Sierra Drifters
Guide Two Bug Doug on the East Walker
Pre-Summer Solstice Fish Report
Hello to all you fly fishers out there. Doug Rodricks
here, filling in for Tom Loe while he is battling it out once again with
those world renowned rainbows of Lassen County. In fact, the action has
been so good; many of his clients after a day or two of fishing with him
have reported setting the hooks with imaginary rods in the middle of the
night while they are fast asleep. Can anyone say, “Fish on the brain?” I
hope everyone is enjoying their spring season as much as we are here in
the Eastern Sierra. As the summer season is almost upon us, the weather
has been very consistent as far as thunderstorm activity goes. Over the
last few weeks we’ve been experiencing everything from sunny days with the
occasional rain shower to snow flurries in the higher elevations. Pretty
interesting weather for the month of June, but that is what we love about
the high country; you never know what Mother Nature will bring us.
Fishing overall has been pretty good in most
locations and will only get better as the water warms and air temperatures
begin to climb. Most rivers and creeks are running clear and the fish are
responding well to a properly presented fly. Take your time when
approaching your favorite moving water before casting your fly in as the
fish can see very well in these conditions. It is best to start your first
few casts in closer instead of casting to the far bank and spooking fish
you may not see with your fly line.
Crowley Lake:
The fishing has really picked up here the last couple
of weeks. Mornings have been pretty consistent here for stillwater
nymphing and tubers have been doing well pulling streamers. Areas
to concentrate on are Big and Little Hilton, Sometimes Bay, Stormy Flats,
Sandy Point, and Leighton Springs. The mouth of McGee Creek and Crooked
Creek are worth poking around in too right now. Broke back midges,
Bloodworms (midge larva), Copper and Black Tigers, Gillies, and Zebras
have all been getting grabs. Fish your imitations from 1-3’ off the bottom
to get into these scrappy trout. We are starting to see some bigger models
coming to the net these days and they’re really testing our tackle. Work
the 13’-15’ depths and hang those chironomids higher than normal when you
see emergers on the surface. The algae bloom is starting to make a good
showing, so look for clean water and watch the wind direction to determine
where it will end up. You can clean your flies every now and then between
grabs to ensure a solid presentation to the fish. Now is a great time to
bring the family up for a guided trip and learn the secrets of Crowley
Lake.
Here's an email from a recent client of Chris Basso: “Met
Chris out on Crowley a couple weeks ago we were in float tubes and he was
in his boat. We were not catching many fish but he was. He actually took
the time to tell us what depth and flies to use when most hardly say
hello. My friend John and I been considering going out with a guide for a
while to learn how to midge better. Went up to Chris's boat and hired him
for the next day. What a great trip we had even though conditions were
tough. Would recommend him to anyone who wants to learn. Thanks again. Jim”
"Art H. and I just returned from
a good day on Crowley with Fill and Two Bug Doug and our sons. About 20
good size fish in the net in our boat, three over 18 inches. Stu and Ted
R."
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Bret T. and SD
Guide Doug R on Crowley
Lindel "The Ump" S.
from Corona and Charles "Pickled Tongue" F.
from Bakersfield double their pleasure at Crowley Lake with SD Guide Fill
T.
Bridgeport Reservoir:
Lots of fish are scattered throughout the lake.
Stillwater nymphing has been good some days and slow on others. A good
starting point is between the marina and Buckeye in 12.5-13.5’ of water.
Copper Tigers have been doing the trick here as well as Gillies in sizes
16-20. Larger midge patterns in 12-14 in tandem with a Callibaetis pattern
are working well too. The Rainbow Pt. area is also holding good numbers of
fish. When the nymphing slows down, try getting in that float tube and
pulling some Spruce-a-bu’s (Jeffrey’s favorite fly) on a sink tip line in
12- 17’ of water. The water level is rising in the Res, and Jeff has
plenty of boats for rent to get you on these fish. Tell him Sierra
Drifters sent you and he may reveal some of his secret tricks and
techniques.
On Bridgeport Res
with Alex H. with Doug R.
Here is “Two Bug Doug
Dolan’s” take on the East Walker and Upper Owens River:
East Walker:
With some unsettled weather patterns surrounding the
Sierras this past couple of weeks, fishing on the East Walker has been
good to excellent depending on temperatures. Water clarity is good and
flows are holding steady around 150 cfs which is wading friendly when you
need to get to those harder to hit places where fish are holding. If you
are on the water and fortunate to find that window of opportunity , either
early morning , before the predictable rain showers, or just after the
rain clears out later in the day, you can look forward to some great
conditions with larger Rainbows and Browns moving into shallow water to
feed.
Early morning I suggest sub surface nymphing is your
best approach. Use Baetis and Mayfly emergers followed with dark midge
patterns as well.Our new Brokeback midge patterns have been getting a lot
of attention with some very aggressive grabs using them as your bottom fly
when nymphing , or dropper fly if you choose to fish dry dropper combo.
Look for a good mayfly hatch around 11am - 1 pm , if cloud cover prevails
and temps are on the warmer side, this is the time to look for rising fish
that are picking off the emerging Callibaetis Mayflies in the shallower
riffle water. Check the weather and plan your day around it, if you get
some showers in the afternoon time and it feels on the warmer side, get
out some of those big terrestrial patterns in sizes 8-10 and you may get
ripped by a larger fish looking for a meal, its that time of the season
now to start throwing some big bugs at these fish, the take will be
explosive and powerful, be ready!!!.
Jeff F. on the East
Walker with SD Guide Two Bug Doug
Kirk B. on the East Walker with
SD Guide Two Bug Doug
A recently fooled Rainbow and Brown on our new Sierra
Drifters Broke Back midge. Our new Broke Back midge patterns developed
mostly for Crowley lake, have proved successful on all moving water
locations I have tested them. A must have midge pattern for your fly box.
Two Bug Doug.
Late afternoon until sunset is my absolute best time
to be on the East Walker to target larger Browns and Rainbows on streamer,
leech and punk perch patterns, so switching to sinking or sink tip lines
and no less than 3x tippet would be a good plan of approach the last hour
and a half or so. Use dark patterns, black or purple with some flash in
the tail to get their attention. Using the dip and strip method is best,
get the rod down a couple of feet below the surface, 8-10 inch strips with
pauses every second or third strip, anticipate that aggressive grab and
you may be challenged to get a huge Brown or Rainbow to the net, don't
play tug-a-war with these larger fish, as they will leave you with only
tippet in hand.
Two Bug Doug's Guide Tip......don't be afraid
to get out of the Miracle Mile when crowded, go explore less pressured
water and less pressured fish that may be very eager to eat your fly.
Look for an article in the new
Sierra Fisherman Magazine this summer that Tom wrote on the EW. Lots of
good tips and info here and its free! There are many other interesting
and informative articles written by top industry pros in this
publication. It is well worth your time to pick up a copy at a local
business location or online at
http://sierrafisherman.com/
Upper Owens:
Upper Owens river has been fishing excellent with
periods of afternoon rain showers that are getting to be a common thing
around the Sierras. With lots of moisture in the clouds at higher
elevation and cooler temps this time of the season, snow melt has slowed
up just enough to keep the river clear and not off color as it would be if
our days were sunny and our temperature were higher.
Most of the day, indicator nymphing will get you into
lots of DFG planted fish which look to be very healthy and full of amazing
color. What nymphs you ask ?, I would have to say, these fish are just
gobbling everything we’re throwing at them, but from a Guides perspective,
then I would have to say with the numbers we are seeing , any bead head
nymphs and midges in sizes 16-18 will get grabs. But most importantly is
how much weight to use ?. The River is high and clear, use enough weight
to get your flies down below the fast surface current and high stick
nymphing with multiple short mends to get your flies down fast is the key
in getting into lots of healthy DFG fish and lots of fun.
Look for Caddis to start coming off around 10 am
which are on the small side 18-20 and very light in color as well. Fish
are a little shy to come to the top for these caddis, but you will get
some fish to rise to the dry if you are persistent with your casts.
Two Bug Doug's Guide Tip.......weight, weight
and more weight, get your flies down to the fish, try different flies and
see if you too are getting grabs on most everything you pick out of your
fly box. Make sure to wet your hands when releasing these fish and have
fun.
Get out there, TwoBug
Sierra Drifters
client, Don L., 79 years young shows determination with the bendo on the
Upper O.
Don L. on the Upper
Owens with one of many fish to the net that he fooled on nymphs, streamers
and dry flies. Good job Don, on your day of catching and releasing our
wonderful sierra trout
When
he is not chasing Tarpon or Peacock Bass, Don L., of Sherman Oaks
California has a passion for Fly-fishing the Eastern Sierras several
times a season. Having the pleasure of guiding Don the last 4 years and
sharing his stories of the many places he has fished has been very
enjoyable each day we spend together on the water.
From float tube trips out on Crowley, Sotcher Lake, to walk
and wade trips on Upper Owens , McGee creek and Hot Creek, Don has a
heart of gold and sense of humor that makes me feel so lucky to be in
this profession of guiding. Every trip with Don is an adventure to say
the least and I always look forward to lots of stories and lots of
laughter. Don, I hope to spend many more days on the water with you and
thank you for the memories thus so far.
Always a pleasure , Two Bug Doug
Hot Creek:
This area has been fishing very well lately. The
water level is slightly up, but very clear. A dry/dropper combo here can
be deadly. Fish the open lanes between the weeds for some hard takes in
the morning. A tandem nymph setup with little or no weight will get you
into fish as well. Weighted flies are a good thing here. Hare’s ears,
Flashback PT’s, Copper John’s in black, midges, and a variety of mayfly
emergers in sizes 16-22 will do the trick. We have guides who can show you
the best way to fish this premium fishery and give you the best
opportunity to land that big rainbow or brown we all dream about. When the
fish are on top, switch to a double dry BWO/Parachute Adams combo when the
hatches overlap. Size 18 for your mayfly and 20-22 for your midges as
dries are like magic. Watch for caddis activity on warmer days and really
match the size of the natural.
Lower Owens:
Flows have been holding steady at around 200cfs. The
infamous “green goo” of last report is starting to recede and the fishing
from the drift boat is improving daily. On days without the windy
conditions there are some great dry fly opportunities to be had.
Spruce-a-bu’s, Loebergs, Seal Buggers, and Agent Oranges are all
producing. Nymphing the bends and deep-water straights are getting some
fish to the net as well. We do not normally see the flows stay this steady
for this time of year, so it is a good time to get out on one of our drift
trips while it lasts. You can check out the LADWP real-time flow data by
clicking on the link at the top of this page.
San Joaquin:
The road to Red’s Meadow is now open and the river is
running clear and high. Fish the slower water and deeper pools with a
dry/dropper rig or some weighted nymphs to get into these fish. Stoneflies
and larger mayflies are a good bet too, pay attention to where you are
casting and observe where the fish are holding as not to spook them. Small
midges, PT’s, and Copper John’s in size 18-22 are hot here.
Lakes Basin:
Most of the lakes in the Mammoth area have been
decent pulling streamers from a float tube or boat on a medium to heavy
sinking line. Around 500lbs. of trophy Alper’s Trout (averaging 3 to
5lbs.) are scheduled to go into the lakes this week and they’re just
itching to wrap their slimy lips around a tasty streamer. Hanging a
dropper like a hare’s ear, PT, or midge about 12-14” off your streamer is
not a bad idea either. Fish the drop offs, inlets, and log structures for
best results.
Report from the Mammoth Lakes Visitors Bureau: Reds Meadow Shuttle Service
Begins June 13
Mandatory Shuttle Service
to Reds Meadow and Devils Postpile begins on Saturday, June 13, 2009.
The first bus leaves the Adventure Center at approximately 7:30 a.m.
and the last bus out departs Devils Postpile at 7:45 p.m., and Agnew
Meadows at 8:00 pm, arriving back at the Adventure Center by 8:30 p.m.
Fish Stocking Begins This
Week in Mammoth Lakes
Five hundred pounds of
Alpers Trout (average weight 3 to 5 pounds) will be stocked in the Lakes
Basin each week, beginning this week through September. Grab your fly
rod, hire a local guide and reel in that Eastern Sierra Trophy trout!
PV Reservoir:
Fishing has been steady to great here with a
dry/dropper setup, nymphing, or pulling streamers. There is some heavy
midge activity in the morning followed up by mayflies, and caddis. Fish
your patterns in the river before it enters into the reservoir for some
feisty little rainbows and browns and don’t be surprised if a 20” model
comes by and surprises you. Pulling streamers in the reservoir from a
float tube has been very good. Make sure you have a moderate to heavy sink
tip or full sink line to get those bait fish imitations down.
Wild Trout Section:
From Chalk Bluff Road downstream the fishing has been
good as long as you get your nymphs down. Use more weight in the deeper
sections and seek out the areas where wading is a little easier. Fish the
deeper pools and the slower water close to the banks. During the right
weather conditions, the dry fly fishing can be unbelievable. BWO’s,
caddis, and midges are the standards here and go with different midge
patterns, Copper John’s, WD-40’s, and mayfly emergers for your nymphs in
size 18-20.
We hope to see many of you on the water soon and wish
everyone best fishes this summer season.
Tight Lines!
Doug Rodricks
You can click on the Closer Look Tab above for a
comprehensive overview of many of the waters we guide.
Adobe Pond:
Awesome! The fish are in great shape this season and
it is on fire here during the morning hatch of midges and callibaetis. We
fish this private still water from our drift boats and sight cast to
rising wild browns most of the time. It is truly a special place with
gorgeous scenery and eager fish. We have exclusive rights to guide Adobe,
please call if you are interested. You can click on the Adobe Ranch link
at the top of this page.
From Peter Piconi at
the So Cal Fly Shop in San Diego:
®™