As I mentioned in my last post I'm back home for good in Mammoth Lakes. The local trout have been put on notice...
(Image: Another fine sunny day fishing on the Trinity River, Lenny Stahl putting on a clinic of catching...More steelie season wrap-up photos at the bottom of the page)
It's been a great week of decompression! I'm enjoying being home with my lovely wife, daughter and pup again. We have passed time skiing on Mammoth Mountain, watching movies and playing high stakes games of Uno and Go Fish!
Me and Buster ventured into the local hills in search of upland birds this week - the illusive ones with orange feet and black eye bands, and the little ones with the black plume on their heads...
Buster did a much better job finding them than I did in dropping them!!
As for local fishing...
I get really excited about our local fishing once we get into February!! The days grow longer and spring arrives early to the Owens Valley...
While you CAN have good fishing November - January locally, it's hard for me to get too excited about 1 pound trout when we've been steelhead fishing everyday since November 1st in Northern CA pursuing 5-10 pound anadromous rockets...
In between breaks from steelhead fishing - it's also a nice change of pace to chase upland birds and pursue waterfowl for the rest of the season. It will be a long summer break from hunting so you gotta get it while you can... and that time is now, late January!!
Here is what will be happening over the next few months... and why you should get excited, too...
- Crowley Lake has thawed out! The lake has been mostly ice free for quite sometime due to the warmer and dryer winter season. Years when the lake thaws early, the fish get a longer growing season. Each week that goes by these fish gain weight!!!! The lake opens April 28, 2012.
- Now that Crowley Lake has thawed, the daily average water temps in the Gorge and Lower Owens will slowly increase... this is a major catalyst in kicking starting the spring bwo and caddis hatches. (Currently the flows are 250cfs in Lower O - I'll get excited when these flows drop back under 200cfs for this time of year. Once the water temps reach mid 50's later in springtime it wont matter the flows - the fish will be a lot more active!!!)
- Access to Hot Creek and Upper Owens is pretty easy. There is not a lot of snow to negotiate. Personally I like the "tougher access" as it keeps all but the die-hards away and thins the crowds... we'll have to see what Mother Nature has in store for the rest of the winter. I'm thinking we're in for some more snow? Early season bwo hatches are beginning to pop on these two fine spring fed streams!!!
- If you are planning a ski/snowboard & fly fishing trip to the Mammoth Lakes region there is good news! Mammoth Mountain has received a few feet of snow. Its not "off-piste" friendly just yet... but the groomer skiing has been fantastic this week. A skiing/fishing trip would definitely be worth it right now!!
- Daily "winter season" airline flights continue into Mammoth/Yosemite Airport from several major airports: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana, Van Nuys and San Diego... Catch one and lets go catch some fish! Check here for flight info.
My February - April program consists mainly of drift boat trips on the Lower Owens River and walk & wade fishing the Gorge, Lower Owens, Upper Owens, Hot Creek and East Walker River (when flows are appropriate)
Currently, I have these dates available in February: 1-17, 23, 25-29
Please join me for a late winter/early spring fly fishing adventure in the Eastern Sierra! Call (760) 914-0465 mobile, Email Neal2fish@qnet.com
Lastly, I want to send out a huge THANKS to all my clients & friends who visited and fished steelhead with me this winter on the Trinity River!!
With your support and a little help from Ma Nature in providing a VERY GOOD run of fish this season... it was the best season for me in the years I have guided up there. Cheers to all of you and hope to see a few new faces next season.
Here are a few more pictures of steelhead fishing I pulled off the camera:
(Images: Rick Davis roped big wild buck, buddy Aaron Grabiel gets his game on (finally), Mark McCoy stuck many fine steelhead this day and a big brown ta boot, Travis and his 1st SH on the fly)
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