Native Trout Addicts

Who We Are

We are fly fishermen and women who delight in finding remote waters filled with native trout. We spend hours (if not days) hiking to skinny streams, alpine lakes, raging headwaters, and hidden pools for fish that most people know nothing about. We love catching and admiring the purest specimens in the most fragile of environments and ecosystems.

It’s not just a passion, it’s an addiction.

Adventures & Explorations

Here are the stories that chronicle our search for perfect fish.

Utah Cutthroat Slam – Small Stream Style

After fishing the Arizona Wild Trout challenge I was eager to find similar programs. One that stuck out to me was the Utah Cutthroat Slam because I had never fished for any Cutthroat species before. It took a while for things to come together but when a good friend I made from my fly fishing writing invited […]

Not as prized, but just as golden…

With the fishing season coming to a close in the next couple of months and another trip to Kenya on the horizon I wanted to get back to the GTW. I’d intended to target the Little Kern Golden Trout over Labor Day but the Pier Fire messed with my plans. Anytime you’re planning a back […]

Bathtub Gin

September 2017 The Clavey is my favorite river in CA. Hands down. The fish are not the biggest nor are they the easiest to land but the scenery and genetic purity more than compensate. The river is the longest undamed (non-tributary) in the state. The falls that plunge it into the Tuolomne river significantly limited […]

Dream Tripping

Everyone has their own idea of how a day on the water is going to play out. We tend to picture the biggest trout in the stream, our nets never getting dry and plenty of stories to tell when we return home. The fish, however, have their own idea of how things can go and […]

More stories

Conservation & Sustainability

We use public spaces and places all the time. It’s on those sacred grounds where time slows down as hand-tied flies and perfect casts entice native trout to come and play. Much harm has been done to these lands justified through economic development. Industry in far-off places greatly impacts these remote and quiet spaces. Disregard for these relationships has us walking a precipitous path. Let’s work together to ensure that our grandchildren’s grandchildren are just as captivated by these incredible fish.

Call to Action

FAQs

What is a native trout?

They are relic or re-populated trout that are endemic and genetically unique to their local waters. Browns are only native to Europe. Brookies are only native to the eastern North America. Most rainbows are genetic hybrids created in hatcheries.

What is the difference between relic and a re-populated?

A relic population is one that has remained in its natural range without human intervention or interruption. A re-populated trout has been re-introduced by man to waters that its ancestors would have called home.

What is a wild trout?

It is a trout that was born outside of a hatchery through natural spawning. Wild does not mean native but it does mean that the local population is self-sustaining.

Are steelhead a type of salmon?

No. Steelhead are anadromous redband and rainbow trout whose life cycles differentiate them from resident inland populations. There are two species: O. mykiss irideus (coastal) and O. mykiss gairdineri (redband).

What does riparian mean?

It refers to the section of a river, stream, creek, or brook that interfaces with the bank/land.

What does anadromous mean?

It is when an animal is born in fresh water but spends the majority of its natural life in oceanic waters. It then migrates inland back to fresh water in search of its spawning grounds.

What does freestone mean?

It’s a type of river that is dependent on snow melt which results in significant changes to the system as water levels increase and decrease. Due to the rocky nature of the geological structure, the water is often free of sediment and minerals. Is it rocky and full of stones? Is it gin clear and really cold? Do flows decrease and waters warm later in the season? Then it’s likely freestone.

Does fly fishing mean using dry flies only?

Absolutely not! Fly fishing is not about the fly at the end of the line. It’s about the style of cast used to present a naturally imitating object that will entice a fish to strike. Strip a streamer, bounce a nymph, sling an egg, or flick a dry…you do you.