Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3813 June 7-21 2019 | Page 9

June 7 - 21, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 13 7 Catch & Release Fishing Reports Sponsored by Kiene’s Fly Shop 916-483-1222 • www.Kienesflyshop.com 9550 Micron Ave. Suite B • Sacramento, CA FLY FISHING REPORTS LITTLE TRUCKEE Elevated Flows Keep Anglers Away Flows have increased a little. There have been a few good reports lately but most fishermen are staying away due to high flows. That being said, some of the larger fish are taken when water is high. WEST WALKER Forget It Until Flows Drop This big American River shad grabbed a well- Water is still high and presented fly on May 18. muddy and though it may Photo courtesy of KIENE’S FLY SHOP, Sacramento. clear up over the next month. TRUCKEE RIVER Off Color, But Trout Still Hit When the flows drop and stabilize it will get plants by both the CDFW and Mono County. For those of you that fish the river between the town of Walker and Topaz Lake be aware that some flooding is expected. Flows rose a little this week but the river remains off color but fishable down to Glenshire Bridge. Below UPPER OWENS RIVER that it becomes chocolate. If you Mixed Results For Most do go, look for soft water near the The Troutfitter reports that fishing edges and strip or dead drift some streamers along the edges. A pink San Juan Worm is always good this time of the year in the clearer water as are golden Stone and midge patterns. A black Rubberlegs an entice fish in murky water. Brian Olney scored this muscular rainbow during a recent outing at Lake Crowley. Photo courtesy of SIERRA DRIFTERS GUIDE SERVICE, Bishop has been erratic depending which day you are there. Some days you can do no wrong and the others can be terrible. There are a lot of fish in the river however, and Jenny landed and released this impressive brown while fishing if you can find Lake Crowley on Mother’s Day. a spot that Photo courtesy of SIERRA DRIFTERS GUIDE SERVICE, Bisho hasn’t been hammered you probably will do well. Most of the HOT CREEK large spawning Crowley fish are back Consistent Action down in the lake. Baetis, Worms and midges will work when they are willing The Troutfitter reports that fishing to eat. is still good but flows are rising a little each day. Not a lot of hatch action this week but Midges are hatching in the morning with Baetis (BYOs) in the afternoon. A few CROWLEY LAKE Caddis are beginning to come off in Fish Move Into Shallow the mornings too. You are probably Water better off nymphing for the time being. Check road conditions either Not many reports this week from opening day other than there were a lot at the Troutfitter or at Rick’s before of fishermen on the lake. The Troutfitter you go into the gorge. in Mammoth Lakes reports that the fish are moving into shallower water (10’- 13’) and starting to get more concentrated although they’re still moving around so don’t be too patient. The perch are already moving towards the shallow water to spawn,9’to12’. The best areas seem to be the willow patch between Mcgee Bay and Sandy Point all the way up to Green Banks and out to Christmas Bay. The south end seems to be a lot slower but worth exploring. Most fly fishermen had some success with dropping a midge under an indicator. North end of the Andy caught this frisky shad during a late May fly lake is fishing best. Fly Fishing Destinations In Focus: The McCloud River T he McCloud River is arguably the holy water of California Fly Fishing. If anything, it is the mother of Rainbow Trout fishing around the world, as it was the eggs from its fish that were transported to many places in the world that had been previously barren of trout. For fly fishermen, the river can be split into two sections. The upper section above McCloud Lake, can be accessed from several roads that peel off from Hwy 89 that roughly parallel’s the river for several miles. There are several sections of great pocket water and a good population of wild Rainbows that are supplemented by hatchery fish during the summer. The Holy Water section of the river begins at its outflow from Lake McCloud and continues to Lake Shasta. The McCloud has strong hatches of Caddis, Mayfly, Stonefly and Midges. Probably the most looked forward to, is the October Caddis hatch each fall. The first major hatches in the spring (river opens the last Saturday in April) are March Browns and Golden Stoneflies Flies that hatch from May through June. There are some giant Salmon Flies too. If you are a California fly fisherman the McCloud is one of those rivers that needs to be on your bucket list. It’s contribution to the history of our sport makes it not only a special place but an opportunity for a very quality fishing experience. fishing expedition on the American River. Photo courtesy of KIENE’S FLY SHOP, Sacramento.