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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
June 25, 2005
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
June 2005 Fish Report Update
June 24, 2005
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to all for this June fish report update from the Eastern High Sierra. We have a bunch of new information to give you regarding some condition changes.
The weather has been yo-yoing between summer and early spring with some ear flapping winds to contend with on some days. The winter of “aught five” will not give way to summer yet and the string of weak but windy cold fronts continue to parade through the region making fly fishing conditions tough at best. The forecast is calling for a mild trend the next couple of days with the weather once again turning cooler. Bring on the heat baby! We are eagerly awaiting summer.
Congressman Cogdill’s bill formatted to insure one third of your license revenue goes to the state hatchery program has passed the house without opposition. This time around the bill included funding for wild trout and salmon programs and personnel and also a slug of money to the much needed warden department. We support this bill and are hoping that the bill passes the next hurdle which is the state senate.
Click these links for DFG news and how to help out the Hot Creek Hatchery Foundation.
http://www.sierradrifters.com
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/
www.FriendsofCaliforniaHatcheries.org
Cal Trout is hosting a cleanup effort on the headwaters of the Upper Owens River on Saturday July 9th at 9 am. The group of volunteers will meet at the Big Springs Campground and make a battle plan there. You are invited to help out in this effort and you may contact Rob Lusardi for details.
“Hi folks- just wanted to let you know that we’re gearing up for our July 9th ‘protect our headwaters day’ at the headwaters of the Upper Owens River. We will be focusing our efforts on a traditional cleanup around the USFS campgrounds and identifying and restoring illegal off-road routes through the riparian corridors of Glass Creek, Deadman Creek, and the Big Springs area. This work is essential in our efforts to protect the tributaries and downstream fishery and habitat of the Upper Owens River. There will also be some interesting educational material on display and we’re currently trying to get a local aquatic entomologist to give a streamside talk. For more information specific to the event, please see the following link:”
http://www.friendsoftheinyo.org
Tioga Pass will open on 6-24-05 according to the NPS. There could be ice on the road in the mornings on the run-off areas. Sonora Pass has been open for a while and is in good shape.
The road to Reds Meadow and the Middle fork of the San Joaquin will open on 6-29-05 say the Inyo Forest folks. There is a use fee for entry and a mandatory shuttle bus for access into the area after 7 am. Expect the river to be running very high and wading can be iffy or WET here at high flows.
Overall fishing conditions have improved greatly the last two weeks and many of the upper lakes are starting to provide excellent options for fisherman. The tailwaters and freestone creeks are still running high and will continue to do so for a least another month. Clarity has improved and barring any major T-storm activity the levels have peaked and should drop. If it does rain at the upper elevations you can anticipate severe run-off and dangerous flows for a few days.
Mammoth Mountain:
In its 51 year history Mammoth has been open into the month of July 17 times, most recently in 1998. The Mountain is open for skiing through the 4th of July weekend. The Sierra Star Golf Course and Mammoth Mountain Bike Park open this weekend of June 25th…click on www.mammothmountain.com for more info.
Click on http://www.visitmammoth.com
For a list of the town of Mammoth’s 4th of July activities
Crowley Lake: Fair
The lake is currently turning over and is at its highest level I have seen in many seasons. The algae situation is not horrid despite the turnover, this due in part to the flush of new water, wind and cooler air temperatures recently. Look for heavy underwater weed beds out to the 14 foot depth. Your best bet is to look towards the inlets at McGee and Hilton Bays avoiding the heavy weed beds for sure. Try to locate large channels in the weed lines. The damsel fly emergence is beginning to influence the trout’s feeding behavior as the nymphs migrate with the scum and algae lines that drift across the lake. Tubers should take advantage of these areas trolling and stripping damsel fly imitations or our Punk Perch streamers in #12.
The chironomid hatch is also influencing the bite. Make sure you have some #18-20 Gillies for the hatch. We are having best results fishing the stillwater technique in deeper water…11-16 feet at times. Hook sets at this depth must be very aggressive. Put the wood to those rascals! It is tough to fish from a tube at this leader length, try renting one of the new flats boats at the fish camp. They are really nice for fly fishing. Tubers keep a close eye on the SE winds that are coming on strong about 11:00 am every day.
This season continues to be the best early brown trout action I have seen in recent years. If things go as planned we will have some epic days when the Sacramento Perch fry show up along the weed lines in the late summer and fall. Check out the slug browns Dave Hale from Valencia, CA and author Jefferson Parker from Fallbrook, CA nailed recently while on stillwater trips with us. Click on www.sierradrifters.com to view all the pictures for this report.
Upper Owens River: Fair
The big numbers of larger fish are going back into the lake but a fair amount of late bloomers are still around. The water is high and you can expect a fair amount of weed floating by especially in the area below the confluence of Hot Creek. Caddis imitations both dry and nymphs are solid choices now. The section below the Benton Crossing Bridge is now open and is being planted. Streamers like our Loebergs #10 and Spruce-a-bus #8 work great here. Keep your flies clean as you will have some issues with the weeds.
Crowley Tributaries: Poor
These areas are pretty much history (besides weekly stockers) until the fall spawn which could prove to be excellent with all the water here.
Hot Creek: Fair-good
High flows are not all the time a bad thing here as I have said in the past. Overall fish counts are down for numerous reasons and your numbers may be lower than in years past but the fish are a tad larger overall. Water clarity is good despite the high flows from Mammoth Creek and the deeper water makes longer drifts possible presenting more opportunities each cast. Look for strong caddis activity with some smaller stone flies showing up when they feel like it. Imitations with flash in them work well especially in the smaller hook sizes. Sierra Drifter, Robert Otanez from Irvine, CA had a great day fishing scuds here recently.
Rock Creek Area: Very Good
The lake is wide open for stockers along the inlet and wind protected areas and you may run into a DFG brood stocker here or there. This lake fishes best during the lower light periods especially during the evenings when surface water temps are highest. Local fly fisher Brad from the Rock Creek Lake Resort fishes the lake after work and is slamming 30-40 fish in the late afternoons using a Marvel fly sold at the resort.
The creek is high and is flooding the banks in several areas especially in the meadows but clarity is excellent and the level has dropped quite a bit this week. Dry dropper combos using our Crystal Olive Zebras #18-20 as the nymph dropper will work well here. When you are fishing freestone creeks that are running high I suggest you concentrate your efforts in the meadow sections or slower water instead of the pocket water and riffles.
The blood suckers are out here also, bring repellant.
Mammoth Lakes Basin: Good
You will find plenty of snow along the banks here but the lakes are fishing well when the wind is not blowing a gale. Heavy stocking of DFG and Alpers fish recently will insure a solid population of “opportunistic” rainbows that will hit streamers fished with a full or heavy sinking tip line. The lakes are full and the fish will cruise the shorelines here and concentrate near the dead trees stumps and along the drop-offs by the inlet. Crystal Leeches and Loebergs #10-12 are dynamite. Get your streamers down at least 10 feet with sinking lines.
June Lake Loop: Good
Good here when the wind is not blowing but unfortunately it has been blowing a lot. The high snow pack has filled the lakes nicely and Silver is fishing well near the inlet from Rush. The creek is running high and wading is tough right now. Look for Rush to continue rising as Grant fills. Hit the slower water on Rush and look at Gull during the late afternoon when the wind is not honking. Our blonde Spruce-a-bu #8 does a great job of imitating a Tui-Chub which is a substantial forage fish for the larger predators in this area. Fish this streamer 10-15 feet deep with lots of hesitations in your retrieve. Wind lines, shadows and drop-offs will all pay off in these lakes.
Lower Owens River: Fair
The flows are once again on the rise and are currently at 400cfs. You can expect the levels to go up in the near future. Wading the wild trout section is so-so at this release and you need at least 2 BB’s to get your nymphs down in the larger pools. Good caddis activity in the afternoons. This is your best bet for any surface action. Make sure you have plenty of bug spray; the rascals are the size of eagles these days and have armor piercing beaks! You may get real time flow data by clicking the buttons on our website fish report at http://www.sierradrifters.com
The Owens Valley is toasty these days and I suggest you avoid the afternoons here as it is too dang hot to fly fish.
Bridgeport Reservoir: Good
The giant is stirring! Try stillwater nymphing near the inlet at Buckeye Bay using chironomid imitations like our Gillies and Tiger Midges #16-20. Owner, Jeffery Wenger from the marina is reporting excellent action here as well as good reports from tubers trolling sculpin and perch fry imitations #6-10 near the airstrip and inlet from the Walker River. The weed beds are not prevalent near Buckeye and the algae is way down from years past. The Bridge also got a huge shot of “shorties” from the DFG that will be catchables next season and put this excellent fishery back on the map.
East Walker: Improving
The flows went to 900cfs a while back but have dropped down to 400 as of this report. Wading is possible but tough at this release and crossing can be considered a foreboding to swimming in full garb. Be cautious. The deal here is not a lot of fish in numbers but the ones you get into are sweet. Caddis imitations and Crystal Tiger and Zebra Midges are best fished as nymphs until late afternoon. You will need a BB or two to get your bugs down at this flow. You may get real time flow data by clicking the buttons on our website fish report at http://www.sierradrifters.com
West Walker: Poor
Wait until the flows subside a little more. If you must fish here hit the Chris Flat area or meadow section near the Marine base.
You can pick up our guide flies at the following stand out locations: The Crowley Lake Fish Camp and the Crowley Lake General Store and Deli in Crowley, The Troutfitter/Trout Fly in Mammoth Lakes, Malibu Fish’N Tackle in Thousand Oaks, The San Diego Fly Shop and Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego. There are links to these locations at www.sierradrifters.com
Looking forward to fishing with you soon.
Be the fly…Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
www.sierradrifters.com
[email protected]
760-935-4250
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