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Want that million bucks? |
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Monday, 03 September 2007 |
By Kent Rianda
 Kalie, 12, and mom, Laura, on the upper Owens, guided by Eric HeinPHOTOS COURTESY THE TROUTFITTER/TROUT FLY
Try finding spots that are inaccessible to shore fishermen because of terrain or brush and target those areas in 3-6 feet of water depth. From a boat or float tube, cast almost to the shore with lures and flies and start moving them as soon as soon as they hit the water, retrieving them with an erratic motion from the shallows out to deeper water. If you are fishing with bait from the shore, try casting parallel to the shore to access the same secluded spots.
In the evening, when you see fish rolling on the surface, try fishing with a fly rod and indicator, or a spinning rod with a bubble, and suspend any very “buggy” looking fly about two feet below the surface. Cruising fish, especially recent arrivals, quickly figure out that if it looks like a bug, it tastes good, and you will do much better with a fly that looks like what they eat all day than with a worm or synthetic baits, which they don’t recognize at all. The Troutfitter, or any of the other great shops in town, can help you pick out some flies to try. So, go get 'em!
Now, let's get busy with the recommendations from the 15 Trout Fly and Troutfitter guides on the water daily.
For the fly fishermen...
Mammoth Lakes Basin: Try #10 Hale Bopp Leech in Black or Olive, #10 Pops Bugger Black or Olive, #10 Crystal Bugger Purple or Olive, #10 Doc's Twin Lake special in Olive or Brown and #14 Matuka with a #14 Prince Nymph, #16 F/B Pheasant Tail, or #16 Copper John in Red or Green as the trailer.
Hot Creek: The water is getting pretty low, which is making for some challenging fishing for most. Try a #18 Micro Caddis Larva or #20 WD-40. Caddis Pupa Patterns are working well such as Nori's Caddis pupa and LaFontanes Sparkle pupa in small sizes #18-22. Tiny midges are consistent throughout the day. Try small WD40s and glass bead midges in sizes #22-26.A size #16 stimulator with a trailer should produce. In the evening, Elk Hair Caddis and Parachute Caddis in dark colors work well on top (#18 to #22),try trailing it with a para caddis emerger.
San Joaquin River: Medium sized dry flys and small wet flies (nymphs) should work the best. Zug Bug, Princes, Copper Johns and Pheasant Tails as a dropper below a Silverman's Crystal Stimulator, Orange or Olive. If those don't produce, try Micro Mayflies and AP Nymphs in small sizes #18-20. Lighting Bugs in Various colors are a good bet at this time of year sizes #18-20. In the evening when the browns are sipping voraciously go to attractor patterns like Royal Wulffs, Humpies, Light Cahills, Parachute Adams and the like in #12-18.
Crowley Lake: The big fish are finally getting on the Perch fry in McGee and the north end in abig way. Stillwater Hare and Punk Perch, size 12, will produce, but try smaller trailers as well if they are getting choosy. For midging, anything gray to silver with a little green flash seems to be the ticket in size 16 and 18. Also try hanging fry imitations early before the light gets too high.
Upper Owens River: In the morning, try #16 Copper John in Green or Black, #16 Zug Bug, #16 Lightening Bug in Black or Silver, #18 Tiger Midge or #16 Buckskin Caddis. Big Trico hatch in the morning around 8-10 a.m. Check out Organza Spinners and Trico Emergers in sizes #18-22. For Dries try #12-16 Stimi's, #10-14 Hoppers, #10-16 Madam X, #12-16 Parachute Hopper and #14-16 Elk Hair Caddis.
East Walker River: Flows are low and water temps very high, making for low oxygen content in the water. We are not recommending fishing, but if you must, fish early and late and take extra time to revive fish.
For the Bait and lure anglers...
Crowley Lake: The fish are really starting to spread out and attack the perch fry. Try Thomas Buoyant in in Gold/Red or Perch, Rapala CD-3 in Gold or Perch, 3/16 Krocodile in Gold and Jake's Spin-A-Lure in Gold with Red Dots, and Trout Trap 6-12 feet under a clear bobber and just barley twitch the bobber. Trawlers should be fishing in 15-30 feet of water off of life Guard or Pelican Point with Rapala CD-3 through 5 in Rainbow Trout or Perch, Needlefish in Silver or Gold, Tazmanian Devils in Fire Tiger or Orange, and 1/4 ounce Kastmasters in Silver with Red tape or Gold. Remember, only single hooks pinch your barbs down so you don’t get “pinched.”
Bridgeport Reservoir: Note: We mistakenly reported the marina was closed last week. The regular launch ramp is closed, but they still can launch boats, and the marina and tackle shop are open for business as usual. Talk to Jeffery for the inside scoop on where those big “Res” browns are hiding!
The cooler nights have dropped the water temps a little, and the lake fishing much better. Fish outside Buckeye Bay in 8-15 feet of water or right off Rocky Point in 10-20 feet of water. Also try right outside marina along weed lines, good spot for tubers. The best baits have been Berkley Gulp in Rainbow Candy or Orange Pulp, Power Bait in Salmon Peach and Night Crawlers. If you want to toss lures try a CD-5 or CD-3 Rapala in Orange Back or Perch, 1/4 ounce Kastmasters in Silver with Orange or Silver with Red tape and Cyclones in Gold or Perch. Power worms fished with a water bubble can be deadly here at times. Lots of perch fry swimming around so throw lures that imitate small wounded fry, and Mr. Brown could come give you a pleasant surprise.
Rush Creek: The flows are getting lower weekly. Salmon Eggs and Garden Worm are been working great for people drifeeting bait. For lures try 1/16 ounce Panther Martin in Black with Red Dots, 1/16 ounce Rooster Tail in Green or Red, CD-1 Rapala's in Gold and Super Dupers in Gold/Red.
Mammoth Lakes Basin: Mamie and George continue to be the hot spots. Try Berkley Gulp Eggs in Chartreuse or Orange, Berkley Power Trout Worms in Orange or Pink with a couple split shot 2-3 feet above a split shot and Berkley Gulp in Orange Pulp or Rainbow Candy. For lures try 1/4 ounce Thomas Buoyant in Frog or Silver/Blue, 1/8 ounce Rooster Tail in Yellow or Green, Thunderbolt in Gold and CD-3 Rapala in Gold or Fire Tiger. Trawlers getting down 5 to 8 colors with Flat Fish and Tazmanian Devils are pulling up good numbers of big brown and rainbow trout. For the last hour of the day try a fly and bubble set up.
Convict Lake: You want to be fishing by the inlet or the southwest side of Convict. Try Berkley Gulp in Chunky Chartreuse or Orange Pulp, Berkley Gulp Eggs in Red or Pink. For Lures try 1/4 ounce Cyclones in Silver/Blue or Rainbow Trout, 1/4 ounce Kastmasters in Gold or Silver Tape and CD3 or 5 Rapala's in Rainbow Trout. Give a try with a Berkley Trout Worms with a split shot rig.
June Lake: Gull and Grant have been the hot spot for the last few days. Focus on drop offs, inlets and deep bays. Berkley Gulp Eggs in Orange or Chartreuse and Berkley Gulp dough in Rainbow Candy or Chunky Chartreuse. Try using a 3" Pink or Orange Berkley Trout Worm with a split shot 2-3 feet above the worm, and drag or wiggle the worm along the bottom. For Throwing lures, try 1/4 ounce Kastmaster in Gold Tape or Silver/Blue, CD-3 Rapala's in Gold and Silver, 1/4 ounce Phoebe in Sliver or Gold and 1/4 ounce Panther Martin in Yellow with Red Dots. Don't forget about the Trout Traps when you're out in a boat.
For more in-depth information or the latest report on places not mentioned here, go to thetroutfitter.com (bait and lure), thetroutfly.com (fly fishing) or come by the Troutfitter in the Shellmart Center at the first stoplight in town.
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 14 years, probably more than any person alive. His primary guiding interest is teaching.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 September 2007 )
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