Where is the best place to spend a day or two catching Apache trout in Arizona? I'm going to be there next week, and I want to catch at least one of a species I've never caught before.

I was up there after e'm 4 or 5 years ago. Middle of summer, we drove to some pond 3 hours outside of Pheonix. 55 air temp in the middle of the day. I hooked one Apache of about 18 inches that broke me off then caught 4 or 5 rainbows around 12-15 inches. I really could not tell anything about the location but it was a 20 acre lake that had rainbow, apache, and cutthroat Trout, Smallmouth, Largemouth, and bluegill.

"Apache of about 18 inches" - Only six inches off a world record! Rocking good A.

I expect that these are in mountainous N. Arizona and not the heat sink south?

PM sent

On a slightly unrelated note, we had a Western Region meeting of Trout Unlimited a couple of years ago that was attended by a group from a TU chapter in Nevada. They did this great tongue in cheek presentation about how they were trying to stock trout in the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas.

Go to Sedona! Went there a couple years ago right before we went to lake Powell on a houseboat, we stayed in a cabin for 1 night on the river that runs through there. I didn't have my flyrod, but caught 12 Rainbows and saw a ton of Browns and a couple Apaches but they were too small to eat the hook. Really cool place, I'm sure you will enjoy it if you go.

Right. From what I've read, they are mostly in the northeast part of the state in and around the White Mountain Apache Indian reservation areas. I'm looking for info on a specific stream. I'm not taking a kick boat, so I don't want to fish the lakes in the reservation. It sounds like the West Fork of the Black River and Silver Creek are good waters for Apaches. Anybody been there?

We are also going to try to catch a Gila trout in western New Mexico while we're at it. Never caught a Gila or an Apache. Maybe we can connect on both?

We'll see.....

We're going to make a brief stop in Sedona to get some work on our cameras. Beautiful area. I hope to get some good pics.

Contact Cinda Howard (my sister) @ the Orvis in Scottsdale. She has extensive knowledge of the trout fishing in AZ. I went out there and fished with her a few years back, and caught Apaches in several locations. For the type of info you're looking for, she would be an excellent source. The store number is (480)905 1400. Ask for Cinda, and tell her Harold told you to call.

Wooly ...not sure what happened to the PM i sent you ...but I resent. You are spot on with the West Fork of the Black. My PM will give you more info.

Thanks for the help, guys! That's awesome. I'll give Cinda a call, Harold.