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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
March 8, 2004
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Bring on Spring 2004 Fish Report
March 8, 2004
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to you all for this end of winter fish report from the Eastern High Sierra.
Spring appears to be just around the corner here in the high country and everywhere you look there is evidence to support nature’s transformation from the cold and icy days of winter, to the longer warmer days of spring and summer.
The weather forecast is also supporting the transition this week as it is expected to reach near 80 degrees in the Owens Valley and lows are forecast to remain above freezing during the early mornings. With the warm temperatures the snow is melting rapidly at the lower elevations. We have had a solid winter thus far with regards to snow and rain here in the High Sierra and this will insure the creeks and rivers of having a good water supply this summer and fall. I anticipate a very good spawning migration of Kamloops Rainbows this spring up into the tributaries of Crowley and Bridgeport Reservoirs thanks to the timely runoff.
Crowley Lake is still 90 percent covered by a blanket of ice, but it is thinning daily and we will see open water over most of the lake soon. We are anticipating a tremendous season on Crowley this year due to the solid snow pack and an additional jag of planted fish above the normal allotment last fall. I will do a comprehensive forecast on the fisheries of the Eastern Sierra in the future.
It’s time to break out your spring clothing and gear. Mornings will still be on the cool side but it will be quite warm by noon and you should pack lighter, cooler gear for the mid-day sessions on the water. Bring along some mosquito repellant…I have already encountered some of these critters.
The creeks and drainages south of Independence, CA have opened as of this weekend. The remainder of the Eastern Sierra is still closed until April 24th 2004.
There is a “put and take” event scheduled for the Bishop area the weekend of March 13th…The Blake Jones Tournament. There have been several hundred participants in prior years. The focal point will be Pleasant Valley Reservoir with prizes given. Too bad they do not have a “picked up the most trash” category after the event. It could be lucrative to a recycler.
Lower Owens River: Fair-good
We had some tough conditions last week due to a series of weak cold fronts that brought cooler temperatures, some rain in the valley and one heck of a lot of wind. With the warmer weather and lighter winds fishing picked up noticeably the last several days and we are seeing the first caddis fly and stone fly hatches of the season. The mid-day baetis mayfly emergence is still strong and the fish are responding to it almost exclusively; especially during the overcast days. On the afternoons the winds are not howling you will see a substantial spinner fall around 3 p.m.ish. A #18 polywing mayfly spinner imitation will do a number on the wild fish during this time frame. Have some #18 bwo (blue winged olive) patterns handy, as well as some #14-16 yellow and dark brown bodied stonefly imitations like a Stimulator. There are some #16 brown bodied caddis flies just beginning to emerge and if you see or hear a “splashy” take or observe a full bodied leap out of the water to get a bug it is no doubt a caddis fly or stone fly that has just met its maker compliments of Mr./Ms. Trout. The warmer mornings will bring on extensive midge activity and a #20-22 Griffith’s Knat will do well to imitate the clusters of midges that congregate in the eddies.
Flows remain just under 100 cfs below the dam at Pleasant Valley. For those of you not familiar with the Lower Owens, this is about as low as it gets and wading is easy at these releases.
We are continuing to have excellent results on the larger trout in the drift boat sections of the river tugging streamers with our patented patterns like the Loeberg, Spruce-a-Bu and Punk Perch. You will need a moderately fast sinking tip line. It is highly advantageous to use the “dip and strip” method. (Click on guide tips while visiting our website for this information) While you are there, check out all the photos of the lucky Sierra Drifters that got into some nice trout recently…www.sierradrifters.com
Decker Warner from Thousand Oaks and Jon Madren of Newbury Park where having a slow day on the river until Decker turned it around and got big fish honors this report with a slug rainbow that fell to a “Kelly Bundy” Spruce-a-Bu. Nice paint job on that one Deck!
Kevin and Dwaine Campbell from Ridgecrest made the report last time with Kevin’s monster bow which easily has big fish of the year classification thus far. Kevin got the “beast” on a Loeberg. Kevin also took full advantage of an excellent baetis hatch that same afternoon and fooled a large brown on the surface with a bwo pattern. Check out this “broom tail”.
The San Diego Fly Fishers were well represented recently when veteran Sierra Drifters Jack Bentley and fishing crony Bob Miller both from La Mesa, CA spent a couple days with us drifting the Lower Owens. Jack and Bob both got Kodak moments with a couple of sweet rainbows while doing the “dip and strip”
Lawmen, Dave Agee and Matt Mason both from the San Francisco Bay area put the cuffs on some big trout instead of the bad guys a while back. Check out the photos of these “trout enforcers”
To see the photos on this report click on http://sierradrifters.com
Pleasant Valley Reservoir: Fair
The level has dropped significantly recently and this de-stabilizing of the level has affected the fishing in the inlet section of the reservoir. If you are planning to fish this area towards the end of next week you may want to reconsider. There is a major “put and take” event slated to occur in the Bishop area with Pleasant Valley being the focal point. The floating cheese balls and lures of mass destruction will be a flying as several hundred “anglers” compete for prizes. The Blake Jones event is sponsored by the Bishop Chamber of Commerce. There will be plantings of Alpers trophy trout and a good jag of DFG stocked fish. The event takes place on the Lower Owens River as well.
The fishing has picked up in the area just below the powerhouse as the water temperatures get warmer. Use a dry/bead head nymph combo in this section if you do not see any surface action. Look for the baetis around mid-day here as well. Clip your nymph off and shorten the tippet up to about 14 inches, then tie on your bwo pattern. The larger dry will be easier to pick up in the shadows and riffle water. You will be able to find that little dry fly trailer easier by using the dry/dry rig. The dam area has been the most consistent lately if you are planning to tube the lake. Get your streamers down to the 10-foot level for best results. A hare’s ear or midge trailer tied onto the streamers hook bend is a good rig this time of year here.
The Gorge:
This is a great time of year to fish this area if you are into smaller water, wild trout and for the most part less people. It involves an hour or so of strenuous hiking and when you arrive to the creeks edge a fair amount of boulder hopping and bush whacking. The fish are weary here and a quiet approach is necessary to avoid spooking the wild fish. There are a plethora of aquatic insects in this small tail water and I find the fish not real picky with a good presentation using 6x tippet and an 8-foot leader. Most dry fly imitations in the #16-20 range will suffice; and when using a nymph stick to the #18 range.
You may purchase the above mentioned guide flies at the following fine fly shops: Malibu Fish’n Tackle in Thousand Oaks, The Troutfitter located in Mammoth Lakes and while in San Diego visit Stroud’s Tackle. There are links to all shops at www.sierradrifters.com
Be the fly…Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
Email [email protected]
www.sierradrifters.com
Phone 760-935-4250
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