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Fishing season is off and running |
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Thursday, 01 May 2008 |
By Kent Rianda
 Bishop locals Harry Van De Stroet and Steve Krufal display a couple of nice opening day Rainbows.PHOTOS COURTESY TROUT FLY/TROUTFITTER
The boat inspections for the Quagga and Tiger mussels for those boats headed for Crowley Lake went amazingly smoothly in Bishop and at the Fish Camp. Hats off to the LADWP folks for a well-organized, well-staffed inspection program that could have been a nightmare considering how many boats show up in a 48-hour period.
Those of you who followed my advice last week and used a thermometer to help find the fish on the lake found the water temperatures were very cold, like 42-44°F everywhere. The hot spots — no pun intended — turned out to be in the shallow water areas on the west side of the lake that warmed up through the day and which also made for a late “bite.”
The anglers who took to the streams were greeted by excellent fishing. The reports coming back from the upper Owens: “Everybody caught fish!” including some bigger fish starting to move up from the lake for the spawn. That was also the case for the smaller Crowley tributaries like McGee, Hilton and Crooked Creeks, which are still running very clear prior to the big runoffs expected as we move into summer.
Our big snow pack left from this winter should keep the stream flows and the lake levels up through the summer and well into the fall, so all predictions are for a great fishing season.
Here are the recommendations of the Trout Fly and Troutfitter guides for some local waters.
For the Fly fishermen . . .
Hot Creek: NYMPHS - _#18 Miracle Midge, #18-20 Black Beauty Midge, #18 Midgling Emerger, #18 T/B Micro May, #18 Copper John in Copper or Black,#18-20 Trina’s Present Tail, #18 RS2 Emerger, #18 Olive or Green Caddis Pupa. #14-18 scuds and #12-16 stonefly, _DRY FLIES - _For dries try a#14-16 Stimi, #20-22 Hi-Vis BWO, #20 Hatch Master Baetis, #20-24 Griffith's Gnat, #20-24 Brook's Sprout Midge in Olive or Black and #20 Parasol Midge Emerger in Black.
Crowley Lake: Blood worms before the bite gets going and anything very realistic with 6X tippet in the very clear water. Gray and black or olive dubbed head Optimidges, light green Gillies in sizes 18 are doing the best. Slow strip or troll olive Wooly Buggers right on the bottom. They won't chase much in the cold water, but will grab it if pulled right in front of their nose.
Upper Owens River: NYMPHS - #16 Copper John in Green or Copper, #16 WD-40 in Black or Olive, #14 F/B Pheasant Tail, #16 Barr’s BWO Emerger, #16 prince nymph, #20 Disco Midges in Green and #14-16 Birds Nest in Olive or Tan. DRY FLIES - _#10-18 Stimi's, #10-16Royal Wulff, #14 Parachute Adam's, #14 Royal Coachman, #16 Elk hair caddis and #18-20 Profile Baetis. STREAMERS - #6-10 Wooly buggers in dark colors, #8-16 Olive Matukas and #6 Olive Zonker.
Owens River Gorge: Try #16-18 Parachute Caddis in Brown, #16 Elk Hair Caddis, #16 Parachute Adams, #16 Stimi and #16-18 Humpy. For the dropper use a #18-20 Prince Nymph, #18-20 Zebra Midge, #16-20 Caddis Pupa in Tan, or a #18-20 Zug Bug. If you stick with these bugs you should have good success.
Lower Owens River: NYMPHS- _#14-16 Prince Nymph, #18-20 Pheasant Tail, #18-20 Copper John in Green, #18 Wonder Baetis , #18-20 Barr's BWO Emerger, #18-22 Biot Midge and # 16-18 Bubble Back Caddis in Green or Tan. _-DRIES- _#16-18 Elk hair caddis #18-24 Parachute Adams, #18-20 Last Chance BWO, #18-20 Comparadun BWO, #18-20 Brooks Sprout Baetis and #18-22 Griffith's Gnat.
East Walker River: NYMPHS - _#12-18 Hares Ear, #18 Frostbite Chironomidae, #18-16 Micro May, #16-20 Soft Hackle PT, #16-18 Surface Emerger, #18 Kyle’s Super Flash PT, #16-20 WD-40 in Olive or Black, #14-18 Prince Nymph # 14-18 Serendipity's and #18-20 Tiger Midges _DRY FLY'S - _#16-18 Parachute Adams, #12-16 Madam X, #18-20 Ext Body BWO, #18-20 BWO Sprout and #16 Parachute Caddis.
For the bait and lure fishermen . . .
Crowley Lake: There have been a lot of fish being caught from Sandy Point to McGee Bay in 11-15 feet of water. Berkley Gulp in Chunky Cheese, Zeke's Sierra Gold in Yellow and Night Crawlers have done the trick. Thomas Buoyant in Red Dot Frog or Perch have been working well for people throwing lures. Trollers should be fishing as close to the bottom as they can get in less than ten feet of water with Rapala CD-3 thru 7 in Gold or Perch, and the Tui Chub version of the Arctic Fox lures.
June Lake Loop: Try using a 3" Berkley Trout Worm 4-6 feet under a bobber. For Throwing lures try 1/6 ounce Thomas Buoyant in Watermelon or Fire Tiger, or a 1/4 ounce Panther Martin in Black w/ Yellow Dots.
Convict Lake: Shore fishermen have done well with Berkley Gulp in Rainbow Candy or Orange Pulp or good ol’ Night Crawlers. For Lures try 1/8 ounce Kastmaster in Silver or Silver/Blue and Jake's Spin-A-Lure in Silver w/ Red Dots.
Upper Owens River: Don’t forget only single barbless hooks and no bait. Try 1/8 ounce Kastmasters in Silver/Orange or Cutthroat or 1/8 ounce Thomas Buoyant in Gold or Frog. Also try drifting glo bugs under a bubble.
Kent Rianda is an owner and guide for the Trout Fly and Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes. He spends 5-6 days a week guiding and fishing on his favorite spot, Crowley Lake. He has fished more than 2,000 days on Crowley during the last 16 years, probably more than any person alive. His primary guiding interest is teaching.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 09 May 2008 )
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