Eastern Sierra Fish Report
Capt. Tom Loe
April 28, 2008
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to all for this pre-season opener report from the high country. I'm filling in for the mighty Tom Loe once again while he is staying busy putting clients on the legendary Lahontan Cutthroat of Pyramid Lake, Nevada.
Lots of wind and cooler temperatures have arrived in the Eastern Sierra the last few days. The latest cold front which moved through the region dropped half an inch of snow on the higher elevations. Look for temperatures to steadily increase and winds to die down as the weekend approaches. You can expect temperatures to be in the low 20's at sunrise Saturday morning on Crowley with highs reaching the mid to low 60's. We are predicting a banner opener on Crowley as DFG and Alpers have put many a large fish in the lake recently. Crowley lake is known for its quality trout and you can look forward to a higher than normal catch rate on larger trout this year.
Many of you have probably heard about the invasive Quagga/Zebra Mussel issue here in the Eastern Sierra. The LADWP and the Crowley Lake Fish Camp are working together to prevent the spread of these mussels into the lake. Mandatory boat, kayak, and canoe inspections will be implemented for boats entering Crowley Lake. Please allow from 20 minutes to one hour for boat inspections depending on the size and condition of your vessel. Please be patient with this process, as this will benefit us all in the long run. All boats must be clean and dry (no standing water) including dock and anchor lines, no debris present on trailers or boats, and all drain plugs pulled. A clean boat will expedite the process, but you must make sure there is no water present, or your boat will not be allowed to launch. Boats can be inspected ahead of time Monday-Friday at the LADWP office at 300 Mandich St. in Bishop from 8:00am-3:00pm. Boats can be inspected after 3:00pm by appointment. Call (760)873-0409. April 24 and 25 boats can be inspected in the VONS/KMART parking lot from 7:00am-7:00pm in Bishop at the corner ofMain St. and Highway 6. Boats may also be inspected starting April 23 at Crowley Lake's South Landing from 8:00am-5:00pm, and April 24 through the duration of the fishing season from 7:00am-7:00pm. Once your boat has cleared inspection, you will be issued an inspection certificate that must be displayed on the dashboard of your vehicle at all times while on the lake property. A tamper proof wire lock tag will be attached between the winch hook of your trailer and the boat to allow for access in and out of the South Landing gate at Crowley if you are planning on moving your boat off the property. More info on this is available at www.ladwp.com/mussels
Lower Owens River: Fair
Over the past two weeks, the flows had been raised on the river making for less than ideal fishing conditions. The burn areas added to the discoloration of the river. Flows have come down recently to about 250cfs above Line St. and the fishing has been picking up. Pulling streamers in the deep pools has been getting grabs and working the bends of the river has been the most productive. Check out the double hook up of Chuck Robertson and Alison Johnson from Laguna Beach on a drift trip with me recently. You can view photos by clicking onwww.sierradrifters.com/fish.htm
Upper Owens River: Very Good
Some bigger fish have moved up in this area recently and the river bank has been completely free of snow for some time now. Remember to check your regulations from the Benton Bridgedownstream to Crowley Lake, as not all of the river will be open on April 26. The section from the fishing monument upstream to the Benton Crossing Bridge will open to fishing on May 24 and close on September 30. You may fish from the monument downstream to Crowley during the regular season. Pheasant tails, hare's ears, midges, and bird's nests are a good choice for nymphs here in #18-20. Streamers are still effective in the deeper runs, and go with #16 Stimulators and #18-22 Parachute Adams, Midge Clusters, Elk Caddis, and BWO's for dry flies.
East Walker River: Good-Excellent
Flows are currently holding at 55cfs as of report time. Fishing has been mixed here, some days were seeing decent fishing and others were not so good. Recently the water temps have warmed up some below the dam and the fish have definitely responded. #18 Pheasant tails and Zebra midges, San Juan Worms, Caddis Pupas, and Serendipities are your go to flies. Chuck Robertson and Alison Johnson had so much fun fishing the Lower Owens , they decided to wade the East Walker the next day. Alison managed to fish her way to about 14 fish with most being browns and one being a rainbow. These were all quality fish with the smallest being 15" and two in the 20"+ range. I've haven't seen too many people that can make 3 consecutive casts and hook a fish on each of them. This girl can fish! As the warmer weather approaches, look for the fishing to improve greatly.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir: Good
Air temps have been a lot warmer down this way. Fish the inlet section which flows into the Reservoir with streamers and nymphs for some grabs. Float tubing with a full sink line and a variety of streamer patterns will get you into fish. Concentrate your efforts near the boat ramp area and you should do well here. The Wild Trout Section has also been fishing well lately. Nymphing has been producing fish as well and dry flies are getting fish when they are on the surface. The gorge is also a good option as this is a great time of year to get fish on dry flies. Good presentations are important to fool the wild fish down here.
Mammoth Lakes, June Loop, Bridgeport:
The upper elevation lakes in the Mammoth area are still frozen, with some thawing around the edges occurring at the Twin Lakes. Convict Lake is in prime shape for the opener and should fish well. All of the lakes in the June Loop area are free of ice and will be open. We had some late ice on them which was blown off by the winds within the last week. Bridgeport Reservoir and Upper and Lower Twin Lakes are also completely clear and looking good. Good luck to all this 2008 season and tight lines! The Tioga Pass road clearing is progressing well with a potential Memorial Day Weekend opening.
-Doug Rodricks
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
Sierra Drifters flies and "Sungicator" strike indicators are only available at the following great fly shops and stores (don't be fooled by any of the imitations out there!): Crowley Lake Fish Camp at Lake Crowley, Crowley Lake General Store in Crowley, Kittredge Sports in Mammoth Lakes, Bridgeport Reservoir Marina in Bridgeport, Malibu Fish'n Tackle in Thousand Oaks, Stroud's Tackle in San Diego, The San Diego Fly Shop in San Diego, The Fishermen's Spot in Van Nuys, Bob Marriott's in Fullerton, & Buz's Fly Shop Too. There are links to these locations at the resources tab on www.sierradrifters.com
Be the fly friends…Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
760-935-4250
Eastern Sierra Real Estate: You now also have the opportunity of joining my periodic email news from Prestige Properties of Mammoth regarding Eastern Sierra real estate updates. If you're interested in that please just send me an email to [email protected] to join. There are great opportunities now in this "buyers market" for those of you who have been waiting for the prices to drop!
Michele Loe ~ Eastern Sierra Real Estate…. http://www.mammothlakes.com/mlRE/Agent_Michele.html
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