December 2022 - 23

(Photo by Patrick Clayton)
Myth or truth - are golden trout tough to catch?
For many anglers catching a golden trout is on
their bucket list. Golden trout aren't as abundant
as other trout species such as brook, brown, cutthroat
and rainbow. They also are found mostly in
high-altitude lakes and streams that aren't easy
to get to, and anglers don't have a long window
each year to get to those places.
But once you find a place with golden trout,
are they hard to catch? It depends on who you
talk to.
" I went after them in the Wind River Mountains
one time and the experience I had was it
was hard to get to them, but once you did you
could catch a good number of them, " said Nick
Eglseder, Game and Fish senior fish culturist at
the Story Hatchery, which is home to the only
genetically pure golden trout broodstock in the
world. " I caught quite a few on a fly rod and
quite a few using a spinning rod and spinner. I
caught two different year classes - the 7-inch
size and 13-inch size. Maybe the bigger ones
are more skittish. "
Skittish, finicky, elusive ... all words anglers
use to describe what it's like to catch golden
trout. But is that true? Eglseder didn't seem to
have many problems catching goldens, but a
lot of this trout's habitat lends to bigger challenges
for anglers. The water is clear so stealth
is important for anglers not to spook fish.
Tom Reed, who writes the Wild Country Dispatch
column for Wyoming Wildlife, wrote an
article on golden trout in the July 2002 magazine.
Reed wrote about a trip to a lake in the
Wind River Mountains where " even the slightest
disturbance, such as a well-cast fly line, will send
the fish scurrying for cover. "
However, that same scenario can hold true
for any trout in those environments.
Whether or not golden trout are hard to catch
may be subjective. If you find a place where
there are good numbers of fish, you likely will
have some success.
Reed had success during his quest for goldens
more than 20 years ago. He wrote that he saw
goldens in the 20-inch range by the inlet, and
caught and released about six in an afternoon
using flies.
" Be sneaky, be stealthy and go small, " wrote
Reed on how to catch goldens. " I've caught more
golden trout on tiny flies than any other trout.
" Other times, though, goldens will hit lures
and larger flies. This is particularly true right
after ice-out in the early evening. "
Steve Diekema, Story Hatchery Superintendent,
has seen the golden trout broodstock
program through its beginning. He also likes
to fish, and has fished for golden trout - but
hasn't caught one. Diekema said he's only tried
for goldens in the Bighorn Mountains.
" They can be difficult to catch at times, " he
said. " Sometimes you time it right and you catch
the tar out of them, but other times you don't
even see one. "
Diekema added the quest for golden trout is
more than landing a fish.
" The No. 1 thing is your journey to them, "
he said. " There might be a couple of places in
Wyoming you can drive to, but typically you're
going to backpack or go in on horseback to get
to them. By doing that you're going to see some
spectacular scenery and country. "
- By Robert Gagliardi
Spinning gear is an effective way to catch golden trout, along with fly-fishing. (Photo by Patrick Owen/WGFD)
Wyoming Wildlife | 23

December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2022