TR: Tehipite Valley Part III: Suffering for 175 trout
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2016 5:59 pm
I've lurked and used this site enough so it's probably time I contribute. I'm posting this in the backpacking forum so friends can read it since the fishing forum is restricted. This is my third time to the forgotten valley, the first two were to climb and those trip reports can be found here:
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/TEHIPITE-fr ... 2804n.html
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/TEHIPITE-VA ... 3030n.html
I'll break this up by day so I don't pass the 12 pictures per post limit.
--------------------------------------------
Day one and a half
My brother David and I have discussed, planned, replanned, discussed and thought out this trip to the point of exhaustion. He just moved back to the golden state from Tennessee where he finished his surgery residency. For over five years we have talked about fishing from Tehipite Valley to Yucca point, where the Middle fork of the Kings merges with the South Fork. With him out of the state and no other masochistic fishing partners the plan has been in the making for a very, very, very long time (ask our wives if you want proof).
At 7:00pm on Thursday our dad drops us off at the Rancheria trailhead and after a quick prayer for our safety he leaves us in the dark to start our march. It feels good to finally be walking instead of talking and planning, but with the October weather being an unknown we're still a bit apprehensive.
About 14 miles and 5 hours later set up camp at Hay Meadow, the last available water before the final descent.
It isn't long until we arrive at the semi-famous overlook on Friday morning. It might regular-famous if it wasn't for that pesky little approach and the 3000 ft descent to follow.
The unmaintained trail to the valley floor goes quickly and... wait, that's a lie. We feel like CruiseAmerica RV's plowing down a grade with our breaks smoking but once the river is in sight it's all relative. Every 30 seconds we waste is an extra cast lost!
As soon as our lines land in the clear water rainbow colored footballs start going bonkers. The fish are all in the shallows and currents gorging themselves on some bug that must look like a stimulator. Or any nymph in our fly boxes.
After a short stay in the valley we begin moving downstream. Before long we've each landed a double on our dry/dropper rigs. That's a good omen if there ever was one! As a bonus the predicted afternoon showers and wind are nowhere to be found.
We've had a long day so we set up camp at the head of Little Tehipite Valley, what we think is a good position for our two day trek down to Yucca Point and Highway 180.
"Alright, if you want to filter some water I'll make a fire to cook the- oh crap, we forgot to keep any fish!" David says.
Hungry and a bit worried we discuss something we've been wanting to try...
Night fishing with mice, and it works! Well, it works for David, I have no such luck as all my strikes grab the tail of the mouse instead of the size 00000000 hook. Night fishing is a blast and provides us with the food we need since we don't have anything for dinner.
We settle in to our sleeping bags exhausted but happy with the 55 wild trout we caught on our introduction to the river we'll be getting extremely familiar with over the next two days.
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/TEHIPITE-fr ... 2804n.html
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/TEHIPITE-VA ... 3030n.html
I'll break this up by day so I don't pass the 12 pictures per post limit.
--------------------------------------------
Day one and a half
My brother David and I have discussed, planned, replanned, discussed and thought out this trip to the point of exhaustion. He just moved back to the golden state from Tennessee where he finished his surgery residency. For over five years we have talked about fishing from Tehipite Valley to Yucca point, where the Middle fork of the Kings merges with the South Fork. With him out of the state and no other masochistic fishing partners the plan has been in the making for a very, very, very long time (ask our wives if you want proof).
At 7:00pm on Thursday our dad drops us off at the Rancheria trailhead and after a quick prayer for our safety he leaves us in the dark to start our march. It feels good to finally be walking instead of talking and planning, but with the October weather being an unknown we're still a bit apprehensive.
About 14 miles and 5 hours later set up camp at Hay Meadow, the last available water before the final descent.
It isn't long until we arrive at the semi-famous overlook on Friday morning. It might regular-famous if it wasn't for that pesky little approach and the 3000 ft descent to follow.
The unmaintained trail to the valley floor goes quickly and... wait, that's a lie. We feel like CruiseAmerica RV's plowing down a grade with our breaks smoking but once the river is in sight it's all relative. Every 30 seconds we waste is an extra cast lost!
As soon as our lines land in the clear water rainbow colored footballs start going bonkers. The fish are all in the shallows and currents gorging themselves on some bug that must look like a stimulator. Or any nymph in our fly boxes.
After a short stay in the valley we begin moving downstream. Before long we've each landed a double on our dry/dropper rigs. That's a good omen if there ever was one! As a bonus the predicted afternoon showers and wind are nowhere to be found.
We've had a long day so we set up camp at the head of Little Tehipite Valley, what we think is a good position for our two day trek down to Yucca Point and Highway 180.
"Alright, if you want to filter some water I'll make a fire to cook the- oh crap, we forgot to keep any fish!" David says.
Hungry and a bit worried we discuss something we've been wanting to try...
Night fishing with mice, and it works! Well, it works for David, I have no such luck as all my strikes grab the tail of the mouse instead of the size 00000000 hook. Night fishing is a blast and provides us with the food we need since we don't have anything for dinner.
We settle in to our sleeping bags exhausted but happy with the 55 wild trout we caught on our introduction to the river we'll be getting extremely familiar with over the next two days.