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Cutthroat grand slam
Post 20 Nov 2021, 22:32 • #1 
Guide
Joined: 12/21/17
Posts: 100
Location: US-MN
Since a lot of us are small stream enthusiasts with our glass rods was wondering if any of you Cutthroat trout junkies have caught all the sub species? I am most interested in the Paiute Trout. I pray I live long and healthy enough to fish a restored Silver King Creek someday. Does any one know how the little guys are doing in this drainage? Any forest fires in the system?


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Re: Cutthroat grand slam
Post 23 Nov 2021, 11:52 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/09/05
Posts: 2524
Location: US-CO
It is tough these days to find pure-strain cutthroats, although there are places for each. I have caught cutts of several different strains and I wish you luck in your effort!


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Re: Cutthroat grand slam
Post 24 Nov 2021, 17:06 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
I caught a couple of the Paiutes, in a stream where they were transplanted in 2017 -

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The Silver King Creek drainage was not legal to fish as of this past season. I don't know when the CA DFG will re-open it. There are several streams in the Sierra where they have been transplanted. Do a google search and look at maps. You will start to see how much effort is involved to get to some of these places. There are no trails that lead directly to them, and there may be a substantial amount of bushwhacking and/or cross-country travel. That's all I will say.

As you have probably read, California has experienced quite a bit of wildfire over the last several years. Some of these areas have no doubt been impacted. Wildfire season seems to start earlier each year. The last couple of years have seen periods in the late summer / early fall when all or almost all the CA national forests were closed due to ongoing wildfires and wildfire danger. Even if an area is open, the wildfire smoke situation can be quite unhealthy if the wind shifts. This doesn't lend itself well to advance trip planning.


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Re: Cutthroat grand slam
Post 26 Nov 2021, 20:00 • #4 
Guide
Joined: 12/21/17
Posts: 100
Location: US-MN
That is just awesome-thanks for sharing. I have been searching out the internet and found some transplant streams and yes it looks like quite a trip to some of these places. One reason Silver King re opening would be nice is maybe half the distance to hike and just the fact the fish are in their natural habitat. I read an account of some 1900s fishing reports were a couple of guys caught and kept over 1000 trout and found they had better success when using two or three hooks on a line. If the good habitat is still there and the stream can hold cool water in the summer why cant they come back? I did find a 2020 US Fish and Wildlife report on Silver King and it sounds they did some electro shocking on the tiny upper tributaries to Silver King and estimated one trib to have about 400 fish per mile which is good. These reports usually have some objective goal for managing fish or watersheds and it was nice to see one of the goals as having a catch and release fishery. The plan called to monitor the population every five years-so it looks this is going to take time.


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Re: Cutthroat grand slam
Post 27 Nov 2021, 12:01 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
I have no insider information, sorry.

The area does get a lot of traffic from horse packers. There is also the issue of people who either don't know the regulations, or don't care. Any area which is well known and easy to get to tends to go downhill quickly in this state. You learn that quickly around here.

As for fishing reports from the 1900's, I don't need to tell you that California's population has risen quite dramatically since then, not to mention the influence of the internet, fishing apps, social media, etc.

I never tell or post locations of anything these days. It's just a bad idea.


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Re: Cutthroat grand slam
Post 29 Nov 2021, 15:19 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 12/21/17
Posts: 100
Location: US-MN
I thank you for sharing what you did- Its all about finding the treasure anyway.


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Re: Cutthroat grand slam
Post 01 Dec 2021, 18:30 • #7 
Guide
Joined: 01/10/16
Posts: 186
Location: Parkersburg, WV
I've caught all but the coastal and the Humboldt, but I have been in streams containing both. I've been in the stream where the "extinct" Alvord was found; my partner caught one that appeared (genotypical) to be an Alvord but all I caught were Lahontans.

The Paiutes were fun! I first fished Silver King in 2010 and only caught rainbows. Thanks hose rainbows were fun because they were all high flyers. I don’t think I’ve ever fished a rainbow stream where they jumped liked that…most every one of them! I finally caught several on a solo birthday trip in 2012. That hike was 7 miles of trail, followed by another mile of off-trail but when I finally found them, they were several in every small pool. This hike was a warm-up for a day trip up Mt. Whitney to summit on my 45th birthday.

It's been a few years since I chased the little natives but I would love to find time to get back into it!

Chris


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Re: Cutthroat grand slam
Post 02 Dec 2021, 14:21 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
Wvbrookie, we are about the same age, and congrats on summiting Whitney (I went with a group via the mountaineer's route in spring 2004).

I've been going to the east side of the Carson-Iceberg since the early aughts, before I was interested in fishing. I usually go in late season, October-ish. I was last there in 2018. Here are a few shots.

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Posted near Silver King Creek
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The creek drainage is off-limits to fishing, but there is a lake with brookies that is legal.
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I think I caught this one on a red copper john
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Another lake -- I don't know if they poisoned this one or not, but I saw no sign of fish here
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A few shots of Silver King Creek. I think this is while they were still "sterilizing" the drainage of non-native fish.
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It was cold enough in some of the valleys by then that the smaller tributaries were frozen solid in places.
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It's a pretty place to visit in its own right.


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