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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
December 31, 2003
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
New Years 2004 Fish Report
December 29, 2003
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to you all in the New Year.
We needed a wet winter here in the Eastern Sierra and so far we are indeed getting one. Looks like Santa gave the ski areas a snowy gift this season! Strong Pacific storm fronts are riding on a jet stream that is tracking one cold front after another right over the central California coast, leaving in their wake copious amounts of snow in the elevations above 6000 feet and rain reaching into the Owens Valley.
The next several days will be very unstable with heavy snowfall dropping to the 4000-foot level. A short duration of clearing, windy and very cold weather is forecast for mid-week. Another storm is slated to arrive near weeks end.
If you are planning a visit to the Eastern slope of the Sierra be prepared for severe winter conditions and an abundance of skiers and boarders visiting the Mammoth/June recreation areas over the holiday week. Traffic can be a mess with snow and ice on Hwy. 395. I urge you to check current road conditions PRIOR to arriving. Many of the 2 track dirt roads are also getting iffy along the Lower Owens River basin, so before you go “off piste” please remember the true definition of “4 wheel drive”…Takes you further in to get stuck!!!
Lower Owens River: Good
On a positive note the fishing has been good despite the inclement weather for most fly-fishers braving the elements and using small nymphs or streamers. The water temperature got wicked cold this week with my lowest reading indicating 36 degrees on a recent drift. The baetis hatch had been steady up until about a week ago. All you see these days are micro midges that make up the bulk of the wild trout’s diet this time of year. Go small when nymphing, fish very close to the bottom and use redundant drifts through the deeper pools and runs. Avoid fishing the riffles and faster water.
When water temperatures drop below 40 degrees the trout’s metabolism lowers. This usually equates to the fish needing less food and oxygen; there is inherently less insect activity associated with colder water so the scales are balanced. One can still get trout to grab an imitation by “teasing” or repeatedly retrieving a streamer pattern through a holding area. The trout will hit the streamer out of aggression or programmed instinctual behavior. This my friends, is why we have such good success during the winter time while fishing from our drift boats and using the “dip and strip” method while casting heavy sinking tip lines loaded with our time tested streamer patterns like the “Spruce-a-bu” and “Loeberg”
Flows are currently being released at 150 cfs. but will drop to 100 cfs. in the near future sources from the L.A.D.W.P tell us.
The wild trout section has been slower for most anglers currently and last week as water temperatures have dropped. I suggest using #22 crystal zebra or tiger midges. Olive bodies work well on the zebras. Very little surface activity to report.
There have been some unexpected and very welcome plants of DFG trout and Alpers “super stockers” recently in both the Owens River and at Pleasant Valley Reservoir. These fish are eager to hit most any streamer imitation in both areas regardless of the cold-water temperatures.
Veteran Sierra Drifters Bill Richards from Thousand Oaks, CA and his father-in-law Chuck Rinehart of Pittsford, NY did their annual December drift with us and hit some slammers in the afternoon while employing the dip and strip technique. Great day guys!
We celebrated a birthday on the water recently while drifting with my good friends and clients Eric Grothues from Anaheim, CA and Jim Shortner of Running Springs, CA. We attired ourselves with “Sponge Bob” party hats and had a catch and release party in which about 25 other participants (rainbows and browns) attended, some 2 at a time! Check out the pictures of the party by visiting our website at http://www.sierradrifters.com Thanks again you party animals!
Pleasant Valley Reservoir: Very Good
Power generation has been reduced to about 2 hours a day, mostly occurring in the late afternoons or early evenings. The reservoir level is rising and is moderately high making fly-fishing more challenging here due to reduced back casting areas. The inlet area has been very good recently. Fish the section close to or downstream to 300 feet from the riffles, which ends about 10-15 minutes walk on the service road down from the parking area. The water moves very slowly here and a solid, long, dead drift is necessary when fishing crystal tiger midges under a large dry fly like a Stimulator pattern. Use at least 3-4 feet of 6x as tippet below the dry.
Streamers are also deadly here, and a light or medium sinking tip line is best to get your fly in a position to get grabs. There are “pods” of rainbows located throughout this section and moving until you find a honey hole is crucial to your success.
There will be a good amount of fisher folk here over the holidays in this section and around the lakes edge. If you fish the riffle water upstream towards the powerhouse, you will have less company, but numbers and size will more than likely decrease also.
Freeze tubing during these conditions would not be my choice at this time, but it will get you more area near the inlet that is not accessible by shore. A moderate, or full sink line is better in this section. Tandem streamer rigs with red, orange or flash built into the patterns are solid choices in #6-12.
Nick “L.D.R.-Chumash- No mud to deep” Mamer from Fullerton, CA booked a trip with us recently to check out the inlet section of P.V. and despite a day in which we had ice in the guides until well in to the afternoon did very well. He caught and released many browns and rainbows including a chunky rainbow that was fooled by a crystal tiger midge in the slower water after a well-executed drift. Check out L.D.R.’s fish at www.sierradrifters.com
The Gorge: Fair
The snowline is still above most of this area as of this report. There is ice on the rocks and around the waters edge so be extra careful when hiking in this region.
Fishing has slowed here since early December and there is very little surface action recently. Nymphing with a 2 fly rig under a large dry or small indicator will be your best bet. Small hares ear, crystal olive zebras or P.T.’s in #18-22 are good choices.
You may purchase our guide flies at the following fine fly shops, Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego, Malibu Fish’n Tackle in Thousand Oaks and The Troutfitter/Snowfitter in Mammoth Lakes. There are links to all shops at www.sierradrifters.com
Check out our Eagle Lake photo album by clicking here www.sierradrifters.com/EagleLakeAlbum_12-03.htm
Upcoming Events:
We will be presenting a Slide Show Program For Downey Fly Fishers on January 13, 2004, 7-9 pm…Apollo Senior Center, 12458 Rives Avenue, Downey, CA. Please contact Zino Nakasuji at [email protected] for more information about the club and attending the slide show. Non-members are welcome.
The slide show will include information on fly-fishing opportunities from a boat in the Eastern Sierra including entomology and fishing techniques used specifically from boats.
Be the fly…Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
Email: [email protected]
www.sierradrifters.com
Phone: 760-935-4250
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