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Show Dinosaurland Outdoors By Hartt Wixom , r -,' Vernal Express Outdoors Writer Golden trout fishing One of the most sought after fish of modern times is the golden trout. I recently had an opportunity to catch this rare, emblazoned species on a horse pack trip into Wyoming's Wind River Mountains. With Utah-born guides Lee Nicholes, Jim Crittenden, and Neil Manning, and Denver angler Steve Murray, the five of us caught 19 goldens in a day at nearly 11,000-foot elevation Elbow Lake. I'd been to Elbow before, but it took Nicholes to make the difference. "Timing is the key to goldens," he told me. "We want to get there just after ice-out. Another good time if you can weather out the cold is in the fall. They are a stubborn and temperamental fish, but we can get into them." That we did. with several in the 3-lb. class. I took two on nymphs resembling fresh-water shrimp. But, Nicholes caught some half a dozen on spinners. Crittenden took four good ones in the creek below Elbow. All were ablaze with crimson and orange over gold, with the same bright colors inside as well as out. - But. an often-raised question, "Can we catch them in Utah?" The answer is yes. They will be much smaller-the Bridger Wilderness Area's Elbow Lake seems to grow the largest Salmoaguabonita anyone knows about--but can be found in the Lake Atwood country at the top of Atwood Creek on the Uinta River drainage above the U-Bar U-Bar Ranch. They were once stocked in 9.000-foot high Echo Lake at top of the Duchesne River. But. it was not a roaring success. They have not flourished there. Atwood goldens would be oversized at 14 inches. I think the Division of Wildlife Resources could find many other "hot habitats" for goldens if they could obtain the eggs. Best haunts are above timberline lakes with ample current flow in and out. I'd suggest Cliff and Blanchard Lakes on the Henry's Fork, the little lakes just above Rainbow on the Uinta, several above both Bluebell, and Five Points in the Yellowstone. In other words, I think the state fisheries biologists could find more places for goldens if they put their hearts into it. Yes, even if they would put as much effort into it-albeit goldens are not as easy to obtain or raise or transplant successfully-as they are now putting into the albino rainbows. They appear like exotic goldfish in the high lakes, a controversial con-troversial fish for several reasons. First, the albinos don't reproduce and have to be continually restocked. They are prone to heavy predation by being readily located subsurface (goldens do not glow as profusely until out of the water), and are, in my opinion, both near-sighted and somewhat sluggish about taking the fly. The golden originated in California's upper Kerns River, a stream now known as Golden Trout Creek. But, they have been most successfully moved to Wyoming's Wind River. A record 11-lb. giant was taken out of Upper Cook's Lake not far from Elbow. But, packers now state the Cook's chain has been "polluted" with brook trout. The goldens cannot withstand competition com-petition from other fish because their genes are recessive, and they lose out every time. At Elbow there is no such problem since the goldens have the lake all to themselves. I've seen goldens to six pounds in Elbow. Packers say there are greater giants prowling there. "If the record is ever broken, there is no doubt in my mind it will come from Elbow," several outfitters (including Nicholes) told me. "It's the ideal golden lake. One other possiblity is Pyramid, but for my money I'll stay with Elbow." So there it is. But, Elbow is 17 miles from the Willow Creek trailhead east of Cora, Wyo., and you need to know the trails. There are more of them crossing in more directions over stream drainages in the Wind Rivers than say, the Uintas. If you want to know more about goldens in general, or Wind River goldens in particular, I'd suggest you contact Nicholes at P.O. Box 293, Lehi, Utah, 84043. For Uinta goldens, write the UDWR. 1595 W. No. Temple, SLC, Utah, 84116. |