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Eastern Sierras
Capt. Tom Loe
May 7, 2006
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Eastern Sierra Fish Report Update May 2006
May 4, 2006
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Yahoo! The Eastern Sierra general trout season is in full swing and if opening week is indicative of what the remainder of the season will be, there are going to be some worn out fly reels and some very sore arms by November!
The weather has been without a doubt the mildest opening we have had up here in recent memory with light winds and warm summer like days. The fly fishing in most areas is off the charts and you need to get up here before the run-off gets the freestone creeks at flood if moving water is your thing folks. The forecast is calling for more of the same weather pattern through this weekend with above average temps and only a slight chance of T-storms in the afternoons.
The San Diego Fly Shop is hosting its fourth annual “Fly Fishing Fair” on Saturday May 20th beginning at 9 am with clinics and demonstrations from noted industry professionals such as ESPN Outdoors Conway Bowman, the Sierra’s own Pat Jaeger, and tyer Al Ouattrochhi. The gang at the SDFS have a casting pond set up, and Conway and Nor-Cal guide Ryan Johnson will be doing slide shows beginning at 1 pm. There are raffle prizes and new equipment demos from many top name manufacturers like Sage, Simms, Outcast & Galvan… the list is huge and this is a really great show with some top notch pros hanging out to give you advice on a wide range of fly fishing opportunities. Stop by the shop and pick up our hot new flies before you venture on your next trip, they are on display now. The shop can be reached at 858-350-3111 for more details. www.fsflyfishing.com
My apologies to all you fly fishers that went to Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing Store only to find that our flies were not on display as advertised. The flies are there …but the acrylic box and drawer supports were delivered in shambles. Look for the box to be ready next week. Call the shop before you go. Sorry!!! http://bobmarriotts.net
BROWNZILLA SURFACES AT HOT CREEK. I am still shaking over this fish! It is the single largest brown I have seen in many years taken with a fly rod and by far and away the largest fish I have ever seen on Hot Creek.
Hot Creek, May 3, 2006. The “Trout Ninja” Dr. Cary Kutzke from Los Alimitos, CA and I meet at the intersection of Hwy 395 and Hot Creek Airport road. The morning is calm and warm with a falling barometer and the forecast of some gusty winds in the afternoon. After he and his brother Ron spanked 30 rainbows in four hours on Crowley the day before, the T- Ninja wanted to check out Hot Creek and perfect his high stick nymphing technique while being guided by yours truly. The stage was set for what will turn out to be the morning we all dream about as fly fishers and for Cary the best day of his fly fishing life.
We approach the large pool quietly while crawling on our hands and knees moving slowly towards what will be “hallowed ground” this day near the bank. We both see the huge swirl and gigantic tail fin protrude out in the eddy at the pools tail simultaneously. The Ninja and I exchange “oh my goshes” and he hunkers down and adjusts his famous
lucky “rally cap”. After several unsuccessful drifts with a tandem zebra and pheasant tail rig under an indicator, we both decide that a better presentation could be had in this section of water if he high sticked without the use of a strike indicator. Sweet cast… upstream mend…rod tip following the dead drifting leader and rig that is tickling the gravel bottom 4-5 feet below the surface…it stops suddenly…the rod moves quickly with a perfect downstream set and the slow, deep headshakes indicate a much larger than normal fish for this area. Five minutes later a gorgeous 19 inch brown comes to net. We exchange high fives, take a few pics and carefully revive and release the first fish of the day. Just then the water explodes in the same location as we observed when we first arrived. Game on baby! For all of you who have fished any length of time, there is a certain feel or vibe that you get when you are in the grove. It’s like a slow motion playback and you are locked in on the moment with all the other things in your life far away and in the background. Call it “Mojo”, focus, extreme anticipation, you are locked and loaded and good things generally occur at this time on the water. It is almost predictable and you visualize it happening before it does. Cary was in this place.
The T-Ninja nails another fine cast and the upstream mend sinks the rig quickly and correctly without any noticeable drag…High stick, no indicator nymphing requires extreme touch and concentration. You must set on ANY unnatural movement of the line where it penetrates the surface. The drift continues for several seconds and it was very quiet I recall with only the noise of the small riffle being heard in the background. “There-set, set!” Cary’s rod is already in motion as I say this and it just plain stops agonizingly in a tripled over bend. “Nothing. Snag??? No, No, back off, back off the heat Kutz!” I have been guide and witness to many great fish caught by our clients over the years, but this one will forever stand out in my mind. After no less than fifteen grueling minutes of tug-o-war with “BROWNZILLA” the first ten of which we never even saw the monster, it came to the very much undersized net and we both almost lost it right there. I measured the brown at 27 inches and estimated the weight at over TEN pounds. If there was anyone watching us from a distance and did not see what we were so exited about they would have thought the two fools standing at the waters edge were doing some sort of new thrash dance in a mosh pit at a punk rock concert. This fish was caught on 5X Rio fluorocarbon on a size 20 flashback PT. If you ever look at a fish on our website, this is the one baby. www.sierradrifters.com
We know there are a few of these behemoths lurking in the “crick” but to actually get one of this size to net on a 10 foot, 4wt Sage XP is a special feat. Dude, all hail- we bow deeply to you!!!
It is almost anti-climatic to add another great fish to this day the T-Ninja had, but within the next hour we were back taking pics again of a huge rainbow that would be the envy of me and anyone else that fly fishes anywhere, let alone Hot Creek. The paint job alone on this 20 plus is worth the look.
Hot Creek is slightly off color and running a little high but very juicy right now. The crowds are for whatever reason light during mid-week. We took fish on our crystal zebras #18-20, flashback PT’s #20 and San Juan Worms with a glo-bug dropper after the morning snap. This place is on folks, come make some news!
Crowley Lake: On Fire!
Several factors are contributing to the excellent start of the season on Crowley and the primary factor is the absolutely incredible weather since opening day. The lengthy period of ice free surface has a dependable chironomid emergence daily. The fish are holding in 10-14 feet along the edges and drop-offs in many areas of the lake but Sandy Pt. has been the most consistent with Leighton and Alligator a strong second. McGee Bay has fish but they are more scattered and not bunched up. The North Arm is also a good choice, 12-15 feet here on the flats. No weeds of any consequence yet. http://www.crowleylakefishcamp.com
Hang a larva pattern like our tigers or zebras in the #18-16 range as a lower; put a #18 gillie or crystal emerger as the upper. Twin gillies will rock around noon when the snap gets going. The fish are as chunky as they get for this time of year, but not a lot of 20 inch plus fish showing up on the midges for us yet. The bait and troller folks are doing very well and we are seeing the larger grade get taken in deeper water it appears.
The numbers are the best I have seen in recent seasons this early and a fifty fish day is not out of the picture if you get the weather. Check out the pictures on the website of Doug Eberts, Nip McClave and Dr. Wayne Hooper with the docs “first trout on a fly”. www.sierradrifters.com With the enormous snow pack the eastern slope has this year the early and mid-summer months will be tough to fish on the rivers and creeks. Crowley and Bridgeport Reservoirs are an excellent choice for seasons like this because they prosper and fish better during high water years. We have the guides and the boats to fish these waters for you. Call, or email us anytime and we will arrange a guided trip for you this summer.
Bridgeport Reservoir: Excellent
Jeffery at the marina is reporting unbelievable “catching” with more browns being seen during opening week than he observed all of last season! Buckeye Bay near the creek inlets is a little off color right now due to the run-off, but if you fish the edges of the water changes and the flats near the marina you will do very well. This lake has been ice free for a longer duration than Crowley and the fish are all over the midges and look like footballs with tails! Heavy planting last year combined with additional stocking this season will make this a must stop for fly fishers this season. The lake level is excellent and you can expect good water levels here all season. No major weed to report here yet either. Stop by and ask Jeffery to show you the hot flies in our box at the store and his secret “sheepberg” fly he keeps under his pillow at night so it is ready to fish the next day! http://www.bridgeportreservoir.com
the Bridgeport fisheries enhancement program should set the stage for a stellar season on the EW. Please support the efforts of this innovative and tireless group of concerned sportsman/businessman by donating to this worthy cause.
Click on www.sierradrifters.com to open a PDF file of their donation letter. Or see www.bigmeadowlodge.com for program information.
Lower Owens River: Bad, good, bad, good…
The flows have crashed as of today from 600cfs to 350cfs and will hold for a short duration we are told so some minor repairs can be made down river. This is an excellent opportunity to hit the wild trout section after a day or so. Caddis and PMD mayfly imitations, will be the right bugs in both nymph and winged adult patterns if you plan a trip soon. At these flows wading is still on the tough side but not dangerous and the fish will move on some of the riffle sections making presentations with less weight much easier. There will be a lot of mud and some unstable banks in this area so be careful on your approach to the rivers edge this week.
Upper Owens, Crowley tributaries: Very good
The higher concentrations of fish in all the tribs are located close to the lake. McGee has good numbers but is being heavily fished daily especially in the middle sections of the lower, special regulation water. Glo-bugs, streamers and flashy patterns are best in the pits and big pools here. The Upper Owens is off color but not bad and has good numbers below the monument, which is open to the lakes edge. Some weed problems here but not super bad. I like streamers with light to moderate sink tips and the dip and strip method with Spruce-a-bu’s and Loebergs #8-10. Long Years has nice water but not as many concentrations or pods of rainbows. Nymphing with San Juans, glo-bugs or hares ear patterns, flashback PT’s and olive crystal zebras #16-20 are better in this section. Cover some water and look for the fish here before casting, it will pay-off!
East Walker: Good
Despite the very high flows (almost 600cfs) the EW is fishing surprisingly well for the more experienced and guided anglers in the slower and softer sections of the river. This is not a place for novice or beginning fly fishers at this flow release. It has been high for a spell and the clarity is good with the fish having adjusted for some time. A San Juan Worm as the upper and small crystal zebras and tigers are good choices for the dropper. Using enough weight is essential to get those bugs down. Stop by Ken’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport http://www.kenssport.com or the Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes for the hot scoop and flies. www.thetroutfly.com
We will get you a report on all the other excellent areas as we fish them and get reliable information as the season goes on and the snow and ice allow other areas to open up.
FYI…CALIFORNIA'S SECRET WITNESS PROGRAM TO HELP STOP POACHING AND POLLUTING 1-888-DFG-CALTIP
(1-888-334-2258) http://www.dfg.ca.gov
California Dept. of Fish & Game Regs… http://www.fgc.ca.gov
Or you can also call the Mono County Sheriffs Dept.
760-932-7549 / 760-935-4066
You can pick up our guide flies at the following stand out locations: Crowley Lake Fish Camp & Crowley Lake General Store/Deli in Crowley, The Troutfitter/Trout Fly in Mammoth Lakes, Bridgeport Reservoir Marina, Malibu Fish’n Tackle in Thousand Oaks, The San Diego Fly Shop and Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego, The Fishermen’s Spot in Van Nuys and Bob Marriott’s in Fullerton. There are links to these locations at www.sierradrifters.com
Be the fly my friends,
Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
760-935-4250
[email protected]
www.sierradrifters.com
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