By Bud Neville

The kayak glided from churning white water into a glassy pool, the bottom dropping off into clear-blue-green depths. As I neared the back edge of the pool, the bottom sloped up. Here was where the trout were. At least six or seven large shadows darted past, spooked by the boat overhead.

For about the tenth time, I cursed myself for leaving the fishing rod at home. I was floating the lower Rubicon River, just above Oxbow Lake and the stream's confluence with the American River. Since I'd never floated this section of the river before, I didn't want to bring the rod along. After all, I wasn't even sure if there were any trout in this section, and if the water was too big, I'd take the chance of losing the gear. This trip, I'd have to be satisfied with watching the trout, which ranged in size up to 2 or 3 pounds.

If you're planning to join the annual Jeep Jamboree on the Rubicon Trail, don't forget to bring your fishing rod. The Rubicon River is only one reason to have rod in hand. There are dozens of streams and lakes in the region that offer great opportunities for the angler.

In most cases, the target gamefish here are trout. With elevations from 3500 feet upwards to 8000 feet, and most waters fed by snow melt, the cool flows are perfect for native rainbows as well as introduced browns and sometimes brook trout.

The rainbows are mostly native fish in the streams. There are some planted rainbows in the South Fork of the American River around Coloma and upstream, but all the smaller streams--and there are many--have held rainbows for hundreds of years. Though a good-sized fish is a 12- to 14-incher, there is a good chance of catching fish up to 5 and 6 pounds. 

If you fish one of the lakes, you can do even better. Nearby Hell Hole and French Meadows both host trophy quality brown trout, and Hell Hole has mackinaw (lake trout), too. If you're going to be serious about the lake fishing, you'll need to bring your boat. A car-topper will do, but a pair of downriggers is helpful during the summer months. 

Hitting the Streams

All you need for stream fishing is a rod, pair of tennis shoes, and shorts. You'll be doing some wading, but waders aren't recommended due to the warm temperatures and the hiking you'll be doing to get down or up to the best fishing.

That's the key...to get away from the roads and easy access. Almost any significant stream holds trout, so looking at a Forest Service (El Dorado National Forest) map and heading for a bridge crossing is a good way to get started. Usually, there are pull offs near theses bridges. You can flip a coin--heads upstream, tails down. Walk at least 100 yards before starting to fish.

If you prefer a fly rod, a shorter model is best. A 6- to 7-foot length is about as long as you'll want with some of these brushy streams. Use a floating line and 7 feet of leader tapering to 2-pound test. These waters were made for dry fly fishing, with short rapid runs ending at deep pools or runs. The fish will hold at the heads of the pools, or at the tail-outs when boulders offer cover. Top patterns include caddis and stonefly imitations, most attractor dries, and various terrestrial imitations like ants and beetles. Streamers can be very effective in smaller hook sizes, and one of my favorites is a Muddler Minnow. 

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Anglers who like a spinning outfit should go ultra-light. You'll have a blast catching the hard-fighting natives. Even the 10- to 12-inchers will tear up a small pool. Line size should be 2- or 4-pound test. A top lure for these streams is a Roostertail spinner. Other favorites include Panther Martins, Mepp's Aglias, and Thunderbugs. 

I personally favor lures over bait because you don't have to pack a worm carton or cricket cage with you, and you can quickly cover water with a spinner. The fish also can be easily released (you might want to change out the treble hook with a single hook if the lure's construction allows, or pinch down the barbs to make releasing easier). Trout will often swallow bait, and releasing the fish unhurt can be difficult. 

There are times when bait is the only thing that will work. If you find the fish particularly finicky one day, you might try to catch a caddis larva--they are the insects that make the gravel or stick shell and crawl around on the bottom of the stream. Drifting one of these morsels at the head of a pool with a split shot to weight it down generally will catch even the smartest trout.

Lake Fishing

Top fishing lakes in the region include French Meadows and Hell Hole. There are several small, high-country lakes up in the Granite Chief and Desolation Wilderness areas, too, but these are a different kind of beast. For the larger reservoirs, the best action comes for those with boats.

At French Meadows, you'll find kokanee, brown trout, and rainbow trout. The lake is planted with rainbows, and you can generally do well fishing from shore for a day or so after the plant. For kokanee, you'll need to drop down to 15 to 30 feet of water, depending on the time of day and the fish; a Vance's Tackle Sockeye Slammer, Needlefish, or Kokanee Bug will get the strikes. These lures will also work on the trout in the lake, but if you want to go for the bigger fish, nothing beats a Rapala. Rainbow, perch, fire tiger, and good ol' black and silver are top colors. The Rapala will catch holdover rainbows and lunker browns. For a quicker limit of smaller trout, a flasher like the Ford Fender followed by a nightcrawler is a good bet.

Hell Hole has all the fish that French Meadows does, plus mackinaw. This lake is definitely a boater's bet. Steep shorelines and a lack of roads--except one to the launch ramp at the dam area--puts the shore angler at a definite disadvantage. Use the same gear that works at French Meadows.

The high-country lakes can be fished with float tube and fly rod or spinning gear. Fly bubbles are great, too. Top patterns are attractors like the Black Gnat, Mosquito, Royal Coachman, and streamers like the Woolly Bugger and Leech. Small spinners, the same ones that work in the streams, are also good for spinning gear. One of the top lures for small lakes is the Kastmaster. You can cast a 1/8-ounce silver Kastmaster a long ways with 2-pound test line...so if you don't have a float tube, you can still reach the fish. Most of these lakes are behind the boundaries of the wilderness areas, so you'll have to hike to reach them. Trailheads exist at the head of French Meadows, in Grayhorse Valley, and at the headwaters of Hell Hole Reservoir (accessible by boat).

Any major camping trip involves plenty of gear, but if you're planning to run the Rubicon this year, make sure your fishing tackle is part of your outfit.

For more information on this and other Jeep Jamborees, please visit http://www.jeepunpaved.com/jamboree/index.asp. 

Photos by Bud Neville.
Copyright (c) 2000 by Bud Neville. All rights reserved.