Fly-fishing for golden trout on the Little Kern River

This is another contribution provided by my friend and fellow NVATU member, Daniel Lazenby, highlighting his continued fly-fishing adventures out west. All photo credits belong to Daniel.

There is a saying “Trout don’t live in ugly places.” Unfortunately, some do.

Fly-flshing for trout in Sequoia National Forest

My 2024 trip west took me to the Sequoia National Forest on the southern end of the Serria Nevada Mountain range in search of native trout unique to California. The watersheds for two of the species lay within the Sequoia National Forest Golden Trout Wilderness area. The California golden trout is found on the eastern side. The Little Kern River golden trout is found on the western side of the wilderness area.

A series of devastating wild fires struck in 2020 and 2021. High severity burns within the forest incinerated thousands of mature Giant Sequioa Trees, some of which were thousands of years old. In other places the high severity burns consumed the forest and forest floor duff down to bare rock and soil. Seed in the ground was sterilized. The Golden Trout (GT) Wilderness western side did not escape unscathed. It too experienced areas of high severity burns.

Wilderness area access is on foot or by horse. Several trails provide access to the GT Wilderness. The trail I chose was 50+ miles down mountain and Forest Service Roads. The trail roughly followed a Little Kern River tributary for about 5 miles before the trail crossed the Little Kern River. I thought the tributary might provide a spawning ground, and possibly hold Little Kern River golden trout. My plan was to sporadically fish the tributary as I hiked to the river.

The deeper I drove into the forest, the bigger the burn scars became. The destruction was depressing and nature’s three years effort to recover exhilarating.

Standing at the trail head, I gazed on a widow maker lined trail into a burnt match stick forest. Wildfires leave a mosaic like that of Tornados. Areas of mass destruction and yards away it is pristine. It looks like a blade of grass is not out of place, or a raging fire never happened.

Nervously, I started down the trail constantly aware trees in this condition could drop a branch, or the entire tree tumble to the ground without warning. A mile further the trail and the tributary met up.

As I continued along the trail, the tributary increased in width and depth. As the tributary grew, greenery lining it reached further into the dead forest.

I paused by a streamside boulder. Looking downstream I saw the creek display typical trout cover/shelter, feeding, and resting lies. I began my prospecting downstream of here.

I had no knowledge about whether the fish in this area survived the devastating wildfires. An hour later this four-inch Little Kern River golden trout specimen came to the net. Despite the devastation they had experienced, some had survived. Encouraged, I continued prospecting down creek. It was a slow technical endeavor with no results.

Sitting on a small hill side boulder eating lunch, I surveyed the destruction before me, marveled at nature, and what these fish endured to be here. I knew one fish had survived – there should be more.

With renewed strength and optimism, I restarted my downstream prospecting. I went further into the forest following the creek as the sun slowly lowered in the sky. A mile or so further downstream the creek entered a narrow 500-foot-long grassy meadow. Tallish grass hung over the creek banks, which appeared to have a slight undercut. Despite the meadows minimal slope there were signs of a surface current.

I switched from the nymph I had been using to an Elk Hair Caddis dry fly with a black and silver wire wrapped midge dropper on six inches of tippet. Kneeling in the grass off to the side, I began drifting my offering downstream under overhanging grass. I tried to drift the flies near what I thought was an undercut. I missed setting a soft take. Continuing to kneel and sit my way downstream, I offered my flies in the same manner. Hooked up a couple of times. Never saw the fish as it self-released.

Lengthening shadows began screaming time to wrap it up and head for the trail head. The creek countered “you are getting so close I know it. Just a few more casts!” The water downstream looked fishy. I had to try.

Four casts and subsequent drifts later this beautiful eight-inch Little Kern River golden trout attacked the Caddis from an undercut with more aggression than I was expecting. It turned out to be a good day for fishing.