Heritage Trout Challenge – Page 2 – Keep Calm and Fly Fish

In 2018 I completed my first California Heritage Trout challenge. This journey was by far one of the most memorable fly fishing experiences. I encourage all fly anglers in California to take the challenge and experience it for yourself. Not only do you get the feeling of accomplishment as an angler you also get an amazing printed certificate and an awesome old man hat.

My first heritage trout challenge was completed with:

Time: Time is perhaps everything when it comes to the trout challenge. You need it in order to start and finish. The majority of the trout species that qualify live hundreds of miles away from most urban areas meaning hours either driving, hiking, or perhaps both. Most of the qualifying species are open to angling all year round however be sure to always check regulations before heading out.

Summer is your best bet to attempt fishing for the heritage trout. Depending on the amount of snowpack within the year the seasonal runoff will usually run from May to June leaving the rest of the summer and early fall open to exploring. Drought years can be difficult due to lower than average flows therefore going earlier may be better than later.

Planning: The planning is probably half the fun of the heritage trout challenge. Not only is it good to know where you’ll be going but it can also be fun to learn more about the species you will be pursing.

Heritage trout are found in watersheds which means they can be found in more than one stream within a system. Having more than one stream on your list can go a long way if you are unable to find the fish you are looking for.

Pack for the long haul as you never know if you’ll need to stay a few extra hours or even an extra day to find the either the right or perfect fish. Having the right amount of snacks and other necessities can go a long way.

Resources: Here are a few sites and resources that I found invaluable to my first heritage trout challenge success.
DFG Heritage Trout Challenge -By definition the origin for all things California Heritage Trout. There is a great Angler’s Guide to the Heritage Trout Challenge PDF that gives you a bit of history for each trout and locations of where to find them.
Fly Fishing the Sierra – A great website for general information of different creeks and streams throughout the Sierras and Northern California.

The last species that I needed to complete my heritage trout challenge was a Goose Lake Redband Trout. These trout are endemic to the Goose Lake watershed. Goose Lake is a body of water that has had quite an interesting history. Goose Lake is a large shallow turbid alkaline lake that shares both the California and Oregon border. The lake is rarely full although there have been times in the past where it would fill and allow an abundance of Goose Lake Redbands to inhabit the lake. These fish are normally less than 8” however when they are able to travel into the lake freely they are known to get hefty up to 24”. The lake has also dried up in the past during severe droughts threatening both the fish and wildlife in the surrounding Goose Lake area. A trout that is able to survive in both extremes is truly amazing and I was looking forward to catching one.

Lassen Creek

The Warner Lakes Redband and the Goose Lake Redband inhabit waters just a few miles from each other however they are still considered separate sub-species. There are several streams that feed Goose Lake and the most well-known stream to catch a Goose Lake Redband is Lassen Creek on the eastern side of Goose Lake. The drive was nice and short which was much appreciated. As I drove on the route parallel to the stream I noticed a sign for Lassen Creek campground. Campgrounds are usually great places to wet some line therefore I settled there to try my luck.

More Small Stream Fly Fishing

Log Jam Pool

Lassen Creek is a decent sized small stream that appeared to be a more traditional stream with riffles, runs, and pools surrounded by overgrowth and vegetation. There appeared to be some stream work done years ago to improve the habitat for these fish. Log jams that created small pools could be found all throughout the creek in campground. This is where I spotted my first target, a decent size Goose Lake Redband cruising around in the pool. My first cast appeared to spook it a bit and I watched as it darted away only to make a quick U-turn and grab my dry fly. Fish on! My first California Heritage Trout Challenge completed.

First Goose Lake Redband

The Goose Lake Redband Trout was more beautiful than what I had seen from pictures on the internet. With a bright pink lateral line and several big blue parr marks, they were quite the sight to behold. I continued fishing and easily caught several more redbands that were equally as pretty.

My challenge had finally come to an end and I clocked in almost 700 miles of driving for all three of the heritage trout I caught. Truly and experience of a lifetime.