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Hatch Report for Eastern Sierra, California Trout Fly Fishing Guide
Pat Jaeger based out of Bishop and Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes Fly-Fishing Guide |
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Hatch Report
Pat
Jaeger Fly-Fishing Guide
Availability Calendar
My availability calendar has been a fantastic asset to my web-site. This allows anyone to see if my availability coincides with their vacation. This page is up-to-date and part of my booking procedure.
• My booked days are indicated in RED and open Days indicated in GRAY.
• If you would like to book a day; CALL, TEXT or E-MAIL.
• I will make the date or dates yours, my wife or I will contact you with confirmation.
• And please go back into calendar and confirm dates.
*If I am not available on your vacation days, I would be happy to hand pick one of my fellow guides to fill my wading boot
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A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Can you say “cat’s meow”? It’s been a long time since I fished a fly rod that I had to have for my own personal quiver. It’s the new death stick for 2012, nymphing rod ESN (European style Nymphing) built by Sage. They hit the mark with the crispness and its unique ability to be quick on the strike. This ten foot rod is not a cumbersome club, which has been my number one complaint before the ESN. This will be absolutely deadly when we fish Czech style this spring when the water warms up.
Sad but true I got stuck fishing this rod during a Mayfly hatch last week. I striped the indy and put on a dryfly and it truly cast like a dream…even though I don’t...so it is versatile.
I have demo rods to try the next couple months (until Jamie Lyle,Sage rep pulls them out of my sweaty hands) to complement my nymphing classes. I would be more than happy to let you test drive, but it might turn out to be an expensive drive, it was for me.
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Lower Owens River blog
May 10th water flows ramped up to 350cfs a couple days ago. Had a guide trip yesterday with 3 guys that have never fished with flys. We did very well, the fish were on the grab....................May 5th 2012 water flows just went up to 300cfs, these flows are very fishable. Mostly nymph fishing, this is the real deal if you like to get down and dirty. The day temps have been in the 80's just like fishing in Mammoth in July .......... 4-24-12.....Resent water flows on the Lower Owens is 280cfs.Three months ago I would have said the flows are too high. But the water temps were 42 degrees, turbulence and cold water make for hard fishing days. Currently, water temps are in the 50’s and the days are nice and long now making 280cfs perfect. The bug hatches are the same but not in mass as we saw the last two months. Midge, Caddis, Mayfly and Stoneflies, everything is in a smaller size except the Stones. And we can expect to see PMD’s any day now. You can anticipate to fish with nymphs but it’s time to get rid of the indicators and fish tight line............................................. March 24th ..The projected forecast for water flows on the Lower Owens is; 3/25-150 cfs, 3/26-175cfs and 3/27-200cfs. This information is directly from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, this information is subject to change by the time I hit SEND. The fishing has been as good as it gets….the Caddis hatches have been so thick that you literally need to smile with your mouth closed. The fish have put on weight with this 12 (maybe more) hour a day grind. Mixed in to these hatches we’ve seen; massive midge and strong BWO hatches, depending of the day and the section of water were fishing.
I don’t know if they plan to hold at 200cfs, which would be incredible…..we will see................................................................
March 16 ...For the last few days we have been fishing the dry fly for eight hours straight to raising trout. The Caddis hatch is GOING OFF. Do yourself a favor and call in sick to work...................March 1st 2012 from driftboats to walk-in-wade the flows and fishing are sweet as they get...Maggie and B had to hit it last Sunday afternoon, two to hand---WATER WARS I’m glad I have a strong heart. The reports of raising the water flows have been raising my blood pressure.
In the last three weeks, I’ve been getting up-dates from my DWP connection that the water flow below Pleasant Valley Reservoir (Lower Owens) is going WAY-UP. But every up-date gets cancelled because of a complication ranging from troubles from siphons to power plants. The latest up-date was no change in flows for the next two weeks. But, remember, this could change 5 minutes ago.
One note that you might not know: Crowley Lake is really full with last year’s water. So the writing’s on the wall; it has to go up sooner or later. But later is better, longer days, warmer water, the river will fish good with turbulent flows better than now with late-winter water temperatures.
The fishing has been a blast from P.V. Dam down to Big Pine. Mostly Mayfly and Midge hatches, but, depending on the section you’re fishing, Caddis are starting to make their presence. Last week the fish were climbing all over the BWO Duns but the last few trips they seemed to key on the swimming emergers, so the swing has been d’thing. took me a while to figure out d thang—so changed it so folks wouldn’t think it was a typo. Again, everything really depends on the section of river you’re hunting trout on.
With all the threats of water flows, myself and another guide, Kevin Peterson, have been getting our homework done and spending time scouting other waters in case of Lower O’s flows get crazy. We have been pleasantly surprised how good the Upper Owens fished and the Owens Gorge. And, if all goes bad, Hot Creek is a great back-up plan, but I prefer to fish that later in spring...................................................
Feb 9th 2012My boots at still wet with Lower Owens water, from a scouting trip on the lower sections of the river. The water is in excellent shape, the water flows are at 175 cubic feet per second (cfs) out of Pleasant Valley Reservoir. The DWP web site reports 255 cfs, but the electronics fell out of calibration, giving us the reading from the last day it worked (two weeks ago).
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Hot Creek Blog thanks to Kevin Peterson HCR
Open for year round fishing...April 2012 conditions and Hatches:The 2012 season has begun with unusually nice weather for an opening weekend. Fishing was really good on Saturday and Sunday with a few Midges around in the early morning and a good Baetis hatch from around 11 am to 3 pm. The fish started rising around noon and fed until about 2. Some people did well with a size 16 Stimulator and others did ok with Beatles and Chernobyl ants. The Midge patterns that worked best were the Griffith's Gnat and the Sprout Midge both in size 24. The best Baetis patterns were the Para BWO, Para Adams, Para extended body BWO, Baetis sprout and the Last chance cripple. There are a gillion fish in the creek and this promises to be another fabulous season at Hot Creek Ranch!
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Crowley lake
blog written by Crowley King Kent Rianda....May 2012 Water Conditions:
The lake is very high but DWP has opened the valve so it will be going down.
Mild spring has resulted in higher water temps, like 50-52 on the bottom and active fish. (was 40F last year this time)
Water is crystal clear.
Fishing Conditions and Hatches:
Good
Fish are spread out as usual as no weeds yet. Sandy usually produces first weeds and first good concentration of fish. Mickey popped a couple good ones there the other day.
Also try in front of all tribs as spawners stage in the lake before going up hill.
Midge hatches are strong and even some Calibaetis showing up already.
Mix of sizes on fish based on the multiple plantings last season. Lots of 15-16 fish about 1-2 inches larger than normal due to no ice and chironomid hatches all winter. Everything being caught is healthy and strong.
These guys will be 18+ by the end of the season. Should be epic.
Recommended Flies:
Dries: Not enough Calibaetis to bother.
Nymphs: Dubbed head Gray/Black and Olive Optimidges in #16 and #18, Small Shaft Emerger, Blood worms early to greet fish stuck to bottom.
Streamers: Nothing stands out patterwise, just be sure and get it down to bottom and strip slowly.
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Upper Owens River 2012
open for year-round fishing...blog in thanks to The Troutfly.............May 5th 2012 Water Conditions: Good to Fair
As of 5/4 the flows are up to 126cfs.
Water is very dirty.
Road is open all the way up.
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Fishing Conditions and Hatches:
Fair
Water is brown. Mostly due to runoff and grazing. Try down closer to the mouth or above the Hot Creek confluence.
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East Walker River Blog 2011
Troutfly Report... May 10 , flows are down to 80 cfs................May 1st.2012 water flows 105 cfsMostly nymphing, but there are still some sporadic hatches going off. Keep your eyes on the water, and switch to dries when appropriate.
Keep changing your flies! Don't fish the same pattern for more than a dozen or so drifts. Trial and error is one of the best ways to catch more fish.
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The San Joaquin River
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON
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McCloud, Upper Sacramento and Pit River Trip June of 2011
The Magic of the McCloud River
Experience fishing one of California’s finest trout waters
Intermediate to Advanced Anglers*
In the spring of 1995, I served an internship in Northern California under Dick Galland and the guides of the Clearwater House on Hat Creek. During this Ivy-League education in guiding, I fell in love with the waters of the area and vowed never to go long without spending time on them. One of these waters is the McCloud River – a 6-hour drive plus a bumpy, 30-minute, dirt road away from Mammoth Lakes. This river starts as a spring-fed creek, then dumps into the McCloud Reservoir. We fish the milky cobalt blue tailwater out of McCloud Dam, its source ancient glaciers high atop Mount Shasta. The river’s edge is surrounded by old growth pine giants that have seen hundreds of years of Native Americans, pioneers, and fishermen.
My daily goals are to teach the art of fishing a river. You might think of it as of to draw a parallel between being an accomplished golfer and accomplished angler; the drive, the approach and the putt are essential to having a complete game. I will teach classic puff-ball rigging and techniques for fishing the big, deep, slower pools that the Mac is famous for (the drive.) Then, shorten up our system to fish the tail-outs and deep structure (the approach shot.) Then, lose the indicator all together and hit the fast water (the putt.) That’s where I teach my spin on Czech nymphing or Northern California tight line high sticking. After dinner we ditch the spit-shot all together and hunt fish until dark using the dry fly. Generally, we fish with four or five wt. fly rods with floating lines. The bug hatches you can expect this time of year are Pale Morning Duns, Pale Evening Duns, Green Drakes, Caddis and Giant Salmonfly.
We camp streamside and enjoy the feeling of being in the middle of the land that time forgot (but with flushing toilets.) Our mornings begin with coffee at 8 am as we discuss the complexities of the day- whether to fish up river or down. We usually fish water about a stone’s throw from camp, or travel by car 15 minutes to the McCloud Nature Conservancy, where only ten anglers are allowed to fish per day.
If camping isn’t your bag, then the charming little city of Mount Shasta is only 45 minutes away, offering excellent accommodations and restaurants. If you’re traveling light, I recommend a flight to Redding and a one hour drive by rental car to Shasta City.
I am also permitted to guide the Upper Sacramento and the Pit River, all in striking distance from the Mac.
Available dates: June 20-July 1
FULL DAY ONE OR TWO ANGLERS - $ 400.00
ADD EXTRA ANGLERS - $ 125.00 per person
HALF DAY ONE OR TWO ANGLERS - $ 300.00
ADD EXTRA ANGLERS - $ 75.00 per person
*I recommend that anglers have good wading skills and some type of camping background for this trip.
I welcome you to bring your own gear and favorite flies, but our trips include any gear and flies you will need for the day.
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