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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
January 21, 2003
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Eastern Sierra Fishing Report
January 20, 2003
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to you all for this January moon update.
Hard to believe it’s January with the spring like weather the Eastern Sierra has experienced the last couple of weeks. Daytime highs are in the 60’s in the Owens Valley with the lows hanging around the 20’s on the river in the morning. Last week the clothing layers went down to T-shirts around 11 in the morning. The forecast calls for a slight chance of precipitation in the elevations above 7000 feet around Wednesday/Thursday of this week with sunny skies returning for the upcoming weekend.
Fishing has remained good and the water temperatures have come up into the 40’s once again. There has been major midge activity starting after the frost thaws in the morning and the baetis mayflies are once again emerging around 1 in the afternoon. On the overcast days (which have been few) the trout are keying on this hatch and you can have some fun on the surface for a couple of hours.
We sure hope you get the opportunity to take advantage of the mild winter weather soon and come fish the year round waters of the Owens River.
Lower Owens River: Good
With very few exceptions fishing has remained good most days and above average for this time of year. We typically experience a slow down in numbers of fish caught during the dead of winter, but the size of the average trout increases this time of year. The long period of warm weather has bumped up the water temps triggering some strong hatches of midges and this in turn has got the trout pattern feeding on a regular, daily basis.
The flows on the river have remained constant at 125 cfs. for a prolonged period of time and this stability has also attributed to the consistent fishing.
We have been doing well drifting this season and tugging streamers along the undercut banks and deeper pools. #8-10 olive and off-white colored baitfish imitations will get it done used in conjunction with a moderate sinking tip line. The “dip and strip” method we developed to fish this very deep and channel like river will get you grabs when the trout are not interested in anything else. Check out our website and click on to guide tips for detailed information regarding this method of fishing streamers: http://www.sierradrifters.com/guide_tips.htm
Nymphing with midge larva and mayfly imitations are a solid choice before and after the baetis emergence. Fish these patterns close the bottom and in the pools at the base of a long riffle for best results. The baetis are larger this time of year; a #16 or 18 B.W.O. pattern will do tied to a tippet of 6X.
You may find the trout to be “skittish” during the bright days. Hard shadows forming from your fly line drift can spook them, as will the shadow from a large strike indicator. Target on the darker, shadow lined sections of river or deeper holes when the day is bright.
There has been moderate to heavy pressure in the wild trout section, we suggest you get to your favorite bend early on the weekends.
Veteran Sierra Drifters, Don Klahs from Valencia, CA and his partner Gary Gilbride avoided the weekend crowds and took a drift with us recently with Don making the fish report once again fooling another big rainbow on our Spruce-a-bu Streamer. Don uses his patented “Klahs Pause” technique while doing the dip and strip method. Nice fish!
The “Three Amigos” Michael Pouliot from Redondo Beach, CA and the father and son team of Joe and Mikey (“the hook up”) Baffoni from Encino, CA booked their annual drift trip with us and hit it big on numbers recently. The trio netted over 50 trout with Mr. Pouliot getting big fish honors with a nice rainbow he landed near the end of the day. Fun time guys!
One of the greatest rewards a guide has the opportunity to receive is watching a young client blossom as a fly fisher. Jim and son of 8 years, Jack Scanlon from Camarillo, CA have been fishing with us for several years, with Jim doing most of the fishing. This year Jack won the M.V.P. award for young fly-fisher by landing the majority of the 70 trout the father and son team fooled while drifting with us for a 2 day stretch recently. Check out the gorgeous rainbow Jack bested in a solo performance while Jim and I looked on. High fives Jack-O!
You may check out the photos of these fish and others by visiting our website at http://sierradrifters.com
Pleasant Valley Reservoir: Fair –good
This area would be fishing very well save for the intense pressure it has received as of late. The inlet area has been hot, especially in the quiet water section until just recently. The dry/dropper bead head nymph set-up is a good choice in this area, as well as a dry/dry combo during the baetis hatch during the afternoon.
If fishing is slow in the “throat” or transition area of the inlet, work your way back into the riffle water and hit the softer and deeper pocket water here. There is a good number of trout that have migrated upstream in this area and they do not receive the same pressure as the trout located in the lower sections get. The powerhouse has not been generating recently, but this can change at any time. If you see ANY change in the water level or velocity, get out immediately as you may find yourself in water levels and flows that can ruin your day!
The reservoir level has remained steady for a week or so and for another option you “freeze tubers” can take advantage of the warmer weather and troll or strip streamers near the inlet and along the far, shady side of the narrow reservoir. I like to use perch fry imitations here, as there are Sacramento perch present in this fishery. A #6-12 olive or gray Hornberg is a good choice for this area when fished with a full or heavy sinking tip line.
The Gorge: Good
Still some spotty ice and snow present in the upper sections to look out for, but all in all the area has been a nice place to hike into with the spring like weather we have been having. Midge and small mayfly imitations are your best choices and you can fish them in tandem rigs using either a dry/dry or dry/dropper combo. #14-20 patterns and 2-4wt. rods with 6x tippet work best here.
The wild browns that inhabit this watershed are predominately small, scrappy and wily! If you approach the banks like a bull moose don’t expect much lovin’ from these rascals!
This creek has a 35cfs flow rate and its heavy brush and bramble-lined banks are at the bottom of a 400-foot steep, rocky canyon. Bring along some water and snacks if you plan on a trip here. Let someone know you are going in as well. There are ample numbers of rock climbers that visit this area year round, but you may find complete solitude here mid-week and there will be a long wait if you should need assistance.
Water fowling/ Cast and blast: Poor
Another slow year for this area. A silver lining may be on the horizon however as it appears the long awaited L.O.R.P. (Lower Owens River restoration project) may be at last a reality and the once great wetlands and bird habitat found near the lower regions of the Owens Valley will once again have sufficient water to provide a riparian area large enough to influence bird migration routes. This will take time and will not be instantaneous, however it can only help the dwindling numbers of waterfowl that migrate through this region at present.
You may purchase our time tested guide flies at these locations:
Malibu Fish’n Tackle in Thousand Oaks, Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego and The Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes. There are links to all on the home page of www.sierradrifters.com
Upcoming Events:
We will be presenting a slide show and seminars for the Fly Fishers Club of Orange County on January 23, 2003 and the San Diego Fly Fishers on February 3, 2003. The shows will include information on fly fishing opportunities from a boat in the Eastern Sierra including a brief fly tying demonstration, entomology and fishing techniques used specifically from boats. There are opportunities for non-members or those wishing to join the organizations to view the shows. You may contact the clubs if you need additional information; the public and non-members are invited.
Fly Fishers Club of Orange County – www.ffcoc.org
Terry Imlay [email protected]
San Diego Fly Fishers – www.sandiegoflyfishers.com
Marty Reed [email protected]
Be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service
[email protected]
www.sierradrifters.com
Phone 760-935-4250
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