August 7th Fish'n Conditions
Capt. Tom Loe
August 7, 2014
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Summer time fly fishing around Mammoth has been very good. Consistently good results are occurring for guided fly fishing trips in locations like Crowley Lake, the Upper Owens River, & The Middle Owens River near Bishop. Our pro guides are available to put you on quality trout on the fly here in the Sierra.
Quick look fish report 8/6/14
Middle Owens flows up significantly to 300cfs. East Walker dropped to 56cfs. If you have not noticed by now, Crowley is the place to be. McGee and North Arm red hot. Streamer fishing really gaining momentum. Special angling regulations now in effect here. Upper Owens remains very good for catch-able sized rainbows with a few larger migratory browns in the mix. Hot Creek, San Joaquin, & East Walker all have poor/fair conditions due to aquatic weeds & low flows. Alpine Lakes got a good jag of planted fish recently, hatcheries are stocking more than normal earlier anticipating poor fall conditions.
Crowley Lake 8/6/14
As good as it gets. Special angling restrictions now in place. Pinch those barbs down, love them and leave them, no scented or live bait. The north arm and McGee Bay are fishing the best I have seen in 4 years. The lake level has dropped enough so that the weed lines are currently at the depth at which the trout prefer. This means large concentrations of fish in small areas. The fish are gravitating towards any inlet source. Water temps are pushing 70 on the surface and this is concentrating the trout near the north end of the lake where the Upper Owens flows into, & McGee Bay-where both McGee & Convict join nearby, then flow into the lake. The blue algae bloom is now light/moderate, and can shut down a bite if it concentrates in an area. It can also IGNITE a period of intense "catching" as the damsel fly nymphs & perch fry migrate along with these algae rafts & the trout hunt them down around the edges. The north end of the lake has been very clean compared to McGee Bay (which is not bad), and there is more fishable area here for sure. Hilton has been on & off. It is worth posting up for a few casts if the water is clean. Shag it if the green goo is around. Layton/Alligator have also been hot at times. It just depends on the water clarity. There are decent chironomid hatches (midges); however the larger fish are targeting the perch fry and damsel nymphs. Spot up along some aquatic weed in the 10-13 foot range. Use an assassin, drifters punk perch, or damsel nymph as the upper fly, hang a broken back tiger or zebra, dark or copper crystal tiger or zebra as the larva/lower fly. Give those flies some action if the surface is calm. You are competing with swimming/wiggling critters, and the movement of your flies is crucial to getting grabs. Streamer fishing really picked up the last few days using perch fry and damsel nymphs. The fish are in a tight area most days and trying to tube around all the anchored boats is difficult. The perch fry are tiny right now- September/October will be streamer Nirvana I believe.
Upper Owens River 8/6/14
Most consistent moving water fishery in the area. River conditions are better above the confluence of Hot Creek. Tandem nymph rigs in the deeper pools are doing the trick. You can also dead drift broken back midges & egg patterns without an Under-cator. Flows consistent at 52 cfs. Short water tactics should be used to fool the wild fish here. Look for the deeper pools and runs during off hatch periods. Caddis (#18 or smaller dark bodies) and mayfly adults are good choices for the open riffle water. Hi-vis para bwo and caddis # 16-18 will get grabs. Some hoppers showing up now. 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. You will have to hunt down pools large; or deep enough to cast a streamer-they are very limited under current conditions. Patterns like Loebergs, Punk Perch, Crystal Leeches, & Agent Orange will get takes when used with a light sinking tip line.
Middle Owens River (Bishop area) 8/6/14
A substantial flow increase to 300cfs. recently. It will take a week for the fish to adjust & water to clear in the drift boat sections. Wading is very difficult in the wild trout section at this release. The additional water & cooler temps this week will actually make the fishing better here soon. 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. The chub and sucker spawn was epic this spring and we are seeing "balls" of these small baitfish in the pillow waster and along the weeds. Streamer fishing is the best way to imitate these small forage fish by using heavy sinking tip lines and Loebergs, Punk Perch, & Crystal leeches, & Spruce-a-bu's.
Hot Creek 8/6/14
Hot Creek is suffering from low water and extensive weed growth. This limits the available water you can fish. Dry flies are the most effective patterns to use. I suggest a 10 foot leader and rod to keep the fly line off the weeds. My hi-vis caddis & hi-vis para BWO are good choices to fish the faster slot water that has less weed. Hoppers are also beginning to show, use a stimulator or grass hopper imitation if the wind comes up. Para ant patterns are also a good choice if the wind is gusting in the canyon. There are a few sections that can be fished with a dry dropper nymph rig. Broken back zebras or assassin birds nest bead heads in #18 are good calls for the dropper.
*Tom Loe is under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide Hot Creek.
San Joaquin River 8/6/14
Smoke from the fires have improved considerably. Flows are at fall levels, the wading is very easy in all sections. Fly fishing has become more difficult due to very low flows. The fish are holding in the limited pools and deeper slots. 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 8/6/14
Flows at 56 cfs. Water is filled with algae and weeds, tough to get a clean drift currently. If water temps rise into the 70′s, this will make the fish lethargic. Better oxygen levels further you go downstream towards NV. We are currently not guiding here by choice.
Bridgeport Reservoir 8/6/14
Jeffery is still launching rentals near the dam and reports good catching from conventional anglers. The RV Park is in full operation & in tip top shape. Fishing remains good/fair for planted rainbows with a few nicer browns showing up for conventional anglers/trollers. Algae/weeds are an issue in some areas.
West Walker River 8/6/14
Flows are low & the water is very clear. They will continue to drop unless we get some significant T-storms, in which case this river can get off color and high very quickly. 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 8/6/14
Smoke from local fires have improved considerably. Most drive to local lakes got a good jag of planters, easy picking for tubers trolling streamers near the inlets and drop-offs. You can also use the still water nymphing technique here near the inlet. Reports are good using this method for medium sized bows. Great way to get out of the heat. Try dry/dropper bead head combos with flashback PT's as the nymph & hi-vis para BWO's as the dry on the calm sun down bite days. 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.
We 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
www.sierradrifters.com
760-935-4250
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