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Eastern Sierras

Capt. Tom Loe
October 8, 2006
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report

Harvest Moon 2006 Fish Report

October 8, 2006

Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to all for this Harvest Moon fish report from the Eastern High Sierra.

It is setting up to be a very typical fall here in the high country with a series of windy and cool weather fronts barreling down from the Gulf of Alaska bringing not much in the way of moisture but a definite change to the air temperature. This has triggered some excellent fly fishing in many of the fisheries and we are anticipating an above average period of “catching” over the next month while the general trout season in Mono County (closing November 15th) enters the final weeks. The snows of last winter have kept the creeks and lakes at above normal levels for this time of year and this is the common denominator as to why the season of “aught six” will be long remembered for its exceptional late season fishing opportunities. Put an extra pair of heavy socks in the duffle and layer up kids! This is gonna be a great fall fly fishing finale here in the Eastern Sierra.

High fives to Ryan Higuchi this years overall winner in the D-Haul tournament on Lake Crowley, and the gang of “tubing bandito’s” that always place in the double haul float tube event. Well deserved in my opinion, outstanding fly fishers that do their homework to place this consistently.

The staff at Sierra Drifters wants to express best wishes and a speedy full recovery for fellow guide Rick Gunby (fish395.com). We recently found out Rick is receiving cancer treatment and has been out of the area. Rick is a great guy and is liked by all you know him. Keep tugging Rick!!!

Crowley Lake: Very Good

The big fish are on the chew in every area of the lake and with the gradual decline of the algae chaos we experienced this September Papa Crowley is in great shape and fishing better every day. The weather has been erratic this last week and strong southerly winds hampered the fly fishing at times in the North Arm and McGee Bay. Despite the inclement weather we got into some exceptional fish on both streamers and still water nymphing.

With the record high water year we are still finding fish on the flats of McGee well into the creek mouth. Good concentrations in the river channel and along Green Banks in the North Arm and recently some jumbos showing along the dissipating weed lines in Leighton Springs. The most consistent fishing is in 9-13 feet but you will get into some good scores at times in as shallow as 6 feet in McGee. Look for this to change as early as next week if the water continues to cool at the current pace. Historically we are fishing the steep drop-offs near Six Bays and Sandy Pt. at this time. With the surface temps cooling this will be the places to go if you fail at the other locations.

The lake has been heavily planted with the “rats” by the DFG and they are densely concentrated on the east side of the lake with Hilton and Crooked Creek being the jugged with the rookies.

The Drifters Punk Perch pattern has been a standout this season for both streamer fishing and in the smaller sizes as the point fly on a tandem rig for still water nymphing. We tie this pattern in a variety of colors to accent and better contrast the profile of the fly under the ever changing conditions encountered on the lake. A good rule of thumb is to select a darker pattern for the lower light periods and when fishing deeper in the water column, then a brighter imitation for the bright sunny days and shorter water. Bright day-bright color, dark day-dark color. Try this formula with all your favorite flies, it works!

Gillies and emergers in the smaller sizes with a rising barometer stick to tiger’s and zebra’s dang near on the mud for the remainder of the season.

Check out the awesome paint jobs on the browns and rainbow trout the father and daughter team of Richard Rathcke from Canyon Country and Carolyn Steinbacher from La Crescenta, CA caught and released recently while on the one of the “fish magnets” Touchdown kids!!!

Mike and Mary Small from Lakeside, CA hit some lousy weather and really had to work hard for their fish. Mary displaying “superior skill and cunning” bested this gorgeous cutt on a gillie in McGee Bay. You go girl!

Speaking of large cutts…Lynn Morton from June Lake, CA is once again on the fish report with a slammer she out foxed while still water nymphing with a crystal tiger under a blood sucking Vanderleech. Ohhh yeh baby, pink puff down!

Check out all the pics by clicking on www.sierradrifters.com

The Crowley Lake Fish Camp and boat launching facility will be closing on October 31st; however the remainder of the lake will remain open to the public until Nov. 15th. The management is continuing to offer discounts on boat rentals and flies while supplies last. They are no longer selling fishing licenses at the store. www.crowleylakefishcamp.com

Upper Owens River and Tributaries: Very Good

The fall migration of bows and browns is well underway at this time and an above average amount of trout can be found in these areas. The Upper O is in great shape and the sections both below the fishing monument and the Long Years area above the Benton Bridge and the confluence of Hot Creek are both holding some chunky fish that are hitting streamers, nymphs and late morning bwo’s and afternoon caddis on the surface.

McGee Creek has been on fire and Drifter’s guide “Two bug” Doug Dolan and client Larry Sidders from Upland, CA were on hand to greet a good number of the migrating rascals recently. Check out the sweet brown that Larry fooled.

Bridgeport Reservoir: Good

Things are improving daily here and the fish are moving along the drop-offs and into shallower water in the clear areas especially around the Marina towards the launch ramp. The dam section is still sporadic for tubers, but look for improvement here in the near future for sure. Historically the larger fish will stack up here in the later part of October and you will see some double digit browns rolling during the evenings here if you fish this area enough. You will also find concentrations of fish in the EW channel and along the clear areas towards the airport landing strip. Streamers are best right now and you should try to cover as much clear water as possible until you locate a pod or concentration of biters. More times than not you will be able to stay on these fish in this lake for a time while casting repeatedly to the same area with perch fry imitations like Loebergs and Punk Perch patterns. Bring his “sheepness” Jeffery at the lake Marina some sugar coated oats and he will put you on the fish! www.bridgeportreservoir.com

East Walker River: Very Good

Nymphing has been great using both midges and smaller may fly imitations under a strike indicator. There have been a number of beasts being caught and released recently along with solid numbers of catchable sized rainbows and browns. Drifter’s guide Brad McClain with client Mike Clinite from Woodland Hills, CA successfully landed a rainbow in the 7 pound class. Unselfishly, with the well being of the fish in mind after such a lengthy battle, Mike opted to release the fish immediately without a photo to insure a better and quicker recovery. High fives Mike!

The flows are ideal right now and the only drawback here is the crowds. Most who follow and have fished the EW have waited for this period and rightfully so. The section below the dam known as the “miracle mile” is well known for its large fish and easy to access water, but if you venture downstream towards the Nevada border you will discover higher concentrations of fish with lower concentrations of anglers. There is a link to the current flows at www.sierradrifters.com

Hot Creek: Fair-good

Conditions are still very good here for this time of year but the weeds are beginning to protrude the surface in some runs making longer drifts a tad more difficult. There is still some strong surface action to be had especially on prime afternoons using caddis or hopper imitations. The late morning bwo mayfly hatch is still your best bet for consistent dry fly action with the crowds being below average this year overall for some reason. Try a dry dropper nymph or emerger in the deeper pools if the fish are reluctant to take your surface presentation.

Laurentius Harrer, Jr. from Malibu & Mammoth Lakes, CA got hooked up right away by making a fine cast and mend with a stimulator on a recent trip with us on Hot Creek. Nice shot kiddo!

West Walker: Very Good

Here’s one for the book. A recent conversation with a potential client revealed that he was not interested in fishing the West Walker due to the fact it was ridiculously easy to catch fish there and did not pose much of a challenge! That should sum it up for you here. Dry droppers, dries, old tools, rusty hooks, the kitchen sink…etc. Have fun.

San Joaquin: Very Good

Super time of year to drop into this freestone river. Easy wading and ideal flows will insure you can get to many of the plunge pools and riffles that were not accessible this summer. There is still some very good surface action to be had here using attractor patterns in the #14-16 range. Hang a #18 Para -Adams or pmd off of the larger point dry for better visibility and you will have a great time.

Alpine Lakes: Good

Getting cooler up in this area and you should keep posted on the weather especially if you are visiting anywhere above 8000 feet this time of year. The fish are holding deeper and you should plan on using a full sinking line to get to those hold over, obese Alpers that were planted this summer. Streamers having red or orange incorporated into the pattern whack ‘em most of the time. I suggest you pick up a few Spruce-a-bu’s and troll them at a moderate speed with numerous long hesitations allowing the fly to sink. Your grabs will likely come just as you begin your troll or retrieve after the pause.

Lower Owens: Fair

The flows dropped to 140cfs for a short time last week and if what I observed that drift foretells what will be when they recede for good this winter. It is awesome! The main river channel is very gouged and deeper than I have seen it in many years. The fish are obscenely fat and I may be a little whacko here but I think they miss us and look forward to playing with us again!!! Be amongst the first to hit the Lower O by drift boat this season and experience the solitude and beauty of this primo tailwater. There is a link to the current river flows at www.sierradrifters.com Flows went back to flood this weekend and will be here a while we are told.

If you are new to the sport of fly fishing or need a jump start as to some of the hot patterns that work in this area, stop by and visit our good friends at the following great fly shops and locations and ask for our “Killer kits” These kits are composed of our most popular and deadly streamer and midge patterns and have been arranged in a good quality ripple foam box for your convenience. They make great starter boxes and perfect gifts for the fly fisher.

You can pick up our Authentic & Improved Sierra Drifters Guide Flies, Sungicators & Killer Kits only at the following stand out locations (don’t be fooled by any of the imitations out there!): Crowley Lake Fish Camp & Crowley Lake General Store/Deli in Crowley, Kittredge Sports in Mammoth Lakes, Bridgeport Reservoir Marina in Bridgeport, 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, Bob Marriott’s in Fullerton, Buz's Fly Shop Too in Bakersfield and online at www.bigfishhappen.com . There are links to these locations at www.sierradrifters.com We pride our Guide Service & Products on Innovation not Imitation!

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

Have a great finale to this season folks. See ya on the water!

Be the fly…Tom Loe

Sierra Drifters Guide Service

760-935-4250

[email protected]

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Sierra Drifters Guide Service
HCR 79 Box 165-A
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
Phone: 760-935-4250
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