Book Recommendations?

[gary c.]

I wanted to ask for some recommenations for trail/fishing guides. Are there a couple of standouts that any of you would recommend? I'm porbably more interested in eastside entries and definatley fishing is a big part of it for me. So far I've just done 3-4 day trips and would like to extend it some. Looking around there are tons of books out there but I figure you guys can help me narrow it down to something thorough and informative.
Gary C.

[markskor]

I am sure that our resident expert, AKA - GiantBrookie, will provide ample information, but...
Until that happens, from my own library may I suggest?
Steve Beck's treatise…”Yosemite Trout Fishing Guide”- Frank Amato publications…(or perhaps, his latest... Beck's "Trout Fishing the JMT")...note here...the second is good, but not as great as his first...the bible.
Hank Johnston’s “Yosemite Trout Fishing” – Flying Spur Press…actually a short pamphlet but pages 14 – 16 … worth far more than other voluminous texts.
John Barbier’s – “Eastern Sierra Fishing Guide for Day Hikers”…not bad.
Behnke and (illustrated by) Tomelleri: “Trout and Salmon of North America” – the Free Press…(worth it if only for the high quality illustrations)

[gary c.]

Thanks' for the suggestions Mark, I'll check them out.
Gary C.

[giantbrookie]

I would second the recommendation for Beck's excellent Yosemite Trout Fishing Guide. His JMT guide is limited in comparison because he considers only lakes on the trail. Another superb local fishing guide is (was) Jerome Yesavage's Desolation Wilderness Fishing Guide--now out of print. Until the big fisheries management changes occurred (2000-present; see below), the standard desk reference was Cutter's Sierra Trout Fishing Guide. It's accuracy in terms of whether a lake had fish or not was about 95 percent outside of the National Parks (species are trickier, and the batting average probably dropped to about 90 percent there), about 70-75 percent in Yosemite (Beck's and Johnston's books are better), and below 40 percent in Seki. There is a very large volume of fishing info in the various editions of Sierra South and Sierra North. In fact they provide quite a bit of info (multiple editions are handy, too, given that the hikes have changed over the years) in Seki. With the coming of the big fisheries management changes there will be some significant changes outside the NPs. A good illustration of this is to compare Cutter, which was very accurate (better than 95 percent) for the East Side of the Sierra versus the beta version of Fish and Game's new fishing guide (see post on this in the Fishing Forum). There are quite a few formerly fish-bearing lakes that are now fishless or being allowed to go fishless. Outside the NPs the DFG guides will be the best source of info when they are available (not sure when this is, though). Inside the NPs, Beck is the best for Yosemite, and there will still be a sense of adventure for Seki. I've found that even very old info, such as that contained in Charlie McDermand's books (1946, 1947) can still be useful in parts of Seki. McDermand, plus Cutter, plus Sierra South, plus serious exploration are still the name of the game in Seki.

[gary c.]

GB, thanks' for the reply.
Gary C.