by Mike Brown

California’s east side Golden Trout Wilderness is one of the most stunning high-altitude destinations in the Eastern Sierra. And by far, the most striking and most sought after trout known to fly fishermen the world over just happens to live there; the golden trout. Goldens are an absolute explosion of color and perfection. Fly fishing backcountry destinations in search of these gems is a right of passage for all wild trout lovers, and the rewards to be found at the end of those long treks are well worth the effort it takes in getting there. One glance at the dazzling coloration of this fragile trout confirms; Mother Nature is by far our greatest artist.

Two different trailheads at the end of Horseshoe Meadows Road begin at elevations over 10,000 feet above sea level. Be prepared for crisp, cool and dry skin-cracking temperatures, and unobstructed brilliant sunlight. The trails are mostly comprised of decomposed granite, sand and granite pebbles - reminiscent of coarse beach sand. The softer, deeper scree can be very difficult to walk in, but there’s just no way around it. Please stay on the maintained trails if you choose to use them.

There are two ridiculously easy-to-reach places in this particular area where one can touch a golden trout. The first is a tiny stretch of stream that runs about a mile down from the trailhead parking areas (this location would be an excellent place for anyone with physical limitations to fly fish). To access it, pull over at the small turnout on the right side of the road. The turnout is big enough for maybe two small cars, but you really have to be watching for it - it’s easily missed, and it’s unmarked. Cottonwood Creek runs under the road at this turnout. You can easily walk twenty feet from where your car is parked and catch an honest golden trout in one of the many stair-step pools before you. The other option is to park at the trailhead at the end of Horseshoe Meadows Road and walk the easy one-quarter to one-half mile into the meadow area (depending on which route through the trees you take). There you will find a small unnamed, trout-filled creek that runs the length of the meadow. Begin fly fishing wherever you land. The farther upstream you go, the thinner the water becomes. But I promise you; no matter how much or how little water there is, the entire length holds an excellent population of goldens (Hint: I’ve caught my best trout in the less-frequented reaches upstream).

The most fun way to catch, photograph and release these little darlings is by throwing an ultralight fly rod (000wt-2wt) with tiny dry flies. Golden trout aren’t too picky about what’s being served up to them, so most any pattern size 18-22 will do the trick. But if they see you or hear you approaching them, it’s not going to matter how good your flies look. In my opinion, the goldens are the most paranoid trout species in the Eastern Sierra, and your sneak will have to be operating flawlessly if you plan on touching one. Fly fishermen can often be seen crawling on their hands and knees – sometimes even crawling on their elbows and bellies.

For my own golden trout fly fishing adventures, I prefer throwing a Sage TXL 00wt fly rod with DT00F line and a five-foot ultralight furled leader with at least four feet of 7x/8x tippet attached to the business end. I always start off throwing a size 20 Parachute Adams regardless of the time of day, water temp or weather conditions. These little guys eagerly rise to just about any dry fly at any time of the day, and they will absolutely annihilate your smaller grasshopper imitations with enthusiasm during the warmer, midsummer afternoon hours. For some real fun, throw a grasshopper into the overhanging grasses around the banks of the creek and give it a twitch or two. Goldens will frequently jump completely out of the water and dive head-long against the grass in an attempt to dislodge wayward offerings. I’ve actually observed larger golden specimens land on grass clumps, wiggle forward, take the fly in their mouths, then back themselves down the grass into the water. The first time I saw that happen I laughed myself sick.

My first golden trout came to hand many years ago by way of a short, 4wt production cane rod, an old Wright & McGill automatic reel and a dark brown hand-me-down silk fly line that had belonged to my father. The business end of the rod held a tiny Mosquito look-alike pattern that dad had tied-up along with several dozen others just prior to our trip.

The pool that in which my first golden lived was one of the most beautiful pieces of quiet, backcountry stream water I’d ever seen. Its’ bottom was a deep, burnt orange color and was lined with thousands of tiny granite pebbles the size of marbles. The water was unbelievably clear, roughly a dozen feet across at its widest point, and five or six feet deep. It had a long, lazy tongue at its tail-out that cascaded into yet another pool that looked almost exactly like it. The first fish I dragged out of there was maybe just ten or eleven inches in length – but I soon realized that ten or eleven inches is trophy-size for a high altitude stream golden trout.

Since then I’ve spent a lot of time in the high-altitude areas of the Eastern Sierras – particularly in the Golden Trout Wilderness, and I’ve learned some very fine outdoor lessons while there – usually the hard way. And each year something crappy usually happens that reminds me exactly why I need to maintain my focus and pay strict attention to what my body is telling me. One of those lessons that I dread re-learning every year is early preparation. When I was younger, it was never a problem for me to ascend from sea level to ten-thousand feet over a matter of several hours. Now that I’m older, it’s an issue. It’s taken some time and lots of trial-and-error, but I finally managed to come up with a personal program several years ago that helps me avoid headaches, diarrhea, difficult breathing, nausea, vomiting and a host of other ailments resulting from altitude sickness. Below is the list I try to follow for each Sierra outing.

HELPFUL HINTS

• ALWAYS eat nutritious, normal meals – especially breakfast, prior to any ascent – no matter the amount of altitude gain. For me personally, that means the standard eggs, bacon, toast with jelly and hash browns - if I can get my hands on them. I’ll also start off my mornings with 800mg of ibuprofen to help ward-off any headaches or muscle aches that were thinking about ruining my day of fun in the sun.


• ALWAYS drink LOTS of water - enough so that you have to pee AT LEAST once every two hours. Don’t drink carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks only serve to dehydrate the tissues. The preferred way to guarantee enough water consumption is to carry and use a water filter bottle. They are inexpensive, take up little room in your daypack or lumbar pack, weigh next to nothing, and make drinking ice cold stream water a real, safe pleasure.


• NEVER ascend from sea level to 10,000 feet in just five hours – AND expect to be “just fine.” A slow ascent is the only way to go. A nights’ stay at an elevation of 4,000-6,000 feet is preferable.


• Pack and eat a decent lunch. For my own mid-day meal, I prefer a potato roll or croissant overflowing with mayonnaise, cheese and meat or tuna, a bag of salty chips or crackers, several small candy bars, some cookies, and maybe some kind of powdered juice to mix with water. For trail snacks I go with chunks of cooked bacon, cooked sirloin bits and cheese. I keep all of this (and everything else I bring along) in a large, 1,000 cubic-inch capacity lumbar pack.


• NEVER, EVER run to your “preferred flyfishing hotspot” when at altitude. The fish will always be there waiting for you no matter what time you show up. Go slow, lay low.


• Take an extra layer of clothing. Eastern Sierra storms can creep up on you like nobody’s business, and if you get caught in one – a cold one, you’ll wish you had packed an extra layer because low Sierra temperatures can easily turn a nice, casual dayhike into a miserable and dangerous walk out. If you can, take something that’s not only water resistant, but wind resistant as well.

MUST HAVES FOR THE GTW

• Daypack or large-capacity lumbar pack.


• Water filter bottle or Camelback Water Pack.


• Sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen.


• Toilet paper, knife, water and wind resistant jacket, and a pocket-sized first aid kit.


• Lunch and snacks.


• Full fly box, tippet material, and extra tapered leaders.

Have a ball in the Golden Trout Wilderness. It’s a gorgeous place that sees relatively few visitors. And surprisingly, you’ll probably not see another fisherman the entire day – no matter where you are.