Tenkara above Tuolumne

[Simon Weiss]

I just got a 12' Tenkara rod, a handful of flies from my local store, and have practiced some casting. I'm new to fly-fishing and don't know the gestations or kinds of bugs that exist where I'm going.

Next weekend I'm heading up around Young Lakes, north of Tioga Road, in Yosemite. There are various small lakes and smaller streams up there.

1) have people had success in this area?
2) an particular lakes/streams seem to demonstrate real success?
3) what kinds of flies should I bring?
4) any other advice to the novice?

thanks!

[Andy Berner]

Ive always found that when I go some where out of town to stop at the local fly shop and just ask those basic questions.

[Bob Gross]

There aren't any local fly shops in Tuolumne Meadows, or, in fact, inside Yosemite National Park. If you go east out of the park, you might possibly find a fly shop in Lee Vining, but at least you will find local knowledge there.

Yosemite National Park does not stock fish, and it is very difficult for fish to get naturally to those high lakes and streams. They are there, though.

Figure out the places where people camp, and then don't try to fish there.

–B.G.–

[David W.]

Here is an excellent site that may help you with choosing flies to bring for the Tuolumne Meadows Area Tuolumne

I have taken Daniel G's (Tenkara USA founder) advice and stuck with just a couple of flys and concentrated more on fly presentation rather than selection. Learning to read a steam and present the fly has been my biggest challenge. I have almost exclusively fished with a Parachute Adams and been pleased with the results.

Here is a list of fly shops in the area. I think you will find that most will be more helpful in person rather than over the phone.
Fly Shops

Have a good trip.

[Bob Gross]

I led a backpacking group up to Young Lakes one time. We got there in one day, and then on the layover day, groups of us spread out for dayhikes. I was up on Mount Conness, and another leader took a group up to Roosevelt Lake. When there, they ran into a fisherman who had been out on his own for too long. He had left Tioga Pass with five days worth of food. There he was fishing at Roosevelt Lake, and it was his eighth or ninth day, and he was out of food. He had a small string of caught fish, but he was getting sick of only fish. The fisherman followed that group back to our camp at Young Lakes and he asked us if we would trade some of our normal food for some of his fish. OK. We kind of felt sorry for the guy. So, that night we had a meal with trout pieces on the side. After dark, I was tidying up camp to make sure that everything was kosher before the bears made their nightly romp through. On the edge of camp, I found a large bag of fresh fish guts. That is totally unacceptable. I woke up the fisherman, gave him a small shovel, and told him to bury the fish guts out in the woods someplace. Having fish guts laying around like that would have brought in the bears from all around.

–B.G.–

[Simon Weiss]

Bob – thanks for the advice. I will head to my local fly fishing shop (in SF) to see if the people there have any first-hand experience in this area. Otherwise I'll likely follow David's approach and worry less about the fly and more on technique. I just want to make sure I'm in the general ballpark with my choice of species.

That's quite a story you have about meeting the fisherman up above Tuolumne. Those fish guts are about as negligent as I can imagine being. I wonder what other damage that fisherman did that you didn't catch.

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