque sheep herders sure got around.

[@dinkmaster9284]

What part of California are u in

[@michaelcapurso]

Kudos on the hike and catch. Amazing the diversity of terrain Trout live in. Being from the NE that is not the terrain I think of when Trout fishing comes to mind. One day I'll get out West. Regarding that story, must be a tale. I heard the same exact story only it took place in AZ with Apache Trout.

[@michaeltichonuk2176]

I fished the Black last Sept for Apache. I hadn't heard that version. My guide said it had more to do with a doctor and a private pond I think. And we did fish the said pond.

[@TenkaraAddict]

I'll be catching some Apache trout in AZ later this summer! Thanks for watching.

[@michaeltichonuk2176]

Tristan, get higher up elevation and be advised water flow was 80% low last year. And I never saw so many craws...