|
EASTERN SIERRA TAHOE AREA
Truckee River
Flows are pretty good right now. The fishing has
been fairly good for January and we have even
seen some fish rising to Baetis and Midges on
the surface on warmer afternoons. The water is
really clear and easy to wade right now. It is
important to take a little more stealthy
approach than normal. Nymphing with smaller
stoneflies, Baetis and Midge patterns in slower
deeper pools has also been effective. The water
is cold so fish slowly and do not be afraid to
make a few extra drifts in good looking spots.
The fish get a little lethargic this time of
year and will not move much to take a fly. Our
guides have had some really good days with
clients in town to ski and have ended up fishing
instead.
Look for the weather to change in the week to
come and it to look a lot more like winter in
the Truckee area. Access has not been a problem
on the river in a while but that could change
with storms forecasted soon. It may be a little
more important to fish further downstream going
forward in the lower elevations of Nevada on the
Truckee.
Little Truckee
Access has not been a problem so far
this winter. That could all change this week.
Storms forecasted for the next week or so should
close the road or at least make it tough even
with a 4 wheel drive.
Flows have been at 44 CFS for a while now. That
is not too bad for winter months. Normal winter
methods are the way to go right now. Small
nymphs and midges in sizes 18 to 20 fished in
slower water is a good way to start. If you see
fish rising when small dries are also an option.
5X to 7X is a must in this lower clear water.
TRUCKEE
River Fly Box:
Anderson's Crosswire BOP #14 Red, Green,
Copper
Fox Radical Caddis Green #14-18, Brown
#14-18
Anderson's BOP #12-16 Olive, #14-16 Tan,
#12 & 16 Brown
Oswalds Rock Roller #12
Anderson's BOP Emerger #14 Olive & Tan
Elk Hair Caddis #14-18 Brown, #12-18 Olive
Chocklett's Gummy Stone #6 Gold
Mercer's Biot Epoxy Golden Stone #10
Quigley's Hackle Stacker Golden Stone #10
Wilcox Minute Midge #24
Kingrey's Ice Nymph #20
Split Case PMD #20
Spotlight Emerger PMD #16, BWO #18, Trico #20
Oliverio's Evergreen Chrystal Emerger Sulfur #16, BWO #16
Christaen's GT Adult PMD #18, BWO #16, 18, 20, Trico #20
Jimmy Legs Brown #6
Fat Albert Tan #8
Galloup's Sex Dungeon #2
East Carson
No Re3port
|
|
EASTERN SIERRA (SOUTH OF LAKE TAHOE)
Dave Neal 760.924.0438
Neal2fish@qnet.com
www.reelmammothadventures.com
East Walker:
FLOWS EAST WALKER
FLOWS WEST WALKER
Reports have been really good on the California
side and pretty bad on the Nevada side. The main
reason is that as the stream comes out of
Bridgeport Reservoir where the water is warmer
and it has a tendency to cool as it goes down
stream into Nevada which is around 15 miles
downstream of the outflow. It can even ice over
and does often in the winter when the flows are
low.
The flows are 25 CFS coming out of the lake.
This is really low but common for this time of
year. There have been some really good reports
of fish being caught on a variety of small
nymphs and midges in sizes 18-20. Baetis nymphs
in Olive and black and any darker colored midge
pupa will do the trick. Getting a good dead
drift in the slower deeper water is the key.
Cover water slowly and make a few extra drifts.
Fish will not move much to eat so you have to
cover ground slowly.
Flows are 212 cfs.
Hot Creek:
Access remains
great and the flows are low, but much better
than usual due to the warmer weather and run-off
from Mammoth Creek. HC got hit pretty hard over
the holiday period but has since thinned out
quite a bit. Lots of people coming off the
slopes early to fish I reckon. #18-22 midge and
mayfly adults for the emergences late morning
and afternoon. Hang #18-22 patterns for nymphing
with or without an Under-cator. Dry dropper rigs
work well here in the winter to fish the
channels in the weeds. Fish will move into the
deeper pools when it gets cold in the morns so
don’t look for them in the short water early in
the day.
Upper Owens:
It has been
nothing short of spectacular and the best I have
ever seen since the year around opening began in
the section above the Benton Bridge. Conditions
have changed some this week and the consistent
catching of these migratory monsters out of
Crowley has slowed down quite a bit. The ice is
melting on Crowley for one reason, and there was
abnormal pressure put on this area over the
extended holiday period. The weather has been so
mild that many people are fishing this area due
to the great access and good fishing recently.
The best is yet to come here and February has
historically been the best month for bigs in
this area.
Water clarity has been poor due to recent
snowmelt, although flows remain very good. The
big surprise has been the great dry fly action
on the warmer high pressure days. Midge cluster
patterns, or parachute BWO’s and midge adults
with a small birds nest or pheasant tail bead
head nymphs as a dropper will get you many
opportunities on the warmer days. The small
browns are ravenous right now and have moved up
out of Crowley to feed. Hang egg and SJ worms in
the morns for the bigs, switch to flashback Pt’s
and birds nest for the afternoon bite when the
gravel warms up and the fish start to feed more
aggressively. You will also get grabs using
streamers along the cut banks. This method can
be very productive as you cover a lot of water
and are able to fish the long deep runs that are
difficult to fish with nymphs as you spook the
bigs before getting a good presentation.
Lower Owens:
It has been one of
the best winters in quite some time for overall
fish’n conditions on the LO. Very good numbers
on average with overall balmy weather for winter
have made this a memorable drift boat season for
sure.
Streamer fishing with moderate sinking tip lines
has been the best method to consistently take
fish while drifting; however nymphing with
tandem midge or mayfly imitations will also get
you into fish if you wade the upper sections
near the wild trout area. Flows have recently
doubled making access for wading a tad more
difficult; however at 200cfs they are by no
means high for this section of the river. Why
would the flows go up this time of year in what
is proving to be the driest in recent history?
Got me, the LADWP acts in mysterious ways. If
the flows remain at current releases we will
have an EPIC baetis hatch beginning in late
January/early February. This could be one of the
most productive springs ever seen- as fishing
pressure was very light last year due to blown
out flows early on through most of the fall..
Fly Patterns-
Nymphs: #20-24 Zebra midge in silver/black,
#20-22 bwo nymphs like Poxy Back Baetis, #20-22
olive Surface Emergers, #20 Barr’s bwo & pmd
Emergers, Micro Mayfly, Pheasant Tails, #16
Buckskin Caddis, #16-18 Mercer’s Biot Stone, #16
Yellow Sallie Stones.
Dries: #18 Hemmingway Caddis, dark bodied &
olive Elk Hair Caddis, #18 olive EC Caddis, bwo
dry fly patterns such as olive Comparadun,
parachutes, crippled bwo, etc. etc… also #12-14
yellow Stimulators and other Yellow Sallie
patterns.
OWENS RIVER GORGE
Still some very
active fish in this area feeding above and below
the surface. The conditions are great with no
ice or snow to hinder the hike in and the rock
hopping along the creek. Hard to beat a high
riding mayfly adult with a bead head crystal
tiger or olive zebra midge as a dropper here.
Very few fisherman here, mostly rock climbers.
DRIES: #18-#20s
Tricos- spinners/emergers #18-#22s.
NYMPHS: poxy back baetis, wd-40s, kyles super
flash p/t, beerhead baetis, Two Bit Hookers
STREAMERS: Wooley buggers and leeches(small)
San Joaquin:
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON
Recommended Flies:
Nymphs: San Juan Worm Red, Copper John Red #18,
Bead Head Prince Nymph #18, Stonefly Nymphs.
EASTERN SIERRA Fly Box:
Anderson's Crosswire BOP #14 Red, Green,
Copper
Fox Radical Caddis Green #14-18, Brown
#14-18
Anderson's BOP #12-16 Olive, #14-16 Tan,
#12 & 16 Brown
EC Caddis tan or olive #14 or 16
Anderson's BOP Emerger #14 Olive & Tan
Elk Hair Caddis #14-18 Brown, #12-18 Olive
Chocklett's Gummy Stone #6 Gold
Split Case PMD #20
Split Case BWO #20
Spotlight Emerger PMD #16, BWO #18, Trico #20
Oliverio's Evergreen Chrystal Emerger Sulfur #16,
BWO #16
Christaen's GT Adult PMD #18, BWO #16, 18, 20, Trico
#20
Jimmy Legs (brown/orange, 6)
Wier's Whopper
Galloup's Sex Dungeon #2
|
