The last week has consisted of a lot of driving. It took two days to make it to Porterville, the gateway to the Golden Trout Wilderness. Ten to 12 years ago I caught three heritage species in three days: the Little Kern Golden Trout; the Kern River Rainbow; and the California Golden Trout.
This year I drove from Porterville to the Golden Trout Wilderness on three separate days, catching zero fish (but had some California Golden Trout missed rises). Day 1, I made the mistake of not having the California map downloaded on my OsmAnd app on my phone. I was literally lost in the wilderness and trying to find Peppermint Campground (home of the Kern River Rainbow), and the road to Click’s Creek (home of the Little Kern Golden Trout). I drove back to Porterville to download the California Map and head back int the next day.
(2nd Day) It turned out that the road to Click’s Creek was a right turn at the closed section of 190 (M90). Ten plus years ago I drove to the end of the road, walked down a trail for about 50 yards, and in two casts I landed a Little Kern Golden Trout. It turns out the road, and area were closed about 5 miles from the creek due to a fire in 2020. There was no way I could physically hike in, so it looked like (and was) that I would not be able to catch a Little Kern Golden Trout on this quest.
Next Stop, Upper Peppermint Disperse Area as the road to the Upper Peppermint Campground is closed. A man, who appeared angry, had set his camp site right by the road that leads to a 100 yard section of Peppermint Creek. However, there was a trail down to a two-hole section and I took the easy route. I poked hoppers and Elk Hair Caddis flies into the fishable areas with no success. Heading back up to the car I had a hard time making it up a 30 yard moderate incline. Oops, I’m in worse shape now than when I started. Hiking down to the river and back did not seem possible. Headed back to Porterville to regroup.
(Day 3) My goal for today was to make it into the Golden Trout Wilderness to Fish Creek, the location that I caught lots of little California Golden Trout more than a decade ago. Driving to Johnsondale I took the Sherman Pass Road over the mountains to a one mile plus meadow that held Fish Creek. I got my gear on and hiked down to the closest pool. I tossed in my hopper, let it sit, and soon got a strike but no hookup. I was able to see an 8-inch trout slowly swimming away from my fly and just hanging around the bottom of the pool.
After scaring all the fish in the pool, I walked to a second pool (DFG had 4-inch logs pounded into the streambed, lined with sticks to create man made beaver ponds). Absolutely no luck at the second pond. I moved back to the first pond only to get responses by fish too small to get caught. And then, I ran out of energy.
I needed 3 trout from California to win the first medallion from the Western Native Trout Challenge. However, I’m too out of shape to catch fish and I need to prioritize my health. So, back home I go without successfully completing the quest. Just for now. I’ll be back.
Tight Lines!