Overview of Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a vast area of more than 700,000 acres which contains several hundred lakes and two major river drainage's. With an annual visitation currently around 4,000,000 people per year this isn't a place with a reputation for quality un-crowded fly fishing. The vast majority of park visitors are day trippers who never get out from behind their windshields long enough to discover that the Park is a lot bigger and has more to offer than just the busy crowded floor of Yosemite Valley. For a fly fisher with a good map and a sturdy pair of boots, there are more than 400 miles of streams full of wild trout, many of which seldom, if ever, get fished. With fishable waters found at elevations which range from 2,400 to 12,000 ft and four species of trout there are more fishing opportunities than a person could explore in a lifetime of summers.

The Merced and the Kings are the only totally protected river systems left in the Sierras. These completely wild rivers are free from the effects of logging, cattle grazing, mining, dams, or development of any kind. Please treat these last remaining wild streams with the care and respect they deserve. Teddy Roosevelt gave us all a gift when he set aside this vast piece of land but the stewardship for this resource is our responsibility. While backpacking into remote wilderness is a great way to access untouched fishing just hiking for an hour or two can put you on a wild stream where the only footprints are your own.

A Little History
The high gradient of the park's watersheds with their many waterfalls historically prevented fish from occupying the headwaters of any of the parks rivers and creeks. At the turn of the century the park was patrolled and administered by the U.S. Calvary. Major Benson was the officer in charge of the newly enlarged park and fortunately for the fly fishers of today, he was an ardent fly fisherman. On his orders the Calvary troops spent many summer days hauling trout fingerlings sloshing in milk cans strapped to the backs of mules into even the areas most remote lakes and streams. Most areas of the park's back country has not been stocked since and all the fish in Yosemite high country are the descendants of these original fish. The largest lake in the park, which is very remote and still has great fishing, was named after the Major.

Because they are protected by national parks in their headwaters the upper watersheds of the Merced and Kings rivers are the only two remaining free flowing rivers on the west slope of the Sierras. These protected wild rivers are free from the effects of logging, cattle grazing, mining, dams, water diversions or development of any kind. Please treat these last remaining wild rivers with the care and respect they deserve and learn and follow Leave No Trace ethics when enjoying the park. The stewardship of this resource is our responsibility. While backpacking into remote wilderness is a great way to access untouched fishing just an hour of hiking can put you on a stream where the only footprints are your own.

Hatches and Flies
Like all Sierra high country trout the fish in Yosemite National park have to be tough and adaptable to survive and thrive in the high elevations found in the park. Long winters, droughts, floods, and a short summer all make life difficult for high country trout. The clean granite which is characteristic of the Yosemite region and the seasonal nature of the runoff from snowmelt doesn’t create an environment conducive to large populations of aquatic insects above 7000ft. High country trout tend not to be to selective they cant afford to be. A wide variety of terrestrial insects, beetles, ants, and grasshoppers are all seasonally important food sources for high elevation fish. Below the high country life gets easier for the fish with more stable conditions which allow a much higher population of aquatic insect life. Numerous species of mayflies, caddis flies, and stoneflies hatch seasonally and are sometimes very abundant. Here an important part of success for a fly fisher is being able to identify just what is happening in the bug world and having the right fly to imitate the life stage that the fish are feeding on.