Yesterday I finally got to check one of my goal fish for this year off of my list. A budy and I made the trip up to some high mountain lakes near Mackay, and we fished Golden Lake. The trip in was pretty rediculous, it was all the way at the top of mount doom, but in the end it was worth it. We got there and after setting up camp, I went down to the lake and it was so clear that not only could I see the fish, I could see the colors on them enough to tell that they were the right kind. They appeared to be eating mosquitoes, so I tied on the smallest dry that I had with me, about a size 18 BWO parrachute, and started casting in front of the cruising fish. The first couple refused my offering, but then a "big" male came up and ate it. I managed to contain myself enough to hesitate just a bit for a good hook set, and I had tied into my very first Golden Trout! That one fish made all the long trip worth it (I caught several after that too). The colors were amazing. The picture doesn't quite do it justice, but it comes close. The great fishing, combined with the crazy scenery made this one of my favorite camping trips ever!
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Wow that is awsome. How far of a hike was that?
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It was six miles in to the lake but there is a 4 wheeler trail there, I wouldn't want to hike it, it's uphill the whole way and the last two miles or so would have given me at least one heart attack they were so steep. That said it was probably the worst 4 wheeler trail I've been on. It was very rocky and steep and narrow, but again more than worth it in the end!
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What a pretty fish. I still remember my first golden. I saw it coming in and it was so red, I'd never seen anything like it. I'm going to the winds in a couple of weeks and I'm debating whether to go after goldens, or just fish The Green River and lake above it in my tube. As much as I like goldens, I think I'm going to go with the latter as I only have one day and it's a good ten miles in, ten back out. I've done it before, but I think I must be getting old.
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Wow that is one magnificent fish, the color on it is amazing good work!!
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Very cool looking fish...sure doesn't look like the golden stockers that they put in Rigby lake last year.
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that is what I was thinking...nothing like the golden trout we caught in the res above Shoshone Falls....
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I was lucky enough to catch one of those too. Those were banana or palomino trout, basically an albino rainbow. Actual golden trout are from a few small drainages in california but they have been stocked in lots of high mountain lakes in several states, luckily including Idaho.
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Great job on the goldens. I have caught them in the Windrivers in WY, but never in Idaho. Great pics and reports.
Goldens in Idaho are very rare so I would just encourage anybody who goes for them to release them.
It is amazing how sometimes the best fishing trips are for the smaller fish just because of the scenery.
Windriver
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That is good to know. I had no idea what we were catching were not goldens; we just assumed because they were gold. We released 'em anyway.
The variety and colors of trout never ceases to amaze me!
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