Sierra drifters Lower Owens River video

[Fishing Report]

Drifting the Lower Owens-be the fly PART ONE



Drifting the Lower Owens be the fly PART TWO




Drifting the Lower Owens River be the fly PART THREE






Call Sierra Drifters at: (760) 935-4250
or email us at:
be-the-fly@sierradrifters.com
http://sierradrifters.com/

[Fishing Report]

Ken Anderson showing off his incredible rainbow with friend Mark Thomas admiring the big girl.
We are seeing "steelhead sized" rainbows on the Upper and Lower Owens in early December.

Upper and Lower Owens Rivers: updated December 6th 2011

Every season is a little different but the fall of 2011 will be one I shall remember for a while. Typically fishing begins to slow down on both the Upper and Lower O, however this fall it has done exactly the opposite. Both sections are fishing at their best right now and if you do not mind cold morning air temperatures, the fishing will warm you up as soon as you get into some of the trophy fish we have been seeing on a regular basis recently.

Flows have dropped to very low releases on the Lower O (105cfs) as of this report. There is a link above to the LADWP flows. Wading is gravy combined with the pleasant weather the Owens Valley has been experiencing. I see a fair amount of BWO mayfly adults and midges emerging daily so don’t put that dry shake or desiccant away just yet. Nymphing with smaller birds nest or pheasant tail patterns are good choices, as well as some #16-22 crystal midge patterns, or broken back flies like the dark zebra or tiger.

The guided drift trips have been excellent and a most pleasant surprise with consistent bigs showing on most drifts since the flows crashed in early December. Moderately weighted sinking tip lines used in conjunction with the "dip and strip" technique have been producing good numbers and the large rainbows shown on this report. I have been using my Spruce-A- Bu pattern for most of the day, with a change late afternoon at times to a Loeberg. Both flies are taking the bigs consistently in the deeper secluded pools.

Mark Thomas got a nice bow as well this day with Ken doing the net honors this time.
The two had forty to net they caught and released on 12-5-11 while drifting with me.

Drifting is the best way to reach the bigs that hold in the more secluded sections of the Lower Owens.

John Cooley’s son Pat is almost buried by the huge shoulders on this awesome
resident cutt-bow he caught recently while drifting with me. Friend Andy Turner
scored big numbers this day as well.
"Thank you Tom. We all had a great time...especially Pat.
And, of course, the fish-of-a-lifetime
was incredible. I couldn't have landed it without your
coaching and your skill with a net...We'll be back...John"

Scott "big fish" Harrington fooled this gorgeous hen on the Upper Owens
with me on 12-4-11. Nice one Scotty, tis good to be king ehhh?

The Upper Owens despite some very cold morning temps is still kicking out some great rainbows in the year around section above the Benton Bridge all the way to Longyears. Access to the area is very good and the roads are clear as of 12-7-11. We have been primarily nymphing this area using my Assassin birds nest, FB PT’s, floating orange egg imitations, and broken back midges. You can get into these trophies by fishing streamers as well using a light sinking tip and positioning well upstream of your target water. Some fish are holding in the tail outs of the deeper runs and hiding under the cut banks and in the shadows. Approach like you are "hunting Whabbits" and you will get a better shot at hooking one of these behemoths.

PLEASE BE EXTRA CAREFUL HANDLING THE FISH IN FREEZING TEMPS AND SPEND EXTRA TIME RESUCITATING AFTER THE RELEASE ESPECIALLY IF YOU TAKE A PICTURE.

Talk about a "dream day"! Dave Ackerman had to be pinched and convinced he was not dreaming
after I netted a handful of twenty plus pigs on 12-4-11 for him. Way to be the fly Dave!!!

Dave with another….

And another….

And another…All caught on Assassin tandem nymph rigs, or with an egg as the dropper.
Not a dream Davey, see you for some "snow bows" pal!

Pleasant Valley Reservoir:

Good things happening here as the flows have crashed and the powerhouse is no longer flooding the inlet section to the reservoir proper. Hit the slower moving inlet area using a dry/dropper bead head combo. Crystal tigers and zebras, broken back midges, birds nest and pheasant tails # 16-20 are money right now. Some big browns and rainbows are also showing up here in addition to the numbers. The mayfly hatch goes off around noon give or take- depending on the morning lows each day. Have some Adams or BWO adults and a few para-midges for the emergences. Look for "pods" feeding in the suds or foam lines to position in a productive area from the service road above to save time before descending into the river channel. Tubing is also good form the launch ramp to the inlet. Full sinking lines and streamers in the #8-12 range are best. Stay along the drop-offs opposite the road side for more consistent action.

Hot Creek:

It has been good for those who like fishing the tiny Trico mayfly hatch. Not everyone’s cup o’ tea as these little critters are #20-24 and are difficult to see and keep drag off during a drift. Nymphing with micro mayflies and small midges have also been good in the deeper channels and pools. Attractors like SJ worms and eggs also get their share for the staged up fish. When flows are at winter time rates it can be tough to get extended accurate drifts over and around the protruding weed beds. If we get some warmer weather flows come up some on Mammoth Creek and this makes conditions better. Hot Creek is not well known for its streamer fishing but I assure you it can be excellent in the right piece of water especially this time of year. Don’t show up with a type 5 or heavy sink tip and expect to get anything but the bottom. Have a slime line, or midge tip and you can do pretty good particularly if the water gets off color and comes up some.

The Gorge:

Every time I fish here after an extended absence I always tell myself that I need to come back more often. It requires some effort -the wild browns are not going to bend hooks out or anything; however they are all wild and as pretty as you will ever see. They aggressively take dries all year and you can have multiple hook ups in any pool that has three feet of water or more. Accurate, upstream casts are mandatory with a four weight rod or less. They are not especially choosey-use caddis, mayfly or attractor patterns #14-18, bead head nymphs in the #16-20 range will be fine.

East Walker:

If you have a serious Jones for the EW I suggest you look at the Nevada section until the flows come up over 50cfs. Tributary Sweetwater Creek adds more water to the EW on the old Rosachi Ranch section and I have found NV to fish much better than the Cal section under these conditions. Add to the fact that it is lower in elevation, hence warmer and with far less snow as a rule and you have a better experience during the winter. Bridgeport Reservoir is once again filling, and pretty quickly according to owner Jeffery at Bridgeport Marina (local sheep enthusiast as well) so I expect flows to come up some if we keep getting early snow. This may really bring on some great winter opportunities depending on an extended warm period after the fronts.

We worked out a deal with Santa and can provide custom gift certificates
for friends and loved ones this holiday season. Contact us for details.

I have several USED SAGE Z-AXIS 590-4 rods and GALVAN T-5 reels for sale. These rigs are being sold separately or as a balanced package. They would make a terrific X-mas or birthday gift and come with full manufacturer’s warranties at greatly reduced prices. I have two seasons on these rigs and they are in very good condition. The reels come with a used floating line and backing in good condition.
Contact me for pricing and details please.
Call Sierra Drifters at: (760) 935-4250
or email us at:
be-the-fly@sierradrifters.com
http://sierradrifters.com/