Drive-by Trouting in the Gold Country
June 15, 2000
If you’re looking to do a little stream trout fishing, now’s not a bad time to head up into the high Sierra. While a lot of the back country is still snowed in, there is some very good water you can easily hit from the road. One good trek is the 49-50-89 circuit. I did it earlier this week — here’s what conditions are looking like right now:
Highway 49
From Auburn, get on Highway 49 and head south towards Placerville. In just a matter of minutes, you’ll be at the confluence (AKA “The Forks”), where you may find good enough action to keep you from going any farther. This time of year, both the North and South forks of the American tend to be pretty “big water,” so you’ll need to fish the edges and current seams out of the main flow. Try white Rooster Tails, No. 6 Panther Martins in red/yellow, No. 2-3 Mepps spinners, nightcrawlers or salmon eggs.
After a stop here, continue south on 49 until you get to Coloma. The DFG plants the South Fork American right in town, so you can probably find a few willing biters here as well. Unless you’re really spanking the fish, don’t spend a whole lot of time here — we’ve got a lot more ground to cover, folks. Keep following Highway 49 until you get to Placerville and then head east on Highway 50.
Highway 50
Just above Pollock Pines, Highway 50 and the South Fork of the American run parallel to one another for about 25 miles. There are numerous pull-outs along this stretch that afford easy access to the river. Right now, the river’s running a little high, but it’s definitely fishable. Later in the summer, the South Fork is a grand fly fishing stream, but when it’s on the high side, you’re better off fishing with hardware and bait. The same stuff you used down on the lower parts of the American will also work here. There’s lots of whitewater along the upper river, so look for slower pools and back eddies to fish. The water’s cold, so you have to remember that the fish won’t travel a great distance to grab your offering — you have to put it right on their noses. At Riverton, you can turn left on Ice House Road and fish Ice House and Union Valley reservoirs, along with several creeks, but I’ll save that side trip for another time.
Highway 89 South
A mile or two southwest of Meyers, you’ll hit the turnoff for Highway 89 south. That will take you along the Upper Truckee River for awhile, but resist the temptation to fish it. All tributaries to Lake Tahoe are closed to fishing until July. At the bottom of the hill after Luther Pass, you’ll cross the West Fork Carson River. This is a beautiful stream and water conditions are perfect right now. When you first encounter the river, it’s flowing through scenic Hope Valley and has lots of classic trout water — nice runs, swift glides and some deep holes. Pick your poison here — nymphs like Hare’s Ears, AP’s and PT’s will all work for fly rodders, while spinners, worms and eggs are good choices for spin-casters. Be advised, this area gets pounded pretty hard by anglers, so you’ll have to be crafty to hook up.
From Sorensens to Woofords, the West Carson tumbles through a steep canyon. There’s a ton of white, frothing water in that section, but you can do well with a worm with a splitshot plunked into the little pockets of slower water behind boulders and logs. At Markleeville, turn right onto Hot Springs Road and follow it to Grover Hot Springs State Park. For $4 you can soak your aching rod arm (and the rest of your body) in the hot springs pool there, or for free, wander down into the valley and fish Hot Springs Creek, which is a delightful trout stream that tumbles out of some of the most beautiful country you’ll ever lay eyes on.
After a stint at the hot springs, continue south on Highway 89 and you’ll soon see the Markleeville Campground on your left. You can fish Markleeville Creek from there, which is a sweet stream with some nice fish in it. Right now, it’s probably your best bet in the area because it’s flowing at the perfect height for trout fishing. Another mile or so down the road is the East Fork of the Carson, which is home to some quality cutthroat trout. It seems like I always hit it wrong, however. This week, it was still running pretty high with a little color to it. Fishable, but not ideal. The last time I was up there, I spent a couple days rafting from 89 bridge to Gardnerville. It had rained the night before, and the water was liquid chocolate the whole trip…I never even made a cast.
These waters are, of course, just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This area is blessed with a zillion streams and lakes that serve up good trout fishing. So, get out there and check ‘em out.
Comments
Got something to say?