April 3, 2005
Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best
fishes to all for this “Owens Flooding” fish report form the Eastern High
Sierra. Unfortunately, this is not an April Fools prank.
Bummer. The LADWP has increased flow
releases at Pleasant Valley Reservoir to over 500 cfs and this will increase in
short order to its flood level at 600-650 cfs soon we are told. Needless to say
this is extremely untimely and will certainly thwart any potential “catching” on
the Lower Owens River. Totally out of cycle with nature, as the upper drainages
are a long ways away from major snowmelt soon. There is a link to the flow rates
above.
Here's a shot of the river at about
300cfs....
They did major maintenance on their
generating facilities and held back releases from Crowley far too long for the
amount of snow pack. They must immediately make room for the anticipated
run-off and you can write off the Lower Owens until the flows come down
substantially.
We are pretty much canceling guided trips
on the Lower Owens until conditions improve. I suggest you schedule another
time if you are currently planning a trip to the area soon. We have had poor
fishing in all sections recently as a result of the “deluge”.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir has been heavily
fished from the banks as of late but may still be your best bet if you wish to
fly fish the area. A float tube is mandatory as power generation will be
continuous most days and the river and inlet section will not be an option.
Stay across or opposite from the service
road side and you will not interfere with the bankies, or get nailed by a ¼
ounce weight and a gob of stink bait! The launch ramp area gets planted these
days but I would suggest you work the inlet section at the point where the flow
begins to slow. Use a full or heavy sinking tip line to get your imitations
down 8-12 feet. A Loeberg #10, or Spruce-a-bu #8, and a trailer Drifters
Crystal Pupa #18 or Punk Perch #14 will work well most days especially when you
troll the shadow sections formed by the canyons walls in the afternoons. If you
get the banana here, pack it up and head towards the dam. The fish have a
tendency to hold deeper here so give your flies a few seconds more to get down
before you begin your retrieve.
The Gorge has been on the slow side in its
lower sections due to heavy pressure, but if you hike into the middle and lower
parts of the upper sections fishing will improve a bunch. It is a great time of
year to hit this area as the daytime highs will not bake you down in the “pit”.
The evil stinging nettle is just beginning to make a presence so look before you
put a hand on the bank while wading.
Mike Casey fishing the
Gorge...currently this is your best option for wading...
Always deadly here is a large dry fly like
a stimulator- used as an indicator and a bead head nymph like our Drifters
Crystal Olive Zebra and Tiger Midges #16-18. Look for a baetis (BWO) hatch
after 1 pm. #18. You see the little snouts poking up for the BWO’s , snip the
bead head off , shorten your dropper section to 14-18 inches and tie on a mayfly
dry. The highest concentrations of wild browns will be in the larger deeper
pools below a riffle section. Use an upstream presentation whenever possible so
you do not spook the rascals. Fish close so you can suck up the nearby trout,
working progressively further upstream when you have covered the near water.
Try to move as little as possible and keep in mind STEALTH at all times when
near potential water!
The upper valleys, lakes, and creeks are
all beginning to thaw…slowly. I do not expect a lot of open water for the start
of the season unless we get a record heat wave and that could make it even worse
as the creeks will all be at flood. Crowley is still mostly frozen but is
showing more open water every day with the longer duration of sunshine.
4/2/05...frozen Lake Crowley
4/2/05...Check out all the snow in
McGee Canyon...when it begins to melt later this season you can expect higher
than average water in all the freestone creeks...
I strongly suggest you get your bookings in
for Crowley and Bridgeport early this season as this will be the best and most
stable areas to fish early and mid- summer. We have a fleet of the finest and
largest custom flats boats in this area bar none! Designed and set up to
accommodate larger groups in comfort and safety. Let us guide you and yours
into the “backing” with the athletic rainbows, browns and cutthroats Crowley and
Bridgeport Reservoirs have to offer.
Wally Sinner with an awesome Brown
from Lake Crowley last season....
You can pick up our guide flies at the
following stand out locations: The San Diego Fly Shop, The Troutfitter/Trout Fly
in Mammoth Lakes, Stroud’s Tackle in San Diego, Malibu Fish’N Tackle in Thousand
Oaks. There are links to these locations at the resources tab above.
Looking forward to fishing with you soon.
Be the fly…Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service
