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A Fish Report for 10/19/14

Capt. Tom Loe
October 19, 2014
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report

Fly fishing the trophy trout waters of the Sierra near Mammoth and Bishop have been excellent this fall. The Owens River and Crowley lake have been providing quality rainbows, browns, and cutthroat trout for fly fishers booking guided trips off drift boats, and state of the art lake flats style boats. Guided fly fishing trips on the Upper Owens have been very good for migrating rainbows and browns.

Quick look fish report 10/19/14

Frosty in the morns at elevation, jackets off by 10am. Owens V. is pleasant. Middle Owens best moving water in the region by far. Fishing very well for wading & drifting. Flows down to 136cfs. Crowley back on the bite big time. Streamers & nymphing. Crowley Marina closes on 10/31/14, lake open until 11/15/14. Upper Owens kicking out decent numbers with a few bigs in the mix. Pleasant Valley Reservoir level very low, watch the mud in the inlet section. Hot Creek, San Joaquin, & East Walker all have poor conditions. West Walker very low but fishing ok in the deeper pools.

Crowley Lake 10/19/14

Bite is back on in several locations. Fish are definitely moving into shallower water in some locations. 6-10 feet if you see some texture or have cloud cover. There are concentrations of fish all over the lake. Move to another area if you are not getting grabs & weather permits. The numbers of twenty inch fish have been amazing this fall. Consistent areas are Hilton Bay, Sandy Pt., Alligator Pt., Layton Springs, & Six Bays. 9-13 feet. The slope east of Sometimes Bay called Stormy Flats now has a concentration of fish. Good area for tube access in nice weather. Success using the still water nymphing method depends on position & conditions in a given area. The fish can be concentrated in a location, but wind direction & barometric pressure will dictate how your day will go. As a very general rule…try to position yourself in shallow water fishing towards deeper water. Fish the "lee", or down current side of a drop-off or peninsula. Streamer fishing has slowed down due to above average chironomid activity. It can still be a good option for off hatch periods. As the weather continues to become more seasonal patterns like Loebergs, Punk Perch, crystal Vanderleeches, & Agent Orange will once again be effective. Water temps are cooling & the fish are migrating to the "gut" of the lake. The "Island" off Hilton Pt. is now totally protruding and look likes a volcano has popped up! We are seeing very low water on Crowley this season. The fall turnover is ending, water clarity is very good. Try a broken back gillie, crystal emerger, midge pupa, or standard gillie for your upper fly during chironomid emergences. Hang a broken back tiger or bb zebra midge, dark or copper crystal tigers, or crystal zebras as the larva/lower fly. Give those flies some action if the surface is calm. You are competing with swimming/wiggling critters, and the movement of your flies is crucial to getting grabs. CDFW has planted sub-catchable sized fish, treat them kindly as they are the future of this fishery. Special angling restrictions now in place. Pinch those barbs down, love them and leave them, no scented or live bait please. The boat launch closes on 10/31/14, the lake remains open for tubing and shore fishing with special regs until 11/15/14.

GUIDE TIP: When you are adjusting your depth for stillwater nymphing; make sure you are setting for the depth that your flies will be suspended-NOT WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED. This is a common mistake, and I see it on a regular basis. It is the most prevalent reason some fly fishers do not get grabs while in a good location with reasonable midge patterns.

Upper Owens River 10/19/14

Fair "catching" here for medium rainbows and a few browns. Some large migratory rainbows now holding in the deeper pools. Steady action while nymphing the deeper holes above the bridge, although numbers have not been as good as recent weeks. Hopper activity slowing down with the cooler weather in the morns. Water conditions are very good, although flows are very low. You will find the river choked with weed in many sections down from the bridge. River conditions are better above the confluence of Hot Creek. Tandem nymph rigs in the deeper pools are doing the trick. You can also dead drift broken back midges & egg patterns without an Under-cator. Flows consistent at 49 cfs. Short water tactics are necessary to fool the wild fish here. Look for the deeper pools and runs during off hatch periods. Caddis (#18 or smaller dark bodies) and mayfly adults are good choices for the open riffle water. Hi-vis para bwo and caddis # 16-18 will get grabs. Some hoppers showing up now. Use a Stimulator or larger hi-vis pattern with a bead head nymph as the dropper 2 feet beneath the dry for a deadly tanden rig. Nymphing with SJ worms, crystal soft egg patterns, flashback PT's, Assassin bird's nest, broken back midges, crystal olive caddis & zebra larva patterns near the bottom. I prefer to use a clear or yellow Under-cator on moving water as they are less conspicuous. The pink & orange work better on the still waters like Crowley and Bridgeport. Think about streamers in the stiff afternoon winds. You will have to hunt down pools large; or deep enough to cast a streamer-they are very limited under current conditions. Patterns like Loebergs, Punk Perch, Crystal Leeches, & Agent Orange will get takes when used with a light sinking tip line.

Special angling regs in effect. Open year around upstream from the Benton Crossing Bridge. Closed from the Bridge to the fishing monument until the Saturday of Memorial Day 2015. Same regs as Crowley Lake downstream from the monument to the lake proper, this section will then close on 11/15.

Middle Owens River (Bishop area) 10/19/14

Flows have dropped to 138cfs & conditions are very good drifting the lower sections, & wading the wild trout area. Numbers have been excellent off the drift boat, with a few bigs ripping line daily. There are solid hatches of fall caddis, tiny Trico mayflies, and some PMD's. Birds nest patterns like Assassins, flashback PT's, and hares ears make for good profiles of a mayfly nymph and caddis pupa. Crystal olive caddis larva, & olive zebra midges are also good choices for a lower fly imitation of caddis larvae, green rock worms, or midge larva. Have some hi-vis caddis adults & hi-vis para mayfly adults for the morning hatch. The chub and sucker spawn was immense this summer, and we are seeing "balls" of these small baitfish in the pillow water and along the weeds. Streamer fishing is the best way to imitate these small forage fish by using the "dip & strip technique" with heavy to moderate sinking tip lines. Go to patterns are Loebergs, Punk Perch, Crystal leeches, & Spruce-a-bu's.

This fishery stays open year around. Special regs from the footbridge at Pleasant Valley campground to the fishing monument 4.5 miles downstream.

Drifters Trophy Pond 10/19/14

You will find the largest rainbows in the entire Sierra here-bar none, They are not planted fish, some have been here for nearly a decade. TWENTY POUND bows & TEN pound browns can be expected if you have the skills. You need to have a Drifters guide accompany you for a session on this totally private fishery near McGee Creek. Pond will be available to fish through October, it closes for fall spawning until spring. We do private casting instruction here also. Call us for booking and availability please.

Hot Creek 10/18/14

Hot Creek is suffering from low water, silt, and extensive weed growth. This limits the available water you can fish. Dry flies are the most effective patterns to use. I suggest a 10 foot leader and rod to keep the fly line off the weeds. My hi-vis caddis & hi-vis para BWO are good choices to fish the faster slot water that has less weed. There are a few sections that can be fished with a dry dropper nymph rig. Broken back zebras or assassin birds nest bead heads in #18 are good calls for the dropper.

This is a year around fishery with special regs in place.

*Tom Loe is under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide Hot Creek.

San Joaquin River 10/19/14

Flows are at winter levels-very, very low.

This is a year around fishery. Hwy 203 closes to vehicles after the first significant snowfall.

*Tom Loe is under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide the San Joaquin.

East Walker River 10/19/14

Flows currently at 20cfs. I was taught if you do not have anything nice to say, don't say it ay all…

This fishery is open year around with special regs in place.

Bridgeport Reservoir 10/19/14

Shore/tube fishing possible. Lake is very low.

This fishery closes on 11/15. Opens the last Saturday of April 2015.

West Walker River 10/19/14

Flows are very low but the water is clear. You will be hard pressed to find a pool that is 3 feet in depth. Hit the canyon and Pikel meadows sections. Dry/dropper bead head nymphs like crystal olive caddis, tiger midges, broken back tigers, assassin birds nest, & flashback PT's are all good calls fished below a Stimulator or hi vis caddis or BWO adult as your indicator. If you can find a deeper pool around stocking points the LOEBERG is a deadly fly here. Light sinking tip, or just let it settle with a floating line.

This fishery is open year around along Hwy. 395 with special angling regs after 11/15.

Alpine Lakes 10/19/14

Some of the "hike in" lakes like Kirman, Parker, & McCloud can be excellent during fall. The wild browns and brookies are in spawning mode. They are more aggressive, & cruising in shallower water near inlets. The scenery alone is worth the walk! Packing a tube in is the best means of getting into consistent fish. Bring both floating, and full sinking lines to cover the water more effectively as the fish go deeper when the sun climbs. Tubing the inlets & drop-offs on the "drive to" alpine lakes with full sinking lines and streamer patterns is a good way to locate "pods" of planted fish. The holdover, or wild browns and brookies in some areas are better fished using the still water nymphing method below an Under-cator. You can also try dry/dropper bead head combos with flashback PT's as the nymph & hi-vis para BWO's as the dry on the calm sun down bite days. Still water nymphing with scuds, assassin bird's nest, flashback PT's, & broken back midge patterns will work near inlets and along tulles or drop-offs. Streamers like Spruce-A-Bu's, Agent Orange, Loebergs, & Crystal Leeches used with a heavy sinking tip, or full sinking line will get you into them. Keep those streamers in the 10-15 foot range working the steep ledges or deeper sections near the inlets. Callibaetis or pheasant tail trailers can be deadly in some locations tied to a streamer.

Open from the last Saturday in April until 11/15. Some locations have special angling regulations year around.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir 10/19/14

Water levels are currently super low for fishing the transition area. Be cautious of the sticky mud along the banks. 4383′ is optimum in my opinion. They are now 4376′. The small river directly below the powerhouse is awesome when the flows are low, or stable. Forget fishing the river, or inlet if the hydro station is ramped up. The quiet water at the inlet can be great for tubers during this period. Dry dropper combos using Stimulators, hi-vis para BWO's or hi-vis caddis, may be used as the upper fly-use crystal olive caddis larva, flashback PT's, Assassins, broken back or crystal tiger & zebra midges as your dropper bead head nymph. Streamers like Loebergs, Agent Orange, Crystal leeches, & Spruce-A-Bu's will get you into some nice browns in the rez proper. Use a full sinking line to get down to 10-15 feet quickly. You can also fish "Crowley midge style" in the rez near the drop-offs. Fish the same chironomid patterns below an Under-cator. Gillies, broken back midges, crystal emergers & pupa patterns. Tiger & zebra midges are always a solid choice for your larva pattern.

This fishery is open year around.

We 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 7 days a week. They open early, so you can get flies and tackle and still be on the water for the hatch! 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
www.sierradrifters.com

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