Fly fishing on Crowley has been good in between wind events.  John hit this nice bow at Big Hilton on a gillie.

Crowley Lake

Phil the trowtdude says Big Hilton, Sandy Pt., Layton Springs, & Crooked Creek are all hot spots now and the catching has been pretty good.  13-20 feet. The fish are holding deep this year so still water nymphing can be tough casting those long leaders.  You will find a big mix of fish sizes this year and all three species can be caught-rainbows, browns, & cutthroats.  The Sacramento Perch are also on their redds especially around Layton and Sandy Pt.  The lake is currently dropping and is down a foot from its high point already-only up 9 feet from its low last October. There is some algae around now so keep those flies clean. Gillies, crystal emergers, & chironomid pupa patterns #18-20 are solid upper flies.  Use crystal tigers & zebras as the lower #16-18.  If you have some texture on the water I like the articulated broken back tiger midge patterns.  The Crowley General Store and Deli (Shell gas station too) has a full Drifters fly box and Under-cators along with some great breakfast and lunch specialties.  Watch out for those afternoon T-storms, they are in the forecast for a while.

Jenn with her first on a fly rod, father John helping out with the hold.

“First Light” Lance Geiger with an airborne rainbow off Sandy Pt.

Jason got this chunky brown in the breeze recently

My brother in law Larry Mohr and Strider had fun in Crooked Creek with big numbers of small browns. Note the waterline on the rocks-way down for May.

A saaaweeet Six Bays bow caught by Brian and Lexy while still water nymphing with us on Crowley

East Walker River

Flows are up to a perfect 150cfs.  The calmer days have great mayfly and midge activity with surface opportunities in the tail outs and riffle water.  PT’s, birds nest (assassins), broken back zebras & tigers, olive crystal caddis larva-#14-20 good for nymphing.

This is a big rig that crashed into the East Walker in Bridgeport.  I  took the shot shortly after it happened.  No major pollution or fish kills, sadly the driver was killed.

Steve Yamani with a nice EW bow he got on a dry.  Thanks to Brent Robinson for the picture.

The EW was good to Tom on his guide trip, nice fish!

Upper Owens River/McGee Creek

We saw above average numbers of 10-14 inch cutts and rainbows that migrated up from Crowley; however the spring migration is ending and the fish are moving back into the lake from the tribs.  Nymphing with flashback PT’s, Assassins, olive zebras, SJ worms and egg patterns-will all get grabs.  Flows are just right and running at 110cfs.  If the wind is ripp’n use a streamer with a light sinking tip and the “dip & strip” method along the cut banks.  Caddis activity picking up on the calmer/warmer days.  A dry dropper bead head is always a good choice here when you have some snouts poking up.  Stimulators #14-16 have great floatation and a close enough profile to adult caddis flies to get grabs.

Chris with a pretty UO cutty.  Numbers are good for this size fish on the UO and McGee Creek.

John Ballotti sent me this creative shot of an Upper Owens cutt he caught-one of 35!  been good on the tribs this spring.

Bridgeport Reservoir

Jeffery has pulled the boat docks at the marina due to low water.  The RV Park & store remain open and is a great place to stay while in the area.  Call them directly for fishing and boat launching options.  Contact numbers are on the resources page.

Steve with a fat Bridge brownie.  Thanks again to Brent Robinson  for the pictures & the “Sheep Dip” secret to catching fish on Bridgeport Reservoir.

Dip your flies in this and get ready to go bendo!  Can also be used as “aiming fluid” where regulations permit. LOL friends.

Middle Owens River

300 cfs. is not considered to be a blow out here, however it is on the high side for wading and access to the wild trout section.  The Owens Valley has been very hot shutting down the bite by mid-morning. Fish the early mornings and late afternoons, Phil says it has been slow on recent trips here.  Use adequate weight to get your rigs down-2 AB shot is possible in some pools and runs.  I suggest plenty of flash in you nymph patterns also.  Olive crystal zebra or caddis patterns work great this time of year as the point fly, #16-20. Heavy sink tips, Loebergs or #10-12 punk perch are best right now.  Lots of sucker fry around.

Hot Creek

As good as it will get this summer.  Good caddis and mayfly activity with very good water conditions.  Fish small midge or mayfly emerger patterns, soft hackles swung through the slots and across larger pockets can also be deadly.  SJ worms & attractors will also fool finicky fish that have seen it all.

San Joaquin

Road is now open to Reds Meadow, this is early and flows will be high but not blown out.  Dry fly attractors like Stimulators, Sofa Pillows, Trudes, Royal Wolfes, Humpies-all good calls right now.  Focus on the softer water and meadow sections.  Look for a great July through early September.

Wild trout are absolutely beautiful on the San Joaquin River

Alpine Lakes

Keep an eye out for those afternoon T-storms and gusty winds.  The warm weather has improved fishing in all alpine regions. I suggest full sinking lines and streamers that have red or orange built in.  15 feet is a good depth to start along drop-offs and flow areas.

The Gorge/Pleasant Valley Reservoir

Flows continue to be higher than normal but have dropped from the middle turbine to PV powerhouse to 100cfs.  36cfs above the middle according to LADWP sources.  Very fishable and a good option to escape crowds if you do not mind the hike.  Dries can crush them this time of year, caddis and mayfly imitations #16-18.  At 100 cfs some pools will require an indicator and weight to get those nymphs down.  If it gets warm look out for snakes and stinging nettle.  PV is also fishing well for tubers near the inlet when the powerhouse in generating.  The inlet section is high but will be good when they shut down.  Caddis, Mayflies, and chironomids all on the menu here.

I apologize for the lack of updates and new pictures on my report.  I have been guiding Eagle Lake in Lassen County since late May and will not be returning until mid-July. Doug R. has a few days in mid-June open here, give us a call if you want to fish this incredible rainbow trout still water.  I have guides open for all your favorite areas in the Eastern Sierra.

Thanks for reading my report, be the fly….Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

Tom Loe & Sierra Drifters is under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide Hot Creek and the San Joaquin River

The post Fish’N Conditions June 10th 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

Conditions on the East Walker River just north of Mammoth are very good for fly fishers currently.  JB with a stunning brown he caught on a SJ worm pattern.

Most of the fisheries in the Eastern Sierra are fishing very well right now.  This in part due to the below average snow run-off and some warmer than average temperatures.  The high passes are currently open to vehicles, and access to alpine regions at the 9,000 foot level is good.  The reservoir levels remain low, fall will look different with some access issues for boaters.  This will be the case in many lakes and reservoirs throughout California this year, not just the Sierra region.  Creeks and tail waters are in great shape currently, they will be lower than normal this fall.  The migration of cutts and rainbows is peaking currently in the tribs of Crowley and Bridgeport, it will begin tapering off soon.  Hope you can make it up and enjoy a great opening season here, see you on the water.

East Walker River

Flows recently up to near 100cfs.  This is still an excellent release for fly fishers and will further spread the fish out into other than just the deepest pools.  The mayflies are the story here late morning/early afternoon #18 with a showing of caddis just beginning.  MOVE AROUND. The Miracle Mile has been hammered, and although you will still get fish here with freshies in the morning-there is quality water downstream, especially at these new flows.  The fish are holding in pocket water and riffles instead of just the larger pools.  Use sufficient weight to get your nymphs down in this faster water.

Jeff hit this one on an Assassin bird’s nest fished in a riffle.

Crowley Lake

One of my favorite times of year to fish Crowley is on Mother’s Day Weekend.  I have seldom been let down, and this year was no exception. The bite was on all over the lake during the hatch, steady grabs while still water nymphing with a #18 gillie, a crystal pupa or emerger  as the upper, with a #16 & 18 crystal copper tiger/zebra midge as your larva pattern. I prefer bright bead heads when the water is clean, go to dark when you see algae here.  The chironomids are happy campers right now & coming off in big numbers.  Took 20 freak’N minutes to clean off the dead spinners after the trip today!  Warmer than normal water, mild air temps and a stable water level have made for some very good conditions on Crowley for fly fishers.  Sandy Pt., Layton Springs, Big Hilton, Beaver Cove, Crooked Creek, North landing-10-16 feet.  Most of the fish I am seeing on the number days are small for Crowley.  12 inch cutts and rainbows are the standard issue, however there are good numbers of browns and three year old bows showing up as well.  Water level has not changed and is up only TEN feet from last years low point.  Look out for navigation hazards around the Hiltons and towards the Upper Owens inlet.  You can get all the flies and Under-cators at the Crowley Lake General Store located right next to Crowley Lake.

Jake with a lean mean fighting machine.  His dad Rusty and friend Wayne did well recently.

Mark with a bull headed bow, nice fish!

Big Ben tubed up a nice brownie in Beaver Cove using a dark Spruce-A-Bu

Wayne and Rusty with a double hanging.  Gorgeous back drop for this shot.

Jason got himself a quality brown in the breeze

Sung hit many chunky bows like this one

Ian should be a boxer with a reach like this!  He did crush the competition on his trip and proved youth and skill will overcome old age and treachery!

Brian with an airborne bow and awesome backdrop

Charles tight to one on Doug R’s “fish magnet”  Crowley is fishing well early on

Upper Owens/McGee Creek

The spring migration has been good for smaller cutthroats and rainbows, just a lack of slammers this season.  It has improved since opener and I would venture to say it has peaked, and will begin to decrease the next week or so.  I have already seen some hens that have dropped their eggs, and some pretty worn out looking bucks.  Water levels are very low on McGee and Convict Creeks, the rest are not even worth looking at.  The fish are averaging about 10-12 inches, most are cutts on the Upper Owens, it is 50/50 on McGee.  Some nice mayfly hatches on the UO with a shot at some wild browns on the surface.  Fish are very, very, very spooky in the low clear water on McGee-try an upstream approach and drift your imitations down to them. UO has great conditions with nice flows-the deeper water is more friendly for presentations.  Assassins are killer here, thanks for the scoop Cody!

Bruce with a pretty cutty from McGee Creek taken on an egg pattern

Jeff stuck over twenty himself while nymphing with us on McGee

SDFF member Howard hanging on to a nice rainbow on McGee Creek

Another SDFF member George made the long trek to get into quality cutts like this on McGee Creek

Middle Owens River

Flows have been bouncing around from 220-260cfs.  Pretty sweet for this time of year, you will find some great fly fishing at times in the wild trout section and while drifting with us.  This is a plus for a low water year.  Strong caddis in the afternoons, we are seeing some sucker fry along the slack water which has made for some good streamer fishing.  Take advantage of these low flows this time of year, it is rare to get such warm weather and stable flows on the Middle Owens.  Use flashback Pt’s #16-18, broken back midges #16, Assassins #16 & 18, olive crystal caddis larva #18-20 while nymphing.  Mayfly adults #16-18 light bodies (PMD’s are good)  light olive caddis adults #16 in the afternoon.  Loebergs and Spruce-A-bu’s are my go to flies with a heavy sinking tip line.  Use the “dip & strip” in the riffle water and at the base of pools.

Bill stung this nice bow on a Spruce-A-Bu while drifting the MO with us recently

Joe beat his personal best on a float with us recently. This was an active morning fish on a Loeberg

Hot Creek

I wish we had more water to fish here.  It gets comfy when conditions are this good and it can be tight, especially on weekends.  Flows are fine currently, look for low water and weedy conditions as the spring rolls into summer.  Midges, mayflies, caddis-they are all showing up on the menu.  Fish the far stripes/slots in the weed lines for the biters.  I like a #20-22 para-midge with a 10 foot leader-5X for surface action.  Try attractor patterns in the morning and late afternoon-SJ worms can be deadly here in the spring while nymphing. (Tom Loe is under permit to guide Hot Creek by the Inyo National Forest Service)

James positioning to release this active fish.  Note the lower water level after a short cold snap.

Adobe Pond

Conditions are good here early on and the fish are active and eagerly hitting midges in the morning.  The late mornings and afternoons have been slow, with a poor showing of callibaetis thus far.  The fish are larger here this year on average and I caught the best brown ever here while scouting.  If you like gorgeous scenery, wild trout, and the seclusion of private water give us a call.

BW with a quality “Dobe” brown.  Dry dropper and sight casting to rise forms is how you do it from the drift boat at Adobe.

It is absolutely beautiful and tranquil here.  One of my favorites to guide.  Looking for a place to build your dream vacation house?  Give a call and I will put you in touch with the broker.

Bridgeport Reservoir

The fish are concentrated near Rainbow Pt, 9-13 feet.  Midges and some callibaetis coming off on the nicer days.  The marina is fine for launching smaller boats, water level is dropping to levels that may not work for larger craft. Conditions are very good now, get it before the weeds set in and levels drop too much.  Look at the drop-off in Buckeye Bay towards Rainbow.  Find a slope, or the edge of the submerged peninsula.  Some action along the east shoreline towards Paradise in the old channel-good call for tubers trolling a Loeberg and midge or Killa baetis trailer.  Jeffery has these flies at the marina store.

Alpine Lakes

Mixed reports from tubers and shore fishers.  Between the CDFW & some IAG plantings most of more popular locations are getting a good jag of fish this spring.  Conditions are overall very good in most locations and it looks more like June than May in the Alpine areas this year due to the high snow levels.  Use full sinking or heavy sink tip lines to get those streamers down along the drop-offs and near the creek intlets/outlets 10-15 feet.

San Joaquin River

The road to Red Meadow will be opening by Memorial Day, this is very early.  The SJ will be very fishable early on this year and not blown out by heavy run-off.  Fish will be eager to hit most dry fly attractor patterns like Trudes, Royal Wolfes, Humpies, Stimulators, Sofa Pillows, para chute hi-vis mayfly adults-#14-16.  There remains more downed tree removal to be done again this year so be aware of the INFS postings near campgrounds. (Tom Loe is permitted by the Inyo National Forest Service to guide the middle fork of the San Joaquin)

Eagle Lake

We are going to have low water here again this year, however fishing will be very good in the south basin early as the fish will be concentrated here.  We still have some dates open and will have three boats on the water here in June.  Click on waters we fish-Eagle Lake for dates and info at the top of this page. (Tom Loe is under permit from Lassen National Forest Service to guide Eagle Lake).

Jurassic Pond Loebows

Here are some monsters caught recently on my trophy pond located on McGee Creek.  This is private water and we use this exclusively for Drifters clients and special events/groups.  There is NO place like it in the Sierra and you will see why!

Jeff with his first monster

And one more that needed extra hands to hold!

Skip with his trophy Loebow-should have seen the one that got away just before this!  We would have needed a small crane to get it out.

Bruce shows a nice brown from Jurassic Pond

Bruce and I with another troutzilla from Jurassic Pond

Thanks for reading my report, be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions May 13th 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

Drifting the Middle Owens near Bishop has been very good recently as long time Drifter Fritz Mutter holds one of many nice bows he caught using the “dip & strip” method of fishing streamers.

The 2013 general trout opener saw some great weather and good fishing overall.  The run-off has begun here in the Eastern Sierra and it has changed flows on all the creeks and rivers in the region.  Rising water levels from snow melt increase turbidity, lower water temps, & make trout move to adjust to the new levels.  This can cause variable fish’N conditions and make you adjust.  Due to a lower than normal year for snow pack this will be a short lived event and will be over with soon.  By early June most fisheries will be stable and running clear, save for the tail water rivers like the East Walker & Middle Owens which may be rising due to water demands.  Many alpine lakes and road passes will be opening and in good condition much earlier than normal, the Sierra will be pretty much wide open for access by Memorial Day for sure.  The San Joaquin/Reds Meadow area may have maintenance delays but will open much earlier than normal.

Bob got a really nice drift boat bow recently, his fish’n buddy Fred doing the net honors.

Middle Owens River-updated

Flows have come up to 250cfs in the wild trout section below PV Reservoir.  This is by no means a blowout but will make access more difficult. Bishop Creek flows have doubled recently and this will make the lower drift boat sections suck for a day or so until they stabilize & the water clears up.  It will also decrease the caddis and mayfly hatches that have begun to gell so do not expect epic top water action in the WT section for a while.  Put some additional weight on those nymph rigs.  I suggest flashback Pt’s, assassin birds nest, and crystal olive caddis and zebra midge larva patterns #16-20 for nymphing.  Hot streamers are Loebergs and Punk Perch #10-12.  You will need a heavy sinking tip line for the “dip & strip” technique to get your imitations down.

Jim with a nice MO brownie taken on a Loeberg

George hit this chunky painted up rainbow on his drift recently

Kevin has a stellar day drifting, here is Mr. Bojangles caught on a Loeberg

Kev got a nice brown at the buzzer!

Veteran Drifter Craig did well solo on a drift, nice paint job on this one

Fred and Lou with a saaaweet mixed double on the MO

Alpine Lakes-updated

The 2013 season will be in sharp contrast to those of the past.  The initial part of the season will see many lakes that typically have ice and snow, be completely thawed with good access.  Upper lakes that are bastions of the ice fishers have rotten ice or have already broken up at the 8800 foot level.  Mixed reports for opening week, slower than expected overall.  Look for the “catching” to improve as the stocking trucks dump additional fish into many areas.  Some super stockers are slated for several areas by mid-May.  Use streamer patterns like Spruce-A-Bu’s and Loebergs with a full sinking line to get down 15 feet along drop-offs and near creek inlets.

Convict Lake-note the lack of snow here.  Marina has low water-use caution in all the launching facilities this season

Lower Twin-Mammoth.  Good call for tubers

McGee, Convict, Hilton & Crooked Creeks-updated

The populations of 12-16 inch rainbows have increased quite a bit since my last report.  With water flows increasing from snow melt on these tributaries to Crowley we are seeing some decent pods staging up for the spawn recently.  There is some off colored water in the lower sections, very skinny conditions on the upper beats as the ranchers are diverting some water to irrigate the pastures.  The short water bows are S P double O KY “SPOOKY”!!!  You need to be a damn Ninja to get near them.  Try an upstream presentation and stack mend to drift your flies down into the short water holes and lays.  Dry dropper bead head nymph combos are a good call, SJ worms and weighted streamers fished with a floating line will get you takes.

These are the remaining fertile “diploid” trout this area will see from now on.  Whatever your opinions on this issue keep in mind their fry will be the last of the wild trout in Crowley.  Please keep this in mind when handling fish caught on redds.

This colorful rainbow is what you can expect on average for the tribs of Crowley

McGee Creek.  This section typically has 5-6 feet water this time of year.

For those of you who know Crowley, this is the fence line that I have had my fish magnet anchored at in high water years.  It is 1/4 mile above the current  water level.

Crowley Lake-updated

Fly fishers have mixed reports here.  The best still water nymphing is occurring in the Hiltons, Sandy Pt., and Sometimes Bay 11-14 feet.  Very good chironomid hatches for this early- the low water levels have the fish spread out and in different locations.  Gillies, crystal pupa, & emergers #18 and 20 rock on the high pressure days.  Stick to the ever reliable crystal tiger and zebra midges #16 and 18 for your larva/lower fly pattern.  Be careful when navigating to and from the marina, there are some high spots especially around Hilton, Sandy, and Crooked Creek.  Crowley Lake General Store has all my flies & Under-cators with a great breakfast and lunch menu.

Looking forward to a good fly fishing season on Crowley.  Scott with a broom tailed rainbow caught on Doug R’s fish magnet

East Walker River-updated

Looking forward to fishing this area soon as flows have come up to 70 cfs and water conditions are great.  The fish will spread out at this release moving them out of just the deepest holes and into riffles and deeper runs.  Look for some caddis, PMD mayflies, damsel flies, chironomids (large midges) & mixed terrestrials to be on the menu.  When the water levels go up there can be some interesting feeding events here.  Beetles, ants, caterpillars, spiders.  This is  a great flow for this time of year, summer/fall will be tough on the gang.

Hot Creek-updated

The warmer weather has increased the flow rates here.  Good news.  HC is going off right now-go here for the best dry fly fishing in the area.  Midge adults, small dark dinky caddis, & PMD mayfly patterns #16.  With more water coming down the trout in the “crick” have spread out.

Two Bug took some nice shots of client Jeffery on the “crick” recently

Fish have spread out due to higher flows.Jeffery had a great day on HC.

Upper Owens River-updated

Good news is more catchable sized fish moving up river with the bumped up flows.  Some bigs hit on opener below the monument (remember that upstream from this CDFW sign to the Benton Bridge remains closed to all until May 25th.)  Some of the signs are wrong, know the regs!  Water clarity is good; however you will find some annoying weed  floating and screwing up nymph drifts and streamer presentations in the monument area.  I like FB-PT’s, and assassins in the #14-16 range.  Broken back midges and crystal olive caddis #16-20 also good as lower bugs.  Try a Loeberg with a light sinking tip along the cut banks.  I hear some nice browns are up chomping on the smaller bows that migrated upstream.

Bridgeport Reservoir-updated

Fish here early this season people.  It will be  good before the end of July.  The Bridge will have GREAT numbers of planted fish this opener and early summer. Low water levels due to the lack of snow pack this season will make it tough to “catch” here after July.  Sheep fur patterns are best-speak with Jeffery at the marina about these as he keeps them under lock and key in his trailer…Loebergs, Spruce-A-Bu’s with full sinks will get you grabs around the EW channel and towards the public boat ramps.  Look for still water nymphing methods to rule around mid-May.  Gillies, broken back & zebra midges -10 feet plus early on.  If you want to launch a boat for opener go to the marina, it will be tough anywhere else.

 Bridgeport pro Steve Yamani crushed them on the opener. Nice Steve!

Brent Robinson said it was “epic” on opening day at the Bridge.  He is a skilled still water nympher and had several browns like this using tiger midges.

This is what the Bridge is all about, good fishing, great scenery, and fun times on a mellow lake.  Whitney tight to a nice one here with her posse standing by at net

Adobe Pond

Now is the time for Adobe.  Good hatches of callibaetis and midges-great water conditions.  This is sight fishing for totally wild browns via one of our drift boats.  Private water fishing at it’s best!  Call for booking info.

Eagle Lake

We have three boats open on Sunday June 2nd, & 13, 16, 17, 18, 19 , 20, 30, & July 1st available for one boat.  Hope you can make it, Eagle will be great this spring.

Thanks for reading my report.  be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions May 3rd 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

Fly fishing the Middle Owens near Bishop and Mammoth Lakes CA. has been very good.  Steve  shows off a nice brown with s.i.l. Joe  doing net honors

Spring fish’n conditions could not get much better around Mammoth and Bishop these days.  The mild winter has kept river flows reduced on all of the year around fisheries and access to them is very good.  The general trout season opener is just around the next bend, and if current weather patterns remain look for an excellent opener with several areas accessible that are historically closed during the start of the season. You will observe low water levels to begin the season on Crowley and Bridgeport Reservoirs; however they will not negatively impact the beginning of the season and should actually help early season fishers do better.  Early thaws & mild air temps  on both bodies of water will elevate water temps inducing excellent chironomid hatches right off.  The 2013 season is shaping up to be a near carbon copy of last year with respect to flows and lake levels.  The fall season may have some “skinny” water in areas &  just moderate run-off this spring influencing fisheries later than normal.  The snow pack is very high and it will take the summer months or warm rain storms to get things melting and affecting the creeks and rivers.  Let’s hope for a wet summer and  strong Monsoon period.

Our website now has a mobile application to view the fish’n conditions, check out guide tips or flow charts, & book a trip or send me a text from your mobile devices.

Middle Owens River

It has been very consistent in most sections of the MO.  Stability in water releases have been the rule, and give or take 20cfs we have seen a steady 220-240cfs being released out of Pleasant Valley for an extended period with the word from the LADWP it will continue into the near future.  Wading the wild trout section and immediate river below the dam is not difficult, and it has moved the fish out of the deeper pools and into the riffles and  tail outs during hatch periods.  Speaking of which…we have several to mention.  The caddis are becoming more prevalent with each day, use bright green larva and pupa patterns with a dark heads and some flash for nymphs, (one can also use this pattern as a rock worm which is also on the diet here) #16-18-elk or deer hair imitations will suffice for adult profiles #16-18.  The pale morning duns (PMD’s) are also emerging before noon on the warmer/cloudy days.  These rascals are good sized-#14-16 & a flashback PT or birds nest is a good choice for below surface strategies.  Use high wings and a more significant tail for the adults.  The spinners are falling early on the day after a good hatch.  We are seeing the last of the BWO’s and they are small #20 now.  Streamer fishing has also been good with some nice browns on the prowl.  Loebergs and Spruce-a-Bu’s have been good selections for me used in conjunction with a heavy sinking tip line. It is rare to have this stable condition on the MO this time of year and I have been told it will hold for a while.  Hope you can make it up and fish with us this Spring.

The “T. N.” Nelson C with a wide bodied MO rainbow taken on a Loeberg.

Bryan and Tony did great using the “dip & strip” recently

Tony with a chunky monkey

Jim with an acrobatic fish that damn near hit me!

Mason and father Mike did great on their drift, Mason got the money fish!

Smigey put’n the wood to one

Colin got a nice brown on his drift with dad Bryan

Old age and treachery out did youth and skill on this float!  “Wow Tom!  What a great day.  Colin (and I) will be talking about today for a very, very long time.  You are a true professional.  Next time, we’ll get you a 60+ day to post now that we know what we’re doing!  You’ll definitely be seeing us again in the future.”  Stay safe and fishy, Bryan & Colin

Joe, Joe D, and big Nick whacked em on their float down the MO

Joe D all smiles

Nick the quick on one of his many

Whitney with a very nice brown, she did very well for her first float trip on the MO and proved to be an exceptional fly fisher.

East Walker River

Flows have dropped to 32 cfs.  Not good friends.  I believe the flows will increase very soon as the opener approaches.  It is a low water year and the farmers and ranchers are “banking” water for the summer.  Stick to the deeper pools nearest the dam.  May should be very good on the EW.

Joe graduated from the Sierra Drifters nymphing school with honors!

Hello Tom, Check these out. Joe & I fished EW last week and I used my new 4100 &ULA we caught alot more this year thanks to your guide trip FEB 1. Thanks, Steve & Joe

Upper Owens River

The Upper Owens near Mammoth has very good conditions right now

82 years of experience and still stick’n them! Long time friend and client  Bill M with a nice UO bow.  Hudson D. doing the net honors

Flows have been bumped up to 104 cfs.  Clarity is good and this increase will assist migrating fish move out of Crowley.  We are seeing some mid-range rainbows moving up from Crowley; however the twenty inch rascals are few and far apart.  Fish are scattered and very spooky.  I found them holding in some unusual places so turn over every stone and plan on covering a bunch of water to locate pods.  Some decent midge and last generation baetis coming off for those who like surface action.  Warmer days look for those smaller dark caddis adults-#18.  Access is good-can’t believe how dry it is here, the east side access road will “carbonate” you for the drive in.  Pretty bumpy.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir

A recent outing here proved how good this location can be when it gets planted on a regular basis.  I would never say it is “too good” however when you get a grab or a fish every cast for over two hours…The river section flowing into the lake is pretty high due to the above average amount of water coming down through the Gorge bypass.  Add Rock/Pine Creeks flow, and you have a fair amount of water to attempt wading the brushy section just up from the lake & down from the power house.  Some sections are not possible to wade to currently.  The lake level is very friendly for access right now and it is in the transition section you will find big numbers of planted rainbows that have moved up to feed on the huge chironomid and mayfly hatches coming off currently.  Tubing the lake is also very good using both streamers with full sinks and still water nymphing methods ala Crowley.  The Gorge is tough to fish under current conditions, too much water with the vegetation that is typically along the banks being submerged making presentations near impossible.

The power house at PV.  Major maintenance being done.  Note the huge flow coming in from the Gorge bypass.

The Gorge currently has a “flushing flow” and will remain this way for an extended period.

Hot Creek

Good conditions for April.  Once again the mild winter does have positives in some areas.  Stake out the deeper pools and sections that have less protruding weeds and ye shall prosper.  Fish the slots in the weeds with a parachute mayfly or midge adult #18-22.  Use a longer, and lighter leader & tippet than you would normally cast.  Try building your own (monofilament for surface, fluorocarbon for nymphing) as opposed to a manufactured tapered one.  You will see the difference if you use a lighter butt section.  Same for nymphing, keep the upper diameters of the leader to a minimum.  Try some scuds and SJ worms this time of year, they work well in the deeper pools.  ***Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service is permitted with the INFS to guide Hot Creek.

Robby with a very pretty Hot Crick brown taken while nymphing an attractor pattern.  He did double digits on his guide trip with us.

Hot Creek is low and clear for April

Thank you for reading my report.  Be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions April 14th 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

The Middle Owens near Bishop and Mammoth is kicking out some trophy rainbows for fly fishers like Bryan and Colin

.

Weather forecasters are predicting a wetter than normal April, and boy do we need it!  The current conditions seem more like late April and May with 70 plus days in the Owens Valley and the 60′s in the high country.  I am enjoying it for the time being but very much hoping we get some more snow in them thar hills before summer is upon us.  The first mosquitoes appeared this week on the Middle Owens, and I am seeing a few ticks now, so if you have a dog and are fishing in the brambles, check them out thoroughly for these critters.

Overall life is good on the water with flows well below historical averages for this time of year.  The Middle Owens has doubled in the last couple weeks; however remains very fishable at 225cfs. below the dam at Pleasant Valley.  The East Walker has dropped considerably from 70 cfs. to 40 cfs.  Hot Creek is up a tad with the warm weather and some snow melting into Mammoth Creek.  The INFS gate has been open for over a week now.  Upper Owens is also running low and clear at 60cfs.  Some off colored, tannin stained water below Hot Creek’s confluence due to run-off.  I have links to the real time flow charts on the resources page located on the nav bar (top of all pages).  Crowley has been ice free for a while, it remains only ten feet higher than the low point from last year.  Bridgeport has ample water to start the season for sure, but may be low by mid-summer.  It is ice free as well.

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Crowley Lake from atop McGee Creek Canyon.  Ice free and low water level to start the season.

Middle Owens River

The first caddis flies are beginning to show in force on the warmer days, with the final hatches of baetis (BWO’s) coming off after noon.  Strong midge activity with a rising or high barometer.  At 225cfs. the flows are near perfect.  With the warmer conditions the wild fish will move into the riffle water and straights, as opposed to holding in only the deepest pools.  Crossing is a tad more difficult, but with some scouting & a stout wading staff one should have no problems finding quality water.  We had some spotty days of catching as the water levels climbed, but they were brought up slowly and the fish have already adjusted to the new releases.  The word from the LADWP is an extended period of maintenance on their hydroelectric facilities.  They have bypassed the main inflow to Pleasant Valley Reservoir and are running 175cfs through the Gorge, (see pictures below) I look forward to an extended period of drifting this spring as we have been told that it will be quite a while before the work is completed.  I have seen epic fishing in May on dry years like this so keep the Middle Owens in mind.  We are staying the course with streamers like Spruce-A-Bu’s, Loebergs, and smaller olive punk perch patterns.  I have switched to a heavy sinking tip line 24-30 feet, 200-250 grains to get down using the “dip & strip”.  Nymphing with pheasant tails and bird’s nest patterns are spot on, use a broken back midge, olive crystal zebra/caddis larva, or tiger midge at times for a dropper.  Para bwo’s, elk caddis, and Stimulators are also needed in one’s quiver for any snouts that begin poking up for a hatch.

Craig Smith with a nice male fooled on a Spruce-A-Bu.  He and Tommy Phillips did close to forty on a recent drift.

John H. and Pete “twinkle toes” S. had some fun for two days of drifting the “MO”

“Twinkle toes” with one of many.  Fun time guys, thanks!

Upper Owens River

Access is good, fishing is not.  Flows have dropped to below 60 cfs. and there are only a few pools holding fish in the year around section above the Benton Crossing Bridge.  Decent baetis and midge activity, with a few Owens caddis flies zooming around late morning.  The weather has been good for the most part; however the wind has been spoiling the warmer temps this last week.  Stick to bird’s nest and mayfly nymph imitations #16-20.  Olive crystal caddis larva or zebra midges will get grabs in the deeper holes and pools.  You may see some off colored, tannin stained water below the confluence of Hot Creek due to run-off, the fish have split from this area currently.

Ryan B. beat the odds and did well on the UO with this chunky hen he fooled.

Father Roger Borcherdt was not to be out done, and landed this long and lean fighting machine from the Upper Owens.

My good friend and expert fly fisher Mark Vidovich broke this twenty plus hen on the Upper Owens with a Lamson reels smooth drag.

Jerry Neve is a long time Drifter (that cap is 12 years old!) He bested this beautiful UO hen solo, thanks to Dave Kendrick for the picture.

Tommy Lyon put the wood to this colorful UO hen on a gorgeous day in Long Valley.

East Walker River

Just when I thought it was gonna go off…the dang flows dropped.  The curse of a dry winter is hanging overhead on this blue ribbon trout river.  Ideal flows in my opinion are around 125-200cfs here.  They are now at 40cfs.  Too low for this time of year.  The BWO hatch has been short but sweet, and if you have fished the EW during the spring, you know that this is prime time and the fish really focus on this emergence.  To put it in perspective; we got 75% of our grabs for a full day guide trip during the 1pm hatch, most on adult BWO patterns.  We scratched while fishing a variety of nymphs like PT’s, bird’s nest, midges, rock worms, eggs, and perch fry.  The fish have a difficult time moving out of the deepest pools and into riffle water at this release.  It will improve, pray for snow!

Tommy P. showing a quality EW brown he fooled while nymphing.

Craig S. got this one on a dry dropper rig.  Sorry about the hole in my net and the “one that got away buddy”  That fish had a razor blade for a jaw and cut my net, haha!

Hot Creek

In between the wind storms it has been good here.  This is my favorite time of year to fish HC, and the trout get way stupid on adult BWO’s here for about two hours after mid-day.  Nymphing the deeper pools and runs will produce using a variety of smaller nymphs-it is the archer; not the arrow for these fish my friends.  The trend of warmer weather will help increase flows and amplify areas to fish.  The INFS gate has been open for a while with no access issues. *Tom Loe/Sierra Drifters is currently permitted to guide Hot Creek by the Inyo National Forest Service.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir/the Gorge Updated 3-22-13

If you have a tube and do not mind a 20 minute hike with it, this is a slam dunk!  The rez has a bunch of fish that have been planted thanks to a recent trout derby that was held here.  The CDFW dumped some big ole brooders in here as well.  Use a full sinking line and your favorite streamer fished down to 10 feet.  The river section is a tad high, but still very fishable with excellent conditions.  You may experience some “pulses” of water from time to time, but overall the mornings are great in the transition area near the lake proper.  Dry dropper bead head nymph combos are deadly in the pillow water.  Look for “pods” of rising trout sipping midges in the early morning, switching to mayflies after noon.  Reports of 40 plus fish to hand have been coming in here, thanks to Kevin T. and Michael O. for the scoop.

The LADWP has a flushing flow going through middle and lower Gorge currently.  They have said it will be for an extended period of time.  The flows are currently at 175cfs.  Normal are 33 cfs.  Thanks to Malibu Fish’N Tackle’s Jimmy Toy for the heads up.

The Gorge currently has a “flushing flow” and will remain this way for an extended period.

Eagle Lake

We had some  dates open up due to a cancellation on June 1st and 2nd.  This lake rocks and is by far the best rainbow trout still water in the state.  Check out the new video Doug Rodricks made on our Eagle Lake page (link on the nav bar above), or YouTube link.  We have some limited  dates in June and all the booking info posted here.

Even I can catch a hog at Eagle!

Thanks for reading my report, be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions April 1st 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

Fly fishing for trophy rainbows on the Upper Owens remains very good. Just ask Jeff Menius!

The High Sierra got some much needed snow recently, about two feet in the upper elevations.  Spring is just around the corner and by the looks of the weather forecast it has already arrived.  The Owens Valley will see temps climb to near 80 this week, while the Upper Owens/Long Valley area could see daytime highs in the mid-60′s!  The Bridgeport region and East Walker River will also see some pleasant weather settle in this week.  There was no significant precipitation recorded anywhere but at higher elevations and access to to the popular year around fisheries is good and improving.

Spring time in the Sierra historically translates into fluctuating flows and variable water conditions.  This year will be no exception and we are already seeing flows come up significantly on the East Walker & Lower Owens River.  The Upper Owens has actually dropped to a very low rate of 63 cfs, and I am told by a reliable source that the aquifers that nurture the Hot Creek Fish Hatchery are at very low discharges that have not been seen for a long time.  Hot Creek emanates from several ground sources before its confluence with Mammoth Creek. 

If you enjoy dry fly fishing, March & April can be very consistent for surface action with stable water conditions.  The cold water mayfly called the Blue Winged Olive, or BWO is the star of the show and emerges after noon in most of the year around waters in the Sierra.  The first generation adults are good sized; #16-18, olive to gray bodies, twin tails, & twin upright gray wings, are good profiles for these high riding aquatic insects.  Pheasant tails, bird’s nest, & hares ear patterns are all solid choices for the nymphs.  We will also see the first hatches of a spring caddis fly.  As is always the case with the first generations they are good sized and can have profiles in the #14-16 range. These light colored delta winged insects are like prime rib to the wild trout. Near blanket hatches can be seen when water temps hit the upper 50′s and low 60′s on the Lower Owens River.  The caddis larva is a bright green worm with a dark head, no tail.  It does molt and morph into a pupal stage.  I use a strand of crystal flash in my larva patterns to imitate the shuck of a molting caddis, or midge larva.   Caddis pupa drift above the bottom with profiles that display a bug having a bad hair day!  They are very disheveled looking, with light olives, browns-and even some red tints mixed into a rather fuzzy profile in the #14-16 range this time of year. Fishing caddis pupa just below the surface under a dry fly is a very effective method of fooling trout during this emergence.  And last, but not least we need to mention the  Stone flies that can be seen during the spring on all the fisheries of the Sierra.  The species that is most prevalent on the Lower Owens (little golden stone) is small for a stone fly, but large relative to other aquatic cousins.  #12-16 Stimulators, Sofa Pilllows, and even large elk hair caddis adult patterns profile the adults well.  The nymphs look pre-historic and are heavily armored with thick stout legs, and a pitch fork looking tail. They are dark brown-  #12-14 are close enough to match their profiles.

This is the exo-skeleton of a stone fly nymph.

With many areas having fluctuating water flows during the spring it is vital to keep your nymphs properly weighted with sufficient leader lengths to keep those bugs near the bottom.  Adults should be well dressed with desiccant to keep them riding high during emergences.

Upper Owens River

Flows have been yo-yoing all winter  moving from a high of 160cfs at one point, then dropping to a current rate of 63 cfs.  This recent drop has really moved the fish out of the shorter water and into the deepest holes.  If numbers are your goal, the UO is not for you right now.  Not many small fish here-most have moved back into Crowley Lake which is totally ice free now.  If it is a trophy rainbow you seek on your quest-this is the spot.  You will not get many opportunities, but the fish you do set on will be impressive and worth the effort.  Stick to attractor patterns and mayfly profiles for nymphs.  There is good BWO activity most days after 1:30 here.  The roads leading into the UO are still a mess in some places; however overall conditions have improved.  Write this location off in a stiff north or west wind.  If you observe the wind sock at the Mammoth Airport stretched out, keep trucking south and fish the Lower Owens.  90% of the fish are holding in 5% of the water here.  Guerrilla trout fishing is what I call it now.  Hit a spot, then keep moving to locate another deep hole.

Ben Kaufmann got his PHD in fishing the Upper Owens with us.  He graduated with honors and nailed this awesome cuttbow solo.

Dave Kendrick did well despite 20mph north winds and freezing temps on the Upper Owens recently.  We still had ice in the guides when this big hen hit.

Jeff with another nice one on the UO.

Jeff even manged to find a nice brownie, he whacked them that day!

“Big Fish” Lee Deminski always does well on the Upper Owens, great picture!

The Cole-ster got a few nice ones on the Upper Owens also, nice Cole!

Grandpa Mel Twist managed to sneak a few out from Cole as well.

Veteran Drifter Randy Arnott did well on numbers in a stiff wind that blew all day on the Upper Owens recently

David with another pig he got when it warmed up

Jeff just had one of those days we all dream about…

Middle Owens River (MOR)

I will begin calling the river around the Bishop/Big Pine area the “Middle Owens” as requested by the LADWP.  We are holding our breath for the big bump in flows here.  So far, so good.  150cfs below the dam at Pleasant Valley is sweet for wading and drifting. Solid BWO and some caddis showing in the afternoons.  I have even seen some big ole brown drakes on the warmer days.  It is going to get very nice in the OV this month.  We will see some gusty winds when the cold fronts pass through; however the valley typically does not get any moisture from these spring type storms. I suggest switching to a heavier sinking tip line when flows go over the 200cfs mark while streamer fishing.  Small punk perch and my Spruce-a-Bu are doing great while “dip & stripping” from the drift boats.  The epic bite we had a couple weeks ago has slowed down recently, an average drift is kicking out about twenty rainbows and browns on average.  Wade fishing the wild trout area remains steady at these flows with some nice dry fly action after lunch most days.

Joe Sarnecky and Dan Blasius spanked them on a recent drift with high flying active rainbows providing the action

The fly fish’N Robinson’s.  Brent and Brenna with a morning double to begin their drift on the Middle Owens

Fernando & KevinVasquez banged out a bunch of jump’n bows like this one.

Kevin hit this beautiful brown during the afternoon BWO hatch

Joe and Dave Dedimincantanio put nearly 40 in the net on their drift recently

Davey D bendo to a nice bow on the Middle Owens

Joe Sarnecky showing off a colorful MOR rainbow

Hot Creek 

I must say spring on Hot Creek is my favorite time to fish this area.  Crowds are generally far less than in the summer and fall, the fish are eager to hit the consistent blue winged olive hatch, and the scenery is second to none.  As the weather warms at elevation look for a significant bump in flows here due to the snow melting into Mammoth Creek.  This will bring water levels up here and make conditions very good in the near future.  Attractors are good choices in the spring for rising water fished in conjunction with small pheasant tails and crystal midge larva.  Midge adults are also deadly at times, they are not easy to fish for those with poor eyesight.  Use a larger high vis pattern 3 feet up from your smaller target fly to help you locate and assist in mending the tiny point fly. ***Sierra Drifters Tom Loe is under permit to guide here from the INFS.

East Walker River

The ranchers in Nevada will begin using more water to irrigate and this will begin the increase in flows on this tail water.  Flows are back down to a very nice 80 cfs after a little flushing out recently.  Many EW addicts have been eagerly waiting for this increase as it spreads the fish out and improves conditions greatly.  Look for strong BWO and chironomid hatches.  Attractors are a good call during rising water, have some flash in your nymph patterns and keep those bugs on the bottom.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir/Gorge

It has slowed down here a little as well; however conditions remain very good in the rez proper and the river section below the power house.  If you are not entered in the trout derby on the weekend of 3-16-13 here, you may want to avoid this area.  It will be very crowded for a few days.  The good news is the CDFW will be stocking the be jeepers outta this place and what is left over should make this a great place to fish the next couple of weeks.  The Gorge in the lower and middle sections will not have this pressure and is a good alternative when this, or other areas are crowded.  Dry/dry combos, or dry dropper bead rigs in the Gorge and the small river or transition area are good choices.  Use mayfly and midge patterns #16-18.  Tubers will also benefit from the residual planting here.  Full sinks and most any streamer pattern in the #8-12 range will get grabs.  Try still water nymphing Crowley style along the drop-offs after the warm weather this week.  PV can be as good as it gets during the spring from a tube.

Eagle Lake

You gotta check out the great video Doug Rodricks made of Eagle Lake.  Makes me want to be there right now!  We still have some dates available this June.  Click on trips & programs-waters we fish-Eagle Lake at the top of this page to see the video and get dates and info.  If you just want to see what Eagle is all about, click on the Youtube icon on any page of my website.

Thanks for reading my report friends.  be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions March 11th 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

The Lower Owens River has been the top location for fly fisherman looking for quality trout and beautiful scenery

The Owens Rivers are the place to be if you are a fly fisherman looking to get into some numbers, and a shot at a trophy trout.  Lower flows and dry weather have made conditions very consistent on the Upper and Lower “O” recently.  Tis the time O’ year when you may experience some strong gusty winds at times associated with the dry cold fronts that pass through.   Access to both areas is good although you will find some 4 X 4 only areas on the Upper Owens on several of the smaller feeder roads leading down to, and along the fence line.  Hot Creek is also easy to hike as of this report.  The East Walker has good access and flows have been bumped up to 75cfs.

Winter has pretty much fizzled out with the extended forecast  calling for above average temps to begin in early March.  Good news for fly fishers this spring; however the piper will be paid as the season rolls on and the second year of below average snow pack takes its toll.  To put it in perspective-Crowley Lake reached a near record low point in late October 2012.  It has only come up ten vertical feet and needs another 15 more to reach a normal starting point for the season.  The LADWP has been doing extensive work on the hydroelectric facilities and when this is completed flows will come up on the Lower Owens further slowing  the filling of Crowley for the season.  Could be a very tough fall here.  Bridgeport Reservoir is also filling slowly and will suffer later in the summer unless we get a good jag of additional snow soon.

On the bright side we are looking at an extended period of lower flows on the tail waters, early thawing of Crowley and Bridgeport (both will be pretty much ice free by mid-March), & the alpine lakes will have good access earlier than in most years.  If the trend continues, look for an early spring migration of trout into the tribs from reservoirs and lakes with “diploid” bows and cutty’s.

Speaking of “diploids”…2012 was the last year California will see trout that can reproduce planted in the Eastern Sierra and other waters of the state.

There will be some rainbow brood fish planted in a few limited areas that have not been nuked, but they are not likely to live long enough to spawn again.  The DFG has been ordered by the Supreme Court in Sacramento to plant only “triploid” rainbow trout (triploids are fish that have been rendered sterile in the embryonic stage) in waters that do not have a documented native species of rainbow in them.  Since there are no rainbows that are “native” to the Eastern Sierra, fertile trout will not be planted in ANY of the local waters from now on unless legislation changes in Sacramento. The Hot Creek Hatchery Facility has already converted to triploids. Brown trout and brook trout are not native to California and may eventually be phased out totally from the hatchery system in California, although I have heard from a reliable source that some brood stock browns and brooks are being kept at this time in the event the laws change, or the interpretation of such warrants alterations to some fisheries. They will  most likely be triploids when planted in any event.  Here is a link to Senate Bill 1148:

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1148 

I strongly suggest you read it, the meat is chapter 565, section six.  “Discourage artificial planting of hatchery-raised hybrid and nonnative fish species in wild trout waters or in other areas that would adversely affect native aquatic and non aquatic species.” This is a paragraph from Assembly Bill 1148.  Do not sound your opinions or voice your “what the hell’s?” to me.  Write your representatives and the CDFW Commission if you have an opinion. Don’t shoot me-  I am only the messenger people. This bill currently signed into law, will change the landscape of trout fishing in the Sierra in a very, very substantial way.  It will help aquatic and non aquatic native species like steelhead, golden trout,(this is a good thing for sure) Tui Chubs, Tahoe Suckers, Hard Headed Minnows, Sacramento Perch, yellow legged frogs & willow fly catchers (you gotta be kidding me) in a very positive manner. The latter of these species we know as valuable resources crucial to business’s, job growth and providing recreational opportunities to sportsman who pay for licenses each year.  Those Sacramento Perch pull like a wet gym sock on a five weight baby, and if you have ever gazed at a speeding willow fly catcher hit a caddis fly it takes your breath away!  I’m just saying people…This law was passed with far to broad of a brush stroke and is not sensible or logical in many ways.

There are some paragraphs and verbiage in the bill that gives the CDFW in isolated instances some latitude to alter or amend some sections after using the best possible science to determine the alterations. If you have an opinion on this issue I strongly suggest you contact your representatives and the commissioners with such immediately.

To contact your local representative go to http://www.house.gov/htbin/findrep and enter your zip code.
To contact you’re Senator; http://www.senate.gov/states/ enter California as your state.
To contact the DFG Commission; http://www.fgc.ca.gov/

My apologies if you are not getting, or have received duplicate email updates recently. We are in the process of changing our email delivery server in an effort to make our email service safer against spammers and hackers.

Harold Green and Mark Harpin had an “epic” day while drifting bringing 112 trout to net in a single day!  I like this black & white shot, kinda different.

Lower Owens River-updated 3-4-13

I have not used the word epic to describe fly fishing down here in a long, long time.  Due to a combination of ideal water conditions and a large planting of catchable rainbows put in below the wild trout section-we are enjoying some fantastic fishing on the LO.  Flows are on the rise and are currently at 150cfs.  The last three drifts had fish counts of 47, 112, & 88 caught and released. I call this “catch’N” not fish’N!  The wild trout area is also fishing well with flows remaining at, or below 100cfs.  The wind has been a factor at times messing up the baetis emergence; however this is the main course for the wild fish.  Have a #16 BWO adult ready to go after 1 pm, find a deep pool with a long riffle leading into, or below it for some consistent dry fly action mid-day.  Stick to pheasant tails or birds nest patterns while nymphing #14-18.  Light to moderate sinking tip lines and the “dip & strip” method of streamer fishing is crushing the rainbows.  Sierra Drifters Spruce-a-Bu, Punk Perch #14, and Loebergs #10 are all working.  Flows look to remain low for a longer duration this year, so if you want a combination of warm weather and good fishing give us a call and we will set up a drift trip for you in March.

The San Diego Fly Fishers spent several days with us drifting – Bobby Stafford shows off a nice bow he fooled on a streamer

The “Klahs Pause” killed them recently.  Don Klahs and Rick Kramer combined to land 88 fish in a single drift recently.

The Teacher-Rick Kramer shattered his personal best for a drift this trip.  Thanks for the rock fish fillets buddy!

Gary Deaton and Terry Oliver had great drifting as well getting into many nice rainbows and browns-nice double boys!

The Kruz-Rick Kruszewski spanked them on his annual birthday drift boat trip

SDFF members and long time Drifters Bob Blazer tight to a nice bow, while Dave Collins lays out a roll cast alongside

SDFF conservation chairman Gary Strawn has done wonders for the Golden Trout rescue, he is shown here alongside fellow SDFF member Art Mills dancing with a nice Owens rainbow

Blanket blue winged olive (baetis) hatches are common in early March

Scott Simonet had a huge day drifting solo.  Look at the girth on this chunky hen!

A mix of wild browns and planted rainbows are providing big numbers on recent drifts. Harpy with a nice brownie here

Most of the rainbows have beautiful paint jobs

What could be better?  A cold beer in one hand and a rod bent to a leaping rainbow in the other!  Matt Stevens and John Mackey did well on their drift

Johnny B and Kenny D had a cool day and hot fishing, pretty brown and a pretty sky

Harpy and Harold deserve to be on this report a few times.  We estimated twenty doubles the day they did over 100!

Upper Owens River-Updated 3-4-13

Access is pretty good but you will still encounter some muddy sections on the feeder roads leading into and along the fence line.  Remember- all wheel drives just take you further in to get stuck!  Flows down to 80cfs. We are still seeing some bigs that have migrated up from Crowley but the huge fall rainbows we call Crowley Steelhead are spawned out and the hens have deposited their eggs.  Look for the Kamloops and Eagle Lake strain bows to begin moving in mass as soon as the ice thaws near the inlet to Crowley.  It is receding quickly and should be totally open by mid-March for sure.  There is also spotty dry fly action on the warmer days.  I suggest midge cluster patterns, or #20-22 para midges. The first BWO hatches have got the feeding fish active around mid-day.  First generations are good sized, #16′s will get looks.  Nymphing is best this time of year.  Use attractors as your upper fly on a tandem rig, stick with small flashback PT’s, birds nest, crystal & broken back midges as the dropper.  Egg patterns will also get grabs on the colder days when the fish are more lethargic.

Scott Simonet with a twenty inch hen he got on the Upper Owens on a blustery day recently.  Scott stuck this one nymphing an egg pattern  I call the “bolt on”

Dee Bradford.  Not his first time on the fish report friends.  Dee banged out a bunch of these pigs recently with Two Bug doing the net work

Dee with another.  These fish are spectacular and worth the effort.  We  have innovated special methods to consistently get pictures of clients with trophies like this.  Give us a call ad get your arms ready!

 SDFF member Ed Wynn aced this trophy Upper Owens bow on one of his first guide trips

Bill Stock is a stand out member of the SDFF club and long time Drifter, he got into several bigs on the Upper Owens recently

Nice hold Billy!  I love these fish.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir/the Gorge

Perhaps the most heavily planted body of water in California this time of year.  I have had reports of clients without the use of guides banging 1oo catchable rainbows in an outing.  Tubers and waders are enjoying the benefits of a well stocked lake.  There are also some nice wild browns showing up, especially during the BWO hatch after lunch.  Stick with dry/dropper bead head nymph rigs in the small river section and transition area (my favorite place to fish here).  Tiger midges and Assassins are dynamite #16 & 18 under a para BWO, Stimulator, or hi-Vis BWO adult that is well dressed with desiccant. “Freeze tubers” are punishing the fish from the launch ramp to the inlet currently, with some nice brood fish showing as well.  Use a full sink, or heavy sinking tip line to get down 10 feet quickly.  It is not that cold anymore and the fish have become much more active than during the ice age we saw earlier in February.  The Gorge has some excellent dry fly action during the calmer days, small mayflies and para midges here.  Access is good so long as you don’t mind some moderate hiking and rock hopping.  Good place to seek refuge on the weekends…

East Walker River-Updated 3-4-13

Flows up to 75cfs.  Yahoo! game on people.  Fish will begin spreading out of just the deepest holes and you will see some good BWO hatches soon.  Some weather moving in this week, may put a dusting of snow on the banks.

Hot Creek

Same story here.  Good fishing, just limited water that is holding.  Midges are the rule with the BWO’s taking command soon.

Eagle Lake

We only have a few dates left and have brought up three 24 foot “Fish Magnets” this season due to demand.  Give us a call if you want to fish the best public rainbow trout still water in the state.  We are going all of June and into early July.  Info is found on “trips & programs—waters we fish—Eagle Lake” at the top of this page.  Do this, you won’t regret it.

A typical early spring sunrise on the Lower Owens River.  Thanks for reading my report and hope to fish with you soon.

Be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions February 27th 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

The Upper Owens remains the best for trophy sized rainbows.  Chris & Scott Linkletter punished the bigs while fly fishing nymph patterns

The weather has definitely taken a change for the better in the Eastern Sierra.  The frigid air temps that plagued the region have given way to seasonable temperatures.  We are enjoying the nice weather but are hopeful we get another bout of winter as the snow pack has slipped to just average, or slightly below for the region. 

Access to the Upper Owens & Hot Creek have improved; however I strongly suggest you check out the feeder roads that lead down to the UO before you drive in.  The ruts are deep and muddy.  It is typically frozen in the mornings and thaws by late afternoon making the roads a mess.  Mud/snow tires and all wheel drive are a must to avoid a costly towing bill.  The East Walker still has a good amount of ice and snow along its banks, the roads leading into the “miracle mile” are also 4X4 only. 

Flows on the EW have dropped again to the low 20 cfs range and there is very limited water to fish at this release rate.  The majority of the water here is “alotta nada”. The pools that are deepest are holding good numbers of healthy rainbows and browns.  No BWO activity  in the Cal section yet , Nevada has had a few come off; however it will not be long until the water temps hit that magical low 40′s consistently and the baetis begin to come off in numbers.  Currently small midges, caddis larva or olive rock worms are good calls along with SJ worms, streamers & egg imitations.  The fish are not super aggressive so keep your rigs near the bottom and the presentations on the soft side of the current.

Hot Creek remains good on the warmer days with a huge midge hatch blanketing the water on the high pressure days.  Cluster patterns, or #22-24 parachutes that ride in the surface film are good choices for surface action.  Flows are good here considering the time of year and the larger fish will be holding in the deepest pools. Redundant drifts while nymphing with, or without an Under- cator will get looks.  I like small birds nests, broken back/articulated midge patterns, or #20 flashback PT’s here for sub-surface attacks.

The Lower Owens has been very good for numbers with some very pleasant weather recently in the Owens Valley.  The LO is much lower in elevation than it’s cousin to the north, consequently it is about 30 days more evolved in aquatic emergences.  The blue winged olives are coming off consistently now with the first generations of these critters pretty large. I call them #15′s.  When the pop is on you can get grabs on just about anything that floats in the #14-18 range.  Keep your adults riding high and well dressed.  Lead your targets 3-5 feet upstream and remember this little phrase “Da  foam is home-don’t roam from da foam!”

Flows remain very low at 100 cfs below the dam at Pleasant Valley.  We are doing drift trips in the lower sections and having good success tugging streamers like Spruce-a-bu’s, Agent Orange, and olive Punk Perch with a light sinking tip line.  It is fun switching to dries as the BWO hatch comes off and adds diversity to the drift.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir and the Gorge have really picked up the last week as the level at PV has dropped and big numbers of planted and hold overs have migrated up into the transition area and river below the power house.  Dry/dropper bead head combos with a good ole tiger midge or Assassin birds nest as your nymphs will put the hurt on the pods feeding on the huge midge and BWO hatches coming off currently.  Tubers are also enjoying some good “catching” using the still water nymphing method with chironomid imitations along the drop-offs or trolling full sinking lines from the launch ramp to the inlet area with streamer patterns in the #8-12 range.

The Gorge is a fun place to fish this time of year and during the warmer days the surface action can be non- stop using #16-18 BWO or Adams patterns.  Access is good in the middle to lower sections, some ice up top.  You will find eager wild brown trout in the Gorge if you make your presentations from a downstream position to avoid spooking them.

The Upper Owens has been spotty, and the bigs are less in numbers than a few weeks ago.  We have had some great days here but had to cover a bunch of water to do so.  The snow is nearly gone.  The upper sections by Long Years are really tough to access by vehicle so it is quite a hoof to get up here.  The surface action really picked up nicely this week with the warming temps and I saw the first few blanket midge hatches come off with some active feeding in the softer water on clusters of the tiny midges.  We have been fishing dries for 2 hours a day this week!  The bigs are still best to fool while nymphing the deeper pools and slots.  Assassins, flashback PT’s, broken back midges, SJ worms and roe patterns are good choices.

Mr. Linkcredible showing off “JAWS” a beautiful male rainbow he caught on the Upper Owens.  Check out the choppers on this buck!

Joe Agostino nailed a couple Upper Owens “snow bows” for his first time in on the sleds with us.

Ralph Constanzo had an epic day on the Upper Owens hitting numerous bigs while nymphing, here’s #1

Ralph with #2

Numero tres!

George Tucker with a nice UO snow bow of his own

Big Ben Kauffman did well on the UO getting big numbers on dries and a few pigs like this while nymphing

Ronny “the giant” Peters with his first snow bow.

Joe-Joe with another of his bigs on the UO

Pro spin fisherman Manaby Saito came all the way from Kyoto Japan to get a shot at the Upper Owens snow bows.  Manaby could thread a needle with his casting skills and did very well using spinning gear and making a video for his TV show.  Arigato!

Scott Linkcredible had a great day nymphing the UO

His wife Chris ALWAYS gets the bigs!  She had an amazing run of these quality rainbows at the end of our day

Three in one hole!

Ya just gotta give it to her, she is good!

I love my job!!!

Big Ben crushed them on small midge adults while dry fly fishing the Upper Owens

Jeff Bordosky and Two Bug on the Upper Owens.  Jeff’s hands were too cold to do the hold!

Gilbert Rowe showing a fat East Walker brown

Back to back browns for Gil in the morning on the EW

Skip Barnes with a blimp of a brown he caught on the EW recently.  We used an Agent Orange and egg pattern combo to get the good ones to hit while nymphing

You guessed it, the Linkcredibles with a drift boat double

Chris with a nice Lower Owens rainbow caught on a Spruce-a-Bu streamer

EAGLE LAKE-spring trip 2013

We have some good dates left in June to book for this years spring trip to Eagle Lake.  For those of you who have not fished Eagle, it is the best public rainbow trout still water in the state with fish that average 2-3 lbs and are 18 inches in length. I have been guiding here for a decade and it is my favorite place to fish a still water.  Give us a call or click on the trips and programs link at the top of this page, scroll to waters we fish-then select Eagle Lake for dates and details.  Do Eagle, you won’t regret it!

Lower Owens rainbow in full bloom

Thank you for reading the report.  be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions February 6th 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

And the bigs just keep on coming on the Upper Owens!  “Killer bee” Jon Barnes with an awesome UO rainbow. The Upper Owens is the place to be for trophy rainbows on the fly.

The ice age appears to have ended and we are finally seeing some moderate temperatures returning to the Sierra.  Some additional snowfall is  forecast to hit the upper elevations with the Owens Valley receiving some much needed rain. 

The Upper Owens has been somewhat spotty for the large migratory rainbows that move out of Crowley during the winter months immediately after the severe cold.  We are seeing good numbers of medium sized rainbows that are feeding aggressively on the late morning midge emergence.  Have some #22 para-midges handy for this and look for soft water and foam filled eddies.  The frigid air that plagued this area is gone and the fish are getting far more active.  Access has improved; however I strongly suggest that you park along the sides of the main road and hike down to the river.  There is substantial ice and snow on the feeder roads and I have watched time and time again vehicles getting stuck and blocking others who are already in.  The ground is frozen in the mornings then thaws making the ruts a virtual tank trap.  The road to the forest service gate at Hot Creek is fine, the gate remains closed to the parking areas in the public section. Overall conditions on the East Walker have also improved, and although there remains snow and ice along the banks the river has warmed up and fishing the deeper pools is really good on the warmer days.  Look for a strong baetis hatch (blue winged olive mayflies) to begin in all the year around waters soon.  The Lower Owens has already seen some huge hatches of these #14-16 winter time mayflies.

East Walker from atop the “toilet bowl” 1-26-13

The most effective method for winter time fishing on the UO, Hot Creek, & East Walker River is without any doubt nymphing- with or without an indicator.  Fish will not move far to take a fly when it is cold and there is little food around so redundant drifts near the bottom using larger, more visible patterns that can trigger a hit more from aggression than hunger.  I like flashback bead heads, bird’s nest, SJ worms and egg imitations.  Streamers are also a very good choice to provoke a hit.  Stick to the deeper water along the cut banks allowing  the fly to “hover” or pause momentarily in an area of your presentation where you may believe a fish to be holding.

Two of the “killer bee’s” Bruce Beretta & Jon Barnes with Bruce’s impressive rainbow from the East Walker

Jon Barnes with a nice EW brown he caught on a new pattern I call the “bolt on’s” You’ll have to fish with us to find out what this one is!

Another member of the “killer Bee’s” Larry Bertolucci with another quality EW brown

Marco Beretta, another “killer Bee” hit this nice EW brown on a “bolt on” as well

Bruce with another nice one after the freezing fog lifted on the EW

Jon with yet another picture worthy brown from the EW

The Lower Owens continues to be the best location for numbers, and you will find much better weather here due to lower elevation.  Be prepared for low teens, even single digits at times-air temps come up above freezing most days.  Flows are very low and have dipped below 100cfs at the PV dam.  Nymphing and streamer fishing are the best methods currently.  Midges and smaller mayfly patterns fished in tandem on the deeper runs and pools will get results.  You will find warmer, and more consistent water temps the closer to the dam you fish.  Pleasant Valley Reservoir has dropped some, but remains on the high side for accessing the transition area near the inlet.  During the winter months the water will actually be warmer at the bottom of a lake as the depth provides insulation from the cold air.  The opposite occurs in the summer making tail water fisheries ideal habitats for trout.  “Freeze tubers” using full sinking type 5 lines will find fish at 20 feet near the launch ramp and dam area.  There have been times when the flows will come up in the small river leading into the res proper, and ice will be present floating here due to the flushing of the inlet pipe at the power house.

Drifting has been slower overall due to the cold weather but still productive for rainbows in the 12-16 inch range.  Streamers are best, the Agent Orange was the hot fly last week getting the sluggish rainbows to hit with repeated casts into the deeper pools, then allowing the fly to “hover” in front of their nose.

Talk about getting off on the right track! Ryan Deason’s first trout on the fly was this awesome brown, his pal Ryan Hambel doing net honors. Drifting the Lower Owens has been spotty recently.

Island Tak Cap’t Steve Kelley took a day off from the salt to do a drift with his pal Rick Kramer.  Cap’t Kelley did well!

Long time Drifter Rick Kramer with a nice Lower Owens rainbow

Steve with his first brown on the fly.

Writer and artist Dave Shannon presented me with this magnificent painting of “Jangles” the trout. Dave writes children’s books and has a fantastic new book out called  “Jangles A big fish story” that is incredible and a must read for children of all ages.

Dave Shannon is a pretty good stick as well!

Mike “Rad Man” Radford got this incredible trophy buck on the Upper Owens recently

Rad with another pig from the Upper Owens.  We have had a great winter up here for bigs using our snow mobiles to access the upper sections of the UO

Marco stung this gorgeous Upper Owens hen on the first warm day we have had all winter

Bruce showing off one of his bigs caught on a “bolt on”. Upper Owens rocks!

 Marco with another nice Upper Owens hen

Big man, big fish!  Larry did very well on the Upper Owens and East Walker Rivers with us

Good friends, great fishing, spectacular scenery.  How can you beat that?

This picture defines the Upper Owens during the winter.  Bruce Beretta tight to fish in a magical place

Eagle Lake dates are posted for June.  Days are going quick, check out availability by clicking on trips & programs-waters we fish-Eagle Lake at the top of any page on my website.

Thank you for reading the report.  Be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions Updated January 27th 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.

The Upper Owens continues to kick out trophy rainbows on the fly for those who make the effort to hike in.

Hope you all have a healthy and happy 2013 with plenty of opportunities to get out on the water, which we will have plenty of this spring by the way this winter is shaping up!  The snow pack continues to increase in the High Sierra as an endless string of cold arctic storms dump precipitation all the way down onto the valley floors.  The Owens Valley received several inches of snow along with some mighty cold temps, and the upper valleys including Long Valley and the Bridgeport regions picking up a couple feet of snow and sub-zero air temps in the morning hours.  The skiers and boarders are enjoying some fantastic conditions on Mammoth Mountain for sure.  Winter time fly fishing here is typically uncrowded and can be fantastic for those who are dressed accordingly and do not mind a little ice in the guides of your rods at times.  I suggest you wear rubber soled wading boots as they are superior to felts under icy conditions.  Pick up some chemical hand warmers and keep them in your outer shell pockets to warm up your hands in between spots, they really help.  When layering it is better to have numerous thin layers of clothing, as opposed to a couple heavy layers.  Don’t cut off circulation to your feet by using too many layers of socks, this is worse than not enough protection for sure.  Keeping your head warm is essential to stay comfortable in cold air temps and once again, use several thin layers on your hooding instead of one heavy mask.  The snow & ice along the river banks can be very unstable and undermined so be extra careful while walking along the edges.  I have seen it collapse as far as three feet from the waters edge.

You will need to pick up a 2013 sport fishing license.  I have a link to the DFG online license sales on the resources page of this website.  Have your old license handy, you will need the GO ID number to make it easy.

Eric Smith with a gorgeous snow bow he caught with us recently

Upper Owens

We have had some incredible days up here recently.  This may not be everyone’s cup of tea as you will be fishing in freezing conditions much of the time and hiking in snow can be difficult and tiring.  The side roads are not passable with a vehicle at this time, you will get stuck  if you attempt to drive in off the main access road.  The trails along the fence and river are well defined and packed down currently, this could change with new snow accumulation.  Nymphing with flashback PT’s, birds nest, crystal midges, SJ worms, & egg imitations will all get grabs with redundant drifts.  The takes are very light and the fish will not move far from their holds to hit a fly.  Keep your rigs on the bottom and have patience.  Just about the time you think there is nothing and you want to move; give it another 20 casts.  This persistence will pay off.  The fish are podded, not all the water you are accustomed to finding them in will hold fish during winter conditions.  90% of these migratory fish will hold in 5 % of the water- covering a bunch of water is essential to your success.  We take extra care in resuscitating when taking pictures of these awesome rainbows.  It is vital that you keep the gills COMPLETELY submerged while removing your flies and reviving these rainbows when air temps are below the freezing point.  Let the fish revive for a couple minutes prior to removing it from the water for a picture.  Keep their heads pointed into the current and out of the silt and ice.

Eric with another Upper Owens blimp

Eric did very well, wouldn’t you agree?

“Had a great day yesterday fishing!  Doug put me on some very nice fish and the upper Owens is just a really cool place to be!  What an incredible day!  Terribly cold….but we survived!  At one point we were talking about how nice it had gotten and I checked my phone and the temp was up to 7 degrees!  Great improvement from the -14 degree starting temp!  I have never tried fishing in below zero temperatures….I might have a sickness!  Doug worked his tail off like usual and it was another great trip!  I really appreciate the hard work and expertise that your guide service provides.  The bottom of my waders were so frozen I couldn’t get them off until I got to Bishop and they thawed out.”

Robin Johnson had a dream day as well on the Upper Owens.  This buck was magnificent.

Eat your heart out guys, this gal can fish!

“Thanks Tom for an awesome day on the Upper Owens.  An experience I will never forget!”

We have the war wagons ready to take you in to these incredible fish

Rob Goff crushed them, double digits on the bigs for him and John Descary

JD holding an Upper Owens humpback whale!

Robby with a torpedo from the UO.

“Great way to close out 2012, good friends and big fish!  Thanks to Two Bug Doug and Tom Loe for showing us the way.  Today was nothing short of epic!”

Sammy Aiello with a sweet Upper Owens snow bow.

I ain’t kidding when I say you had better be prepared for some wicked cold!  This is my weather station at Drifters HQ on McGee Creek near Mammoth Lakes CA.

Lower Owens River

When I get down to the OV it seems like the freak’n banana belt compared to the upper valley!  Flows remain very low (100cfs) and the fly fishing has become  spotty the last week due to the cooler air/water temps.  Gone are the big baetis hatches & I am only seeing  some small midges during the afternoons currently.  We got some snow here a few days back and it has melted for the most part so it is not a factor.  The access roads are fine along the river.  The drift boat trips are good and streamer fishing is the best way to fish the LO currently.  Numbers have been good but I must say the bigs are not showing here this December as in seasons past?  If you wish to wade the WT section use tandem nymph rigs with small olive crystal midges or #16-20  FB PT’s or birds nest patterns.  The deeper pools & softer pillow water are best locations to focus on.

Debra Deppe & my long time friend Lee Marfoglia with Debb’s first drift boat trout.  Not a bad starter fish ehhh?

Levi with an aerobatic Lower Owens rainbow

Our drift boats have heaters in them to keep you toasty on the colder days

Mikey Nicholson had a great day fishing the LO with streamers, way to drop it back Mike!

Hot Creek

The road past the forest service gate is now closed and you will find some substantial ice and snow for the hike down into the canyon.  Flows are very low right now and it has been slow on HC for a week.  It needs to warm up a bit and get some melting from Mammoth Creek to elevate the levels enough to get the fish out of just the deepest holes and submerge the weeds some so you can extend drifts.  FYI- Mammoth Creek is CLOSED to all fishing until the general trout opener at the end of April.  You can fish from the shore across from the confluence but you may not cross and fish the far bank.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir/the Gorge

It appears that the high water level will be a constant this winter.  We are still flooded into the trees.  The short river section below the power house has good numbers of rainbows right now and is fishing  well.  Dry/dropper bead head combos are best in my opinion.  I have a hard time trying to beat a dark tiger midge #18-16, or a dark Assassin birds nest right now suspended under a Stimulator or high vis para BWO #14-16.  “Freeze tubing” from the launch ramp towards the inlet can also be productive, however it is damn cold people and you need a full sinking #5 to get those flies down 15 feet quickly.  Streamers with red or orange built into them are good choices.

The Gorge has ice and snow along the canyon walls so be careful hiking down.  The further up you go, the more you will find.  Lower G is much better and has less snow.  Not much surface action so hit the deepest holes and plunge pools with a tungsten head midge or mayfly nymph imitation below a high riding well lubed dry as your indicator.

East Walker River

The flows have remained a tad over 30 cfs for a couple weeks.  This is a good thing for the trout this winter as even this small additional amount of water will greatly improve the habitat during the extreme cold that settles in during  January.  Thanks to the water district for doing this.  To put it in perspective, the Upper Owens has almost three times the amount of water flowing in it currently.  You will find significant snow and ice along the banks with the occasional “ice berg” floating down the river during the mornings.  Work the deepest pools only and remember to keep those gill plates well below the water after a battle and during the release.

“Gravy” Dave Watzke hooked some great fish and had this scene to look at while fly fishing the Upper Owens.

Thanks for reading the report, be the fly…Tom Loe, Sierra Drifters Guide Service

The post Fish’N Conditions January 1st, 2013 appeared first on Sierra Drifters Guide Service.