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I'm planning a trip with my family this July to Kings Canyon Nat Park in CA - we'll be staying near Grant's Grove. Was hoping to get in some time on the water, but I don't know anything about the Park. King's River seems to have potential. Anyone know anything they'd care to pass along?
July is runoff and the Sierras have a lot of snow this year. Even by late July water could be high. If this is the case you may want to concetrate on tailwater sections on the Kings river and lakes in the high country below 10,000 feet. Check with Buzz's fly shop in Visalia, CA they will give you some good ideas and up-to-the-minute suggestions just before you leave, or try any of a number of guidebooks on the area.
Flies are simple - attractor patterns like the Western Coachman palmer, Wulffs, Humpys, Elk Hair caddis, Hare's ear, Pheasant tail, etc.
Good luck,
-John
[This message has been edited by ktokj (edited 25 February 2005).]
Hume Lake is a few miles from Grant Grove and has good trout fishing. Best from a tube or boat when fly fishing. Some access from shore. There is a very large Christian retreat center there with docks and boat rentals available to anyone.
I have been going to Kings Canyon NP since the early '70, first as a child with my parents and now with my wife. We have always stayed at Cedar Grove in the canyon proper. Some trips we go on are fishing trips where we camp. Our trips to Kings Canyon are camping trips where we fish some.
The fishing down there can be excellent after the runoff lessens. But I have had some decent fishing even in late spring early summer by searching for back eddies and side pools off the the white water current. Most of the fish caught down there will be 5-10 inches but there are much bigger fish. The largest I have ever caught there is 13" but every once in awhile someone, usually a bait fisher, will hang something much bigger. A couple of years ago we were there in the fall and DFG was doing an electroshock survey. They temporarily put fish into plastic trash cans full of water while the fish recoved. The number of fish they shocked up in the 20-30" range was truly surprising. With the electroshock gizmos they were able to flush fish out from under fallen trees and big boulders.
Nothing special is required for flies. A basic selection of dries, nymphs, wet flies, and streamers will suffice. I like a sink tip or even a full sinking line for working streamers in some of the pools and deeper runs. Even in some of the faster deeper runs that most anglers pass by you can get fish with a sinking line since the many large rocks and boulders will create softwater zone where the fish are.
I would be happy to share some information with you offline if you want to E-mail me.
I've been fishing the area around Grant Grove for many years. Usually, the South Fork of the Kings fishes well in July around the Highway 180 bridge, but high water may be a problem this year due to higher than normal snow pack, at least early in the month. Even if the Kings is high, it's possible to fish the quiet eddies. Another alternative is the Roaring River, farther up the road towards Cedar Grove. It's a smaller stream, and sometimes trout will go up it to get out of the faster current. It often fishes well when the Kings is blown out. Another small stream worth looking for, if you're adventurous, is Boulder Creek. It's just outside of the park, and can be reached in several spots via logging roads, so get a good Sequoia National Forest map. If you're up for a hike, Jenny Ellis Lake is a moderate day hike, and has rainbows. Weaver Lake is closer, but only has small brookies. You can drive to nearby Hume Lake, which is planted, but may be too warm by July for trout. Ten Mile Creek flows in to Hume, and can be reached via the Quail Flat road. It's a very small stream, but has a surprising number of rainbows. Hope this helps.
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Live long and die with your (wading) boots on.
Sorry I didn't get back to you guys sooner, I"ve been out of town. Thanks so much for the information on King's Canyon.