July 6th Fish'n Conditions
Capt. Tom Loe
July 6, 2014
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Fly Fishing for trophy trout in the Sierras near Mammoth and Bishop has been awesome recently. Guided trips are producing quality rainbows, browns, and cutthroat trout consistently for our clients fishing quality waters like Crowley Lake, the Upper Owens River near Mammoth, Hot Creek, & the Middle Owens River near Bishop. Guided drift boat excursions on the Owens produced some of the largest trout we have seen in years. Early season numbers are indicating a banner year for Crowley Lake with late spring storms suppling ample water to provide good access in most locations. Book a fly fishing guide trip with us soon and get your picture on the wall of fame!
Quick look fish report 7/5/14
Find the clean water on Crowley & you will have a great day. 12-18 feet along the weed lines in Mcgee/Hilton is hot. East Walker not fishing well recently although flows remain at 90cfs. Water green & weed filled. West Walker in great shape, good time to fish the canyon. Middle Owens around Bishop has perfect flows, hotter that hell in the valley by noon. Flows dropping on ALL freestone creeks. Will be a tough summer/fall for these smaller snow fed fisheries. Hot Creek also running very low, weeds an issue in many sections. Upper Owens remaining at 53cfs. Very low in the Long Years section, weeds choking the channels in the monument area.
Crowley Lake 7/5/14
The recent heat wave is a game changer here. The major algae bloom will make conditions difficult at times during this cycle. McGee Bay has been very good, & will turn on once the westerlies blow the goo out of the fishable water. The low flows on McGee Creek will not help "channeling" the fish up much this year. Hilton Bay has also been excellent after a steady wind blows the goo out of the bay. The lake level remained high enough to form significant weeds in any of the channel sections. Stay outside the weeds, 12-18 feet, keep those flies clean. Gillies #18/20, crystal emergers & pupa #18/20. (Broken back tiger & zebra midges, broken back gillies) good when you have some texture on the surface. Copper Tigers & zebra midges #14/18 also good choices for the lower or larva imitation. Smaller punk perch & damsel fly nymph patterns are the hot ticket during late morning damsel migrations. My broken back gillie is a dead knock off for large chironomid pupa, or damsel fly nymphs that are emerging. Best used with some texture on the surface, or give your Under-cator a smooth pull, or twitch every minute or so. Streamer fishing damsels can be effective during heavy algae along the weed lines.
Upper Owens River 7/5/14
Skeeters are around in the morn. Guide Chris basso reports good numbers of catchable rainbows around the monument section, with a few nice ones holding in the pockets. he suggests you dead drift broken back midges & egg patterns without an Under-cator. Flows consistent at 52 cfs. Short water tactics must now be used to fool fish here. Look for the deeper pools and runs during off hatch periods. Caddis and mayfly adults are good choices for the riffle water. Hi-vis para bwo and caddis # 16-18 will get grabs. 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 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. Patterns like Loebergs, Punk Perch, Crystal Leeches, & Agent Orange will also get takes when used with a light to medium sinking tip line.
Owens River (Bishop area) 7/5/14
Recent drift trips have been good during cooler periods. It is too dang hot to fish this area by late morning during weather like this. Up & down we go, where it stops only the LADWP knows! 231cfs & steady currently. Wading (no waders needed this time of year) remains good at this release below the dam at PV Res. Use birds nest patterns like Assassins, flashback PT's, and hares ears for good profiles of a mayfly nymph. Crystal olive caddis larva & olive zebra midges are also good choices for a lower fly imitation of caddis larvae or midge larva. Have some hi-vis caddis adults & hi-vis para mayfly adults for the late morning hatch. Streamer fishing is fair using heavy sinking tip lines and Loebergs, Punk Perch, & Crystal leeches, & Spruce-a-bu's.
Hot Creek 7/5/14
Flows are dropping & weeds are becoming an issue in some sections. Decent caddis & mayfly activity occurring daily during warm spells & calmer days. The small dark 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. San Juan Worms and egg patterns are good choices for spring conditions on the crick. 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" a Punk perch or crystal leech 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/PMD's start to emerge. Dead drift some crystal scuds with a tiny, or no indicator at all in the deeper slots.
*Tom Loe is under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide Hot Creek.
San Joaquin River 7/5/14
Flows are at historical late summer levels, and the wading is very easy in all sections. Fly fishing has been very good. The SJ will be too low to fish well by the end of July this year. Attractor dry patterns like Stimulators, hi-vis para bwo's & caddis are good choices that are easier to see in the plentiful pocket water that defines the SJR. Use a bead head flashback PT or assassin birds nest as a dropper in the deeper pools and runs.
*Tom Loe is under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide the San Joaquin.
East Walker River 7/5/14
Flows down to 90cfs. Water is filled with algae and weeds, tough to get a clean drift currently.
Bridgeport Reservoir 7/5/14
Jeffery at the marina is telling us his rental boats are "on a day to day basis" due to the low water levels. Check with him for any changes. The RV Park is in full operation & in tip top shape. Fishing remains good for planted rainbows with a few nicer browns showing up for conventional anglers/trollers.
West Walker River 7/5/14
Run-off has really backed off and conditions are good. 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.
Alpine Lakes 7/5/14
Great way to get out of the heat. Some of the hike too lakes are fishing really well for early summer. 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. Kirman, Laurel, & Parker are fun locations to pack, or bring a tube in. 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. Fish deeper than normal 15-20 feet, and work the steep ledges or deeper sections near the inlets.
Best wishes to Drifters stand out guide "Two Bug" Doug Dolan who incurred a serious injury recently, and will be out of action for a while. Two Bug made it out of extensive surgery and is receiving PT for a while. He is finally out of the hospital and really improving! Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We gave him a pet fish to hold while he recovers!
Two Bug has helped out many people including Wounded Warriors, Handicapped Anglers, & special youth groups. He needs some financial help to get him through this tough period.
If you would like to make a check donation that goes DIRECTLY INTO DOUG'S ACCOUNT ONLY – make payable to: FBO Doug Dolan (FBO stands for "For Benefit Of") And mail it to: Eastern Sierra Community Bank PO Box 5069 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
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 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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