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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
December 12, 2002
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to you all for this upcoming holiday season.
Primo weather is the story here in the Eastern Sierra again for this report. Although we have had some precipitation recently the storms were tropical in origin and very mild with light winds and comfortable air temperatures for this time of year. The Owens Valley received some light rains again over the Thanksgiving weekend with the upper elevations getting a dusting of fresh snow for the skiers and boarders. The forecast is calling for another string of disturbances to roll in for the upcoming weekend.
Fishing has been excellent in most areas. The water temperatures are above average for this time of year due to the mild weather. The trout are continuing to feed aggressively during most of the daylight hours. Mid day has been best with the baetis mayfly hatch being the pinnacle of feeding activity. The above average water temps allow the trout's metabolic rates to remain high. This will keep the fish very active for a longer duration this winter we predict.
This can be a great time of year to fish the Eastern Sierra. Crowds are light between the holiday periods and the fly-fishing is peaking on the Owens River. Be sure you bring clothing that can be easily layered and a waterproof shell or jacket for those rare wet days in the valley.
Lower Owens River: Excellent-very good
A string of cloudy, warm overcast days recently put the trout in "gorge-o" mode this week making for some memorable days on the water. The flows remain steady at 125 cfs. at the Pleasant Valley Dam outlet making wading ideal for the wild trout section. Nymphing with #18-24 midge larva or mayfly imitations like bird's nest or hares ear patterns and tiger or zebra midges will spank the trout while being fished under a strike indicator. The fish are keying on the short, but sweet baetis hatch, which has been going off around 12:30 and ending around 2:00. You will see spinners around 10:00 a.m. and then again after 3:00. Use a #20-22 poly down wing with 2 long tails for best results fishing the spinners. Standard B.W.O.'s #18-20 will suffice for the hatch.
There are some new fluorocarbon tippet materials available that are the "kind." If you are not using these products in heavily fished waters you will be hearing the good fishing news, not making it! Rio has a tippet called Fluro-Flex Plus that is killer. We suggest you get some 6x and give it a try in the wild trout section, you will notice the difference.
The drift boat sections are fishing excellent as well. We have been concentrating on pulling streamers most of the day as the larger fish are beginning to show up on a regular basis. During the baetis emergence we have had some fun fishing dries on the overcast days as well. Mosquito fish and sculpin imitations are my choice for you "dip and strippers" although the way the bite has been you could probably put on most anything #6-12 and get grabs. You will need a moderate to heavy sink tip to get down to the fish.
The Las Vegas, Nevada trio of Marty Little, Travis Holdaway and Dale Rycraft did their drift with us with hopes of landing a large fish. They hit the jackpot when Marty outfoxed and bested this awesome hooked jaw rainbow on one of our sculpin patterns nicked named the "Kelley Bundy" fly. Travis and Dale offered expertise and support during the battle. I have yet to figure why Travis and Dale had large knives in their hands while the fish was close to the net and continually kept slashing at Marty's line when the fish came close. I took note at this landing procedure and may use it in the future as it worked well on this occasion. See ya soon guys!
Veteran Sierra Drifters Decker Warner from Thousand Oaks, CA and John Madran of Newbury Park, CA did back-to-back daylong float trips with us recently catching and releasing 98 rainbows and browns up to 22 inches! Way to hang em' guys!
Check out the photo of Mel Abert of Abert/Poindexter Advertising, Manhattan Beach, CA shot by pro photographer Mike "MAC" McIntire from Hermosa Beach, CA of Mel's gorgeous buck rainbow caught recently. Dubbing themselves the fishing "ranchero's" these guys along with friend and business associate Pete "the strip set" Hambling of Medina, WA fooled numerous browns and bows between the infinite laughs had by this group. Way too much fun guys!
You may check out these photos and others by visiting our website at http://sierradrifters.com
Pleasant Valley Reservoir: Very good
The level here is fluctuating so much it does no good to report on a weekly basis. Right now it is on the rise and appears it will continue to do so for a while.
Fishing has been great in the inlet area recently using a dry fly and midge larva combo in the transition area between the river and the lake. The down side has been the intense pressure the area received during the Thanksgiving holiday period. The catch and keepers hammered the place. Heavy plantings of D.F.G. fish and additional stockings with Alpers trophy trout have been hit very hard due to the high numbers of anglers in this area. However, good numbers of wild brown trout and holdover rainbows are still eager to hit a well-presented drift with the dry/dropper combo mentioned above.
Tubers are doing only fair from the launch ramp to the inlet area. This will change as the reservoir level continues to rise and the trout migrate towards the flow. Have some brightly colored streamer patterns with red or orange in them and a few with some sort of crystal flash incorporated into the pattern for best results when "freeze tubing" in this area.
The Gorge: Excellent
There are a lot of fish in the lower to middle gorge area. Getting to them is the problem. You must figure on doing at least 1-2 hours total of walking to get to the best locations. You will be dealing with dense foliage of willows, wild rose, "evil stinging nettle" and cat tails. The trout are spooky here, but if you manage to get a fly down with an upstream presentation, it is an instant grab. There are browns in this area that average about 8 inches, with the largest being about 16 inches. Adams patterns, elk hair caddis and midge imitations will all do well if the browns hold their ground after your cast. #16-18 are fine for both dries and nymphs. We find that a 1-4 wt. rod of about 8 feet is best for this area.
Bring in some water, and I do not suggest you wear your brand new waders into this region, as they will no doubt become "well used" after your decent into the gorge!
Call or email with your holiday gift certificate orders…they can be mailed out the next day.
Be the fly…Tom LoeSierra Drifters Guide Service
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