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Stream via PATREON or CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE.
DVD: How to Fly Fish with a Spinning Rod
DVD: Trout Streams of the Tetons
DVD: Trout Streams of Michigan, U.P. West
DVD: Trout Streams of North Carolina, West
DVD: Trout Streams of Virginia
DVD: Trout Streams of Southwest Wisconsin, North
Send Email to: CoppersmithStudios@gmail.com
Coppersmith Studios PresentsI will be posting a lot more videos of trout streams of Central California, including Yosemite National Park, throughout the year.
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WATCH MILL CREEK Mill Creek in California's Inyo National Forest is one of the most scenic little brook trout streams I've ever fished. And I've fished a lot of streams. This area is in the Eastern Sierras. The publicly accessible section is upstream of Lundy Lake. Snowmelt from perennial snow fields along the Sheperd Crest provide a steady supply of cold water. There are several places to park and a trail that follows the stream up into the canyon. There were a lot of people hiking the trail which didn't surprise me as this whole area looked really nice. Oddly I didn't see anyone else fishing the stream. Small flies are recommended to prevent spooking the fish in this ultra clear water. |
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WATCH MIDDLE FORK STANISLAUS RVR, LOWER The Stanislaus watershed in central California has a lot of trout fishing opportunities. It is said the best area for large, wild trout would be the lower portion of the Middle Fork Stanislaus River. That section begins downstream of Beardsley Lake and permits fishing with artificial flies and lures only. The best access is at the USFS Sandbar Flat campground. I should warn you the drive there is thru a long, twisting and confusing forest road. It is not easy to find. The river at the campground is a bit slow and deep. There is a trail running a few miles upstream and I recommend you hike a ways to get to better water. After half a mile the river starts looking like prime wild trout water. Most of the fish here are said to be brown and rainbow trout with an occasional brook trout. |
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WATCH WEST WALKER RIVER, CA The West Walker River is a major trout stream in the Eastern Sierras portion of California. On this day I was fishing the lower section which flows along side Hwy 395. There are a number of camp grounds and pull-outs along the highway and a lot of people fish it so it is well stocked throughout the season. Some of the stocked trout are the large Alpers rainbow variety. Some parts of the stream flow thru a turbulent canyon area but other sections are slower and easier to fish and wade. |
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WATCH VIRGINIA CREEK, CA Virginia Creek drains the popular Virginia Lakes region. After crossing Virginia Creek Road it flows thru a canyon alongside Hwy 395 and then enters the Bridgeport Reservoir which is part of the East Walker River watershed. The lower portion is stocked but other areas are difficult to access and hold wild trout. |
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WATCH BRIDALVEIL CREEK, CA Bridalveil Creek, in California's Yosemite National Park, offers fishing for brown trout, brook trout and a few rainbow trout. Access is from Glacier Point Road. There is a campground nearby and better success may be had if you walk a ways from the campground. Most people know Bridalveil by the spectacular waterfall it forms while falling into Yosemite valley. Farther up in the mountains it is a relatively quiet stream. There is a trail following it upstream. The 5 mile section below Glacier Point Road is not followed by a trail and is a bit rugged but there is one trail that crosses that section. If you're going to fish Bridalveil Creek, if you have not already done so I recommend to drive a few miles further and stop to see the Glacier Point overlook. With a view of half dome, Yosemite Valley, and several waterfalls, this might possibly be the best view in all of North America. |
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WATCH CHILNUALNA CREEK & FALLS, CA Chilnualna Creek in Yosemite National Park, California offers fishing for wild rainbow trout. A trail follows the stream but there are cliffs and rugged terrain along the way. A hike of 4 miles and 2,400' elevation gain will bring you to a stream crossing near a spectacular set of waterfalls. Fishing is good here and reported to be good above the falls. I did some climbing and found the action to also be good in the lower section. The rainbows aren't large but are vividly colored and fun to catch. There is a trailhead for parking near the end of Chilnualna Road. While I saw many other people hiking along the trail I didn't notice anyone fishing other than myself. |
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WATCH ILLILOUETTE CREEK, CA Illilouette Creek in California's Yosemite National Park is a great place to catch lots of small rainbow trout on a dry fly. No roads cross Illiloutte Creek so you'll need to hike a couple miles to get to it. I choose the Mono Meadow trail which gets to the creek with a steep 2 mile hike. Most of the people who use this trail tend to be backpackers. The trail is well maintained but there is one marshy spot where you might get your feet wet. About half way thru you cross Mono Creek. This small high gradient stream has a few small rainbow trout but the fishing is better on Illilouette. When you arrive at the stream the trail fords the creek. There is another trail that follows Illilouette upstream and downstream. A couple miles downstream of this point is the scenic Illilouette Falls which would be easier to reach from the Panoramic Trail off Glacier Point. I've heard rumors of golden-rainbow trout hybrids in the stream. All of the trout I caught looked like just rainbow trout. Perhaps if I had gone further upstream I would have encountered some goldens. I didn't see anyone else fishing this day. I didn't see any day hikers either, just several groups of backpackers. Overall I thought Illilouette Creek was a really fun little stream to fish. |
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WATCH UPPER MERCED RIVER, CA The Merced River is the main stream of Yosemite National Park. The upper portion can only be accessed by a long hike. For the first 4 miles the river here contains trout but is turbulent and surrounded by rugged terrain. Above Nevada Falls at Little Yosemite Valley the land flattens out a little and fishing is easier with rainbow abundant and some brown trout present. The trails leading up here are crowded and steep so don't do it unless you're in good shape. Despite the many people hiking thru this area I didn't see anyone else fishing, nor did I see anyone on the trail carrying fishing gear. Camping overnight in the backcountry is possible with a permit and would allow a lot more time to fish. |
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WATCH LOWER MERCED RIVER, CA The Merced River flows for about 10 miles thru Yosemite Valley. This part of the stream gets a lot of pressure. Seeing as how the stream is not stocked and contains only wild rainbow and brown trout these fish get an education and can be tough to catch. I recommend avoiding the slower sections and fish the turbulent areas, which are common and generally produce better action. Most of the fish you catch will be rainbows with an occasional brown trout under 10 inches but there are a few brown trout in the deeper pools over 20 inches. A wading staff is a good idea. The Merced River in Yosemite Valley provided a fun and scenic experience and we caught a bunch of trout too. And despite the rumors of heavy fishing pressure we didn't encounter any other anglers on the section we fished. |
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WATCH SF MERCED RIVER, CA The South Fork Merced River is a long trout stream flowing along the southern portion of California's Yosemite National Park. While the middle portion runs past a campground and follows a road the lower and upper sections run thru remote and difficult to access wilderness. There are a couple trails that cross the upper section but they do not follow it. The lower section is known to run thru a rugged canyon that is rumored to hold some good sized brown trout. The upper section holds mostly rainbow and a few brook trout. On this day we were fishing the more easily accessible middle section. Here you will find mostly rainbows and an occasional brown trout. Except for the area near the campground the south fork does not get a lot of fishing pressure. |