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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
August 21, 2005
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
August Moon Fish Report 2005
August 21, 2005
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to all for this August moon fish report from the Eastern High Sierra.
Fly fishing is pretty dang good in most fisheries here in the Sierra. The high water levels that plagued many freestone creeks and tailwaters earlier this summer are beginning to recede and flow at near perfect levels with the exception of the Lower Owens River which is currently at its maximum release rate out of Pleasant Valley Reservoir.
The weather has been excellent aside from some breezy afternoon winds in the upper valleys and the forecast for the coming week is predicted to be very seasonal and warm with very slight chances of afternoon T-storms forecasted.
The Sierra Drifters crew, along with many of the regions top fly fishing guides here in the Eastern Sierra, urge you to take a moment and write Governor “Terminator” before he exterminates AB 7 sponsored by Assemblyman Dave Cogdill. The passing and implementation of this bill (The inland fisheries bill) is vital to the health and future of our hatchery system and the prospects of recreational sport fishing opportunities in many inland waters in California. Click on the DFG link on our website at www.sierradrifters.com for a link to email your letter to the Governor.
Crowley Lake: Good-very good
Streamer fishing has been the hot ticket recently as the perch fry are moving in along the weed lines in McGee and Hilton Bays and along the shoreline at Green Banks. You will see the fish rolling and crashing in the mornings and late afternoons. Even the larger browns are sick of eating daphnia. It has been a while since we have seen so many browns and cutts in the flats especially in 5-8 feet. Loebergs and Punk Perch #10-12 are spanking the fish when trolled and stripped with a light to medium sink tip line. Tubing is awesome as Wade Yoshi and Wendy Young can attest to…
“Wendy loves your Loeberg Guinnea fly, and used it exclusively. This was Wendy's first time to Crowley, and her first time on a float tube. Although she did extremely well with your fly, I used several other "Go-To Patterns" hoping to find and equal or better bite for her, but she continued to catch more fish, so I eventually switched over to the Loeberg also, and had similarly excellent results.”
You can view their picture by clicking on www.sierradrifters.com
The freakin east winds have been howling the last couple of days beginning around 11 am so keep an eye out for that dark water headed from the chalk bluffs at that time. The winds are backing off and swinging into the SW by 4 pm and the afternoon bite has been very good. The winds are forecast to be on and off the next few days here.
The stillwater nymphing has been spotty with some days being excellent and others being very slow. If you are not getting grabs or do not see a significant emergence of chironomids in the flats, move out to 14-17 feet and hang larva patterns like our Crystal Zebras or Tiger Midges #16-18. Punk Perch #16-12 used as an upper fly is also a good call especially in the mornings. The grabs are ferocious with this fly and most the takes are “automatic sets” Hang a Gillie or Crystal Emerger #18-20 in the late mornings. The lack of chironomids in McGee can be attributed to the low water levels in June that eradicated Augusts generations of potential emergers. Hatches will improve as the water levels drop and September should be one of the best months Crowley has seen in years.
The Neal family from Lemoore, CA fished with us recently on Crowley with Cody taking honors for this “saaaweet bow”.
And the Schoenbaum family from Woodland Hills, CA spent some time with us on Crowley…as you can see the fly-fishing brothers, Ryan & Cole had a great day.
Click on www.sierradrifters.com to view the pictures.
The fly fishing friendly and very knowledgeable staff at the Crowley Fish Camp will also take care of you tubers not wishing to make the long kick out to McGee Bay. They also have some new flat bottom boats powered with 30 hp 4 strokes that work great for stillwater nymphing. There is a link on the resources page of www.sierradrifters.com
Bridgeport Reservoir: Good
The lake level is dropping as well as the surface temperatures. Tubers making the effort to get in the short water and near the creek channel in Buckeye Bay are still being rewarded with good numbers and some very large rainbows with a few big browns in the afternoons. The hot ticket here is the late afternoon snap with a moderate westerly wind coming offshore. Fish the mornings, take an extended lunch break then get back out for the sundown migration of “fatties” that swim in to ambush the perch fry and callibaetis and damsel fly nymphs along the weed lines. Loebergs and Punk Perch #10-12 as well as damsel fly nymph imitations #12 rock ‘em here. Use a light to medium sink tip.
Stillwater nymphing is still good with solid numbers of chironomids and callibaetis mayflies emerging each day. Birds nest, hares ear, PT’s and light colored scuds #14-18 will cover the mayfly imitations. Gillies, Crystal Emergers, and larva patterns like Tigers and Zebras will fool them for chironomid patterns if you are not banging the rascals on streamers.
This is a fun lake to fish and is far less crowded than Crowley most days with a bunch of nice folks around. Tubers will have plenty of water to move without running into an armada of anchored boats.
The Bridgeport Lake Marina is fly fishing friendly and will accommodate tubers needing a ride out to Buckeye. I strongly suggest this or renting a boat as it is a long kick from the eastern shoreline. Just say BAAAHHH!!! when you see Jeffrey or any of the gang at the marinas office. There are links on the resources tab of www.sierradrifters.com
East Walker River: Fair
Flows are just under 300 cfs this week. Fly fishing at these releases is still tough and you must use plenty of weight to get your nymphs down. Streamers cast into the larger pools below the dam area in the “miracle mile” are a good bet in the early mornings and late afternoons. The Spruce-a-bu is a great imitation for the Tui Chubs which inhabit the river here #8. There are also perch fry present in this area and I would have a few Loebergs in your quiver as well if you plan on doing the “dip and strip” here. Numbers are not great, but have a camera along for sure as this place has been kicking out some large browns recently. Water temps have come down some this week but please do not overplay your fish and practice above average revival times after a catch and release.
West Walker River: Good-very good
The flows have dropped significantly here and wading is possible in all areas presently. Excellent dry fly opportunities abound in the canyon and during the lower light periods in the Pikel Meadows section. A dry dropper bead head nymph with a Crystal Tiger or Zebra is deadly here. You may also use a dry/dry combo with elk caddis #16-18 as the target fly and a Stimulator #14-16 as the point bug.
San Joaquin River: Saaa-wheeet!
Ideal flows coupled with some excellent weather provided the stage for some great caddis hatches and the wild fish went bonkers for dries fished on top. The river is being planted with rainbows in the campgrounds once again this season and this has taken the pressure off the wild trout allowing the more ardent fly fishers plenty of opportunities if they do a little hiking away from the crowds. You may drive your own vehicle in before 7 am and after 7:30 pm. A shuttle bus will take you in otherwise. There is a $7.00 charge for each person entering the area. Tom McCray from Irvine, CA fished with us recently on the San Joaquin which is in perfect shape as you can see from this picture….
www.sierradrifters.com
Hot Creek: Fair-good
A jag of small rainbows have been planted by the DFG to bring the fish counts up this summer. Give these rascals a few months and by late fall they will be a hoot to catch and release. Mornings and calm late afternoons have been best here lately. Caddis imitations of all kinds are solid choices. Fish an emerger #18-20 along with a dry #16-18 for a solid combo rig. Flows are down and clarity is excellent so use 6x tippet (2 feet) and at least a 9 foot leader.
Crowley Tributaries: Upper Owens River, McGee, Hilton, Crooked Creek
Very Good
Take a hike down McGee Creek and have some BWO’s #18-20 handy in the morning. I suggest the section below the confluence of Convict creek. There are fair numbers of rainbows migrating up from Crowley into the cooler water upstream.
You will experience this event in all the other tributaries, some to a lesser extent depending on the flows. The Upper Owens has plenty of hatchery rainbows around the Benton Bridge and down to the monument. There is a weed problem downstream from the confluence of Hot Creek at times. Streamers are a good choice in the lower sections as well as a BWO hatch in the mornings and caddis emergence in the afternoon.
Dry-dry combos work well in the Long Years section this time of year and you may hang a large resident brown in one of the larger bends on a hopper pattern drifted properly.
The mosquitoes are thick on the windless days so lather up with insect repellant.
Alpine Lakes: Mammoth Lakes Basin, June Lake Loop, Rock Creek Lake, Virginia Lakes
Fair-Good
Heavy pressure this time of year will impact your fishing here. If you can get on the water within a few days of a stocking truck you should have some fun. Troll the least accessible shorelines or the inlets if they are not jammed with shore fishers.
Virginia and Twin Lakes Mammoth are your best bet for wild fish. Theses rascals can be fooled during the lower light periods in the afternoons with stillwater nymphing tactics and may fly or very small midge patterns.
Full sinking lines and streamers are best for the stockers. The larger Alpers will destroy our Spruce-a-bus #8 and Loebergs #10. These rainbows like to hang near the tree stumps and will cruise the drop-offs in the 6-12 foot range in just about all the alpine lakes this time of year.
Anthony Stanley from Monrovia, CA had the following to say…” I was up at Twin Lakes (Mammoth) and had "something" in middle Twin rip my last Spruce-a-bou right off my rig while stripping it in. I switched to a Loeberg and caught two fish on my first three casts, but really want to know what it was that took the fly! I can confirm that on any of the stocked lakes, the Spruce-a-bou is my go-to streamer.”
You can pick up our guide flies at the following stand out locations: The Bridgeport Lake Marina in Bridgeport, 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
Be the fly…Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
760-935-4250
[email protected]
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