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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
January 23, 2005
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Wolf Moon Fish Report January 2005
January 21, 2005
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to all for this “Wolf moon” fish report from the Eastern High Sierra.
The tempest appears to be over for the time being with regards to the weather here in the Sierra and California in general. As a matter of fact it has been very pleasant in the Owens Valley this week with warm early spring like days reaching the mid-60’s and only dipping down to the mid-20’s for the lows along the river. This trend is forecast throughout this upcoming weekend and well into the initial part of next week.
The fishing has improved just recently due to the stable and warmer weather. We got punished both by the weather and the trout during the parade of cold fronts that left the Owens Valley soaked with rain and snow and the High Sierra blanketed with well over 15 feet of snow in the passes.
The two track dirt roads along the river; especially those nearest the wild trout section are still pretty much a quagmire and prudence should be used for navigating this area with anything less than a Sherman Tank or hover craft.
There are weather and road condition links on www.sierradrifters.com
Check out the shot of McGee Canyon and 13,000 foot Mt. Morgan from our headquarters here on McGee Creek near Crowley Lake by visiting our website fish report at: http://www.sierradrifters.com
Mammoth Mountain skiers and boarders rejoice! An epic ski season is upon the High Sierra. Many folks like to combine a ski/snowboard trip with a winter fishing trip this time of year….give as a call or email to check our availability and then check out Mammoth Mountain Ski Area at www.mammothmountain.com Mammoth Mountain is offering “January Midweek Madness” including some great midweek specials for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays of this month.
It is still too early to forecast the up and coming summer fishing season, however one thing is certain. There will be heavier run-off this spring, especially in the freestone creeks initially and then the tailwaters will be released at more substantial flows as the reservoirs and lakes swell. Crowley and Bridgeport should be a blast this season as they will have plenty of water providing habitat for a lengthy duration of weed beds. We will be doing a forecast in the forthcoming months so you can plan your spring and summer trips into the Eastern Sierra.
Look for another brand new- state of the art flats boat that will be joining the Sierra Drifters guide team this summer. We are adding a 23 foot, 250 hspwr, Bay Ranger for your fly-fishing comfort. This boat will accommodate up to 4 anglers in style and is without question the finest machine in this area. Sierra Drifters will also be launching an additional drift boat this spring and this brand new custom fly fish’n Willie is larger, wider and even more comfortable than the great boats we are currently running.
Joining the Sierra Drifters guide team this season will be long time fly fishing resident and Crowley Lake streamer tugging legend… Phil Therrien. Phil is a gifted expert fly tier and innovator, and a FFF certified caster. Currently residing and guiding in Colorado Phil will be making his debut this summer and we will have a biography on him available on our website in the future. His sense of humor alone is worth booking a trip with this excellent guide.
Lower Owens River: Fair-good
I felt like the Phoenix this week rising from the ashes (or should I say digging out from the snow) as we had some very poor “catching” a week or so ago and on top of it all some very poor water conditions on the river. After the monsoons hit the valley the run-off left the Owens very stained with tannin leaching into the waterway. The debris was so thick it prevented even a single retrieve to come back with out some form of goo on the fly.
Conditions have changed favorably this week and the flows have been highly reduced to 100cfs as of this report. There is a link to the Owens River flow rates at www.sierradrifters.com You will see some very early generation baetis #16-18 after 1pm most afternoons. The midge activity has been excellent in the wild trout section the last few days and the warmer days have the fish more active on the top for sure. Nonetheless we still suggest you bring along a solid selection of Drifters Crystal Olive Zebra and Tiger Midges #18-22 for nymphing. Midge cluster and midge adult patterns #20 and BWO imitations #16-18 are also some bugs to have handy.
Veteran Sierra Drifter Doug Rodricks from West Hills, CA got “Old Knot Head” to come out and hit a Loeberg recently. Old Knotty has played the game before and gives most who hook her “the fin”. Dougie won this battle with his good “Mo-Jo” after a fine presentation. Check the photo of the bull head this Kamloops rainbow has on our website fish report…click on www.sierradrifters.com
The drift boat sections have been better recently but are still on the slow side of average due to the erratic cycle the river has been experiencing. If you choose to “dip and strip” lay out a few more casts that usual in your piece of water. The fish have not been very opportunistic and you may have to tease them into grabbing your streamer.
Pleasant Valley: Poor-fair
Tubers working the deeps near the dam with fast full sinking lines are fairing better than those plying the inlet for sure. The reservoir level is still too high for good presentations near the inlet. I like our Loebergs, Crystal Leeches or Punk Perch here #10-12. It is in fact dropping slowly and should be in good shape within a couple weeks if the power that beeez (LADWP) does not do something crazy. Major work is being performed on the powerhouse so you will not get any huge releases from generation for a while. The river section is fishing fair. Use a dry/dropper bead head combo with a #16-18 crystal zebra or tiger as the nymph.
The Gorge: Fair
It was tough hiking here last week and there is still plenty of ice and snow on the north facing slopes down in the pit especially in the upper middle area. The warmer weather will help out the hike into the pit and you should have a fair snap in the late mornings using midge imitations and smaller pheasant tails or hares ear patterns with some flash as an option. #18 Adams and Griffiths Knat #20 patterns always get looks here if you want surface action.
Not only is the footing here a bit suspect, but I find an abnormal amount of rock slides and mini-avalanches occur during this time of year as the wet and frozen ground thaws and expands causing the rocks to fall. This is also the case when walking along the service road at Pleasant Valley. Be more attentive than usual to where you stand and rest while climbing down and do not choose a path along large broken shale slides now.
Please remember that this entire area is NZMS positive and rotten with the critters. Walk and wade in the streambed as little as possible, do your moving on dry ground. For more information on the snail go to http://www.flyline.com
You can pick up our guide flies at the following stand out locations:
The San Diego Fly Shop, The Troutfitter/Trout Fly in Mammoth Lakes, Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego, Malibu Fish’N Tackle in Thousand Oaks. There are links to these locations at www.sierradrifters.com
The days are beginning to get longer and it will not be long before we are using “spring like” in the fish report. Looking forward to fishing with you soon.
Be the fly…Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
www.sierradrifters.com
[email protected]
760-935-4250
If you visit these links be sure to tell them Sierra Drifters sent you…
Mammoth Lakes Real Estate: http://www.mammothrealestateonline.com
Mammoth Lakes Lodging: http://www.mammothlakes.com/ml2/Lodgingx.html
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