For Right-Brained People

Fish the T

Boldly go where few have gone (fishing) before

California’s legendary Tuolumne River is well-known for its incredible whitewater, idyllic sidestreams, and legitimate remoteness. Less well-known is the excellent trout fishing that the river offers. Clear, cold water combined with minimal fishing pressure (especially deep in the Wild and Scenic Canyon where we will be) create some great conditions for catching colorful Rainbows and ferocious Browns.

The fishing is best after the spring runoff occurs (July, August, and September in normal snowpack years). Due to the daily, pulse hydro-electric releases, we often have low flows in the evenings and mornings which are great for fishing. Depending on your choice from the options below, you will either have a lot of fishing time once we arrive at camp in the evening and before we leave in the morning (hiking from camp) or, if you upgrade to having your own raft (either with or without a dedicated fishing guide), you’ll also have time to fish from the rafts between the challenging stretches of whitewater (we will break off from the main group after lunch or when feasible and fish from the rafts or from shore in promising stretches).

There are a lot of options for enjoying the fly-fishing opportunities on the Tuolumne:

  • Do-it-yourself: Join us on one of our regular trips, bring your own gear, and enjoy some great evening and morning fishing time from camp (no fishing from the raft during the day). This is a great option if you want to fish but don’t need any help and don’t want to fish from a raft. 2 or 3 days: Regular trip prices, pick a date
  • Do-it-with-us: Request your own raft on one of our regular trips and we’ll set you up with a raft guide and you can fish on your own in camp AND from the raft (between rapids). This is a great option if you already have all your own gear and are fairly comfortable taking care of yourself while fishing (our raft guides will move you around the river, but you’ll have to pick your own flies and tie your own knots). 2 days: +$100 per person (2 person minimum); 3 days: +$200 per person (2 person minimum); Pick a date and then give us a call.
  • Do-it-with-a-fishing-guide: Work with us to find a date when we can add a legitimate fishing guide to join you in your raft. This is a great option if you are new to fly-fishing or if you want some expert advice (or if you want to increase your odds of catching one of The Big Ones). A friend from ECHO Cooperative Adventures will join us and provide all the fly-fishing gear, flies, and expertise that you might need. 2 days: +$200 per person (2 person minimum); 3 days: +$300 per person (2 person minimum); Pick a date and then give us a call.

“The fishing was good and the guides worked extra hard to put us in the right places. ALSO – seeing the stars at night was great. And the hikes were great too.

Lucas Parietti