Fish'N Conditions December 6th 2012
Capt. Tom Loe
December 8, 2012
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
The Upper Owens is starting to gel with trophy sized rainbows migrating up from Crowley Lake.
The drought is over- and in more than one way people. A series of moisture laden Pacific storms brought a bunch of snow to the ski areas of the Sierra and plenty of rain to the Owens Valley and Upper Owens drainage. The Bridgeport area also received a good amount of early pre-cip and the reservoir is filling quickly. Crowley is three feet higher than its lowest point and continues to fill.
For those of you who fish Eagle Lake with us, check out the picture on the Eagle Lake page. Click trips & programs-waters we fish-Eagle Lake, and look at the pictures of Pine Creek flowing bank to bank. Looking good for next spring, we will keep you posted on booking dates.
The good news is a fresh jag of winter time rainbows migrating up from Crowley Lake into the beautiful Upper Owens River. Although technically not Steelhead; these are fall spawning rainbows and truly the epitome of what fly fishers seek on their quest for wild trout. The brain child of some innovative DFG biologists many years ago, this strain of rainbow is without a doubt my favorite adversary and the hardest pulling fish around this region. With the advent of "triploids only" planting by the DFG after January 1st 2013 for all of our State waters not designated to have indigenous species of trout, consideration must be taken to enhance and protect this strain of rainbow to maintain a viable population for the future. Triploids do not reproduce, nor do they have the desire to migrate into tributaries for reproduction. While in the embryonic stage, they have been altered rendering them sterile. Something to keep in mind for future fisheries management proposals in this area and others.
The weather is forecast to stabilize for a week or more, so procrastinate a while longer on that holiday shopping and come up and enjoy some great wintertime fly fishing with us!
Upper Owens River
The UO is flowing at a stable 80cfs and water clarity is excellent despite the significant rainfall in this area. The roads are not bad, although right near the river some of the parking areas are very soft and muddy so be careful if the ground is not frozen. There was no snow accumulation here from the prior storms. The east side access road is as bad as I have ever seen it with regards to the wash board surface, go really slow or you will do damage to your vehicle.
The weather remains mild and there remains a solid baetis mayfly hatch after 1:30-2 daily. #18-20 BWO patterns will get looks. Nymphing with PT's, birds nest, SJ worms and egg imitations, broken back midges & olive zebras will all get grabs in the runs deeper than 3 feet. It is crucial to keep your shadow and profile off the water in the shallower pools and runs. Theses fish are not accustomed to people and will dart or spook quickly if you approach them without stealth. Streamer fishing can also be productive from an upstream vantage point using a lightly weighted sinking tip line. There are some huge browns holding along the cut banks, and they will attack larger streamer patterns with a vengeance this time of year.
Please be extra careful handling & releasing these wintertime treasures. We always resuscitate the fish for several minutes BEFORE taking a picture, and while removing the barbless hook. If you have ice in your guides (or on your guide, haha) while angling, be very careful to keep the fishes gill plates well below the surface so they are not damaged by freezing during a release.
Hot Creek
The forest service gate remains open as of this report. The road into HC has some ice on it, should be gone by the time you get this report. There will be some light snow and ice in the canyon-be extra careful if you have felt soles. Flows are up and HC is fishing very well. Good BWO activity after mid-day & with the near perfect flows the fish have moved back into the riffle water making for some fun dry fly opportunities. Nymphing with SJ worms and roe patterns is proving to be really bad news for the spawned up browns this fall.
Lower Owens River
Flows got skinny at 80cfs but have been bumped up to 100cfs as of this report. Fishing remains excellent in the wild trout area below the dam at Pleasant Valley Reservoir. Daily BWO emergences are triggering some fine surface action and you will see pods of fish gorging on the adults during this period. Fall generation baetis are smaller than the spring models, this is always the case with aquatic insects. #18-20 is a good representation, keep them well lubed/dusted and riding high for a better presentation. Flashback PT's, birds nest, & hares ear nymphs are good choices for non-hatch periods currently. At these release rates wading/crossing is safe and easy. Try fishing without a strike indicator while nymphing the deeper slots and pools. This method of "high sticking" can be very productive under conditions like we have currently on the LO.
Drifting remains very good as well. Steamer fishing before and after the hatch is the best way to fish the lower-larger sections of the river. Light to moderate sinking tip lines using the "dip & strip" method is providing good numbers each float. Fishing the BWO hatch can be very productive. We can show you how to dry fly fish "Fall River style" using a combination of curve casts and stack mends to fool rising fish from an upstream position.
East Walker River
This could well be one of those winters in which we see higher than normal wintertime flows if the current pattern continues. Bridgeport is filling quickly, and the warm storms are conducive to early run-off and a bump up in winter time release rates some years. Currently they remain very low (23cfs) and the fishing is very good in the deepest pools and runs near the dam. There is just limited water to fish at these flows.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir/Gorge
The level is way the heck up there but reports are very good from the Rez while still water nymphing with tiger midges near the inlet. Local Seth Cline reports he spanked 35 in a single day here recently using midge patterns. Hard to say if the LADWP will keep the levels this high, the last couple of winters we have seen these higher conditions here and it may well represent a new trend in water management. The down side here is that access in tough on the service road side because the dense foliage and trees making long back casts nearly impossible. Roll casting is a must here and you really need to be careful near the banks. The drop-off is very steep and in many areas near the inlet well over your head, or at least above the waders. The warm weather has consistent hatches daily with both mayflies and chironomids emerging. Tubing is also good right now from the launch ramp and towards the inlet. Full sinks and streamers trolled along the drop-offs will pay-off. Still water nymphing can also be good. Fish it Crowley style & look for 10-12 feet most days.
The Gorge is ice/snow free and also providing consistent action with dry/dropper bead head combos being a good choice. The baetis are also coming off here, stick to the deeper pools and runs making upstream casts mending your fly line towards the center of the channel to prevent lining the fish with this type of presentation. This is a fun time of year to fish down here if you don't mind rock hopping and moderate hiking.
***We can provide holiday gift certs for that special fly fisher, contact us for details.***
Many of the fly patterns I inform you about can be bought on the online fly sales page of my website, or at the fine fly shops & stores we have listed on our resources page. They can be a great gift idea and stocking stuffer!
Thanks for reading my report, have a wonderful & healthy holiday season friends!
Be the fly…Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
www.sierradrifters.com
760-935-4250
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