How to recognise it
- Vivid red to red-orange belly, gill covers, lower jaw and side line, with a deep olive-green back fading to bright gold.
- About ten dark oval marks along the side, usually kept through adulthood.
- Large round spots near the tail and on the dorsal and tail fins, not usually below the side line.
- Orange paired fins, some with white or yellow tips behind a black band.
- Fish that have crossed with rainbow trout, as in the lower South Fork Kern, can be much less bright.
Habitat: where it lives
- Native to Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern River in Tulare County, California. Stocked widely in high-elevation Sierra Nevada lakes and streams, and in Wyoming's Wind River Range.
Habits: behavior, spawning and growth
- Rises readily to flies on the surface.
- Where it has crossed with rainbow trout, how much varies from one water to the next; Golden Trout Creek and Mulkey Creek hold the purest fish.
Where and when
- All Kern Plateau waters are open to fishing, but many can only be reached by trail, in the Golden Trout Wilderness.
- Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern are managed as wild trout waters. Check the special rules before you go.
- Small tributaries lined with plants can be hard to cast into, so a short, careful cast matters.
Bait and lures
Lures
- Flies of all types, especially dry flies and terrestrials
- Small spinners, 1/32–1/8 oz
Why these baits work
- It rises readily to flies on the surface, so a dry fly or terrestrial is the first thing to try.
Rod and reel setups
Grouped by lure fishing (artificial baits) and bait fishing (live or natural bait).
Lure fishing
- Rod
- Fly rod
- Reel
- Fly reel
- Line
- Floating fly line
- Hook & rig
- A dry fly or terrestrial, cast short along the banks.
- Rod
- Light spinning rod
- Reel
- Light spinning reel
- Line
- 2–8 lb test
- Hook & rig
- A 1/32–1/8 oz spinner.
Size and bag limits vary by state, species and lake. Current limits: Texas (TPWD); elsewhere, your state's fish and wildlife agency. Check before you keep a fish.
Sources
