Done Raining Fish Report August 2003 August 17, 2003 Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. May this mid-August fish report from the Eastern Sierra find you all healthy and happy. The monsoons have abated for the time being leaving a weather pattern that has been hot and dry for the region with only a scattered thundershower or so popping up over the Sierra crest or White Mountain Range in the late afternoons. The freestone creeks and drainages have cleared and are flowing at normal seasonal flows. Fishing has been good in most places with no significant changes to report since our last update. Make sure you screen up and have insect repellant handy this time of year. Light clothing is a must during the afternoons as it is very warm even at the upper elevations. Crowley Lake: Good The lake continues to provide consistent results for stillwater nymph fishers with the only drawback being the invasion of the “little ones” which have been recently introduced into the lake. The DFG plants the lake with tens of thousands of sub-catchable rainbows, cutthroats and browns every year after the general season ends on 7-31. These rascals can be down right annoying and may drive you crazy with light takes and “drive by” type grabs. We have found that if you change locations even by 50 feet or so you may get into the larger fish that are still very active. The brown trout have been on the bite recently and some real trophy fish have been fooled by chironomid and perch fry imitations. The tubers who work the weed lines have been rewarded with some big browns as well as cutts and bows. The lake level is dropping fast after a long period of stability. The recent heavy rains damaged the aqueduct and flows were reduced for a while on the Lower Owens River for repair. This allowed the weed beds to remain established longer than we have seen in several seasons. The perch fry are abundant and use the weeds to hide in and along. Fish the edges and channels especially during the lower light periods while trolling and stripping patterns like our Loebergs and Punk Perch. A heavy sinking tip or moderate full sink line will get the job done. The trout are holding in 10-15 feet consistently. We are still hanging our midges deep these days, most of the time around 12-13 feet. The chironomid hatches have been solid this week and you should be fishing emerging type imitations like our crystal emergers or the gilled chironomid known as the “gillie”. Crystal tiger and zebra midges are still getting grabs during the off hatch periods, use these on your lower fly for best results. McGee Bay has been the spot. There are some big fish in the North arm of the lake along Green Banks and Big Weed areas, also some toad browns in Leighton Springs, but the numbers are not as significant at this time. Jeff and Jo Conaway resigned as managers after several seasons of outstanding service to Lake Crowley’s patrons. They will be deeply missed. With help from new manager Lane Garrett, Jeff left a present for the tubers by designing ramps located at the floating restrooms. These ramps will make it very easy to get aboard the floating docks. The new management is currently offering a “shuttle” boat between the North Arm and McGee Bay on the floating docks. You may also be transported from the Fish Camp to one of these dock locations and change locations during the day for a minimal fee. Call the Fish Camp for details at 760-935-4301. This is a great idea for you tubers, one that has been long overdue! Check it out. The big news is the hot brown trout fishing. Art Reifman a San Diego Fly Fisher hit his best brown ever on a crystal tiger, as did Kynan Cooke (also from San Diego) a first time, but not last time fly caster while on recent trips with us. Veteran Sierra Drifter Frank Carlsen from La Crescenta, CA has been on past reports and once again hit another trophy brown during a thunderstorm. Good friend and expert fly caster from the San Diego Fly Fishers Jerry Galvan took his annual trip with Bill Stroud from Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego and Jerry had a great day whacking the browns fishing a “cane” rod while using our stillwater nymphing techniques. We saw Steve Love from Thousand Oaks, CA battling a big rainbow from his float tube after trolling a streamer and took a photo of him with a big rainbow he later released. This is a great time of year to fish the lake folks, get up if you can; the big boys are on the bite! You may check out the smiling faces of these folks and others by visiting our website at http://www.sierradrifters.com/fish.html Lower Owens River: Poor Flows are currently at 450 cfs, but will soon be at over 600 cfs. Mosquito abatement we are told. At 600 the river is dangerous to wade and difficult to fly fish. Go elsewhere. Upper Owens River: Fair I would not plan on fishing here for an entire day, but if you want some fair action on the surface with a shot at a good sized brown on a dry, hit this area with a hopper imitation in the late afternoon. I like the section of the Upper Owens above the confluence of Hot Creek known as “Long Years” You will also see some solid caddis activity and the usual nymphs like zebras and crystal caddis will get those fish reluctant to take on the top. San Joaquin: Very Good The best place to fish dries at this time. Flows are low and the wading is easy with the pocket water fishing a lot of fun right now. You can wade upstream making upstream presentations with most any dry fly #14-16. Ants, hoppers, mayflies, caddis, they are all present and the trout will grab most of these if presented well. Hot Creek: Fair Lower water levels make this area more of a challenge this time of year. The weeds are protruding above the surface and it can be difficult to get extended drifts or longer cast across the channel to the far side. Hoppers are a good choice while trailing a small caddis or mayfly imitation #18-22 about 18 inches off the hopper. “High sticking” is a must this time of year keeping as much fly line off the water as possible. It is very tempting to wade here under current conditions and it may seem to be the only way to get a good drift. Please bear in mind you will be damaging habitat if you trample the weed beds while covering a difficult stretch. Please cross or wade only in areas that will not adversely affect the streambed. West Walker River: Good The clarity and flows are once again good here and fishing has been steady for both wild and hatchery fish in and around the campgrounds. A hopper and a dropper combo with a crystal tiger or caddis bead head are deadly in this area. East Walker River: Fair There are fair numbers of smaller fish in the California section but many guides in this region are suggesting you fish this area as little as possible until the fall when water temperatures cool and the fish will not be as stressed. The flows are low (175 cfs) but better than last year and with any luck and a good snow pack next year, we will once again see some excellent opportunities for this area. Rock Creek area: Good This is a popular place due to its beauty and steady fishing and you may find it difficult to locate an open stretch of water near the campgrounds. Do a little hiking and check out the meadows below the lake outlet. Smaller fish, but scrappy and eager to hit dries during the mornings and afternoons. The lake is getting stocked with catchable rainbows and the Alpers trophy trout program is alive and well. Use streamers #8-12 with some crystal flash or red in the pattern. Soft hackles #12-14 work well here also, use these as a trail fly or solo pattern in the evenings near the inlet and outlet sections. Bishop Creek, Intake 2, Weir Pond: Very good Have not fished this myself but have had several first hand reports that indicate it is pretty much wide open in the evenings on the pond. Use ant patterns #16 and a 10-foot leader with 6x, 7x tippet for best results. Streamers are a good choice for the Intake section; use a moderate sink tip for the numerous Alpers trout that are stocked here. Mammoth Lakes Basin: Good Fish below the falls at Twin Lakes. Stillwater nymph methods work well here. Zebra and tiger midges, as well as hares ear patterns will get the job done. Use a parachute Adams or callibaetis pattern as the indicator or lead fly. Mary and Mamie have been kicking out some good-sized Alpers fish caught on streamers. Weekly plantings by the DGF are still occurring at this time. I like to fish the submerged stumps at Mary near the inlet. Use our Loebergs, or crystal leeches here. You may purchase our proven guide flies at the following fine fly shops: Crowley Lake Fish Camp, Trout Fly and Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes, Malibu Fish’n Tackle in Thousand Oaks, and Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego. There are links to all these locations at www.sierradrifters.com/resources.htm A special thanks and farewell to Jeff and Jo Conaway for their friendship and outstanding service as managers of the Crowley Lake Fish Camp. Hope to fish with you soon kids! Be The Fly…Tom Loe Sierra Drifters Guide Service www.sierradrifters.com 760-935-4250 [email protected]