Question:

I’ll be spending the month of July this year, travelling up the Alaska coast and then driving back the Alaska highway. Is anyone here familiar with the fishing along this highway in July? Any streams that are particularly worth stopping for?  What species should I anticipate? Any short side trips worth taking? Any and all advice is welcome. I have no idea how my experience (and fly patterns) with brook trout and atlantic salmon here in New Brunswick will transfer to the left coast. Thanks Brent

Response:

Find a current copy of "Milepost".  This is the definitive guide to the highway and lists fishing opportunities all along the routes into and inside Alaska. Bill – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ll be spending the month of July this year, travelling up the Alaska coast and then driving back the Alaska highway. Is anyone here familiar with the fishing along this highway in July? Any streams that are particularly worth stopping for?  What species should I anticipate? Any short side trips worth taking? Any and all advice is welcome. I have no idea how my experience (and fly patterns) with brook trout and atlantic salmon here in New Brunswick will transfer to the left coast. Thanks Brent

Response:

No, but I sure can tell you it would be smart to know your blood type.  They have 500 pound misketoes and other blood sucking insects waiting for you. Make safety arrangements with the Red Cross. George Gehrke "O-Positive I’m Positive I’m not Negative"

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Find a current copy of "Milepost".  This is the definitive guide to the highway and lists fishing opportunities all along the routes into and inside Alaska. Bill I’ll be spending the month of July this year, travelling up the Alaska coast and then driving back the Alaska highway. Is anyone here familiar with the fishing along this highway in July? Any streams that are particularly worth stopping for?  What species should I anticipate? Any short side trips worth taking? Any and all advice is welcome. I have no idea how my experience (and fly patterns) with brook trout and atlantic salmon here in New Brunswick will transfer to the left coast. Thanks Brent

Response:

Well, that certainly helps with pattern selection and flysize. ;^ ) brent

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No, but I sure can tell you it would be smart to know your blood type. They have 500 pound misketoes and other blood sucking insects waiting for you. Make safety arrangements with the Red Cross. George Gehrke "O-Positive I’m Positive I’m not Negative"

Response:

Question:

Whom’s Never read or heard that one before!

That’s the sound of things going right by him. — Charlie…

Response:

On the way home from some errands, I stopped in at a local pawn shop. I like pawn shops and have purchased quite a few things from them in the past. They strangely, had a very large assortment of boxes of fly tying hooks in various sizes, styles and manufacturers in a large bag. After some haggling, I purchased them. There were about forty boxes of hooks. Some boxes had a couple hundred hooks and some as few as twenty or so. Lots of hooks. It was a collection made over time with a wide range of manufacturers: TMC, Dai Rikki, DaiChi, Mustad, Partridge, Tiemco, and a couple others. I decided to try and consolidate these hooks with the hooks I already had on hand so I wouldn’t have some many boxes of hooks. I thought it would be easy, for example a size 12 standard dry will be the same, or at least very close, for all manufacturers. Not even close. Even comparing hooks that were the same in terms of size, wire weight, shaft length, bend style etc., the differences were striking. The thing that was most enlightening to me was the difference between the sizes among the different manufacturers. I always thought that hook size was standardized and was based on the hook gap. This doesn’t seem to be so. For example, there was a size 22 hook from one manufacturer that had the same hook gape as an 18 from a different manufacturer, even though the styles were identical. Length of shaft and wire weight also varied widely among the manufacturers even with the same description. This is something I should have noticed in my years of tying but until I directly compared various manufacturers’ hooks to each other, I didn’t notice it. It seems that the differences between the manufacturers’ hooks was most pronounced in the smaller sized hooks. I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials. I did get a few other things in the bag with the hooks. Most of it was junk but I did get several carded and snelled Pott’s Hand Woven Hair Flies. Since there was a discussion on them recently I scanned them and posted them to ABPF. Willi

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials.

Apparently, the broker wouldn’t meet his price. Maybe he wasn’t quality material? /daytripper (Wondering what you’d tie up with a piece of "deadbeat"

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials. Apparently, the broker wouldn’t meet his price. Maybe he wasn’t quality material? /daytripper (Wondering what you’d tie up with a piece of "deadbeat"

A Ginkles Special…..(?) TC, R

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials. Apparently, the broker wouldn’t meet his price. Maybe he wasn’t quality material?

I was thinking he must be used to pretty tough pawn shops. <g — Charlie…

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials.

Odd, I heard they invariably ask for an arm and a leg. TL MC

Response:

  There were about forty boxes of hooks. Some boxes had a couple hundred hooks and some as few as twenty or so. Lots of hooks. It was a collection made over time with a wide range of manufacturers: TMC, Dai Rikki, DaiChi, Mustad, Partridge, Tiemco, and a couple others. I decided to try and consolidate these hooks with the hooks I already had on hand so I wouldn’t have some many boxes of hooks. I thought it would be easy, for example a size 12 standard dry will be the same, or at least very close, for all manufacturers. Not even close.

    I keep my hooks the drawer of an old dresser. For the most part, they are still in the original packaging, so there are several hundred packages and maybe fifteen different types of packages. The drawer is usually a mess and it’s quite difficult to find what I’m looking for, even though I periodically tidy everything up and arrange them according to size and style. (It seems like it only stays tidy for a week or so)This mess is to blame for a huge amount of duplication, in that I frequently buy hooks I thought I was out of, only to later find out I had a couple hundred left. Anyhow, last weekend I figured I’d get everything organized, so I went out and bout a bunch of Spirit River 21 compartment storage containers. I carried all of my hooks down to the dining room table and laboriously arranged them by type and size, with the intention of dumping different brands of the same size/type in the same compartment. I ran up against the same problem Willi described, and decided to just forget about it.     Willi- do you want to swap some hook containers for hooks? I can bring them by tomorrow.

Response:

I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials.

It was interesting the way you worded that – what part of the body did you want to haggle for ? Well, that is a sad situation you point out.  How are we supposed to figure out what someone means when they say the fish are taking size 22 BWOs?

Response:

I dunno Willi. Gaining from someone else’s misfortune would seem to me to be bad fishing mojo….and looking for more gain in the form of some destitute brother of the angle’s hocked hackles would be courting skunking, or worse. Your best bet would be to give them all away to a kid and replace them immediately at full price. Your pal, — TBone Walker The Halfordian Golfer

Response:

I dunno Willi. Gaining from someone else’s misfortune would seem to me to be bad fishing mojo….and looking for more gain in the form of some destitute brother of the angle’s hocked hackles would be courting skunking, or worse. Your best bet would be to give them all away to a kid and replace them immediately at full price.

Just shi…er, pull that out of your ass, did ya…? HTH, R

Response:

 It seems that the differences between the manufacturers’ hooks was most pronounced in the smaller sized hooks.

I noticed this when looking to buy some 24’s for griffith gnats. The shop had Tiemco 24’s that were definitely bigger than Mustad 22’s. IIRC the hook gaps were the same, but the shaft on the Tiemco 24’s was longer (I could have the 2 manufacturers reversed, though). I thought it strange, but having worked in software standards I know the slippery slope of what a ’standard’ is Rob

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials. Apparently, the broker wouldn’t meet his price. Maybe he wasn’t quality material?

Oops. That didn’t come out too well. I’m not a dealer, or user, of used body parts. That’s the stuff of cyberpunk science fiction. Willi

Response:

 It seems that the differences between the manufacturers’ hooks was most pronounced in the smaller sized hooks. I noticed this when looking to buy some 24’s for griffith gnats. The shop had Tiemco 24’s that were definitely bigger than Mustad 22’s. IIRC the hook gaps were the same, but the shaft on the Tiemco 24’s was longer (I could have the 2 manufacturers reversed, though). I thought it strange, but having worked in software standards I know the slippery slope of what a ’standard’ is Rob

And WHO (?) or Whom’s Standard should it be you compare with Rob? — George Gehrke  

Question:

minutes explaining my business in Canada (work trip to my company’s YWG facility; the word "work" must have triggered the big red alarm).

Yep. That is a big no-no, especially when a canadian self employed goes to the USA. "Going to a meeting" is a much more acceptable reason for travel.

Response:

Canada) through Chicago.  Air Canada services us from all other major cities in Canada, Except the second largest one… but that’s AC’s fault, not yours. Air Canada does link Winterpeg with Vancouver with at least one non-stop per day.

But to come back to the question, AC lists two connections/day SFO-YWG. Morning one thru YVR indeed, and afternoon one thru YYC.  Thru YYC is shorter; and there are four nonstop flights to YWG.

Response:

fishing, one of the greatest areas in the world for lake fishing is about a two hour drive east of Winnipeg, just over the border into Ontario. No ! Don’t risk your life on highway 17. Stay in Manitoba. just before the ontario border where the trans canada highway narrows into a country road, there is a nice park to the right. I think it it is on the shores of lake of the woods.

I don’t think they will be riding bicycles.   Besides, 30 miles on a two lane highway is no impediment to people who really like fishing.

Response:

Yes, its bloody cold outside. You get used to it.  It’s nice in the summer though, for those 4 months. 4 months ?  I guess if you define winter as temperatures below -20, spring and automn as temperatures below 0, then summer could be 4 months long …. In Montreal, true summer is about 4 weeks (when you can go outside in short sleeves and not have to worry about being cold during the day).

Yes, I remember my one and only (so far) trip to Canada which was spent entirely in Qu

Question:

I’d like to sell some fly fishing books and also buy used equipment is someone has something I’m looking for. Is there a fly fishing marketplace newsgroup or do people post here? I don’t want to get involved with EBay, just the real Fly fishers in groups like this. Thanks much.

Response:

Try the Auction at the virtual fly shop. http://www.flyshop.com/Marketplace/ Paul ( no connection with VFS yadah yadah yadah)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’d like to sell some fly fishing books and also buy used equipment is someone has something I’m looking for. Is there a fly fishing marketplace newsgroup or do people post here? I don’t want to get involved with EBay, just the real Fly fishers in groups like this. Thanks much.

Response:

I’d like to sell some fly fishing books and also buy used equipment is someone has something I’m looking for. Is there a fly fishing marketplace newsgroup or do people post here? I don’t want to get involved with EBay, just the real Fly fishers in groups like this.

You’re clearly running a commercial enterprise. Thus, what you’re looking for is called a "web site". /daytripper

Response:

I’m not in business. Plenty of people buy and sell old stuff on marketplace newsgroups. I didn’t post it here; just asked if there was a newsgroup( there are many in other ng areas). Your assumption is wrong. It is not my business. I was wondering if anyone wanted to buy, sell or trade items.  Man, some people are just angry all the time. If you know a good website for this, why not just let me know specifically what site is good. Commercial enterprise? Not be a long shot.

Response:

Commercial enterprise? Not be a long shot.

Everything you sell is at cost? — Charlie…

Response:

As log as he’s not trying to sell crooked bamboo rods with poorly fitted ferrules, gloppy (sp?) epoxy and glue lines as the finest ever built he should be allowed ONE post. to sell stuff. Paul

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Commercial enterprise? Not be a long shot. Everything you sell is at cost? — Charlie…

Response:

As log as he’s not trying to sell crooked bamboo rods with poorly fitted ferrules, gloppy (sp?) epoxy and glue lines as the finest ever built he should be allowed ONE post. to sell stuff. Paul

Er, guys, maybe I misread, but I get the impression the guy just wants to buy and sell a few used items to feed a personal collection.  Why can’t he post such items and his desire to buy equipment? Fjx:  If this is what you mean, I don’t imaging anyone would (or should) have a problem. HTH? R

Response:

As log as he’s not trying to sell crooked bamboo rods with poorly fitted ferrules, gloppy (sp?) epoxy and glue lines as the finest ever built he should be allowed ONE post. to sell stuff.

I was just curious how he defined ‘commercial’, sounded like it was a bad word. — Charlie…

Response:

R Dean hasit right. I was just looking to add oand remove from my personal stuff. For example, I was able to buy a spool for a reel no longer made from someone on this ng some time back. Nothing more than that. I’ve also found some great books in the past. Hope no one was offended by the question. We have a common interest here and it’s nice to share ideas etc.

Response:

rec.outdoors.marketplace Try this it may help? Eric Cassel www.anglersofamerica.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’d like to sell some fly fishing books and also buy used equipment is someone has something I’m looking for. Is there a fly fishing marketplace newsgroup or do people post here? I don’t want to get involved with EBay, just the real Fly fishers in groups like this. Thanks much.

Response:

Question:

Carl, These boats differ in their performance.  The Delta, Acadia, Bayou, Keowee and Swifty are all "recreational boats".  The Delta and the Bayou are very similar in performance but one is longer than the other and tracks better. They both have flat hulls and are very good with initial stability but not very good secondary stability.  These boats will track better and be a bit faster than the Swifty and Keowee. The Swifty and Keowee are just knock around boats.  They don’t track well but do maneuver easily.  The Acadia is at the extreme low end of "touring kayaks"  It’s has a little more rocker on it but is made to get out into the easy ocean if desired.  It has good initial and secondary stability.  All of these boats will do flat water, easy class I/II rapids and paddle in bays well.  The Acadia, you can take a step further out in the easy ocean.

I’ve seen Swiftys and Keowees on class II, and I don’t think I’d say that they do it well.  Certainly people have fun in them, but…well, it depends on the class II, I guess.  I think that the more technical the river is, the less fun these boats will be.  Also, I’ve never seen anyone wear a skirt with these — it could be a pretty damp experience.   — ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::         "I would not exchange the sorrows of my heart                 for the joys of the multitude"

Response:

Yes it does depend on the river.  The Chattahoochee in Atlanta would be fine but something that is more technical would not.  That’s why I said easy class I/II rapids.  People have the option of purchasing a skirt with these boats.  The companies make skirts that fit each one.  If a person tells me they want to run some easy class I/II as well as flat water, I tell them they may want to purchase a skirt with it to keep the water out.  On the other hand if they just want to do flat water, there’s no need for a skirt unless they want to get a mini-skirt for splash or paddle drip. Courtney Rapid Adventures – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve seen Swiftys and Keowees on class II, and I don’t think I’d say that they do it well.  Certainly people have fun in them, but…well, it depends on the class II, I guess.  I think that the more technical the river is, the less fun these boats will be.  Also, I’ve never seen anyone wear a skirt with these — it could be a pretty damp experience.

Response:

You can get into a Swifty and yes it will float but it will sit lower in the water and be sluggish.  The Delta would be a better boat for doing what you are wanting to do and be more in your weight range.  If you really liked it, go for it.  It’s a great boat and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Courtney Rapid Adventures – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dear Courtney WOW- what a great reply…..thanks SO VERY MUCH!!!! As a follow-up- being 6-01/245- will the Swiftie float ??  If so, I think it would be an ideal 1st boat for me…..going to the kids later (if I like it enough to spend more $$$$$)  All I want to do at this point is paddle out a little, or paddle upstream a little (slow river) and flyfish for Bass/Panfish on the way back. I do have to admit though- out of the Delta and Bayou- I liked the Delta MUCH better.  The Bayou just seemed a little squirley compared to the Delta.  I even sat back and pulled my legs out and dangled them in the water in the Delta. A nice way to float down stream .  Couldn’t do that in the Bayou. I guess the thing that keeps me fluctuating towards Perception is their cool web site- maybe their boats are as cool??  Haven’t seen one though- other than on the web . Thanks again!! Carl

Response:

Dear Courtney WOW- what a great reply…..thanks SO VERY MUCH!!!! As a follow-up- being 6-01/245- will the Swiftie float ??  If so, I think it would be an ideal 1st boat for me…..going to the kids later (if I like it enough to spend more $$$$$)  All I want to do at this point is paddle out a little, or paddle upstream a little (slow river) and flyfish for Bass/Panfish on the way back. I do have to admit though- out of the Delta and Bayou- I liked the Delta MUCH better.  The Bayou just seemed a little squirley compared to the Delta.  I even sat back and pulled my legs out and dangled them in the water in the Delta.  A nice way to float down stream .  Couldn’t do that in the Bayou. I guess the thing that keeps me fluctuating towards Perception is their cool web site- maybe their boats are as cool??  Haven’t seen one though- other than on the web . Thanks again!! Carl – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Carl, These boats differ in their performance.  The Delta, Acadia, Bayou, Keowee and Swifty are all "recreational boats".  The Delta and the Bayou are very similar in performance but one is longer than the other and tracks better. They both have flat hulls and are very good with initial stability but not very good secondary stability.  These boats will track better and be a bit faster than the Swifty and Keowee. The Swifty and Keowee are just knock around boats.  They don’t track well but do maneuver easily.  The Acadia is at the extreme low end of "touring kayaks"  It’s has a little more rocker on it but is made to get out into the easy ocean if desired.  It has good initial and secondary stability.  All of these boats will do flat water, easy class I/II rapids and paddle in bays well.  The Acadia, you can take a step further out in the easy ocean. As for the Carolina and Chinook, they are both Touring (sea) kayaks.  They track very well but are harder to turn.  Normally they will come with a rudder to help you with this.  They are both much faster than the above mentioned kayaks.  They have very good initial and secondary stability and both perform beautiful on flat water, easy class I/II rivers, bays and out in the ocean.  Their intended purpose is for actual sea kayaking, flat water and easy rivers. Both companies hold a good warranty (I think 3 years).  Dagger plastic is made of Excel polyethylene whereas Perception is made of Linear. Technically Excel is stronger but both plastics are very good.  Wilderness Systems material is made up of Crosslink.  This is the strongest of materials but a little heavier. Since you tried the Delta and liked it but didn’t like the Bayou, you may also check out the Wilderness Systems Manteo.  You may find you like it a whole lot better than the Pungo.  The hull on these boats are called a tri-hull.  They have excellent initial and secondary stability and track very well.  I have known several people to take them on all the above mentioned waters but they did get a bit nervous when out in the ocean and the waves got big or choppy. If you’re looking at a used boat, take a look to see that the top of the boat is the same color as the bottom of the boat.  People store their kayaks outside allot and the UV rays break down the plastic over time.  If stored indoors the plastic condition should be fine.  Also look for oil canning (where the boat has a bow in it somewhere on the hull, usually under the seat).  I little bow is o.k. but if it looks really wavy, the plastic is getting warn and doesn’t have too much time left before it cracks.   Look for deep gouges as well.  There will always be scratches on a boat and that’s fine but DEEP gouges can be a sign of trouble on the horizon depending on where these gouges are.  For instance, under the seat would be a bad place. Out of all of these boats, I would focus on the Delta, Acadia and Manteo if not planning on really getting out into the ocean.  The Manteo does great in waves and flat water, the Acadia the same but less initial stability and the Delta does better in flat water due to the good initial stability but not that much secondary and is not as wave friendly. If planning on going into the ocean, either the Carolina or Chinook would be good.  I personally like the Carolina the best because of it’s stability and performance. Hope this helped and sorry it’s so long.  I work in a boat store and sell these boats every day and it’s hard to narrow it down to two sentences. Courtney Rapid Adventures Hi: I’m a long time paddler (canoe) that’s brand new to kayaks…..but I’m hooked Tested the Delta today and loved it….haven’t seen the Acadia or Carolina, however from the web the Acadia seems almost exactly like the Delta.  What are your thoughts….which is a better company (product, fit and finish, warranty, support etc) and which is a better boat?  To complicate matters another shop has a used Perception Chinook for the same price as these new boats……. Also, I’m 6′01" and 245lbs…..any large kayakers try the Keowee or even the Swiftie?  I did paddle the WS Pongo and the Dagger Bayou and did not like either (for different reasons). I know this is a long message, but I do hop there are some out there that will have the time to respond…..I’m hopelessly confused Carl

Response:

Carl – Did you try also posting your message to the following newsgroup? rec.boats.paddle.touring You might reach more users who could help you out there. Good luck! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I wanted to thank the two newsgroup members above- they were the only replies to my post.  For the rest of you, PLEASE help me with opinions.  I have no kayak background and thought that this would be the perfect forum to get experienced responses.  My original post is below:- (My sole (current) ambition is to paddle a mile or so upstream and fly-fish downstream)) Hi: I’m a long time paddler (canoe) that’s brand new to kayaks…..but I’m hooked Tested the Delta today and loved it….haven’t seen the Acadia or Carolina, however from the web the Acadia seems almost exactly like the Delta.  What are your thoughts….which is a better company (product, fit and finish, warranty, support etc) and which is a better boat?  To complicate matters another shop has a used Perception Chinook for the same price as these new boats……. Also, I’m 6′01" and 245lbs…..any large kayakers try the Keowee or even the Swiftie?  I did paddle the WS Pongo and the Dagger Bayou and did not like either (for different reasons). I know this is a long message, but I do hop there are some out there that will have the time to respond…..I’m hopelessly confused Carl

Sue

Response:

Carl, These boats differ in their performance.  The Delta, Acadia, Bayou, Keowee and Swifty are all "recreational boats".  The Delta and the Bayou are very similar in performance but one is longer than the other and tracks better. They both have flat hulls and are very good with initial stability but not very good secondary stability.  These boats will track better and be a bit faster than the Swifty and Keowee. The Swifty and Keowee are just knock around boats.  They don’t track well but do maneuver easily.  The Acadia is at the extreme low end of "touring kayaks"  It’s has a little more rocker on it but is made to get out into the easy ocean if desired.  It has good initial and secondary stability.  All of these boats will do flat water, easy class I/II rapids and paddle in bays well.  The Acadia, you can take a step further out in the easy ocean. As for the Carolina and Chinook, they are both Touring (sea) kayaks.  They track very well but are harder to turn.  Normally they will come with a rudder to help you with this.  They are both much faster than the above mentioned kayaks.  They have very good initial and secondary stability and both perform beautiful on flat water, easy class I/II rivers, bays and out in the ocean.  Their intended purpose is for actual sea kayaking, flat water and easy rivers. Both companies hold a good warranty (I think 3 years).  Dagger plastic is made of Excel polyethylene whereas Perception is made of Linear. Technically Excel is stronger but both plastics are very good.  Wilderness Systems material is made up of Crosslink.  This is the strongest of materials but a little heavier. Since you tried the Delta and liked it but didn’t like the Bayou, you may also check out the Wilderness Systems Manteo.  You may find you like it a whole lot better than the Pungo.  The hull on these boats are called a tri-hull.  They have excellent initial and secondary stability and track very well.  I have known several people to take them on all the above mentioned waters but they did get a bit nervous when out in the ocean and the waves got big or choppy. If you’re looking at a used boat, take a look to see that the top of the boat is the same color as the bottom of the boat.  People store their kayaks outside allot and the UV rays break down the plastic over time.  If stored indoors the plastic condition should be fine.  Also look for oil canning (where the boat has a bow in it somewhere on the hull, usually under the seat).  I little bow is o.k. but if it looks really wavy, the plastic is getting warn and doesn’t have too much time left before it cracks.   Look for deep gouges as well.  There will always be scratches on a boat and that’s fine but DEEP gouges can be a sign of trouble on the horizon depending on where these gouges are.  For instance, under the seat would be a bad place. Out of all of these boats, I would focus on the Delta, Acadia and Manteo if not planning on really getting out into the ocean.  The Manteo does great in waves and flat water, the Acadia the same but less initial stability and the Delta does better in flat water due to the good initial stability but not that much secondary and is not as wave friendly. If planning on going into the ocean, either the Carolina or Chinook would be good.  I personally like the Carolina the best because of it’s stability and performance. Hope this helped and sorry it’s so long.  I work in a boat store and sell these boats every day and it’s hard to narrow it down to two sentences. Courtney Rapid Adventures – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi: I’m a long time paddler (canoe) that’s brand new to kayaks…..but I’m hooked Tested the Delta today and loved it….haven’t seen the Acadia or Carolina, however from the web the Acadia seems almost exactly like the Delta.  What are your thoughts….which is a better company (product, fit and finish, warranty, support etc) and which is a better boat?  To complicate matters another shop has a used Perception Chinook for the same price as these new boats……. Also, I’m 6′01" and 245lbs…..any large kayakers try the Keowee or even the Swiftie?  I did paddle the WS Pongo and the Dagger Bayou and did not like either (for different reasons). I know this is a long message, but I do hop there are some out there that will have the time to respond…..I’m hopelessly confused Carl

Response:

I wanted to thank the two newsgroup members above- they were the only replies to my post.  For the rest of you, PLEASE help me with opinions.  I have no kayak background and thought that this would be the perfect forum to get experienced responses.  My original post is below:- (My sole (current) ambition is to paddle a mile or so upstream and fly-fish downstream)) Hi: I’m a long time paddler (canoe) that’s brand new to kayaks…..but I’m hooked Tested the Delta today and loved it….haven’t seen the Acadia or Carolina, however from the web the Acadia seems almost exactly like the Delta.  What are your thoughts….which is a better company (product, fit and finish, warranty, support etc) and which is a better boat?  To complicate matters another shop has a used Perception Chinook for the same price as these new boats……. Also, I’m 6′01" and 245lbs…..any large kayakers try the Keowee or even the Swiftie?  I did paddle the WS Pongo and the Dagger Bayou and did not like either (for different reasons). I know this is a long message, but I do hop there are some out there that will have the time to respond…..I’m hopelessly confused Carl

Response:

Hi: I’m a long time paddler (canoe) that’s brand new to kayaks…..but I’m hooked Tested the Delta today and loved it….haven’t seen the Acadia or Carolina, however from the web the Acadia seems almost exactly like the Delta.  What are your thoughts….which is a better company (product, fit and finish, warranty, support etc) and which is a better boat?  To complicate matters another shop has a used Perception Chinook for the same price as these new boats……. Also, I’m 6′01" and 245lbs…..any large kayakers try the Keowee or even the Swiftie?  I did paddle the WS Pongo and the Dagger Bayou and did not like either (for different reasons). I know this is a long message, but I do hop there are some out there that will have the time to respond…..I’m hopelessly confused Carl

Response:

paddled the Carolina in a Basic Sea Kayaking course and was pleased with it. It was my first time kayaking and I had no problems.  It is 25 1/4 inches wide so it will be more tippy than the Delta I believe.  I would be reluctant to paddle a kayak with out some instruction.  Oh, I almost forgot, I am 6′ 2" and found the Carolina a little too scrunched up for my legs.  I rented a Current Designs Storm (17′ l  24"w) today and the leg room was better and it was fast, but it was extremely heavy.  Hope this helps some.

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I have had two Dagger white water boats and have had no complaints about their fit or finish. Are you pretty much decided on a day-tripping boat? There are a number of choices out there, in a number of lengths, and it is easy to get "analysis paralysis". Check out the paddling shops in your area and find out about rentals and demo days. Get hooked up with a paddling club or two and you can get exposure to a number of different boats and opinions. Many folks have more than one and might be willing to help you compare. Don’t worry about making the choice. You’re really just buying your *first* kayak, anyway . (ps- one of the boats I have is a Wilderness Systems Seacret, which is plenty wide (I’m 6′1" and weigh 205) and has lots of foot room, and was surprisingly maneuverable and quick… I bought it to serve as a fishing photo platform, but really like it generally. Check and see when the outfitters in your area are selling used equipment…worked for me, and I got it half price! Good luck! — paddlrat living proof that rats can swim! Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

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Question:

I will be in the Pocatello, Idaho area in the next couple of weeks, and was wondering if someone could point me to some fly fishing streams. I won’t have a lot of time, so the closer the better.

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Try Portneuf River near Bancroft (just below Chesterfield Reservoir – in fact, try the reservoir) – 1 hour east, Fort Hall Bottoms spring creeks- 40 min north, South Fork Snake River – 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours north, Henry’s Fork – 2 hours north, Silver Creek – 2 hours northwest, or a horde of reservoirs within an hour and a half south and east. Stop in at Jimmy’s All Seasons Angler in Pocatello for the latest info. Lance Hankins – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I will be in the Pocatello, Idaho area in the next couple of weeks, and was wondering if someone could point me to some fly fishing streams. I won’t have a lot of time, so the closer the better.

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Question:

Dear Steve, I read your inquiry regarding the CMR-Reel and I’m sure you’ll be very pleased with it, should you decide to purchase one. You can get all the technical information about all Marryat products including the CMR reel on the Web page at: www.marryat.com Regards, Roger Ritter, Marryat staff – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When fly fishing for trout in Sweden, I saw someone fishing with the new Marryat CMR reel made in Switzerland. This guy was extremly pleased with its performance. Before buying one, I would like to hear how others feel about this new product. Steve Turner

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When fly fishing for trout in Sweden, I saw someone fishing with the new Marryat CMR reel made in Switzerland. This guy was extremly pleased with its performance. Before buying one, I would like to hear how others feel about this new product. Steve Turner

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Question:

Your drift boat awaits you!

It is images of that which help me to ecsape these walls every day George…I thank you. — TimW Halfordian Golfer

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Groups …snip —   Tim Walker, if I get close to your home (my travel plans are real loose and unscheduled) I’ll call a couple of days in advance — would love to meet you, maybe even fish. You all take care & …   — snip — Damned right you look me up Al.  Maybe some of it will rub off on me… — TimW Halfordian Golfer        Your drift boat awaits you! GeorgeG Halfordian Caster

Ha!  and *now* we know that George G. is actually Tim Walker! (or else it’s the other way around…) Tim

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Hi Groups I’ll be off line for the next week or ten days field testing products and researching articles in MT, ID, NV, UT, CO, WY, NM, & AZ. Tim Walker if I get close to your home (my travel plans are real loose and unscheduled) I’ll call a couple of days in advance — would love to meet you, maybe even fish. You all take care & … Tight Lines ….. Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Catalog,Tips & Tricks, Fishing Reports, & NeverSink at: http://www.btsflyfishing.com

just testing, sorry

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Tim Walker if I get close to your home (my travel plans are real loose and unscheduled) I’ll call a couple of days in advance — would love to meet you, maybe even fish. Damned right you look me up Al.

Al, When you get back, tell us what he’s like, what he’s really, really like! — Phil Jones

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Groups I’ll be off line for the next week or ten days field testing products and researching articles in MT, ID, NV, UT, CO, WY, NM, & AZ. Tim Walker if I get close to your home (my travel plans are real loose and unscheduled) I’ll call a couple of days in advance — would love to meet you, maybe even fish. You all take care & … Is this guy the ORIGINAL or what ?  I’ve been developing mission critical software in a goddamned 6 x 6 windowless cubicle all spring and Al’s out field testing products and researching flyfishing articles… What a guy !!! Damned right you look me up Al.  Maybe some of it will rub off on me… — TimW Halfordian Golfer

        Your drift boat awaits you! GeorgeG Halfordian Caster

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Hi Groups I’ll be off line for the next week or ten days field testing products and researching articles in MT, ID, NV, UT, CO, WY, NM, & AZ. Tim Walker if I get close to your home (my travel plans are real loose and unscheduled) I’ll call a couple of days in advance — would love to meet you, maybe even fish. You all take care & …

Is this guy the ORIGINAL or what ?  I’ve been developing mission critical software in a goddamned 6 x 6 windowless cubicle all spring and Al’s out field testing products and researching flyfishing articles… What a guy !!! Damned right you look me up Al.  Maybe some of it will rub off on me… — TimW Halfordian Golfer

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Hi Groups I’ll be off line for the next week or ten days field testing products and researching articles in MT, ID, NV, UT, CO, WY, NM, & AZ. Tim Walker if I get close to your home (my travel plans are real loose and unscheduled) I’ll call a couple of days in advance — would love to meet you, maybe even fish. You all take care & … Tight Lines ….. Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Catalog,Tips & Tricks, Fishing Reports, & NeverSink at: http://www.btsflyfishing.com

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Question:

My wife and I attended a 4-day Orvis flyfishing class at Clearwater House in July five years ago.  We had Orvis instructors (Dan Gracia, who posts to this group, was one) rather than the Clearwater House guides, but the "hearsay" I have since picked up from time to time has been positive.  I can attest that the accomodations are nice, the location is great, and that when we were there the food was excellent.  If you go, please tell me how it turned out.                        Dopug Larson, Glendale, CA

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I also cannot say enough about Clearwater House.  I’ve stayed there three times before and have booked two classes there for the upcoming year.  The staff and guides are excellent!  The Area is beautiful, and the house itself has a terrific "homey" feeling.  If you’re thinking of staying there … do it! Kim Woodward – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you have stayed at the Clearwater House on Hat Creek, I would appreciate feedback regarding the guides, fishing experience, lodging and food. Thanks!  S. Brainerd

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(Sherry Brainerd) writes: If you have stayed at the Clearwater House on Hat Creek, I would appreciate feedback regarding the guides, fishing experience, lodging and food.

We run some of our schools at the Clearwater House and I have to tell you the place is first rate.  It’s basically a bed and breakfast type place that caters to fly fishers and serves all meals, not just breakfast.  Noel and company set entirely too good a table and the setting is really pretty – nestled in between Mt Shasta and Mt. Lassen.  Last year had a friendly raven (the bird) that would fly down to your feet and walk around with you for a while.  I reached out towards it and it tried to remove my wedding ring off of my finger with its beak.  Lot’s of wildlife such as deer, osprey, Canada geese, muskrat, otters, etc.  Good fishing is right out the back door and you can fish Hat Creek, The Pit River, Fall River, the McCloud River or float tube if you like up at Lake Manzanita.  Great spot.  All of Dick’s guides are top rate.  If you have a copy of the latest California Fly Fisher, the young lady on the cover is not quite as young as she looks.  Marishka is ~20 and went through Dick’s apprentice guide program a couple of years ago.  She still guides for him periodically and she is an accomplished fly fisher, fly tyer, and guide.  Don’t hesitate to ask about the various guides specialties as they bring a wide variety of techniques to fishing the available water.  I’ve actually stayed in the house twice in the last 5 years, and it’s a far cry from the "guides ghetto" (next to the their tackle shop) where I usually bunk.  It is the only Orvis Endorsed Lodge in California.  If you get a chance to go, GO! Don’t eat too much and watch out for that bottomless jar of homemade chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies.                                                           Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

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If you have stayed at the Clearwater House on Hat Creek, I would appreciate feedback regarding the guides, fishing experience, lodging and food. Thanks!  S. Brainerd

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If you have stayed at the Clearwater House on Hat Creek, I would appreciate feedback regarding the guides, fishing experience, lodging and food.

Nothing but good things to say about Dick Galland and Clearwater. I stayed there many years ago before the present arrangement (with cooking and all) but even then, thought the hospitality and advice was excellent. I see Dick occassionally when walking the path near his place while fishing the waters nearby.                 Draper, Utah Wherever you go….. There you will be

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Question:

Hans T.H. Beernink, Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont

<snip: LOTS of good golden trout info deleted…   Ob Philosophical rantings (optional):   It seems that there is quite a mystique about the California golden   trout.  Californians like to say that it is the only trout truely native   to CA.  I know that most of the Western waters that can support goldens were   stocked with Kern goldens at one time or another (including those in Wyoming,   Colorado, and Utah), and the DFG has been hatching goldens at the foot of   Mt. Whitney for years..  There is also some debate over the different strains   of golden, in particular the small rosy fish found in the little Kern.     I’ve also heard that the golden is merely a uniquely colored rainbow, and   in fact is not a different species at all.  Whatever your angle on the   golden, it doesn’t really matter.  It’s a beautiful little fish, and fun   to catch.  Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most sensitive of the   trout.  The golden requires very clean water that is relatively   pristine.  There are lots of lakes and streams that at one time or   another held goldens, but are now incapable.  Between the effects of acid   rain, garbage from campers and hikers, and the cattle industry’s use of   the high meadows in the golden trout’s habitat, the trout are showing   signs of decline.  The fish are smaller, probably due to the lack of   food, and the waters capable of supporting goldens are fewer in number.     Let’s hope the trout are still here in a hundred years……       Best regards,   Hans   Greetings, Hans, and THANK YOU for the excellent post on golden trout.     Another problem besides habitat degredation, which DFG & others are finally realizing, has to do with the introduction of brook trout by the DFG  into Sierra lakes:  For years I have seen the brook trout spread from these lakes into the streams and rivers below them, displacing the golden (and rainbow) trout as they went.  Now finally the DFG has that "limit plus 5" or some-such program allowing you to keep an additional five brook trout beyond       the regular bag limit.  I have long made it a practice to never keep anything BUT brook trout to eat when a fresh meal of fish is in order. (Yummy, now where did I put ‘ole Mark Vinsel’s trout burrito recipe?)  In fact, I needed to buy new topo maps this year because my old ones were getting too beat up to read any more, and I was suprised to read in my new USDA Forest Service topo map the following:   "FISHING"   <SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS DELETED   "Brook trout are the most common fish in the wilderness.  They are easy to   catch and provide good trail-side meals.  A new fishing regulation allows   a larger bag -limit of small brook trout than in previous seasons!   Harvesting brook trout can improve angling by keeping the population in   check and reducing the numbers of small fish." I sure hope it isn’t too late – brook trout really do a number on the populations of golden and rainbow.     Thanks again for your informative post. Tight lines and happy trails!   -Mark Anderson

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In this newsgroup about two weeks ago there was a thread about goldens and we decided that there was no such thing as a golden over 16" in CA. In montano there are places to catch big goldens but its not the same as a CA golden.

Really.  Ralph Cutter claims in the "Sierra Trout Guide" that the California record for the Volcano Creek Golden Trout is 9 pounds, 8 ounces. That must have been one fat fish. — John Fereira Isis Distributed Systems  Ithaca, NY

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<snip :   :   Greetings, Hans, and THANK YOU for the excellent post on golden trout. :   :     Another problem besides habitat degredation, which DFG & others are : finally realizing, has to do with the introduction of brook trout by the : DFG  into Sierra lakes:  For years I have seen the brook trout spread from : these : lakes into the streams and rivers below them, displacing the golden (and : rainbow) trout as they went.  Now finally the DFG has that "limit plus 5" : or some-such program allowing you to keep an additional five brook trout : beyond       the regular bag limit.  I have long made it a practice to : never keep anything BUT brook trout to eat when a fresh meal of fish is in : order. (Yummy, now where did I put ‘ole Mark Vinsel’s trout burrito : recipe?)  In fact, I needed to buy new topo maps this year because my : old ones were getting too beat up to read any more, and I was suprised to : read in my new USDA Forest Service topo map the following: :   <snip :   : I sure hope it isn’t too late – brook trout really do a number on the : populations of golden and rainbow.   this is, of course, true.  Unfortunately, the DFG is responsible for the decline in "native" golden populations in the high sierras.  The brookie is not a native fish in the west.  It was, as you pointed out, introduced by the DFG, and only recently have they tried to make ammends.  In fact, some of the branches of the Kern were "poisoned" in a forced fish kill in an effort to replant the native goldens.  I don’t know if this was the correct approach, but they seem to be trying. Best regards, Hans — "The worst monotonous drone coming from a lectern or the most eye-splitting textbook written in turgid English is nothing in comparison to the psychological Sahara that starts right in your bedroom and spurns the horizon."         -Joseph Brodsky, from "In praise of Boredom"          delivered as a commencement address at Dartmouth College. Hans T.H. Beernink, Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont

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<Regarding Golden Trout The biggest fish will be in rich lakes with limited spawning access. Lakes directly in a cirque receive sterile water, while lakes a step or two down in the chain receive water enriched by the lakes or meadows above. Lakes with more shallows and weedbeds are richest, though there has to be some deep water to protect against winterkill. The final criteria is the lack of a trail. The ideal would be a lake two steps down the chain, long and narrow, backing up into a meadow, with a single feeder stream with a falls a hundred yards above and below.  

Another reason Goldens are typically found in a chain of lakes is that, unlike cutthroat which like to spawn in inlets, Goldens spawn in lake outlets.  If there is not a lake below, the fry will wash downstream. With a chain of lakes, the fry will wash into a lower lake, where they can grow a few years, and then swim back up to their parents’ lake. — -Wayne Trzyna

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The biggest fish will be in rich lakes with limited spawning access. What do you mean?  Goldens spawn in streams.

I suspect he’s talking about the tendency of fish to overpopulate and stunt in high lakes with abundant spawning habitat but limited food. I’ve found lakes where this has happened to Goldens, as well as Cutts, and especially Brookies.  Since the original poster was looking for a trophy, he should avoid lakes with prolific spawning, unless the food supply can support it, which is rare in the types of high lakes in which Goldens are found. — -Wayne Trzyna

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All this talk about Golden trout raises another issue: patterns. What are some patterns with which folks have caught Goldens? I read somewhere that Goldens do not eat smaller fish and therefor won’t chase streamers.  Can anyone contradict this?   I personally have caught them on variaous small nymphs and dries.  At one lake, small attractors were especially effective, like a size 18 humpy. — -Wayne Trzyna

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Although it has been a long time ago–maybe 30 years–I fished one of the "sterile" lakes.  It was on the trail from Kearsearge pass to Glenn pass. Although you could swear there were no fish in it, all of a sudden, I couldn’t keep the fish from hitting the fly on the surface.  They would chase each other to get to it.  That lasted for about half an hour, and then, the lake appeare dead again. I should point out that this was in the early days of my fly fishing and sinking the fly never entered my mind. William Buchman

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: All this talk about Golden trout raises another issue: patterns. : What are some patterns with which folks have caught Goldens? : I read somewhere that Goldens do not eat smaller fish and therefor : won’t chase streamers.  Can anyone contradict this?   : I personally have caught them on variaous small nymphs and dries.  At one : lake, small attractors were especially effective, like a size 18 humpy. I’ve found that goldens in the high sierras are generally opportunists.   i.e., the high sierras have relatively little to offer in the way of mayflies/caddis/stoneflies etc., so the trout will generally eat whatever comes thier way.  Most dries will raise fish, but the bigger ones tend to like bushy attractors and terrestrials.  Try a small ‘hopper or a cricket.  Streamers *do* work too, but you generally need to put in right in front of the fish.  Smaller, flashy streamers like the micky finn or grey ghost work.  Hey, what about a wet fly?  The parmachene belle is one of my favorites, and works very well for larger goldens…. Best regards, Hans — "The worst monotonous drone coming from a lectern or the most eye-splitting textbook written in turgid English is nothing in comparison to the psychological Sahara that starts right in your bedroom and spurns the horizon."         -Joseph Brodsky, from "In praise of Boredom"          delivered as a commencement address at Dartmouth College. Hans T.H. Beernink, Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont

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We hope to seek out California’s golden trout (catch & release) but are looking for a trophy sized fish.  We have combed the Sierra– catching goldens from 6 to 16 inches & resturned then safely back to the waters. Any suggestions for catching a golden over 16 inches.  We are not timid not without energy to go to the highest or most remote Sierra lakes. Thanking you in advance for advice. Denny

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In this newsgroup about two weeks ago there was a thread about goldens and we decided that there was no such thing as a golden over 16" in CA. In montano there are places to catch big goldens but its not the same as a CA golden. TimFLYFISH Dream of flyfishing, but also let the fish dream. C & R

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In this newsgroup about two weeks ago there was a thread about goldens and we decided that there was no such thing as a golden over 16" in CA.

Oh??? — -Wayne Trzyna

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We hope to seek out California’s golden trout (catch & release) but are looking for a trophy sized fish.  We have combed the Sierra– catching goldens from 6 to 16 inches & resturned then safely back to the waters. Any suggestions for catching a golden over 16 inches.  We are not timid not without energy to go to the highest or most remote Sierra lakes. Thanking you in advance for advice.

OY – by trophy do you mean something to put on the wall?   If you are you should understand that large goldens usually don’t have the brilliant colors that the whappers have.  I’m assuming not so I’ll offer some advice. You will have no satisfaction unless you do the work yourself. Here’s the general idea: The biggest fish will be in rich lakes with limited spawning access. Lakes directly in a cirque receive sterile water, while lakes a step or two down in the chain receive water enriched by the lakes or meadows above. Lakes with more shallows and weedbeds are richest, though there has to be some deep water to protect against winterkill. The final criteria is the lack of a trail. The ideal would be a lake two steps down the chain, long and narrow, backing up into a meadow, with a single feeder stream with a falls a hundred yards above and below.   Now get out your topos and go prospecting. Mark Vinsel Visit my gallery: http://www.lanminds.com/local/vinnie/gallery.HTML

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: We hope to seek out California’s golden trout (catch & release) but are : looking for a trophy sized fish.  We have combed the Sierra– catching : goldens from 6 to 16 inches & resturned then safely back to the waters. : Any suggestions for catching a golden over 16 inches.  We are not timid : not without energy to go to the highest or most remote Sierra lakes. : Thanking you in advance for advice. I’ve spend a good deal of time in the Golden Trout Wilderness and the surrounding wilds of Inyo, etc., and I’ve spend most of that time fishing for Goldens. If you want a "trophy" trout, don’t fish for goldens.  Most of the fish are in the 10-12" range, and you’ll catch scads of them on almost anything.  BTW, Tim is wrong when he says that Goldens over 16" aren’t caught in CA.  In fact, I’ve caught quite a few.  They are very difficult to find, however, and it’s more luck than skill.   Most of the streams in the parks are packed with small goldens, but a fish over 12" is considered big in the streams.  The high lakes hold the big fish, but you need to be careful where you go, as some of these lakes are used as hatcheries (previously discussed….).  Most of the fry are planted in surrounding lakes, and this is often (or *was* often) done by airdropping the fry.  The fish then populate adjoining streams, etc.   It takes a hell of a long time for a golden to get big (over 18"): thus they are quite rare.   Best course of action?  Get the map, hike out for a week, and try some lakes.  Don’t dredge the bottom of the lakes, as they are generally lifeless.  Most of the fish will be in about 3-10′ water, near submerged rocks and glacial boulders.  Sometimes, the larger fish will cruise near an overhanging patch of grass if one is available. Flies?  Don’t go without a sierra red dot.  Basically its a red/orange floss body and a grizzly hackle at both the eye and bend of the hook.   Also bring the adams, humpies, some terrestrials (big ants are great, but beetles too…) and maybe a royal wulff.  I’d also try some wet flies and bright streamers.  Nymphs work, especially with some krystal flash, or other bright material (try some Z-lon..).  The bigger fish won’t rise as easily as the little ones, and expect to catch lots of fingerlings…. Ob Philosophical rantings (optional): It seems that there is quite a mystique about the California golden trout.  Californians like to say that it is the only trout truely native to CA.  I know that most of the Western waters that can support goldens were stocked with Kern goldens at one time or another (including those in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah), and the DFG has been hatching goldens at the foot of Mt. Whitney for years..  There is also some debate over the different strains of golden, in particular the small rosy fish found in the little Kern.   I’ve also heard that the golden is merely a uniquely colored rainbow, and in fact is not a different species at all.  Whatever your angle on the golden, it doesn’t really matter.  It’s a beautiful little fish, and fun to catch.  Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most sensitive of the trout.  The golden requires very clean water that is relatively pristine.  There are lots of lakes and streams that at one time or another held goldens, but are now incapable.  Between the effects of acid rain, garbage from campers and hikers, and the cattle industry’s use of the high meadows in the golden trout’s habitat, the trout are showing signs of decline.  The fish are smaller, probably due to the lack of food, and the waters capable of supporting goldens are fewer in number.   Let’s hope the trout are still here in a hundred years…… Best regards, Hans  – "The worst monotonous drone coming from a lectern or the most eye-splitting textbook written in turgid English is nothing in comparison to the psychological Sahara that starts right in your bedroom and spurns the horizon."         -Joseph Brodsky, from "In praise of Boredom"          delivered as a commencement address at Dartmouth College. Hans T.H. Beernink, Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont

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Randall Kaufmann of Kaufmann’s Streamborn is something of an expert on golden trout.  He usually spends multiple weeks per year in the high Sierra, and the Wind River area of WY.  I was just looking through his latest fly tying book and there are some great photos of Goldens.  If Also Kaufmann’s Streamborn has  a great color catalog that you can full color photos of lots of travel destinations.  They’ve got a new web page at http://www.teleport.com/~kman – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We hope to seek out California’s golden trout (catch & release) but are looking for a trophy sized fish.  We have combed the Sierra– catching goldens from 6 to 16 inches & resturned then safely back to the waters. Any suggestions for catching a golden over 16 inches.  We are not timid not without energy to go to the highest or most remote Sierra lakes. Thanking you in advance for advice. Denny

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We hope to seek out California’s golden trout (catch & release) but are looking for a trophy sized fish.

A valid goal.  :) The biggest fish will be in rich lakes with limited spawning access.

What do you mean?  Goldens spawn in streams.  Limited access lakes such as Chicken Spring, or Funston Lake are actually dependant upon plants from DF & G.  Lakes with tributaries have the better prospects for a wild fish of size. Lakes directly in a cirque receive sterile water, while lakes a step or two down in the chain receive water enriched by the lakes or meadows above. Lakes with more shallows and weedbeds are richest, though there has to be some deep water to protect against winterkill.

I agree there.  The larger lakes have the larger fish.  Depth seems to be most important.  Shallow lakes in the High Sierra are usually sterile.  The Lake in the Eastern Sierra which has (according to Cal Fish and Game, anyway) without tributaries.  It is probably dependant upon stocking for new fish but the ones that survive get to about 20" over a period of ten or so years. The final criteria is the lack of a trail.

That is probably the *most* important factor of all.  The above mentioned lake is above timberline, about 10 miles of switchbacks from the trailhead. The last 3 miles is a rock climb.  That is why there are 20" Goldens in it. Now get out your topos and go prospecting.

Hear, hear!  I think the best part of finding those trout is fishing the ten or twenty lakes that look right but fail to produce.  Once you find the lake that you have personally prospected and sampled it becomes your personal find.  Good luck.  Take a long hard look at those topos, get out your flyrod and sample your fish! Tight lines, John Mark Vinsel Visit my gallery: http://www.lanminds.com/local/vinnie/gallery.HTML

–                Six strings…                Nineteen frets…                Fourty four notes…                And a solid top.  What else do you need?

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