YOSEMITE Rules and Regulations 1920

FISHING IN THE PARK.

The introduction of game fish into the waters of the park began in 1878, 13 years before the area now confined within the park boundaries had been set aside as a national reservation, when plants of rainbow trout were made in some of the lakes in what is now the northwestern corner of the park. In the following year plants of eastern brook trout were made in the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River, and in 1880 plants of rainbow trout were repeated in the Lake Eleanor country. Nothing more seems to have been done in the way of stocking any of the waters that are now within the park until 1891, the year the park was created, when a general stocking of the streams and lakes was begun. This has been continued, at first intermittently, but since 1911 plants of 100,000 to 400,0000 young fry have been made annually, with the result that to-day all of the principal lakes and streams of the park contain one or more of well-known species of game fish.

Eight Varieties of trout are represented in the lakes and water courses of the park, as follows:

Eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).
McLeod River rainbow trout (Salmo irideus shasta).
Loch Leven (Salmo levenensis).
Steelhead trout (Salmo rivularis).
Blackspotted or cutthroat trout (Salmo clarkii).
Brown trout (Salmo fario).
Dolly Varden trout (Salvelinus parkei?).
Lake Tahoe trout (Salmo henshawi?).

Of these, eastern brook and rainbow predominate and are the most widely distributed, while the Lake Tahoe trout is the least widely found, and the remaining species occur in distribution and numbers in about the order named.

The results of planting and transplanting have been most gratifying and, in spite of the rapidly increasing travel during the past few years, with its accompanying demand on the fishing streams, even the grounds most frequented by fishermen have continued to show an increase in stock, and the sport of fishing is decidedly improving. Naturally the plants have done better in some localities than in others, depending upon the natural food supply and other local conditions and upon the fishing demands, with the result that in some localities fish exist in abundance although small in size; in others they have failed entirely to thrive; in others they are plentiful in number even though extensively fished; while in others, although plentiful in numbers and large in size, abundant supply of natural food makes them wary of rising to bait, and experience and patience are required for success in angling.

The fishing grounds most frequented by anglers and where good fishing may be had are enumerated below.

Persons desiring to fish in the waters of the Yosemite National Park must secure a sporting fishing license, as required by the laws of California. These laws provide that every person over the age of 18 years who obtains fish without first taking out a license is guilty of a misdemeanor. The license fee is $1.

These licenses may be obtained from any county clerk, from the State board of fish and game commissioners, or at any hotel, camp, or lodge in the park, or at the general store in Yosemite village. All fishing must be done in conformity with the State laws regarding open season, size of fish, and limit of catch, except as otherwise defined on regulation 6, page 66.

Yosemite Valley.—Here the Merced River has been stocked with eastern brook, rainbow, Loch Leven, brown, and more recently with steelhead and blackspotted. Practically all have thriven and exist in rather more than average size. Abundant natural food supply, however, makes them wary and slow to rise to the bait and the angler to be successful must bring all his skill into play and be blessed with extraordinary patience.

Merced Canyon.—Between Yosemite Valley and El Portal, eastern brook, rainbow, and brown are found and fishing conditions are much the same as those obtaining in Yosemite Valley.

Little Yosemite Valley.—The Merced River in Little Yosemite Valley is well stocked with eastern brook and rainbow, which have done well, and the angler of even ordinary ability may readily obtain the limit catch in the course of a day.

Lakes Merced and Washburn.—Located near the headwaters of the Merced River, these lakes with their tributary streams afford some of the finest fishing in the high Sierra in eastern brook, rainbow, and Loch Leven. It is a poor angler who fails to secure his limit in any of these waters in a few hours and in spite of the fact that this section is fished rather more extensively than any other, natural propagation, with the addition of limited annual stocking, maintains the species in abundance.

Tuolumne Meadows.—The Tuolumne River traversing these meadows, as well as the numerous lakes and streams in the section tributary to them, abound in eastern brook, rainbow, and cutthroat. Within the entire section good fishing is found so far as numbers are concerned, but for some reason no variety attains the size of the same species as found in some other waters. In this section the better fishing is to be had on Dog Lake, Elizabeth Lake, Ireland Lake, Gaylor Lakes, and the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River.

Less frequented areas in the park provide from good to excellent fishing, most notable among which are the valley of Illilouette Creek with its tributaries, the Moraine Meadows in the southeastern part of the park where Johnson Lake and Givens Lake offer eastern brook and rainbow; Alder Creek Valley with the same species; the Middle Fork and South Fork of the Tuolumne River in the western part of the park where plants of eastern brook and Loch Leven have been made and propagation of the species has continued, and in the Ten Lakes Basin in the south rim of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River where eastern brook, Lock Leven, and steelhead are unusually plentiful.

It is in the northern part, however, that are found the greatest of all fishing grounds of the entire park. Many of the waters of that great area of 500 or more square miles north of the Tuolumne River were stocked years ago with rainbow and eastern brook. Conditions for continued propagation seem to have been exceedingly favorable with the result that practically all of the lakes and streams now teem with fish life and the fisherman who seeks fishing deluxe and amid surroundings of the most fascinating grandeur of high mountain scenery will find here a fulfillment of his most ambitious dreams and will be more than repaid for having braved the penetration of this relatively inaccessible portion of the park.

Following is a table showing the distribution of the different species of fish that have been planted in the park waters since 1878 together with the year in which each variety was introduced.

Table showing distribution of different varieties of fish and dates of planting.

STREAMS.