For a certain breed of fly fisherman, the primary goal of a fishing trip lies in experiencing a reconnection with the natural order of the wild and a chance to revel in the primal beauty of uncivilized landscapes. While this fisherman may enjoy hauling twenty-inch rainbows from beneath a suburban dam within arms reach of his car, he ultimately prefers a day lost among evergreens and columbine, luring colorful twelve-inch beauties from clear mountain waters where a lone foraging black bear provides the only audience for miles around.

For this type of exploratory angler a backcountry trip into the High Sierras of California is an absolute must. Here one can chase the ghost of John Muir through redwood and cedar groves, natural gardens of rare wildflowers, majestic valleys high above civilization, and deep into the alpine wilderness where the trout are extremely plentiful and receive very little fishing pressure. With solitude guaranteed, it is also here that anglers are free to pursue their best chance at the California Grand Slam: one rainbow, one brown, one brook, and one golden trout.

Location

Roughly speaking, the High Sierra can be defined as the alpine region above 8,000 feet that is nearly twenty miles wide and stretches from the Golden Trout Wilderness above Kernville, through Sequoia National Park and King’s Canyon, and north to Yosemite. This country is only accessible in the summer, and even then only by backpack or pack train. Because this range courses through several large national parks, there are numerous trailheads from which a backcountry trip may be launched. No matter which starting point one chooses, the same ground rules apply to all backcountry expeditions.

Rods
As the trails climb and red paintbrush gives way to larkspur and leopard-lilies, the fishable water will change from pocket water and plunge pools to meandering meadow streams and small sapphire lakes. In the backcountry there are literally hundreds of streams and lakes to explore. To fish this mountain paradise a four piece, 5-weight rod will work perfectly. Two or three piece rods are too long to make for easy hiking. Since the waters are as clear as they come, start with 5x tippet and move to 6x when necessary. Because High Sierra trout rely largely on blow-in food sources, and rarely see artificial flies, they are quick to scarf up nearly any well-presented pattern and it is not unusual to hook and release thirty fish in one good hour.

Flies
One of the great attractions to the High Sierra is the variety of fishable water. Anglers need to be adaptable to the conditions, ready to use many different tactics, and come equipped with an assortment of dry flies, nymphs, streamers, and terrestrials. At the middle elevations, larger rivers, such as the south fork of the King’s River, flow fast and free until early autumn. Here bushy flies like the Royal Wulff are deadly in the fast currents where feisty rainbows like to feed. Continue the fly’s swing into the calmer eddies and pockets and one will find the bulldogging brown trout that usually grow to larger sizes than the rainbows. Caddis flies are the mainstay of Sierra middle elevations and good hatches occur daily as the summer sun begins to set.

Strategy and Tactics
As the elevation climbs the feeder streams become narrow, shallow, and crystal clear. The banks are usually wooded until one rises above the tree line. Stealthy approaches to these small streams are critical, as is a working knowledge of the roll cast. Presentation is usually more important than specificity of pattern in the High Sierra. Once holding trout are spotted in the small streams, the best tactic is to situate oneself upstream and dead-drift nymphs or wet flies downstream to the trout. When the fly has almost reached the quarry, smoothly impart a rising motion by lifting the rod and more often than not a colorful brookie or rainbow will take a quick gulp. A gentle setting of the hook is all that’s required, and a thumb-lip grip will ensure that the game trout returns unharmed to its aquatic home.

As the streams flow down the mountains they invariably tumble over rock or log structures as they change levels and this often leads to the formation of small to large waterfalls. The constant pounding of the falling water forms a plunge pool beneath these waterfalls, as the erosion from the water’s power carves out a sometimes deceptively deep bowl and provides great feeding habitat for mountain trout. Usually a foam lid will stretch out from the point where the water splashes down into the pool. Tying on a streamer or weighted nymph (maybe even a split shot or two) and casting it into the foam is the best tactic for fishing plunge pools. Stealth is not nearly as essential when positioning oneself to cast to a plunge pool, as the foam lid will usually hide the angler from keen trout vision.

Begin by casting to the edges of the foam lid, and progress into the heart of the pool. The fly will quickly be carried deep into the pool from where it can be retrieved in short strips through the prime location back into the calm tail-out of the pool. Often plunge pools are surrounded be trees and rocks, and for this reason a steeple cast, with its high, skyward backcast, will often be the best option.

High Country
Above the tree-line, one will begin to encounter the innumerable brilliant lakes of the high country. When many anglers hear the word “lake”, their thoughts turn to sinking lines and heavy flies, but these tactics are unnecessary in the High Sierra.

The lakes are generally shallow in depth and hold a great many foraging trout that rely on blow-in food sources for much of their diet. The extreme clarity of these lakes also allows the angler to easily spot foraging trout circling the perimeters of the lakes’ bank structures which usually occurs early in the morning or just prior to dusk. Casting ahead of foraging trout and fishing a streamer such as a Woolly Bugger into their path will often generate a strike. Fishing the banks with dry flies is also highly effective, especially if one can find a pocket of water that is protected from the wind by an outcropping of rock or other structure. Trout in these lakes will often hide right under the banks just waiting for a bug to blow in and splat on the surface. Presentation is the key, but cricket and ant patterns are well suited for this type of lake fishing.

What to Bring
-Combining dehydration with high elevation can produce disastrous results, so always have water on hand and drink it all day long
-Internal-frame pack with a sleeping bag compartment and several other isolated pockets for ease of use
-Tent and sleeping bag rated down to at least twenty degrees, zero degrees if you chill easily

-Any modern water filter that is effective against Giardia (you can drink all the mountain stream water you desire)
-Gatorade packets or tea bags for when your taste buds rebel
-A small backpacking stove and two small gas canisters in case one leaks or fails
-Bear-proof can, but if you do not wish to buy one, all backpacking permit stations rent them for between $15 and $25/trip. Into the bear-proof can goes your sunscreen, chapstick, toothpaste, bug spray, dehydrated foods of your choice, and any other scented items you decide to bring
-A small bottle of hot sauce is great for spicing up dehydrated meals and upping your water intake at the same time
-Cheese, beef jerky, and assorted nuts are also great sources of protien
-A small bottle of olive oil, a bulb of garlic, salt, and pepper will allow you to fry up tasty lunches of trout which may also be enhanced by the rampant allium (wild onion) that grows in the mountains
-Wicking shirts are highly recommended, as are pants with zip-off legs
-One warm fleece and a light rain jacket- the cool relief of short mountain storms is a given in the afternoons

-Leave the waders and wading boots at home, and invest in a sturdy pair of high-top leather hiking boots along with two pair of thick hiking socks, and two pair of thin wicking under-socks
-A backpacker should always have a small first aid kit with band-aids, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide
-Roll of toilet paper and a spade (latrines should be dug at least two feet deep)
-Compass and map of the hiking region
-Lighter and/or waterproof matches, and several bandanas or rags

Additional Information
Before starting out on your forty-mile backcountry journey it is important to acclimate your body to the high elevation. For this reason, camping one night at a medium level of elevation (4,000 to 6,000 ft.) prior to taking off on your uphill climb is highly advised.

Backcountry permits are purchased on a first come/ first serve basis at ranger stations in all the various parks.

Maps Park Info