An angler might wonder; what will one of Trout Unlimited’s restoration projects do to the fishing? It’s a valid question. At times we work with contractors to add numerous logs (or even full trees) and woody debris in a stream to make the habitat more complex. We break up long, straight riffle sections with j-hook rock structures to slow down the flow and create deeper holding water. We…
For the California Golden Trout, even minor levels of meadow degradation have big impacts on resident populations.
The bends and pools with undercut banks were clearly defined. Walking up carefully to the first of likely spots I saw maybe 40 to 50 very clearly defined California goldens. Their hallmark par-marks and crisp lines were clear as day.
California golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita) Species summary and status: The state fish of California, California golden trout once occupied about 450 miles of stream habitat in the upper South Fork Kern River and the adjacent Golden Trout Creek. Currently, the trout is native only to two high-altitude watersheds in California’s rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains. The…