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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
July 12, 2004
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Mid Summer Fish Report 2004
July 12, 2004
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. We hope this mid-summers fish report from the Eastern High Sierra finds you all healthy and happy with the opportunity to come “rip some lips” with us here in the Sierras.
There have been some significant changes in several locations since our prior report with most of them being favorable for fly fishers. Most of the freestone creeks and rivers are stabilizing and decreasing in flows with water clarity improving as the run-off from snowmelt in these locations becomes less daily.
The pattern of T-storms that attributed to some tough weather and negative influence due to run-off from the storms has departed for the last several days and is not forecast to be a factor again until the later part of this week. It has been very warm in most regions with the Owens Valley scorching during the afternoons and the upper valleys being in the mid-eighties most days.
Fishing has been good in most areas with the mornings and late afternoons being the optimum periods of the day for fly casters. You will find mid-days to be the slowest for “catching” this time of year especially in the fisheries with wild or holdover trout.
Plan on 50 degree swings in air temps from the mornings to the afternoons and be sure to have mosquito repellant handy in all areas.
The California Senate has vetoed the hatchery bill A.B. 2280 that would have mandated a third of fishing license revenues to go directly to the hatchery programs. A number of organizations including Cal Trout, Trout Unlimited and The Federation of Fly Fishers opposed the bill stating it would further financially strain wild trout, salmon, steelhead, habitat restoration and other critical programs that are already under funded by the Cal D.F.G. There are several hatcheries slated for closure this year unless funding can be found. Click on www.stormsource.org for more information.
Crowley Lake: Fair-Good
The algae situation has greatly improved with the return of the westerly winds and warm daytime temperatures here on Crowley with McGee Bay being the most consistent area. The Hiltons have been good at times especially if the wind blows from the south and west in the evenings. The chironomid hatches have been huge and consistent this week with throat pumpings showing almost exclusive feeding on gray and black pupa #18-20. You will also see a significant number of fish making life miserable for the damselfly nymphs migrating towards the weed beds during the late mornings. Tubers wishing to troll light sink tips will find good action in the deeper water (10-20) feet along the south and west shorelines near the floating restroom. I like our Drifters dark damsel #12 fished with a fast troll and plenty of short aggressive strips. 3X tippet baby! A damsel take is amongst the most savage grab you will encounter while fishing for trout.
Good numbers of browns are showing in the net this week and 20 inch fish are common and EXPECTED as of late. Stillwater nymphing with twin “Gillies” #18-20 (Drifters gilled chironomids) and Drifters gray and black crystal emergers #18-20 have been the hot ticket this week with 7-9 feet being the most consistent depth to fish.
Although the algae situation has improved it remains a factor and a clean well groomed fly is essential for getting you grabs. Clean your flies every cast by making short water loaded false casts allowing your rig to sink for a second or two between casts. This is the most effective means of stripping the algae off the fly bodies quickly.
Film director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) with sons Anton and Ivan booked a trip with us recently on Crowley and made an award winning video movie of the boys spanking plenty of big trout. Ivan (5) got big fish honors with a slab sided rainbow. Fun times guys!
Sandy Greenburg from Corona Del Mar returned to fly fishing after a prolonged respite from the sport with his first ever brown he caught with us while stillwater nymphing on Lake Crowley. Welcome back Sandy, nice brownie!
You may see these pictures of these lucky folks and others by visiting our website at: http://www.sierradrifters.com
Lower Owens: Fair, but could become excellent during low light periods
Flows have been dropped to 155 cfs which is almost unheard of this time of year. We can’t get anyone to tell us why or for how long this drop in release will last but it means excellent levels for wading and less weight to get your nymphs down to the fish. Water temps are high right now so get those fish back in the water quickly and do not overplay them. They will have a lot of stress due to the low flows and reduced oxygen.
The river is definitely in a summer pattern with early mornings and late afternoons being the only time I would suggest attempting to fish the wild trout section. Caddis imitations are best both above and below the surface #16-20. The drift boat sections are fishing well for the mornings only. It really shuts down by about 9 and if you want to do your baked potato imitation hang around until 11. Heavy long sink tips and Loebergs #10 are best. We will begin guided drift boat trips after mid-September when it cools down in the valley and flows stabilize.
Hot Creek: Very Good
Caddis. On the calm afternoons you may experience some of the finest dry fly action available in the Eastern Sierra. There are plenty of grasshoppers around and a hopper and dropper caddis emerger #20-22 is a good call for the low light periods. Good presentations and lifelike dead drifts are essential this time of year as the fish have become more “educated” and water clarity is excellent. Step back from the edge and fish the water on the near side when possible. There are plenty of fish here that do not get touched and you can maximize your piece of water by disciplining yourself to fish close and then work further. It has been “cozy” on the weekends.
Upper Owens: Fair-Good
You will find free floating and heavy weed in the water below the confluence of Hot Creek. Conditions are better in the Long Years section. Caddis activity is solid here as well and you may get a shot at one of the big resident browns that live under the deep cuts in the bank if you fish a hopper or stimulator during the afternoons, especially when the wind comes up and puts a ripple on the surface.
San Joaquin: Fair-good
Plan on doing some walking if you want to catch here. Due to budget cuts the D.F.G. has not planted the middle fork this season and has no plans of doing so this season. Alpers is stocking Sotcher and Starkweather Lakes and the DFG is planting Sotcher only. There are plenty of smaller wild fish but you will have to get away from the campgrounds for any consistent action. Caddis and parachute mayfly patterns with a #16-18 bead head dropper in the deeper runs will get you grabs in the slower sections and fishable pocket water. The river is still on the high side but definitely wadeable this week. The blood suckers are prevalent here, have the repellant handy.
West Walker: Good
Clarity and flows have improved a lot here and this is a good choice for those wishing to fly fish a freestone creek this week. Caddis, stone flies, hoppers and larger mayfly imitations will get you attention on the top. Our crystal copper and black tiger midges are deadly here if you are nymphing. Pikel Meadows both up and downstream are fishing well. The late mornings and early afternoons can get pretty breezy here; best to hit this location early.
East Walker: Fair
Flows are down to 190 cfs. This would be great if it was October but once again the water temps are climbing into the upper 60’s which are stressing the trout and making the late morning and afternoon fishing hard on the fish and the anglers. Stick to small midge patterns #18-22 and look for the caddis hatch after the sun goes behind the canyon walls. You will see some heads during the “gray” in the morning and this is perhaps the best time to fish the East as the water temps are at their lowest and the fish more active.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir and the Gorge:
These areas will fish better after mid-September when it begins to cool down.
Rock Creek: Good
Take a hike below Rock Creek Lake down to the “ponds” and you will get away from 90% of the people and have an opportunity to get into several species of smaller wild fish that are eager to hit a dry dropper combo with a caddis or stimulator as the upper and a Drifters crystal olive zebra #18-20 as the nymph. The meadow section just below the outlet can be a lot of fun and quite challenging for the small wild browns that cruise the flats here. The weather has been great at the lake this week and tubers fishing the inlet have had a good time fishing streamers like our crystal leech, punk perch and Loebergs #10-12 with a full or heavy sinking tip line.
Mammoth Lakes Basin: Good
Very good reports coming from Lake Mamie from those trolling with a full sinking line using a streamer and a bead head midge or hares ear as a trail fly. If you want to get into some of the big Alpers trout that are planted on a regular basis in the lakes basin area, locate the submerged trees stumps along the shorelines and inlets and concentrate here.
June Lake/Rush Creek: Good
Do some walking with your polarized glasses and locate the “pods” of stockers that have held over from the heavy plantings over the 4th weekend and you can have some fun with these planters on Rush. Silver and Gull continue to be the best for tubers using full sink lines and a tandem rig with a streamer and dropper nymph at least 2 sizes down from the point fly.
Convict Lake: Very Good
Find the herd of planted Alpers and DFG stockers here and you can have a ball from a tube using streamers. Heavy plantings over the 4th in this area have put a higher than usual number of stockers in the lake and it is a good choice to beat the heat of the valleys and kick around in a tube for the afternoon.
South Lake/Bishop Creek: Very Good
Conditions have been very good this week as the weather has been excellent and the hatchery fish plentiful in most sections of this area. Dry/dropper combos in the creek with steamers fished down to 10-15 feet getting the best results for those trolling from tubes in the lakes.
Kirman Lake: Good
The weed and algae are becoming a factor and the fish get “attitudes” after mid-morning but stillwater nymphers using scud patterns #18-20 and hares ear imitations #18-20 are fooling some nice cutts and chunky brookies along the tulles during the low light periods and cloudy days. You will have company on the weekends here.
You may purchase our guide flies at the following fine fly shops:
The Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes, Crowley Lake Fish Camp, The San Diego Fly Shop, Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego, and Malibu Fish’N Tackle in Thousand Oaks. 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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