April 9th 2014 Fish'n Conditions
Capt. Tom Loe
April 10, 2014
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Spring time is here in the Sierras, and the fly fishing on the Middle Owens, Hot Creek, & Pleasant Valley Reservoir are very good. The spring fishing period around Mammoth and Bishop can be as good as it gets with mild weather and near perfect water conditions for fly fishing. Guided drift boat trips on the Middle Owens are kicking out some really large rainbows with steady dry fly action in the wading sections.
Down right warm on the Middle Owens today, mid-80′s afternoon. Did well on Punk Perch streamers in the deeper pools. Fish moving a bit as flows dropped to 140 cfs today. Surface activity still on the weak side in the lower sections. Put a fork in the Upper Owens for the time being. Flows up to 110cfs and the bigs are just not happy about it. Some smaller schoolies around here; but it is pretty much over. Hot Creek fishing well, no major run-off yet. Flows holding at 145 cfs on the Middle Owens, get em while ya can!
Upper Owens River (4-8-14)
Flows are up to 110 cfs. The bigs are just not wanting to play right now. It has made the overall "catching" tough. The LADWP is routing water through the Rush Creek Diversion-it is NOT run-off from snow melt. There are still a few jumbo sized migratory rainbows holding; however the peak of the run is over and most of the hens you see will have dropped their eggs. The small dark spring caddis hatch – #18- is coming off on the warmer days, even in the upper sections near Long Years. Lot's of smaller resident trout slurping the caddis this afternoon. Look for a decent BWO mayfly hatch as well, both seem to peak about 2pm. Have some mayfly nymphs like flashback PT's, assassins, hares ear, #14/20. The dark assassin bird's nest IS the hot fly #14/16, along with the egg patterns we are selling at Reagan's in Bishop, and the Crowley General Store.. You will also want broken-back articulated or regular crystal tiger and zebra midges, crystal olive zebras and caddis larva patterns #14/18 for tandem nymph rigs fished beneath an Under-cator. On bright sunny days use the yellow or clear 3/4 inch Under-cator. It will not be as obtrusive to the wily trout. Hi-vis para BWO adults are good to use as an indicator on a dry/dropper bead head rig. Parachute midge patterns #20/22 are also hot surface flies for the sipping trout late morning. #18/16 BWO adults are also on the menu, I really believe in the quill wing patterns I sell and use, check them out at the least. The hot rig during off hatch periods is a crystal leech, dark assassin, or SJ worm as your upper fly. Use the Otter egg patterns we sell at Reagan's, and Crowley General store as the lower. This set-up is just flat deadly, and we have perfected how to rig and present it to fool those Crowley Steelhead. Streamer fishing can also be productive using a light or clear sinking tip. This is a good option if the wicked witch of the west blows in. Use Loebergs, punk perch, agent orange, or crystal leeches working the deeper cut banks & pools from an upstream position. Book a trip with us and you will obtain the keys to the castle & learn how to catch these incredible fish. The spring run rainbows are just beginning to move & water conditions should be excellent this season with stable conditions.
GUIDE TIP: Winter time takes are as soft as a butterflies kiss, so set on anything. If your Under-cator stops, shimmies, hovers, or plunges, SET IT! I tell clients look for reasons to set the hook, not excuses why you didn't! Swings are free, and you can't strike out while fly fishing. Try to set the hook moving your rod the direction your indicator is moving. This establishes ANGLE & insures you pull the hook INTO the fish, not out of it's mouth. Anything 4 feet or deeper may hold a fish or two.
Middle Owens River:
The LADWP is still not generating power here, so flows may remain very fishable for a while. They are currently around 140 cfs. It remains consistently inconsistent here. You could have a twenty fish day, or if the fish switch turns off just a few. Case in point-we hit a pool that kicks out 3-4, then zilch for a few bends. Go figure? The surface action has been very light recently, nymphing has been good. I believe it has to do with dissolved oxygen and water temperatures emanating from Pleasant Valley dam. The Middle Owens is a tailwater fishery and this shallow reservoir can have "mixed" batches of water moving through at times. The PMD mayfly & spring caddis hatch is in full swing and the wild fish are moving into the riffle water and tail outs to feed mid-day. Theses hatches are EXTREMELY associated with air & water temps. Cold winter like storms can alter hatches quickly this time of year. The caddis hatches are coming off afternoon. The trout are really keying in on these pops & you may experience a decline in grabs after the emergences some days. The midge hatch is nearly a blanket emergence on the high pressure days. These smaller insects are a mainstay for the Sierra's trout. Use very small patterns like tiger and zebra midges with crystal tails #20/22 to imitate the shucks they crawl from. # 20/22 gillies, pupa, & crystal emergers work well while nymphing beneath an Under-cator. Midge cluster patterns and parachute adults #20/22 are best for dry fly enthusiasts. The recent warm weather has also triggered the beginning of the spring caddis emergence. On the high pressure calmer days you will see good numbers of these light bodied delta winged insects covering the water. Hi-vis Elk hair caddis adults are good replicas #16/18. Nymph patterns like assassins birds nest, flashback pheasant tails, and ribbed hares ear patterns work great to represent the larger sub-surface profiles. #14/18 are good calls. Mayfly adults have upright wings, twin tails, and ride high in the foam lines. The pale morning duns (PMD's) are good sized for mayfly adults. Use a #16 pattern for these sulphur bodied duns. Keep them high riding in the suds or foam lines. "The foam is home, don't roam from the foam" during a good mayfly hatch! Streamer fishing using the "dip & strip" (see my guide tips on how to fish this method- top of any page of this site), is also productive & will fool larger trout more often. During low light periods , or "off hatch" cycles use the Spruce-A-Bu. This has been my top producing fly for many years on this river fooling countless larger trout. With the fish feeding now and warmer water temps, patterns like olive and light punk perch #12/16, Loebergs #10, crystal leeches & agent orange #12/16 are good choices. Recent drift trips have the olive punk perch as the top producer. This fly is a "strymph" pattern. Cross between a streamer and a nymph. Use these with a light sinking tip & swing your fly into the foam lines or main current-do not cast on top of where the fish are holding so you don't put them down or spook them.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir/The Gorge 4/8/14
The levels are really fluctuating this spring, & I am having a hard time keeping up on it as we are not guiding here much recently. They are currently very good and the transition area is darn near perfect to fish from the shore. Flows may be on the high side for wading the "brambles" section located downstream from the powerhouse to the lake proper. They have over 120cfs. moving down the gorge currently. The transition section is fishing well if you know how to strip a streamer or use a dry/dropper bead head combo. Not a lot of huge fish, but the numbers can be great. Tubing is best under current lake levels. Check out the short river section just down from the powerhouse using dry dropper combos like hi-vis para BWO and stimulators as the upper-broken back tiger and zebra midges, assassin birds nest, flashback PT's, crystal olive zebras, and copper or dark tiger midges as the nymph. Don't "roam from the foam" as the fish really line up on this section of water to feed on the emergers drifting down in the slower current. Tubing has also been very productive using Loebergs, Punk Perch, Agent Orange, & crystal leeches. Use a full or heavy sinking tip line. Still water nymphing Crowley style can also get you into big numbers along the drop-offs. Use Broken back midges like gillies and tigers, crystal emergers, and pupa patterns are good calls as upper flies on a tandem rig. Stick to tigers and zebras as the lower flies. Watch out for the slippery or frozen mud along the shoreline so long as the level remains low.
The Gorge has very high flows for this time of year as the LADWP is moving water down from Crowley through this section instead of the pipe that goes into the power house. Work continues to go on here. Flows are at 121cfs with normal being 33 cfs. Tough to fish here at this release.
Hot Creek (4/8/14)
Very good caddis & mayfly activity occurring daily during this warm spell. The small spring caddis are like candy to these wild fish and you will enjoy the best snap during this hatch. #18/20 hi-vis elk hair imitations will suffice, try some crystal olive caddis larva patterns for nymphs. Dry dropper rigs using para midge or hi-vis para BWO or blue wing olive adult patterns #14-18 as an upper, while dropping a broken back zebra or tiger midge, assassin bird's nest, or crystal olive caddis/zebra larva pattern will get you into fish in the slots between the weeds. Lengthen your leaders to ten feet here, 5X is a good tippet size. The deeper pools can be fished with weighted attractors like SJ worms and egg patterns hung beneath an Under-cator. A hot rig is an olive or light Punk Perch as your upper fly with an assassin or PT as a dropper. You may also "swing cast" the Punk across the deeper slots and pools for a shot at one of the bigs that hunker along the weed lines or in the gut of the larger holes. Use the yellow, or clear for short water nymphing. Midge cluster, or para midge adults in the #20-24 range are hot flies for surface action. BWO adults fished high in the suds #16/18 also good calls afternoon when the baetis start to emerge. Access remains good as of 2/26/14 however the forecast calls for some snow to hit on the weekend.
*Tom Loe is under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide Hot Creek.
East Walker River (4/8/14)
Flows remain at 40cfs. Pressure has been light and reports of fair to good "catching" came in when the flows came up. The West Walker has also opened to year around fishing & one may consider doing a Walker combo trip? The EW has had a tough time the last couple of years due to extended low flows from dry winters causing poor overall conditions. Fish counts are not what they were several seasons ago and what remains are concentrated in the deepest pools and runs. Some significant storms in March could improve conditions greatly for Bridgeport Reservoir and the EW. We are keeping our fingers crossed!
My great friend Jeffery Wenger runs the Bridgeport Reservoir Marina & RV Park. His hands & business are "up in the air" due to the continuing drought. "It is impossible to say if the marina will have enough water for slips this season. We will be renting boats and launching from the other end of the lake if need be. The RV park will be fully operational and ready to go for opener." 3/19/14
I am happy to announce that the we will have a fully stocked fly box and Under-cators in Reagan's Sporting Goods in Bishop! The Drifters fly box will carry all the guide tested patterns you see on the fish report including patterns for Pyramid Lake, Eagle Lake, Lake Almanor, & other great trout fisheries in the west. This is a great shop with knowledgeable and super friendly people that is open daily 7-5 during the winter. They are located on Main St. with easy access and parking. This store has everything you need for fishing, hunting, camping. They sell licenses too!
I have added a picture gallery to the website this year. You can click on it at the top of any page of this website. My apologies to any of our wonderful clients who have been with Sierra Drifters for the last seventeen seasons and do not have a picture posted. I just can't post the 30,000 pics we have taken! I will make an effort over time to post what I have. Click on the "gallery" button and do a search for your name, or scroll through the pages. You can double click on the picture to enlarge it once it is located.
Thanks for reading my report.
Be the fly….Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
760-935-4250
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