Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Best fishes to
all for the 2010 general trout season which opens on 4-24.
I look back many seasons ago while I was still very
much engaged in commercial fishing for broadbill swordfish to the
excitement I felt this time of year. Not only was I anticipating
installing the sword plank and harpoon gear for the upcoming season on the
Pacific, I was preparing for the annual migration to the Sierra on opening
day of trout season. It had become a tradition to arrive the day prior to
opener and scout out several pieces of water that I would potentially fish
as soon as it became light.
Over hydrating with the scouting team the evening
prior to opener could sometimes lead to a delayed and severely
disorganized start, or complications with our eyesight (being cross eyed
at 4 am is not conducive for tying on miniscule midge patterns!)
I would go through the motions each and every year
pragmatically applying my professional fishing knowledge and science
factoring in all the observations discovered during my recon mission.
Inevitably, I would always end up in the same section of the Upper Owens
River (if I told you, I’d have to kill ya) that I had fished for many
years. There is no doubt; we are truly creatures of habit my friends.
Arriving hours before daybreak with my rods rigged
and fly boxes full of the winter’s latest and greatest visions made from
stolen clippings of my grandmothers fur coat, hair from my golden
retrievers stern feathers, and high quality silk (from a source that I
will take the fifth amendment on at this time thank you.) I would await
the gray of daybreak impatiently freezing my ass off and neurotically
preparing by repeatedly moving my strike indicator up or down a few
inches, or changing a streamer pattern several times before the first
casts of the new season.
Although distant memories, those days are etched
deeply in my mind and the excitement of the first casts to untouched water
is always the biggest rush for any fisherman. I hope you all have the
opportunity to experience the opening days of the 2010 trout season. Be
the fly friends.
East Walker River:
open year around with special regulations
John G. "Old School Nymphing" gets him Double Chocolate
Delights with SD Guide T-Loe...
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Bill E....Persistence & technique pays off for Bill's
Trophy Brown...
"Thanks for all your hard work on Saturday. Thanks for not only taking us
there, but for sharing your knowledge of the place. I ran into the group
of guys that were fishing below us and they didn’t catch a fish. I talked
you up big and once they saw the pic’s of the fish we caught. The boys and
I had a great time as always and we are already talking about getting back
up there with you. Talk to you soon."
We have had some great days here recently. Flows are
trending upward but remain very good considering the amount of snow in
this drainage. There is a link to the EW flows towards the top of this
page.
The hot ticket here is a large red or brown larva
pattern #10-16 or San Juan Worm as an upper fly with a bead head flashback
PT, hares ear, or broken back zebra as your dropper #18-20. Streamers
have also been fooling some fish in the deeper pools. The miracle mile
has been very crowded for spring break but seems to be holding up well for
the pressure it has received. With the increase in flows I suggest you
work the sections below the first bridge. Although fish counts are lower
here you will have more open water and should end up with a better overall
score due to the lack of pressure.
Triple Thick Brownies for Davey D....and Dad, Joe goes
Bendo...
Pops (82 years young) & still schooling the Browns!...
Franko's Glitter Bow putting on a show...
Hot Creek:
open year around with special regulations
You can drive to the seasonal gate above the ranch as
of 4-14. The crick has been
consistently very good and the flows have been near perfect allowing
extended drifts in the weed channels. Nymphing with PT’s in the #18-20
range, midges #20-22. The baetis hatch is still the main attraction
mid-day. #18 BWO patterns fished with a 10 foot 5-6X leader work well
enough.
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Harold M on Hot Creek. Never caught a fish on a fly rod
before this...
"I thought
I would take a few minutes to report what a great time I had last Friday
with Doug R. I learned more than I thought possible. The fishing was super
as were Doug's instructions. When I forgot what to do, like mending, or
was looking at the line when I had a strike, Doug would calmly refocus my
attention. My wife, Julie, thinks I'm hooked for life. I thinks she is
right. Thanks so much. Sincerely, Harold M"
Don G. with his gorgeous Brown while
fishing with Two Bug Doug...
Beauties...OK the fish too!!!... Mary T. and Katherine H.
while fishing with Two Bug Doug...
"On behalf of the four of us, we would
like to thank you for such a great trip. You really made our 2 days on the
water special and the fishing was great. Your timeliness, attention to
detail, and your patience is exactly why we will be using you again. You
provided great company as well as taught us a lot of good information.
Look forward to seeing you soon and I will be making sure all my fishing
buddies purchase your indicators. Those are by far the best indicators I
have ever used. All the best for a great season and thanks once again for
a truly fantastic experience on the water. Ken T."
Upper Owens River:
open year around with special
regulations and area restrictions.
Numbers here continue to be disappointing. The
spring rainbow migration is running very late due to the extended amount
of sheet ice on Crowley Lake, and cooler than normal water temps. This is
also the case in all of Crowley’s tribs this spring. The good news is
that they are for the most part size large, and we should have a great May
if the UO does not flood early on. Hit the soft water and larger pools
while nymphing or running a streamer through them. Midge patterns and
flashback PT’s #16-20 are good as the lower fly in a tandem rig. Use a
San Juan Worm, larger PT, hares ear, or #16 broken back midges as the
upper.
THE SECTION FROM THE BENTON BRIDGE DOWNSTREAM TO THE
FISHING MONUMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE CLOSED UNTIL 5-29. YOU MAY FISH
DOWNSTREAM FROM THE MONUMENT TO CROWLEY BEGINNING 4-24.
Lower Owens River:
At flows above 300 cfs this time of year wading
around the wild trout section sucks. Flows are still high and as of 4-14
are a little over 400cfs. Drift boat trips have been poor due to high
flows and a lack of planted fish this spring. There is link to the DWP
flows towards the top of this page.
Mike “Scoop” Moreno from Creston
CA. has tamed the largest drift boat beast in several seasons while being
guided by T. Loe on the Lower Owens River. The fish measured 27.5 inches
and was caught on one of Loe’s Spruce-a-bu’s. Punctuating the
accomplishment was the fact that flows were at 600cfs (nearly flood stage)
when he and fishing buddy Dana Olivares from Templeton CA. landed the
great rainbow. Way to go Scoop!
SD Guide T-Loe &
Don S. with his Drift Boat Money Fish!
Click here
To View Our "Be-The-Fly" Drift Boat Videos!
Get here early to fish the river section near the
inlet; it can be very good before power generation occurs. Dry/dropper
bead head combos are killer. It has been starting up around 9-9:30am
recently, but don’t bank on this please. Bring your tube along and after
the freak’n water starts rising go to the rez proper and fish the
transition with streamers. The fish migrate towards the flow and you can
have some fun fishing the scum lines along both shores.
This is my favorite time of year to fish here. The
brush is still on the skinny side and the fish are pretty much ravenous if
you get into the more secluded sections. Fifty fish days are obtainable
if you can accurately cast 30 feet using a dry dropper bead head rig. You
will also have excellent opportunities to fish mayfly and caddis adults
#16-18 during the afternoon here. Upstream presentations are necessary
for consistent results. Suck em’ up short-move or cast progressively
towards the pools head every other cast.
We will be here for opener and this place will be
awesome this spring. Get your dates early. May will be excellent. We
sight fish from a drift boat and have exclusive rights to guide this
famous wild brown trout fishery. Click on the Adobe Ranch tab at the top
of the site for more info.
NWS forecasters are saying that we will have a cooler
and unstable weather pattern remaining through most of April this season.
We are a few weeks behind this season. It will
be a “contracted” opening period due to the extended winter and low snow levels.
You will have moderate snow and ice in locations
above 7500 feet, with locations above 8,000 feet having heavy snow and
thick ice that will remain well into May and early June this season.
Lower elevation freestone creeks will be in great shape early on but will
get blown out as soon as we get a sustained warming. The Lower Owens is
high however look for it to back off substantially as soon as the snow
begins melting in the southern Sierra. I have been told the East
Walker should be very fishable with regards to flows through the opener . West Walker is great
currently and if it remains cool will be a good choice early on this
season. Lower Rock Creek will be in good shape as will Bishop Creek.
Crowley tribs are sparse of spawners as of 4-15.
McGee Creek runs 20 feet from my porch and I have observed little spawning activity up to now. It will ERUPT very soon and when we get a
sustained warming trend you will see a major migration of rainbows and
cutts after the opener.
Crowley has substantial ice in the middle of
the lake and dam area as of 4-15, but it should dissipate by opener. Bridgeport
Rez was ice fee on 4-12 and is nearly full, docks are floating (Jeffery is not!).
Water temps at both these locations will be cooler than normal. ZERO
chironomid activity in either location. Fish deep with larva
patterns. The usual opener alpine locations have ice as of 4-14 but may open
up at the buzzer so call your destination before you drive up. Have a
great season.
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