CALIFORNIA HERITAGE TROUT CHALLENGE
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| THE BEGINNING | ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS AGUABONITA | NEARING THE END |
AFTER NUMEROUS BREAKFAST MEETINGS TO PLAN AND SCHEDULE OUR
QUEST, WE FINALLY GOT STARTED IN EARLY JULY AFTER THE LAHONTAN CUTTHROAT
CLICK ON PHOTOS BELOW TO ENLARGE
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| MARKLEEVILLE COTTAGE | LOADING UP | TRAILHEAD | STILL SOME SNOW | TRAILSIDE |
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| A LONG HIKE | WATERING UP | OLD HOMESTEAD | LAHONTAN CUTTHROAT | THE PRIZE |
NEXT WE HEADED SOUTH TO THE SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST SEEKING THE THREE SPECIES IN THAT WATERSHED, THE CALIFORNIA GOLDEN, THE LITTLE KERN GOLDEN AND THE KERN RIVER RAINBOW.
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| WHERE THEY'RE AT | NOT A BIG TOWN | KERN PLATEAU | INTO IT WE GO | SALMON CREEK |
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CRAIG'S ON HIS KNEES |
JAN STALKING ONE | LITTLE KERN GOLDEN | KERN RIVER RAINBOW | CALIFORNIA GOLDEN |
AFTER GETTING THE THREE FISH IN THE SOUTH, WE HEAD NORTH TO
LASSEN AND MODOC COUNTIES FOR THREE MORE SPECIES, THE EAGLE LAKE RAINBOW, GOOSE
LAKE REDBAND AND WARNER MOUNTAINS REDBAND.
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| AT EAGLE LAKE | EAGLE LAKE | OUR LODGING IN MODOC | SWAMPS IN CALIFORNIA? | DIRECTIONS ARE IMPORTANT |
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| DISMAL CREEK | PRETTY UP THERE | HOME OF THE GOOSE LAKE | GOOSE LAKE REDBAND | WARNER LAKES REDBAND |
WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO GET
TWO OF THE THREE WE SOUGHT. THE EAGLE LAKE RAINBOW SUCCESSFULLY AVOIDED OUR
CAPTURE. THAT LEFT OUR LAST TRIP ANOTHER VENTURE NORTH TO DEL NORTE COUNTY FOR
THE COASTAL CUTTHROAT AND A STOP ON THE WAY HOME FOR THE McCLOUD REDBAND.
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| AFTER THE COASTAL CUTT | ON THE CREEK | WHERE THE REDBAND HIDES | COASTAL CUTTHROAT | McCLOUD REDBAND |
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THE CHALLENGE WAS MET AFTER: · ELEVEN MONTHS · 35OO MILES · 17 DAYS FISHING · ONE LAKE, 2 RIVERS & 12 CREEKS · 10 – 20 MILES HIKING · 25 BOTTLES OF WINE BE SURE TO SEE THE ADDENDUM BELOW FOR IMPORTANT UPDATES
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IN 2008 I WAS FORTUNATELY CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN A CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & GAME RESEARCH PROJECT ON SILVER KING CREEK,. THIS STREAM HAS BEEN CLOSED TO ALL FISHING FOR OVER FORTY YEARS AND IS THE INDIGENOUS HOME OF THE PAIUTE CUTTHROAT. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF OPENING IT UP TO SOME VERY LIMITED FISHING. WE EIGHT FLY FISHERMEN WERE ACCOMPANIED BY FOUR WILD TROUT BIOLOGISTS FROM THE DFG AND WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING DATA ON THE FISH AND FISHING.
BELOW ARE A FEW PHOTOS FROM THE STUDY
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| SILVER KING CREEK | THE UPPER MEADOW | AFTER ONE | PRETTY PAIUTE | ONE IN THE NET |
SO NOW I HAVE TEN OF THE ELEVEN NATIVE TROUT OF CALIFORNIA, SO IT IS BACK TO EAGLE LAKE IN THE FUTURE FOR NUMBER ELEVEN!
ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2008 CRAIG McMULLEN AND I RETURNED TO THE UPPER TRUCKEE RIVER TO HAVE CRAIG CATCH A LAHONTAN CUTTHROAT AS HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN 2006. WE FOUND THE RIVER LOW, BUT FISHABLE AND BOTH OF US CAUGHT A FAIR NUMBER OF LAHONTANS. WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT THE SIZE OF THE FISH AS A FEW MEASURED 11 TO 12 INCHES WHICH ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN THOSE WE CAUGHT IN 2006.
BELOW ARE A FEW OF PHOTOS FROM THIS TRIP.
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| COLORFUL LAHONTAN | LUNCH BREAK | A BIG ONE |
SUCCESS AT LAST
ON OCTOBER 30-31 CRAIG, WAYNE AND I RETURNED TO EAGLE LAKE, AND WITH THE HELP OF A FINE GUIDE (BOB AGUILAR) WE CAUGHT A NUMBER OF THE EAGLE LAKE RAINBOWS. THIS THEN GIVES ME ALL ELEVEN OF CALIFORNIA'S NATIVE TROUT, ALL CAUGHT IN THEIR HERITAGE WATERS! BELOW ARE SOME PICTURES FROM THE TRIP.
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| SUNRISE ON EAGLE LAKE | THE FIRST FISH OF THE TRIP | WAYNE'S FIRST ONE |
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| CRAIG'S FIRST ONE | A CLOSE UP | 22 INCHES |
