Fish'n Conditions Lake Spring 2008 Report
Capt. Tom Loe
May 25, 2008
Eastern Sierras - Freshwater Fishing Report
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to all for this late spring Fish'n Conditions for the Eastern High Sierra.
We have had snow showers off and on here in Long Valley and the Mammoth Lakes area recently and this unstable and cold weather pattern is forecast to continue through the Memorial Day weekend. This is not uncommon weather for this time of year. Do not forget to pack your sunscreen and mosquito repellant as you should also be prepared for the soon to arrive warm sunny days.
The good news about cooler weather is that the snowpack at the higher elevations is not melting as rapidly and this will improve water clarity and reduce flows in the freestone creeks. Good news for fly fishers, bad news for the trout. The tailwaters are on the rise and conditions are not good at this time in these areas.
The Second Annual Still Water Classic is set to be held on August 9th at Crowley Lake. The event was a huge success last year and the SWC contestants raised enough money to put over a ton of Inland Aquaculture Group (IAG) Browns into Crowley last October. We are seeing these "fisheries investments" on a daily basis and they have grown several inches since last fall. You should all be very pleased with the results.
Lane and Beth Garrett are the managers of the Crowley Lake Fish Camp, and did an outstanding job last year to make this event a success. They will be the Tournament Directors this year and are very qualified to take this title. The Sierra Drifters guide team as well as other local guides and businesses will also be donating their expertise, time, and prizes to insure the event is a success. The event will be formatted very much the same as last year. We are looking forward to seeing all of you back again for the fun times, the awesome fishing, and of course the great prizes. We will post entry forms, rules and information soon. If you are interested in participating as a donor please contact us as soon as possible so we can get you on the sponsor sheet.
This is a wonderful fun filled event with the fisheries enhancement of Crowley as the result of your participation. Please sign up and join the fun!
Sierra Drifters Exclusive! Drift Boat trips on Adobe Pond
We are very pleased to announce that we have obtained the exclusive rights to guide the Adobe Ranch area on the eastern side of the Glass Mountains. It is a forty minute drive from Mammoth Lakes. Adobe Creek is a fertile spring creek teaming with wild browns. It flows into what is left of Adobe Lake and this incredible shallow lake is stuffed with huge numbers of wild browns up to sixteen inches that are eager to hit dries and nymphs. We are offering special guide trips from our DRIFT BOATS to this area. This is a fun way to fly fish and it makes access very easy. If you enjoy sight fishing to rising trout or dry dropper/nymph rigs in short water this is Nirvana! This is a private fishery in a beautiful setting. You will have the place to yourself! We have limited the amount of days we guide this area to insure quality "catching" so book your trips soon. This will be hot! I am looking forward to the hoppers showing up as well as the huge callibaetis may fly hatches that make these browns so fat. This is a great trip for novices and those that enjoy dry fly action. Check out the picture of Adobe with one of our drift boats on it by clicking on www.sierradrifters.com/fish.htm
Tioga and Sonora Passes will be open by the Memorial Holiday weekend. The Mammoth Lakes Basin Road into Lake Mary is open and the lakes are ice free but have some snow drifts still lingering. The June Lake Loop is also open and the lakes in the JL are all in terrific shape. I strongly suggest you check the current conditions before planning a trip here as these roads close suddenly when it snows. The road into Reds Meadow and the San Joaquin will open on June 6 unless the weather alters the NFS plans. We have not been down into the SJ but it will have tendencies that all freestone creeks display this time of year.
Crowley Lake:
The opening weeks on Crowley were very slow. You can attribute this to an extended period of ice this season, coupled with very low water levels last fall. Warmer weather recently has the chironomids making up for lost time in the hatch department and it is business as usual on Crowley. The trout are not as large this year on average, and look like blimps in shape as their girth is almost grotesque on some models! We are seeing a bunch of Kamloops rainbows that are ten inches long, and six inches wide. You will still see the usual 14-16 inch tail walkers on the good days but the trophy sized fish are few and far between. Many of the larger fish are still in the tributaries and I anticipate a very good showing during the summer months. The lake will turn over about two/three weeks later this season setting the stage for what looks to be an epic event in McGee and Hilton Bays this July.
The numbers make up for the size and a thirty-fifty fish day is very common just about anywhere on the lake with good weather if you are using the still water nymphing technique. The most consistent areas are Sometimes Bay towards the Stormy Beach area. Sandy is great when you have an offshore condition or glassy surface. Layton Springs/Alligator Pt. has also been on fire when the wind comes from the south or east. Big Hilton has been spotty but I would check it out in the morning as I have seen some larger fish here overall. The Sacramento Perch are on the spawn and you will get those "slow motion" take downs at times in all these areas. The perch are huge this year and I have seen several three pounders so far.
I suggest you fish deeper than in years past at this time. Surface temps have dropped dramatically the last few days and are currently in the low fifties and upper forties. No damsels or callibaetis yet. We are locating more trout on our sonar's below twelve feet. 10 feet is the minimum, with some really good fishing at the 13-14 foot depth at times. Tough on you tubers for sure because of the length of the leaders. No algae or significant weed beds anywhere as of this report and for Crowley the clarity remains excellent.
The hot flies are Gillies and Crystal Emergers #18-20 during the hatch. Put a Copper Tiger or Zebra Midge #18-20 as the lower before and after the emergence. I suggest a #6 split shot about 8 inches above the upper fly to get you down quicker and to keep some tension on your leader for a more efficient hook set under the strike indicator.
If you decide to bring your own boat be prepared to get inspected for the Quagga Mussel. Make sure all the compartments and bilge are totally dry. It takes about fifteen minutes per inspection and you must fill out a boat use form issued by the LADWP. More info on this is available at www.ladwp.com/mussels
The father and son team of Jim and Wendell Nagao have spent many spring trips with us on Crowley and their tradition is to catch a bunch of trout. The tradition lives on!!! Check out this double at Hilton Bay by clicking on www.sierradrifters.com/fish.htm
Fly fishing groom Doug Armstrong may qualify as having one of the greatest bachelor parties ever. Spending one afternoon on our trophy pond catching ten pound rainbows and "hydrating" in preparation for many of the group to go out and fish Crowley from our fleet of flats boats. Best man Bill Weilbacher is shown putting the wood to one of the many fish he caught while being guided by Drifters "Fill" Therrien (click on www.sierradrifters.com/fish.htm). Fun times guys, thanks a bunch. The Sierra Drifters staff wants to wish Doug and his new bride all the best for many years to come.
Eric "The Fireman" Carlsen got into some really nice rainbows on Crowley, as well as this wide bodied cutthroat while being assisted by Drifters guide Doug Rodricks. Our hats are off to you Eric, fish this size have been scarce this season at Crowley but should begin to show in numbers soon.
The Tom Stewart group had a couple of fun days with Drifters guide Fill Therrien. Posing with a couple of the many rainbows caught and released on Crowley recently. Again, click on www.sierradrifters.com/fish.htm to view all the pictures. Note the tremendous girth the bows have this year. They look like footballs with tails!
Bridgeport Reservoir:
Same story as Crowley. Slow start but it has picked up a bunch recently and when the weather is good you have a really good shot at some nice browns thanks to the efforts of the Bridgeport Fisheries Enhancement people. I have reports from several tubers trolling streamer patterns near the Walker inlet and the Marina area tagging some 18 inch plus browns here. The water level is disturbingly low here for this time of year but we are hopeful that the near normal snowpack will bring the water up before long. Stay close to the channels near the heavy weed lines working your streamers a foot or two off the bottom. Use a perch imitation with a callibaetis or midge trailer fly about two-three feet back.
Spring Creeks-Upper Owens, Big Springs, Hot Creek
Spring creeks emanate from a ground water source and are generally very consistent with regards to water temperature and flow rates. They are considered to be the best habitat for trout and many of our hatcheries are located on these types of waters.
The Upper Owens will open up this weekend from the Benton Bridge to the monument. The fishing should be very good here but crowded. The cooler weather will improve the water clarity and this area will be a good choice until the air temps get warm again. There are still a good number of spawning fish in the Owens that have migrated upstream from Crowley. San Juan Worms #12-16 with a tiger or zebra midge dropper's #16-18 are deadly here. Flashback bead head PT's #14-18 are also a good choice for nymphing. If you have clean water the larger trout will smack streamer patterns used in conjunction with a moderate sink tip line. Fish the undercuts or deep side of the channel and especially concentrate on the tailouts or back sections of the larger runs and pools. It is here that you will find the slammers during the spawning migrations.
Hot Creek is a special type of spring creek because it is influenced greatly by Mammoth Creeks flows. The fishing has been excellent here on the days when the flows are stable or dropping on Mammoth Creek. Very good midge and small may fly activity #18-22. Dry dropper nymph rigs work well this time of year as well as dry/dry combos using mayflies and stone fly imitations at the point. Check out the flows at the confluence of Mammoth Creek located just below the hatchery to get a picture of the conditions downstream. If the water looks murky or off color near the Kiosk, go elsewhere!
Ray Sebastian had a great day on the Upper Owens with Drifters guide Doug R. This rainbow is showing off his custom paint job for the camera. Ray got into fish on dries and nymphs for his trip as the fish'n conditions were excellent that day.
Freestone Creeks- San Joaquin R., Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Convict Creek, Hilton Creeks, The Upper East and West Walkers, Rock Creek, Lee Vining Creek, Green Creek, etc.
Freestone creeks get water flows directly from snowmelt or runoff. They are not regulated by dams, diversions, or springs directly. They have a tendency in the Eastern Sierra to be rocky and swift with many riffles and plunge pools. They have high oxygen content, and will be much cooler and influenced by weather conditions on a daily basis more so than other moving waters. They typically have excellent water clarity but will off color and rise quickly with snow melt or rainfall. This condition generally occurs in the spring with snowmelt, and again during the summer when there are significant thunder storms.
Attempting to forecast or give reports on freestone creeks this time of year would not be reliable information. Day by day is the only way to report on these fisheries. We have a bunch of migrating fish in the tributaries of Crowley Lake and Bridgeport Reservoir and the some of these are very much influenced by the weather conditions. You could spank fifty on McGee Creek one day and go back ten hours later and be fortunate to get a few grabs. Use a lot of flash, red and orange colors in your nymphs and streamers in these waters and you could do very well. San Juan Worms, glow bugs, and flashback PT's are all excellent patterns currently. If the water is high and off colored, keep on truck'n!
Tailwaters- Lower Owens River, East Walker River (below Bridgeport Reservoir), the Gorge, Rush Creek
Tailwaters emanate at the base of a dam. Some of the greatest trout fisheries are located on tailwaters. This is due to the fact that the water flowing out of the dam remains a very consistent temperature year round because of the insulating nature of deep water associated with large lakes or reservoirs (this keeps metabolic rates of the fish stable), abundant aquatic food, and elevated oxygen contents. This scenario propagates an ideal habitat for trout to thrive. The flows from tailwaters are for the most part very regulated and consistent much like spring creeks in a way. Trout will adjust their feeding behaviors to the flow cycles of tailwater fisheries much like fish feed on tides on large bodies of water when they are consistent. This occurs when hydroelectric generation takes place, or daily commercial irrigation occurs.
We are fortunate to have several excellent tailwater fisheries in the Eastern Sierra. They are stuffed with trout and are arguably the best trout fisheries in this region. On the down side they can be difficult if not impossible to fish when agricultural and domestic water demands require abnormal flows. As water and power demands increase, so do flow releases. This can adversely affect the normally stable conditions on tailwaters making them difficult to fish. The East Walker and the Lower Owens are not at the "top of their game" right now because the flows have increased dramatically. The fish are still there but to effectively present flies to them you will need a chunk of battleship chain to get those nymphs down! The LO is at flood and has 600cfs roaring down the channel. The EW has come up and is over 300cfs recently. The trout will adjust to the higher flows in the near future if they stabilize or drop especially on the EW. Advanced fly fishers will have fair to good results here. We have provided links to both the LADWP and EW flow rates. Click on www.sierradrifters.com/fish.htm and those links are towards the top of the page.
The Gorge has a very stable release and does not change much over the course of the year. This is an excellent time to fish this area and you may have the place to yourself. It can get hot down here so bring in plenty of water. There are some snakes starting to move along the rocks. Dry dropper-dry/dry combos work the best here and midge or may flies are the best imitations in the #14-18 range.
Rush Creek is still flowing at fishable releases but may go up soon if it gets warm. There are some quality browns that live in the canal section below Grant Lake. I consider these fish to be the most difficult trout to catch in the Eastern Sierra. If you want a shot at a trophy sized fish and are not into numbers this is a great location for you. Long leaders and precise presentations will get you a shot at some fine browns here.
Alpine lakes, Rock Creek, Convict, Mammoth Lakes Basin, June Lake loop, South Lake/Sabrina, Lundy, Virginia lakes, Twin Lakes Bridgeport etc…
Most have snow and ice on the northern exposures. Slow to medium fishing with streamers being the best call for those wishing to troll or strip at the 15 foot depth. I suggest patterns with lots of flash, red, or orange built into the paint jobs. This is what an attractor pattern is all about. They do not necessasarily look like any natural food, but are high visibility and large enough to trigger grabs from otherwise lethargic trout in cold water. One of my favorite flies for the alpine lakes areas is called the Spruce-a-Bu. It has high visibility, excellent movement with a well defined profile while being trolled or stripped. Use full sinking or heavy long sinking tip lines to get this fly down quickly. There has been some recent late snow, and the extended forecasts show a high probability of more in the future so look for some slower fishing in these areas until the conditions improve.
Sierra Drifters Flies, Killer Kits & Sungicators are available at the following great fly shops and stores: Crowley Lake Fish Camp & The Crowley Lake General Store in Crowley, Bridgeport Marina at Bridgeport Reservoir, Kittredge Sports in Mammoth Lakes, Malibu Fish'n Tackle in Thousand Oaks, Stroud's Tackle in San Diego, The San Diego Fly Shop in San Diego, The Fishermen's Spot in Van Nuys, Bob Marriott's in Fullerton, Buz's Fly Shop Too in Bakersfield, & Crosby Lodge at Pyramid Lake, Nevada. There are links to these locations at www.sierradrifters.com/resources.htm. We pride our Guide Service & Products on Innovation not Imitation!
Be the fly friends…
Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
760-935-4250
[email protected]
and Michele Loe [email protected]
Eastern Sierra Real Estate…. http://www.mammothlakes.com/mlRE/Agent_Michele.html
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