Lahontan and Other Trout Stories

[ski3pin]

Here's a story that matters. It's a story about a trout.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Great fish, excellent story that needs to be told and supported.

 

[fish more]

Heenan Lake fish hatchery on Monitor Pass has produced over 150,000 Lahontan cuttroat trout and are planted in both California and Nevada.( Lets hope the fire doesn't affect the hatchery) And of course Pyramid Lake is the home of the monsters! At one time the Lahontan trout was the strain in Lake Tahoe primarily, only to be over fished in the early days.

 

[XJINTX]

Thanks for the post! So glad there are organizations and people out there that are pushing these alternatives to extinction!!! Good for all of them!!!! Good for the species!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

If you want to fish and catch some nice size Lahontan trout Heenan lake is an easy place to go.
Not sure what this year will be like there with low rain fall and the fire just passing through.
I have fished there in very low water years and not much fun with all the thread algae on the lake.
But that's where the food lives for the fish.

I have fished there since the early 80s when it opened up for fishing.
It's a very restrictive lake catch/release only. No bait, flies or lures only.
A small boat (kayak/canoe) allowed.Electric motors only and only open
weekends, Labor day weekend through last weekend in October.

A fun place to sit in a float tube and watch nature around you while you
cast for the "big one".
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

The headwaters of the Upper Truckee River in Alpine County's Meiss Meadow is also a restored home waters for the Lahontan. It is open to catch and release single barbless hook fishing. Check the regulations. It is a beautiful meandering high mountain meadow stream. Fill out the angler report at the end of your day.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Also the East fork of the Carson has them.
Down stream from the Deadmans bridge on hwy 89
just before Markleyville has them but catch/release.

Great fish to have on a 4w fly rod.
Frank

 

[teledork]

Bull Lake in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness has a self sustaining population of Lahontans. I've spent a couple of mornings at the inlet stream. I never met the resident bear.

Those in charge have been trying to restore Lahontans to Mill Creek (flows through the town of Walker) but I cannot say I have ever seen a single fish anywhere along that stream. One year Fish and Game planted Lahontans in the W Walker - I don't know if they continued the practice. The Lahontans are going to be outcompeted by the planted Rainbows all the time, the locals went into an absolute tizzy and, as is the typical political practice in these parts, spread a rumor that F&G intended to poison the W Walker' plant Lahontans, and outlaw fishing. The public meeting was quite well attended. Law enforcement nearly outnumbered interested citizens. It is not known if those who sent the death threats were present but no matter what was said by F&G it was revoltingly clear that the locals were more attached to being pissed off than listening.

By Day Creek near Bridgeport is reported to have a "pure" genetic strain which was common to the Walker Basin.

And then we have a local "fishing guide" whose brochure talks about "targeting" LCT and PCT. There are not many places one can fish for Lahontans (LCT) and it is not legal to fish for Paiutes (PCT) anywhere. All it takes to be a licensed guide is some paperwork and a fee to the state. I've tried to talk to the guy but it seems he does not care.

 

[teledork]

Also the East fork of the Carson has them.
Down stream from the Deadmans bridge on hwy 89
just before Markleyville has them but catch/release.

Great fish to have on a 4w fly rod.
Frank

Yup. Those 16 - 18 inchers in Bull Lake were caught on a 4 weight. And one was caught by a large Labrador Retriever. He dropped it at my feet and I returned it to the water along with the rest of them - not a mark on it.

 

[ski3pin]

I am saddened each time we stop in Walker and see the brochures asking for donations for more trout stocking. Why do they want to pollute good waters with factory fish? To help understand my view, here is a good read -

An Entirely Synthetic Fish: How Rainbow Trout Beguiled America and Overran the World

We can do better.

 

[teledork]

I am saddened each time we stop in Walker and see the brochures asking for donations for more trout stocking. Why do they want to pollute good waters with factory fish? To help understand my view, here is a good read -

An Entirely Synthetic Fish: How Rainbow Trout Beguiled America and Overran the World

We can do better.

The businesses in town believe they are making their living off of this fish. I've asked the county for numbers of tourist dollars vs property tax and I don't get any answer.

But yeah - as I mentioned above the town had a conniption with the thought of putting Lahontans back in their home water. One man stated that they were "awful" fish. When I asked why he said "they don't fight".

edit to add: I don't support the local fish fund. My late husband helped them stock the mythical Alpers (wanna talk about a synthetic fish?) because he was the only person who was willing to get in the river instead of simply tossing the fish from the bank into spring waters. There still were a lot of casualties. He'd bring them home and we'd eat them.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

An interesting read is Native Trout of North America, by Robert H Smith. Bob was a member of Rogue Flyfishers, and an acquaintance late in his life. His book gives perspective to the numbers of species and sub species of trout/char that populated our waters, and what is being lost. Another good book is Bob Boehnke’s Native Trout of Western North America

 

[ski3pin]

Although not about the Lahontan, here is another excellent Trout Unlimited film -

 

[ski3pin]

"They are telling us a story, all we have to do is ask."

 

[ski3pin]

Another Trout Unlimited Project -