Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. We have some
significant changes to report on several of the fisheries here in the
Eastern High Sierra.
There are no “frog chokers” forecast to roll into the
region in the near future but a more unsettled weather pattern is
developing once again, and with it some spring type storms may dash
through the area.
The Long Valley region remains in winters grip and
access to Hot Creek and the Upper Owens is limited to snow shoes and
moderate hikes over icy snow bound roads and trails. We have been taking
clients in on snow mobiles to the Upper Owens (this is a blast!) and
having the place to ourselves especially in the Longyears area above the
confluence of Hot Creek. Check out the video at the top of this page SD
guides Doug R, Chris Basso, and I produced of a couple guide trips we have
done recently using snowmobiles and snow shoes to get on the UO this
month. We are always making an effort to put you on trophy fish and will
do whatever it takes baby!
The guide staff at Sierra Drifters supports the
Cal DFG warden stamp and
the warden program. Click on
the link to obtain yours and show support for these under resourced-
protectors of our resources.
Road trips: Tom Loe will be
visiting his pal legendary Kern River master guide Guy Jeans and the
friendly folks of the Southern Sierra Fly Fishers in Kernville on March 13th
2010. http://ssffc.com/ Fly Shop 760 376 2040. T. Loe will
then do a show for his best buddy Bill Stroud of Stroud’s Tackle and the
wonderful group of fly casters - the San Diego Fly Fishers on April 5th
2010.
www.sandiegoflyfishers.com
The Power Point assisted presentations are done in an
“off the water guide trip” framework and have a vest full of great
information for fishing the waters of the Sierra and other locations that
hold trout. The general public is welcome to attend.
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To View Our "Be-The-Fly" Drift Boat Videos! |
Lower Owens River:
Got some
good news, and some not so good news to present for the early March
Fish’N conditions update. Lets get the bad news out of the way
first!
The water lords have unleashed the hounds on the
Lower Owens recently and it will be a tough go from here on for
wading the wild trout section. Up to 400cfs is the release
for the pipe below PV Reservoir depending on the day. Crossing or wading into
less trafficked sections is difficult, unsafe, or nearly impossible at
flows of 250cfs or more.
You will need to use heavily weighted nymph rigs
to get down to the fish, but it can be done. A couple of BB shot, or
an AB plus will get you down in the slower deeper pools while
indicator fishing with an “Under-Cator”. I like bead head
patterns with plenty of flash in the patterns #14-18.
Surface activity will also slow for the time
being but will pick up in the near future. Hunt for the larger pools
with significant eddies for a shot at fooling some on midge clusters
#20-22, and BWO adults or spinners #16-18.
Water temps will drop significantly during this
period due to the massive amount of colder water emanating from
Crowley. The great midge and baetis hatches that we experienced in
February will decrease relative to the water temps. As spring rolls
on and conditions stabilize a more seasonal hatch pattern will once
again develop. Look for some great caddis and stone fly emergences to
begin around April. I have been told that 400cfs will be the upper
end of the spring release. Look for the flows to drop by late
spring/early summer as the snow begins to melt in the Southern
Sierra. The LADWP will back off releases in the northern sections to
accommodate the run-off south of Lone Pine. We could have a nice
sweet spot beginning in April through the July holiday period. I want
to emphasize that this is speculation based on my observations and
experience of fishing the Owens for thirty five seasons. The LADWP
has its own agenda and pretty much does what it wants with little
regard to natural water cycles.
If the flows hold at 400 or below conditions will
improve this month, and will get increasingly better for drifting with
each passing day. If they get above 450-500cfs this place will be
burned toast until they drop. As I mentioned before, wading will be
tough until the flows get back to less than 250cfs. You can access
real time release data from the link we have provided to the LADWP
website at the top of the Fish’N conditions page.
How about a little good news?
Crowley Lake will be cycled twice this season. The lake is nearly
full (heavy solid sheet ice all over) currently and the LADWP
will lower the level through the opener and into early summer. It
will begin filling rapidly during the warm months and be very high
through early fall in which they will once again blow out the Lower
Owens with unnatural flow increases through November. Crowley will
have a bunch of water this summer with thick weed beds out to 17 feet,
and significant spring and fall turnovers. We will have great periods
of “catching” near the creek mouths and Upper Owens inlets this season
at times. You LADWP customers should get a nice decrease in
your water and power bills this summer due to all the water they have
ehhh?
Brothers, Mike C. the Fireman and
Steve C. the Sherriff
"Fish to a Draw" |
Alamo Dave H. with a nice Brownie
Steve G...The Dentist Goes To
Work...
And then Steve's
brother, Craig G. gets in on the streamer action...
"Tom, Got the Pics
they are great!!! Thanks a lot everyone had a great time. We'll get
together again I look forward to it! Dave"
Jim & Chris G...
Streamers, Nymphs
and Dries in One Drift...
We are streamer fishing utilizing the
“dip & strip method” in the mornings, followed by a combination of
nymphing and dry fly fishing during the middle of the day to get clients
on fish. This three pronged attack gives you a diverse guide program that
covers all the essentials needed to fool trout from the comfort of a
guided drift boat. The larger fish are taken on streamers-nymphing gives
you more opportunities to rack up the numbers.
Peter H. joined us from the Wilderness
Fly Fishers Club;
Another Victim of the Drifters Punk
Perch!
Upper Owens River:
The access roads are snow bound as of this report and
will continue to be for a while. We have been using snow mobiles and snow
shoes to get into this area. This has been a riot and a really special
experience. It has been the highlight of the winter fly fishing season
for me. If you crave twenty plus rainbows, give us a call. The spring
migration of jumbo sized rainbows up from Crowley Lake will be in motion
very soon. We have the experience and horsepower to get you into the hard
to reach areas comfortably & safely.
There is a good midge hatch in the late mornings
followed by a decent baetis hatch after 1:30 pm. Numbers of trout here
remain small but you can bank on this to change in the near future.
T. Loe getting the
sleds ready on the Upper Owens...
Brett D. with SD
Guide, T-Loe..."A Sweet Snowmobile Snow-Bow"
Hot Creek:
Access issues here as well. Plan on hiking in
from the HC Ranch up. It has been very good here on the warmer days
and pressure has been light. Flows are great and you will see midges
in the am, with a very good showing of baetis by noon. Cluster
patterns #20-22 are killer before noon. Fish bead head PT’s and
midge patterns or emergers in the #18-20 range, and BWO duns #16-18 after
lunch. Two Bug Doug Dolan has been creaming the bigs here and claims
he has “unlocked the door” to HC in the winter. He has the pics to
prove it; as seen recently on the cover of the Western Outdoor News.
East Walker River:
A Brightly Colored
average sized
Rosachi Rainbow...
More good news! The East Walker is fishing very well
despite low flows. The SD guide crew has been fishing the Cal and NV
sections daily since the end of February and the bite has really picked
up. Strong midge activity daily, with a good showing of baetis after 1
pm. Look for a substantial flow increase to begin towards the end of the
month, with further increases by late spring. It will be roaring this
summer for sure.
There is significant snow remaining on the ground
near the dam and the walking to and from the river can be a tad
cumbersome. Conditions are great along the river and wading is not an
issue. I strongly suggest you stop by one of the fine fly shops we
endorse and pick up a pair of rubber soled wading boots. They will be
mandatory just about everywhere soon. Felt soles suck when hiking in the
snow or ice and spread invasive species and diseases.
We will be guiding the NV section of the East Walker
during prime times this season and are very excited about showing SD
clients some new water.
Bridgeport Reservoir will also be a top location this
summer near the creek inlet areas so keep this location in mind around
July for sure!
PV Reservoir:
The Rez level has
dropped nearly eight feet in a week!!! The small river inlet section is
fishing better than any other area in the region due to low flows. THIS
WILL CHANGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. Hydroelectric power generation will begin
soon and this area will be out of bounds for sure. I suspect this will
occur after the trout derby on 3-13. Until the blowout happens- use
dry/dropper bead head nymph combos with crystal tiger midges, or caddis
larva patterns#16/18, flashback PT’s #18, or broken back midge patterns
#16/18 under a Stimulator or high riding dry fly #14-16. BWO and midge
cluster imitations will get you opportunities on the surface at times here
as well.
The Gorge:
Very good down here. The warm weather got the wild
browns on the chew and it has been a dry fly fest in the deeper pools and
tailouts. Dry dropper combos with #16-18 beads heads, or emerger patterns
will get you plenty of grabs. Fish this area with upstream presentations,
starting at the rear or back end of the pool or riffle. Midge clusters,
or mayfly adults #16-20 will get looks. The ice and snow is gone in all
sections.
Eagle Lake Spring
Trips:
The conditions will be excellent this spring for
sure. Eagle is getting a good snowpack and the lake will be in top shape
for the 2010 season. We will be booking trips from 6-3-2010 through
6-30-2010. Doug R will be guiding Eagle with me this season on his
new 24 foot Ranger "fish magnet" and can easily accommodate three anglers.
AS OF 3-04-10 WE HAVE FILLED 80% OF THE DATES IN JUNE. PLEASE GET
YOUR TRIPS BOOKED TO THIS INCREDIBLE FISHERY SOON OR YOU WILL MISS OUT ON
AN EPIC SPRING!!!
Depending on conditions we may be doing some trips in
July as well. I will post those dates at a later time.
Eagle is hands down, without a doubt the best rainbow
trout still water in the State. If you like big numbers of 19 inch
average Eagle Lake Trout that weigh 2-3 lbs on the fly, this is
your huckleberry! Big fish here go 27 inches and weigh 6-7 lbs. It is a
gorgeous alpine lake bordered by huge pines and is California’s second
largest natural inland body of water.
Click on the
Eagle Lake tab at the top of this page for additional info.
Fly Fishing
Clinics for beginners and intermediates:
If you or someone you know
wants to learn the basics of fly casting, knot tying, and the fundamentals
of wet and dry fly fishing from full time fly fishing professionals, here
is a great opportunity!
We will be conducting casting and knot tying clinics
located at Sierra Drifters beautiful private trophy
pond overlooking Crowley Lake at McGee Creek for next season. You
may enroll for an on the water instructional seminar in
addition to the pond session for the second day.
These clinics were a big hit last year and we had
high marks from those who attended the classes. We are adding additional
dates for next season and have greatly reduced the cost thanks to last
years demand. The four hour clinics cost $100.00 per person/day.
Day one will focus on rigging your fly rod and
essential knot tying, emphasis for day one clinics will be hands on
instruction of several basic casts. It is intended for entry level
fly fishers, but the instructors can tailor your individual needs.
You will not need a license at the Drifter's trophy pond. Bring your
4-6wt fly rod and reel with a floating line and we supply the rest!
Day two will take place on the water and covers basic
rigging methods, how to read water and "entomology made easy" so you can
figure out what flies to use and when. Instruction on how to
properly fight and safely release a fish will also be covered. Emphasis
will be on presentations and location along a stream or river. A
license is required for this class and is not covered in the cost.
You will also need a fly rod and reel, a vest with some basic tools,
strike indicators and leader material, we supply the flies. We can
supply all you need for both classes for an additional minimal fee.
You may choose a single day if you wish, and we will
limit the classes to five students per guide to insure you get excellent
personal instruction. These classes are a great way to learn the
basics of fly fishing by pros at a very affordable cost.
2010 dates available are: May 21&22,
June 4&5 (Booked),
June 18&19, July 2&3, 16&17, 30&31, August
13&14, 27&28, September 3&4. Please contact us by phone or email for more
details and enrollment; we can customize family or group clinics to suit
your needs.
Online fly sales…New Lower Prices for 2010. And new for
2010…the broken back “Black and Blue Midge” #18 and the broken back
Dark Zebra Midge #18. These smaller sized versions of our time tested
and deadly broken back #16 patterns are a must for still waters as well as
moving waters that hold trophy trout. The new colors give you additional
options for the ever changing water and light conditions. Click on the
Online Fly Sales Tab at the top of this page.
SD “Two Bug
Doug’s” Under-Cator (patents pending) is currently available online and to
wholesalers.
Two Bug’s vision has led us to come up with the
ultimate strike indicator/bobber. It is now available online, and in
stores February of 2010. This versatile strike indicator comes in two
popular sizes and can be used by fly fishers or spin casters. It is high
riding and easy to see - never needs floatant or drying, adjusts quickly
and easily without slipping, and casts beautiful. Unlike others it needs
NO tools or torque wrenches to install on leaders or lines from 25lb.-7X.
It won’t slip, kink, or damage your line like others. A user friendly
custom thumb screw (patents pending) locks the
Under-Cator onto
your leader or line securely and easily!
This strike indicator/bobber has gone through
extensive guide testing and trials on both still waters and rivers for
over a year. It is the most innovative and versatile of its kind
available.
We are selling flies online
this season
for your convenience.
The 2010 Sierra Drifters Flies are available at
the following great fly shops and stores this winter: Bob Marriott’s
Flyfishing Store in Fullerton, Malibu Fish’n Tackle in Thousand Oaks, The
Fishermen’s Spot in Van Nuys, Stroud’s Tackle and the So Cal Fly Shop in
San Diego. There are links to these locations at the
resources tab above.
Thank you for taking the time to read my report.
Be the fly friends…
Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide
Service
and Michele Loe, Sales
Associate Prestige Properties of Mammoth
Michele@MammothLakes.com
Eastern Sierra Real
Estate….
http://www.mammothrealestateonline.com/Nav.aspx/Page=/About/Default.aspx
®™