Belated Trip…Bishop, CA Fall 2022

This is the trip I took with Michael, Ally, Nick and HERO up to Bishop, CA in the Eastern Sierra over Veteran’s Day Weekend , November 2022. Friday was overcast and cold. Saturday was perfect and sunny. Sunday an arctic blast froze all of us off fishing and the Lower Owens River….

Upon arrival, a visit to Mahogany Smoked Meats for for some sandwiches and goodies to take up to Intake II…as we drove up the mountain, the snow began to appear on both sides of the road. We did not expect this so early in November. A preview of the record Winter of 2022-2023…

A frozen intake II above Bishop…

It was very cold…

We stayed long enough to eat and then headed down the mountain  to fish the canal East of Bishop…

One can see the Eastside of Bishop from the canal…it holds Trout and Bass year round…

Michael rigging up to fish a nymph…

Michael works a nymph while HERO and Ally watch from across the canal…

Looking South on the canal…

Some other folks appeared while HERO and Ally keep a watchful eye on everyone. No one was catching any fish with fly or spinning gear…

HERO and Ally switched sides…

Looks like productive water but nope…the water temperature was 43 degrees…

The guys moved over to the Lower Owens river…

Michael working hard for a Trout…

Sure is a pretty sunset…

Indeed…

Michael and Nick had a Jones for some Mexican food so we went to this joint and sat outside where it was freezing and the overhead heaters were of no avail…

Ally laughing at me while she enjoys a margarita…

Michael and Ally deciding on what to order…

Mmmmm…this was gooooood…I had to sit in the car to warm up while those guys finished desert…

The next morning ( Saturday ) we headed out for the Lower Owns below Pleasant Valley Res.

Our first stop was at this gate … there were tow other vehicles parked there. It had been awhile since I have visited the Lower Owens. Back in the day, one could driver up to the river’s edge, but too many fires caused by morons who don’t follow simple DWP rules, ended all of that easy access…

We started here:

The flows were just about perfect ( 150cfs.)…

Nice view of the Sierra while rigging up…

Michael is ready to catch a Trout using a small Baetis nymph pattern…Later, this pattern was very productive…

Barker’s Baetis…

These are some of the bugs present, in the bio-mass, at that time…

Michael brings a little Brown to hand…

Some dark water where I would toss a small streamer in the past…

Michael nymphing result…

My “Green Stick” in the tules…

Nick scores with his (Ahem) spinning gear…

Michael looking for a rise on the far bank while HERO watches…

PT, Ally and HERO with a great backdrop…

Ally and Nick trying an upriver bend….

Michael with another resident…

…and another…

…nice water and view…

HERO intently waiting for Michael to catch a Trout…

The gang in the meadow…Michael, PT, Ally, Nick and HERO…this was my last fly fishing outing with HERO…

This is where used leader material goes. It does not speak well for CA fishermen…

Sunset …

Whiskey Creek in Bishop for a Caesar Salad…

…and a really good steak…

I have been a customer at Eastside Sports in Bishop since Michael got his first boots here…

I always find something I can use…

 

NEXT:I will think of something…

 

 

PT/TB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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DOWN THE ROAD…to L.A.

The following three posts will cover the trip that Ally, Nick, Hero & I took back to the environs of Southern California for the 2018 Christmas Holidays. Some of the photos in this family travelogue were lifted from Ally, Michael and Nadia…I only took a few photos over the duration ( 1600+)…This post features  our two day trek down to Los Angeles…

Nick packing up the rental vehicle so the kids don’t have to put wear and tear on their own rides…

Ally takes the first shift driving until dark. We left at about 11AM …Ally needed burger fuel…

Snow in the pastures as we headed South towards Lewiston, ID…

Coming down the grade into Lewiston, ID where the Clearwater River become the Snake River…

Lewiston, off to the right looking South…

Gas stop in the flatlands of Idaho, on Hwy. 95…

Canyon country South of Lewiston, ID…

Canyon driving with the white stuff…

Coming down a steep grade into Whitebird, ID…

Along the Salmon River…

Riggins, ID…Jet boat and rafting town…

Downhill towards Boise, ID…

A rough estimate of location…

Chilly out there…

Sunset near Marsing, ID…

A long stretch of road through Oregon and down to Winnemucca, NV where we finally got some food…Chihuahua’s | Grill & Cantina…

Up at 6AM…

Heading West in Nevada…

Walker Lake, near Hawthorne, NV…

Getting close, California is that second range of mountains in the background !!!

Ally takes Hero for a pit stop…right at the state line…

Back in the high life again…

That looks familiar…the High Sierra, Lower Owens River to the right…just outside Bishop, CA…

After gas…the place to stock up on treats for the family…Mahogany Smoked Meats, Bishop, CA…

Fill ‘er up…Paiute Palace, Bishop, CA…

Ally’s happy now !!!

Late afternoon in Lone Pine, CA…where it all started and a lot of good memories…

Cinder Cone and Fossil Falls…heading South on 395…

Red Rock Canyon State Park at sunset…Santa Clarita, CA …

Hwy. 14…lots of friends and memories here…

Unloading in Burbank, CA and waiting for Lil’ Moo, Greg and Nadia…

Dinner with the guys …where else…Bob’s Big Boy…

 

 

Next: L.A., Big Moo in the Upper Desert, PT & Family in the Lower Desert and around town…what do we eat next ???

 

 

PT/TB

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BISHOP, CA … with Ally, Hero and Nick…

Ally asked me to come with her, Hero and Nick, up to Bishop for a weekend of fishing Nov. 3-5…and, “Oh yeah Dad, bring some soft hackles and Seal Buggers !”… 🙂

Red Hill (cinder cone) at Little Lake, CA signaling the entry into the Owens Valley and Eastern Sierras on Hwy. 395…North

Mt. Whitney from the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center in Lone Pine, CA

The center offers campfire permits, maps, information and some very interesting reading material. I have been coming here since the early 80’s when the building was to the right of this location and a lot smaller…

…more

and more…

So, when we arrived in Bishop, Nick and Ally went to pick out a primitive campsite for their stay. I went to the Vagabond Inn because they have nice soft beds, heat,  a shower and TV so I could watch the Miami / Va. Tech game on Saturday night…

After I checked in, we headed up to North Lake above Bishop to try out some soft hackles…it was cold and windy…Ally watches Nick fishing…

The leaves were almost gone from most of the trees in the area…

Nick caught a couple of small-ish Browns…

…on this soft hackle pattern which has been my top producer in the high elevation lakes in the Easter Sierras over the past three years…

With the wind starting to blow a lot harder, we decided to take a jaunt down the mountain and visit the Lower Owens River below 5 Bridges an area I haven’t been to in quite awhile because of the drought here in California…I knew the flows were too high for wading and fly fishing (541cfs. that day)…

This photo was taken in 2002…

This is the same spot in 2017…The spot was filled with brush and there had been a die-off of the trees on the opposite bank…

I used to drive my rig in here and park on the left next to the extended tree branch…There is now a deep gully between where I am standing, taking this photo and Ally and Hero near the bank of the Owens…

… in fact, just to the right of where Ally is standing , this large tree once stood. It is gone…

…Nick and I standing where brush did not exist a few years ago…

I used to park just under the branch that extends off the right of this tree in the past…

 

This is looking upstream from that spot…The entire area on the near side of the bank is completely overgrown…

This is another location, just upstream of where I used to park my vehicle…looking towards the White Mountains…

…and back towards the Sierras at sunset…

I have taken a lot of nice Trout out of the bend section just upriver…

This run is very deep at this spot…and shallows out to riffle water just below the trees in the distance…

I took this Brown out of there  when the flows were much lower awhile back…

I will return when the flows decrease…

Saturday morning, it was off to Schat’s Bakery before going up to Pleasant Valley Reservoir…

Trudging along the Owens River where it runs just above PVR…it is a great place to fly fish when the flows are lower…

This is the spot we chose to toss our flies…

Ally, Hero and Beer-O…

Looking South…Some folks next to us took a few small Rainbows on PB, Mice Tails and Inflatable Worms…for us – nada…

…so we trudged back to the vehicle…

…and decided to go back up the mountain and try Intake II on Bishop Creek…

…a small Brownie on a PP&P…and I am wearing gloves because it is cold and very windy…

…a view of a portion of Intake II…

…another Brown…we stayed for about two hours until our hands and fingers did not work anymore. Nick and Ally decided to also get a room at the Vagabond Inn because of the wind and cold…

Something unusual from the doorway of my motel room… at sunset…

This place had been closed for a number of years and had recently reopened…

…back in the day their food was probably among the best served in Bishop…they need to come up to that standard again…

Sunday morning at Jack’s Waffle Shop…

Ally…

back at Intake II…

I found a sweet spot in the center of the pond ,over a weed bed and caught about 25 small Browns and one Rainbow in two hours…using the PP&P…

Finny Rainbow…

Hero keeps an eye out for Nick’s catches…

…of which there were quite a few…

Around mid-day we packed up and headed back to LA…stopping at a few sand traps around Lone Pine to toss some flies…Here at Georges Creek…

and Lone Pine Creek…

Reverse side of Red Hill and out of the Owens Valley…

 

NEXT: Back to the Firehole and Madison Rivers in Yellowstone National Park

 

 

PT/TB 

 

 

 

 

 

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FALL Owens Gourmet Gambit…Ten Midges / Two BWO’s…

So…Fall, my favorite time of year. What follows with be a smattering of patterns, small and large (in the following post), for use in the Eastern Sierras and primarily – the Lower Owens River. These guys would work almost anywhere in the West and maybe some other places as well… Life intruded a bit on my completing all of the recipes and additional information – it does that, sometimes…

MIDGES & 2 BWO’s – Fall 2015…

PAL (Midge) – Keeler/Variant…

HOOK: TMC 2488, #18-#20

THREAD: Tiemco 16/0, Olive

RIB: UTC wire, x-sm, Black

THORAX: Ice Dub, UV Tan

BEAD: Hi-Lite Glass Bead, Blue Peacock, x-sm

This pattern is an Adrian Keller design. I featured, but did not tie it, about six years ago. Finally…done…

Materials PAL (MIDGE)…

PAL (MIDGEs)…

Lower Owens River, Wild Trout section…Bishop, CA…with what is needed soon…

PARA-MIDGE EMERGER,Cream – Willmott-Sanchez/Variant…

HOOK: Daiichi 1167, #20 (and smaller when they make them)

THREAD: Under Abdomen – Tiemco 16/0, White / Thorax forward – Tiemco 16/0, Black

ABDOMEN: Emergence Dubbing, #.11 Cream – Nature’s Spirit

RIB: Krystal Flash, Medium Brown

WING: Hi-Vis, White

HACKLE: Whiting Grizzly Midge

The PME was developed by long time guides Gary Willmott and Scott Sanchez on the upper Snake River.. It was originally tied on a TMC 101 hook. The abdomen on this pattern is meant to hang below the surface film so use floatant only on the hackle and wing. I tied this is cream because this Midge color is predominant on the Lower Owens and East Walker Rivers…

Materials PARA-MIDGE EMERGER -Cream …

PARA-MIDGE EMERGER(s) – Cream…

UV2 RC MIDGE – Gold, Freeman/Variant …

HOOK: Daiichi 1130, #18 – #20

THREAD: UnderAbdomen – Tiemco 16/0, White / Thorax forward – Tiemco 16/0, Black

OVER ABDOMEN: Micro Floss, Gold – Cascade Crest

RIB: Brown Micro Tubing

THORAX: UV2 Dyed Peacock Eye, Black

Another Paul Freeman variant of a pattern for the San Juan River ( link to Paul below). I always use white tread as a base under floss bodies. A little trick I learned a while back  – it adds to the translucency of a floss abdomen which is particularly important for Midge Larva or Pupa…

Materials UV2 RC MIDGE…

UV2 RC MIDGE(s)…

UV2 MIDGE EMERGER, Black – Iwamasa/Variant …

HOOK: Daiichi 1110, #18 – #22

THREAD: Tiemco 16/0, Black

SHUCK: Natural Mallard feather section, curved side up – (I spread a little thinned Dave’s Flexament on it)

WING: White Poly Yarn

ABDOMEN: UV2 Fine & Dry, Black

HACKLE: Whiting Grizzly Midge – 1 1/2 turns

This is an interesting Ken Iwamasa pattern that he uses on the Frying Pan River in the video linked to under his name. I have caught one or two Trout in that section over the years. His take on the shuck imitation is, well… provocative…

Materials UV2 MIDGE EMERGER, Black – Iwamasa/Variant…

UV2 MIDGE EMERGER(s), Black…

MIRACLE MIDGE, Brown …

HOOK: Daiichi 1130, #18 – #22

THREAD: Abdomen – Tiemco 16/0, Brown / Head – Tiemco 16/0, Black

RIB: Lagartun x-fine, Copper wire – * coat fly with Hard As Hull for durability

It does not get much simpler than this Midge Larva. I have taken some of my largest Trout on this type of pattern over the past several years and I keep a stock of them in different colors for me and my tribe to use…

Materials MIRACLE MIDGE, Brown …

MIRACLE MIDGE(s), Brown…#18 & #20…

CRUMPLED MIDGE time on the Lower Owens River, Bishop, CA…

CRUMPLED MIDGE, Cream – Engle/Variant …

HOOK: Daiichi 1110, #18 – #22

THREAD: Under Abdomen – Tiemco 16/0, White /Thorax forward- Tiemco 16/0, Black

OVER ABDOMEN: Cream, Black, Olive, Brown, etc. Micro Tubing (it’s hollow, it floats)

WING: Medallion Sheeting, Dun

A variation on an older Ed Engle pattern that is meant for sippers in flat water on cold, overcast, snowy days. Here be a few of those on the Lower Owens River…checkout some of Ed’s other small patterns on the link above…

CRUMPLED MIDGE, Olive – Engle/Variant – Daiichi 1110, #18 – #22…

CRUMPLED MIDGE, Black – Engle/Variant – Daiichi 1110, #18 – #22…

Materials CRUMPLED MIDGE…

A flock of CRUMPLED MIDGES…

A good time and place to use the pattern below…Michael says so…

COQ’d OPAL MIDGE, Blue/Lavender…

HOOK: Umpqua JB01 Hook, #16

THREAD: Tiemco 16/0, Black

WEIGHT: .010 Lead Wire

RIB: UTC Gunmetal Blue wire, x-sm

OVER ABDOMEN: (of working black thread) 1/100″ Opal Micro Flashabou

WING: Coq De Leon, Barred Speckled Aconchado

THORAX: Ice Dub UV Lavender

HOT SPOT: Datum Glo-Brite Floss, #.15, Fl. Purple

BEAD: Black Tungsten, 2,4mm

Another attractor Midge type pattern in flashy colors. I like these on particularly cold days and fish them with the expectation that there will soon be a nice Trout attached to it…usually happens…

Materials COQ’d OPAL MIDGE…

The HOOK…

COQ’d OPAL MIDGE(s)…

UV2 OWENS BAETIS CRIPPLE – Matthews/Variant …

HOOK: TMC 2488, #16 – #18

THREAD: Abdomen, Lagartun 74 Denier, Olive / Thorax forward – Tiemco 16/0, Olive

SHUCK: Sparkle Emerger Yarn, Olive Brown

ABDOMEN: Lagartun 74 Denier, Olive Thread

WING: EP – Trigger Point Int’l Fibers , BWO (Dun)

THORAX: UV2 Dyed Peacock Eye, Purple – Spirit River

HACKLE: Whiting Midge, Dun

A variation on THIS Craig Matthews pattern for the BWO/Baetis Fall hatch on the Lower Owens River…I like Enrico’s Trigger Point Int’l fibers of small patterns and it comes in an array of insect colors…

Materials UV2 OWENS BAETIS CRIPPLE…

UV2 OWENS BAETIS CRIPPLE(s)…#16 & #18…

UV2 PURPLE MYSTIC MIDGE PUPA …

HOOK: Gamakatsu C12-B, #18 – #20

THREAD: Tiemco 16/0, White – Under abdomen / Tiemco16/0, Black – Thorax forward

SHUCK: 1 strand Opal Midge Flash

OVER ABDOMEN: Purple Micro Tubing

WINGLETS: 1 strand Krystal Flash UV Purple, doubled back, for one each side

THORAX: UV2 Dyed Peacock Eye, Black – Spirit River

BEAD: X-sm Diamond Bead – Killer Caddis

A Midge Pupa in Purple for AM or PM low light and overcast conditions…

Materials UV2 PURPLE MYSTIC MIDGE PUPA…

UV2 PURPLE MYSTIC MIDGE PUPAE…

COPPER HOLOSHIMMER N’ ICE MIDGE LARVAE – Freeman/Variant …

HOOK: Daiichi 1130, #18 – #24

THREAD: Tiemco 16/0, Black

RIB: Black Ice Thread

ABDOMEN:  Lt. Copper Holoshimmer – Coat completed fly with Hard As Hull for  durability

This is a simple Midge Larva pattern that is a variation on a Paul Freeman pattern. Notice on the link to Sulky Holoshimmer, the amount of different available colors. Do not be adverse to trying ALL of them out…it makes a great ribbing material too for smaller patterns !

Materials COPPER HOLOSHIMMER N’ ICE MIDGE LARVAE…

COPPER HOLOSHIMMER N’ ICE MIDGE LARVAE…

Fall… on the Lower Owens River…

HS / UV2 BAETIS JIG – Gray/Olive…

HOOK: Umpqua (Hanak) C400BL #16, Dohiku HDJ Jig Hook, #18 – #20

THREAD:Tiemco 16/0, Olive

TAIL: Lemon Wood Duck fibers

ABDOMEN: Gray Micro Tubing over working thread

HACKLE: #3 Dun Hen neck feather

THORAX: 80% Micro Fine dub., BWO Gray Olive / 20% UV2 Dubbing Enhancer, Dark

HOT SPOT: Veevus 14/0, FL. Orange thread

BEAD: Copper Slotted Tungsten, size to hook

A bit of an attractor BWO nymph pattern that sinks like a rock. I fish these upstream then let them swing upwards through the drift…

Materials  HS / UV2 BAETIS JIG – Gray/Olive…

HS / UV2 BAETIS JIG(s) – Gray/Olive…

FLASH JUJU – Charlie Craven…

HOOK:  TMC 2488, #18 – #22

THREAD: Tiemco 16/0 , White – Under Abdomen / Tiemco 16/0, Black – Thorax forward

ABDOMEN: Two strands of Olive Superhair, 1 strand Black Superhair

THORAX: 1 strand 1/100″ Micro Opal Flashabou over Black thread

WING CASE/BUDS: Dun Fluoro Fiber

Charlie Craven new addition to the JuJu series. This one is not up on the Flybox site yet. Some of his other JuJu patterns may be found HERE. They have been very productive for me where large populations of Midges are found…

Materials FLASH JUJU…

FLASH JUJU(s)…

NEXT: More patterns for the Lower Owens River through Winter

PT/TB

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NORTH LAKE II…Bugger Bonkers…

So Ally and Nick have gone “Bugger Bonkers” and returned to North Lake and  Lower Lamarck Lake over the Labor Day weekend to toss more flies at the Trout…Here are their experiences…

Ally and Hero…on the road again…

...there’s the volcano at Little Lake again…

Ally & Hero…meditating at Lower Lamarck Lake…

Lower Lamarck Lake…

Typical Brookie from non-planted lakes in the Eastern Sierras…they do not get real big…

A soft hackle that works well for Brook Trout and Rainbows in the Eastern Sierras…

…another typical Brookie brought to net…

…an Olive Matuku, another pattern that works well in lakes and in the Owens River, Upper and Lower…

…one of a bunch of Rainbows they caught…most were in the 10″-12″ range…and they were released…

…a wide shot of Lower Lamarck Lake…

…Nick, rigging a different pattern…

…Hero in the picture…

…a Brown Trout in North Lake, that hung around for five minutes and scoffed at Ally and Nick…

Yup…mention North Lake and Ally is there…

“The” Dubbing…

“The” result…

Smoke from the still burning Rough Fire and clouds drifting over the Eastern Sierras near Tinemaha Reservoir, South of Big Pine, CA…

NEXT: Me and Michael have put my trip back East on hold… until Spring. So, there will be a batch of patterns for Fall in the Eastern Sierras…now, let it rain…

PT/TB

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PT and the GANG…Lakin’ the Sierras…2015

What a trip ! Michael flew out from NYC for some time in the Eastern Sierras with me, his sister Ally and HERO the DOG…Oh… and Nick too! This is where we went…and what we experienced…

Bridegport, CA and surrounding area…

One knows they are well out of Los Angeles when arriving at Red Rock Canyon, on both sides of Hwy. 14, outside of Mojave, CA…

…and this would be Little Lake, CA…

The volcano, at the entrance to the Owens Valley and Fossil Falls, just to the right and foreground of the mound…Me and the kids have spent a lot of time wandering around that cinder cone, looking’ for stuff…

On this trip, Michael and I did not make the usual climb up to the portal at Mt. Whitney, so we let Ally, Nick and Hero do that for us on their trip up to meet us three days later…

This is Eastside Sports in Bishop, CA. I make a point of frequenting this shop every time we hit the Sierras…never know what I might find and then need. These are the hats that Michael was going through for his wife Aimee…

Wait !…Michael got one for himself and me to keep the sun off of the back of our necks while fishing the lakes…

One just does not go through Bishop without stopping at Mahogany Smoked Meats…It’s more important than Sierra Trout Magnet (The Fly Shop), across the street (sorry David !)…

Then the quest to pick up some of these...the MOST RIGHTEOUS peppers on the planet…normally, MSM’s carries these but they were (horrors!) out of stock and nobody else had them in Bishop either…that, required a quick phone call to Ally to implement plan “B” and she picked them up at a shop in Lone Pine on the way up. F.Y.I. these are going to be difficult to get for the next year because of a crop failure on the other side of the Sierras during the growing season…

Mono Lake, about 35 miles South of Bridgeport, CA where road repairs required us to wait, while only one lane of traffic was open at a time…This is where brine shrimp are cultivated for use as fish food in aquariums. At one time, an interesting group of native Americans, known as the “fly eaters” dwelt on this lake’s Eastern shore. It is too salty to support any fish populations…

I get to say, “Are we there yet?”…

Yay !!!…The Walker River Lodge … I have been staying here since 1974, when I first brought my Father up to Bridgeport…

…time for dinner at the Bridgeport Inn…

The “Virgin Mary”…extra spicy…

…and garlic bread, of course !

…up at 6AM and a visit to Nugent’s Bakery, before heading up the mountain…

…main street, Bridgeport CA at 7AM…not too alive…

…the arrow designates the way South to Conway Summit and the turn off to Virginia Lakes…

…along Hwy. 395, headed South…The peaks to the left, in the photo are our destination…

…getting closer…Michael wanted to pull off the road to make a call back East to his wife…the bars indicated service…

…my phone does not get service ( thanks, unmentioned carrier) up here so I used it for some photos…Looking South towards Mono Lake…

Little Virginia Lake…our first spot on the Itinerary…

…The “Old Guy” in a reverse view…Virginia Lakes closes up for boat rentals at 11AM on Tuesdays so that the staff at Virginia Lakes Resort can go down the mountain to Bridgeport or Mammoth Lakes for recreation and taking care of personal business…be aware if ya’ don’t take some other type of water craft with ya’…

…so Michael and I headed over to Trumbull Lake to fish from the shoreline…a trek through the “Mule Ears”...

Trumbull Lake, looking East…this lake has Browns, Rainbows (planted) and Brookies. The Rainbows are the most plentiful. I have seen a 7 lb. + Brown taken from this lake and there are probably some larger ones in here as well…

…on the far side of the lake, by the scree and talus…one of my favorite spots, here…

…Michael slackin’ off with his new brim…

…looks like a rise to me…

…yep…

…a typical Trumbull Rainbow…

…and another…

Trumbull Lake… approaching sunset…

…a rise in deeper, dark water…

,,,a beaver lives just below that fallen pine…

...A Callibaetis Spinner Michael picked off the surface film…

…down the mountain for dinner at the Virginia Creek Settlement…

…what’s on the menu ?

…well, this is just part of what is offered…the Italian servings are great and so is the pizza…

…after dinner moon…

…the following day, back at Little Virginia Lake with the “Old Guy” rowing…

…Michael nails a 2lb. / 10 oz. Rainbow on an Owens “Offender”…The overall fishing on this trip was difficult. Normally, we catch and release a lot of Trout when visiting these lakes. Jim Reid, owner of Ken’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport, had some thoughts on just why this was occurring this season. I will not go into his explanation – but I do concur…

This is the East Walker River, an Eastern Sierra classic, “Blue Ribbon” water. Because of our current drought, the water flows are very low and warm. The river is choked with weeds and algae and the mosquitoes are out for blood…Michael and I left our favorite river – alone…

…more East Walker, close to the Nevada state line…

…looking downstream…

…another downstream view…

…Bridgeport Reservoir …the source for the East Walker River and the lowest I have seen it since it was drained in 1987…

…one fellow, working the river below the dam. Michael watched him take a 18″ Brown from this section…like I said, I leave it alone…

…this is Lower Twin Lakes, outside of Bridgeport. The level is down 15′ and we took photos rather than fish it…

…another view, looking Southeast…

…Upper Twin Lakes…more water, deeper and colder…there were only two boats out on the lake when we passed here and we did not fish it…I visited again with Ally,Hero and Nick on a very wet evening, a few days later…

…exploring time for Michael…what follows are some places and images that Big Moo documented while Pop pounded the water with a gazillion fly patterns…

..Red Lake…

Red and Copper…

Carolyn Webb told me there was a submarine sized Brown in here…haven’t met ’em…yet…

…more Red Lake from the non-red side…

…patterns in the water…

Summit Pass …11,100’…

…more form and texture from Summit Pass…

…Alpine flora…

…something for Nadia’s next kitchen counter project…

…and Koi Pond…

Alpine trickler…

Lone Pine by the lake…

Big Virginia Lake and the WALL…sit over there in the evening with a float tube or pontoon and use beetle and flying ant patterns…

…looking back towards Big Virginia Lake…

…a good casting location which Michael always seems to find…

…another view from the Summit Trail back towards Virginia Lakes…and Nevada in the background…

…another lake I don’t know the name of..way up there…

Peak scenery…

The Jolly Kone in Bridgeport…the burger and hot dog palace, which appears to have a new offering…

Nope, don’t see it on the regular menu…

Enough food…back up to Little Virginia on an overcast day which was marked by thunder and showers…

One of the locals (Scud) that motored by our boat just as the rain stopped…

Then, Michael added this to his tippet…

…and BAM !!!

Michael brings the Trout up to the Lodge to have Carolyn put it on the digital scale…

Carolyn lets Michael know the scale is off by 2 ozs. under…

…almost ready for the report photo…

Carolyn shoots…

Michael goes on the board a second time…

Pop shoots Michael for posterity…this is the largest Trout he has landed, to date…

…and who shows up moments later…ALLY !!!

…and Hero…

Meanwhile, back on the lake, I pick up…

…a few Brook Trout…

…using this little red peacock soft hackle…

Pretty little guys…

Back down the mountain to celebrate with pizza at the Virginia Creek Settlement…

Thanks Nick !!!

Back to the Walker River Lodge and some work for Michael…

Michael cleans a Big Trout…

Step #.1, – with a good sharp knife…

Step #.2, all the way up to the initial cut…

Step #.3, take the gills and entrails rearward…use  finger nails to remove all veining and blood…

Step #.4, breathe…place in freezer…get ready for yer’ last day…

…first on the lake, early in the AM on a day that did not see much action…

Dinner and not mint juleps on the veranda at the Bridgeport Inn. Michael left the following morning to pick up his wife in Reno and spend a few days with her family up in Lake Tahoe…

So it’s Ally, Hero and Nick. I got him started with a fly and bubble on a rainy day. Nick’s fishing experience on freshwater lakes was, shall we say…limited. He got a nice huge strike on a Tan Seal Bugger but did not set the hook in time – doh…

…and I was having this kind of day…

…while Ally, Hero and Nick went looking for Frodo and Mordor…

…Nope, not here…

…getting wet…

Ally and Hero up there…

A short trip up to Upper Twin Lakes in the rain…

At the marina…

Ally and Hero … posing…

Boats at rest…

The cafe at Annett’s Mono Village where Michael swears he had the best cheeseburger ever…( kid was delusional )…

Last sunset before leaving Bridgeport…

Since Nick had never been here, we made a point of stopping at the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery which I have been visiting since 1952…

The brood stock pond…the race ways, where large Brook and Rainbows were kept, were destroyed in a flood in 2008…they have not been replaced…More HERE…

When I was a little kid, my Dad would bring my brother and I here. There were thousands of Rainbow, Brown, Brook and Tiger Trout in the metal rearing pens inside this structure…

Bring your kids too !!!

Yep…Ally and Michael have been coming up for quite awhile…

Ally, 1995, by the raceways that were destroyed…

Michael spies some Brook Trout…

Why I love this place…

No story is complete without an ending…and nothing goes to waste…

Michael does filets…

Marinate for a little while…

Grill…

Add the sides…

Enjoy !!!

A little paddling on Lake Tahoe…and there’s the hat Michael got Aimee…

Until next time…

NEXT:…

…more of patterns tied on these…

PT/TB

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TOWARDS A NEW YEAR…

Three things are on my wish list, well… the one I am writing up for Santa:

1. I’d like a trip up and over here to look for little black, pointy thingees with Ally….

That’s ANGELO, playing with a pine cone in the snow, just off the main road in the White Mountains that leads from Big Pine into Deep Springs Valley. – one of the places I really love to visit in Winter when a melting fresh snow exposes obsidian on the ground…

2. Something on the order of a 10′, 4Wt,, BII-MX from this place in Twin Bridges, MT…

3. And, finally, a trip up to this water to use that new rod – this coming year…

The Stillwater River,MT at Moraine, a wonderful place to try out a new nymphing rod in late May – before the runoff starts…

Hmmmm…Either one of these might be good possibilities to wind up on the end of my tippet there…

HULA PRINCESS…

ICE DUB (and SLF PRISM) Weevil

For those of ya’ who might be contemplating tying up some new attractor patterns, check out Pop’s Custom Ties at LET IT FLY in Pagosa Springs, CO…Nice!!!

YO’, SANTA, ya’ listening???

PT/TB

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BAETIS/BWO…More of ‘EM…

Here they is:

PHOTO: “BAETIS” – John Jurasek, Blue Ribbon Flies Newsletter

The prolific little bugs that love to hatch on overcast, blustery, rainy, snowy, miserable and memorable days on waters everywhere. I LOVE these guys…

OLIVE/BROWN Baetis…

Hook: TMC 2487, Diiachi 1130, #16-24 (Fall SMALL)

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths, 14/0, olive or gray

TAIL: Three olive or brown Pheasant tail fibers

Rib: Gold Largutan extra fine wire

ABDOMEN: Wapsi thread, Olive Brown

THORAX: SLF Prism ,Olive Brown, picked out

WINGCASE: Black Krystal Flash or Firefly

BEAD: Gold

I have used this fly on the Owens, Hot Creek and The East Walker River in the Fall with success by fishing it deep prior to a hatch, The black KF version works best trailed off an emerger – about 12′ of tippet material off the bend…

John Barr’s BWO Emerger…

HOOK: TMC 101, # 16 – # 24

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths, 14/0, Gray

TAIL:Dun Hen Hackle fibers, clipped

ABDOMEN: Stalcups BWO Dubbing

THORAX: Adams Gray Superfine or Muskrat Gray

WINGCASE/ LEGS: Bunch of Dun Hen Hackle tied over, evenly separated and tied back

John Barr developed this pattern a long time ago – it still works. Fish it deep or through the water column. I sometimes pull Black KF over the top above the hen hackle to give the fly a sight hump. The hen hackle fibers are retained for legs…

Foam Baetis Emerger…

HOOK: TMC 100, #18-#24

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/0, Olive or Gray

TAIL/SHUCK: Olive or Olive Brown Zelon

RIB: Largutan, Gold, extra fine wire

ABDOMEN: Olive or Natural Pheasant Tail

THORAX: Dk. Olive ,Stalcup’s Baetis dubbing, picked out

WINGCASE/TAG: Razor Foam, Gray

This is a good flat water, stuck emerger. I use it along edges on the Owens and on waters where the Trout are in the tipped back sipping mode – picking off easy prey. I find this on really cold days when it takes a little longer for the bugs to get off the surface film…

Pheasant Tail…

HOOK: TMC 3761, #16-#20

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/0, Brown

TAIL: Natural Pheasant Tail Fiber or Olive

RIB: Largutan, Gold, Extra Fine or XSM Wapsi Wire, copper

ABDOMEN: Pheasant Tail Fibers, natural or Olive

THORAX: Peacock Herl, SLF Prism ,Olive Brown,Arizona Peacock (natural), Ice Dub, Olive Brown,Ostrich Herl- Olive, Brown and Dark Gray

BEAD: Gold or Copper

WINGCASE/ LEGS: Pheasant Tail Fibers, pulled over and separated, Natural or Olive

This is the American standard. Through the years, I have tied it using different kinds of materials for the thorax. With the arrival of Dyed Pheasant Tail, I have tied it in Black, Red, Yellow and Green…get the picture? IT SLAYS…

EthaDun BWO Parachute…

HOOK: TMC 100, #16-#24, TMC 102Y, # 17- #21

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/0, Olive, Brown, Gray

TAIL: Microfibetts, color to match thread

ABDOMEN: Turkey or Goose Biot, fringed- tan, olive, gray

THORAX: Flyrite, Super Fine or Stalcups – Lt. Olive, Dk. Olive, Olive/ Brown, Brown/Olive

HACKLE: Premium Dun

WING: Ethafoam or Evazote – Gray or colored Gray

One of my favorite dry patterns. I don’t use dries a lot. I learned early on from Georges Odier that 90% of the time, Trout feed below the surface. However, there is just something irresistible about dry fly fishing and this pattern floats well and produces…

GRHare’s Ear…

HOOK: TMC 3769 #16-#20, Diiachi 1560, #16-#18, TMC 100, #16-#24

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/0, Gray, Olive, Brown

TAIL: Stiff Hare’s Ear – from Mask

RIB: Gold Mylar Tinsel, SM

ABDOMEN: Fur from a hares mask # 3

THORAX: Spiky, darker Hare’s Mask Fur # 4

WINGCASE: Mottled Turkey Tail Fiber Section

This is another Standard pattern. I tie this pattern in Natural, Olive, Dun and Black. The first there colors work well for Baetis / BWO’s. They are all in their appropriate slots in my Nymph Boxes. Here is a good tutorial from Hipwader on this essential fly… I do not use weight for smaller patterns…

Hipwader Tutorial GRHE

Quasimodo Pheasant Tail…

HOOK: TMC 2487, #16-#24, Diiachi 1130, # 16-#24

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/0, Brown

TAIL: Pheasant Tail Fibers- Natural,Olive,

RIB: Gold Largutan, extra fine wire or Wapsi xsm Copper wire

ABDOMEN: Pheasant Tail Fibers, Natural or Olive

THORAX: Peacock Herl, Peacock SLF Prism, Arizona Peacock, Ice Dub Olive/Brown

WINGCASE/ LEGS: Pheasant Tail Fibers, pulled over, separated and tied back. Black, Pearl or Peacock KF works too!!!

BEAD: Gold or Copper

Kinda’ looks like Charles Lawton…This is an alternative to the classic PT. Hunched and curved it gives the impression of SQUIRMY in the water column. Jeremy Davies swears by this hook and it’s heavier versions for the holding capability …Works for me…

BWO Emerging Dun…

HOOK: TMC 2487,#16-#24, Diiachi 1130 #16- #24, Mustad C49S ,#16-#24

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/0, Olive, Brown, Gray

TAIL: Zelon, Olive/Brown, Olive or Brown

RIB: Optional, Largutan extra fine, Gold

ABDOMEN: Goose or Turkey Biot, Fringed, BWO, Olive, Tan,Gray

WING: Reversed Half Hackle Wing, Premium Dun or Lt. Olive

HACKLE: Premium Dun or Grizzly Dun, clipped at bottom

This FLY catches fish. It has a great profile, hangs like an emerger should and floats in every condition except the roughest water. I came across this pattern years ago and finally worked up the gumption to deal with the wings. After a number of tries, it became easy..try some, the fish like it…

BWO/ BAETIS ZELON EMERGING DUN…

HOOK: TMC 1oo. #18-#24

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/0 Olive or Gray

TAIL/ SHUCK: Amber or Gold Zelon

ABDOMEN: Sm. amount of Gray Superfine or Stalcup’s BWO Dub for #18-#20, Thread for smaller ties

THORAX: Small amount of Gray Superfine or Stalcup’s Baetis or BWO Dubbing

WING: Med. Dun Hi-Vis, Upright, spread with fingernail, clipped in back

HACKLE: Premium Dun

Notice the 7X Mono in the eye…this fly produced for me on a wet, windy, cold day on the Wild Trout section of the Owens River. No one else was there but me and the Trout…

Freezing rain on the Owens, GOOD Baetis/BWO conditions…

Glass Bead Emerger…

HOOK: TMC 200R, # 16-#24

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/0, Olive Brown or Gray

BEAD: Glass Metallic or Pearl

TAIL: Pheasant Tail fibers

ABDOMEN: Goose or Turkey Biot, fringed, Tan, BWO, Olive or Gray

THORAX: Fly-Rite mixed with Hare’s Ear or Muskrat, picked out

WING: Mallard Flank, Gray or Lemon Wood Duck, posted and covered by dubbing

This is a very good soft water fly pattern. I use HYROPHOBE on the thorax section of the fly ONLY. If it tilts over, no matter, the fish rise to it anyway. Lots of fun with this on The East Walker River…

Starling BWO…

HOOK: Alec Jackson, North Country, # 17-#19, TMC 3761 #18-#20, TMC 2488, #18-#24

THREAD: Gordon Griffiths 14/o, Gray, Olive or Benecchi, 12/0 ,Tan

RIB: Largutan extra fine wire, Gold

ABDOMEN: Tying Thread

THORAX: Muskrat dubbing

HACKLE: Starling

I enjoy swinging soft Hackles. This is an easy tie and the fishees seem to like it anywhere it drops in…

Silver Wing Case PT…

I include this fly, which has a silver Mylar wing case, because one day – on The Madison River, above $3.00 Bridge, at about 6AM in Mid-September, I hooked six of the largest Browns and Rainbows that I have ever brought to a net …on this fly in size # 20…

In THIS SPOT – On the Madison River

I don’t remember when or why I was inspired to tie this particular fellow. This is the same fly…hook not bent…go figure…

Tan Biot KF Emerger…

HOOK: Diiachi 1560, #16-#18, TMC 3761, # 16-#20, TMC 2488, #16-#24

Thread: Gordon Griffiths 14/0, Tan

Tail: Olive or Amber Zelon

RIB: Optional. Largutan, extra fine Gold Wire

THORAX: Olive Ostrich Herl

WINCASE/ LEGS: Peacock, Pearl or Black Krystal Flash

This is my favorite Fall BWO/ Baetis Emerger. I fish it deep with twist-ons…It has worked like a charm here:

The Owens River, below Five Bridges…

MORE:

BAETIS/BWO’s # 1

BAETIS/ BWO’s # 2

BAETIS/ BWO’s # 3

BAETIS/ BWO’s # 4

BAETIS/ BWO’s # 5

BAETIS/ BWO’s # 6

PT/TB

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Arrowheads and sacred places….

I am putting up some photos of points made from obsidian, jasper and chert. These are arrowheads, darts and spear points that I found with Michael and Ally throughout the Southern Sierras, Owens Valley, Saline Valley, Eureka Valley and Deep Springs Valley. They will be up when the sun is shining ( It is shining NOW)…I like to use available light for my photography…

 

Rock Art, Southern Sierras, near Walker Pass, 1984…

 

Michael, 100 Meters to the right of the Rock Art, but, He ain’t talkin’, 1987…

These are SOME that we have found, I keep the broken pieces that are interesting…

 

These Obsidian points were used for larger game animals…

 

Ally, ready to spread the barbed wire to visit a favorite spot…

 

Bird and Rabbit points…the kids found a lot of these (closer to the ground)…

 

Jasper points, exceptionally hard to find…they are a rarity in the Owens Valley…

Ally in Deep Spring Valley…

 

These are Obsidian points that are very old, the stone is not as clear ( sandblasted) as more recent points and the style is different…

 

I found this Obsidian point stuck in dried mud, on it’s side ( are you hearing me Dean?) in a little lake bed near…

 

This is a point made from Chert, it is the ONLY one I have found in the “O” Valley & I been lookin’ since 1952…possibly traded from another area?…

 

Another, large, older obsidian point. Found many this shape and size in an area that is now covered with water near Big Pine, CA…

CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ARCHAEOLOGY

My Brother Greg, has quite a few more that both of us found when we were kids… I’ll see if he will send me some photos.and I’ll add some stories like the time we went to Eureka Valley back in ’57 when there were NO ROADS into the big dune at the end of the Valley…It was also possible to pick up “live” 20mm canon rounds on the ground…

These are some photos of artifacts and points I took with Ally at the Eastern California Museum in Independence, CA, yesterday – 9.03.2011 to include here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some points that Ally and I found …11. 2012…

…and more…3.2013…

…out behind Independence, CA, in the Owes Valley when I returned to California from the service and University of Miami in 1971…

 

 

 

PT/TB

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Outdoor Family Photos II

Michael on the Owens, Fall 2002

Ally blasting on the Owens, Fall 2003

Above: Michael & Ally Goose Lake, Owens Valley, Winter 1994

Above: Pond, Road to Glacier, Big Pine, CA Fall 2000

Michael & Ally, $3.00 Bridge, 2004

Planettrout, North Fork of The Tule River, Spring 2007

Michael, Hot Creek, CA, 2003

Michael in the foothills, 2003

$3.00 Bridge, Madison River, 2004

Ally, Virginia Lakes, Fall 2003

Above, Brown on the Madison, $3.00 Bridge, September, 2004

Top: Virginia Lakes (Little) Sept, 2004

Bottom: Me ‘n Angelo, East walker River, May 2006

East Walker River, May, 2006

Michael and Ally, Lone Pine Creek, 2000

Michael and Ally, Trumbull Lake, 1995

Michael, West Walker, 2003

Looking for “GREYS”, Deep Springs Valley, 2000

Michael and Angelo, Owens River 2002

Nadia and Fishing Pal “Angelo” 2008

Ally at Lake Sabrina, Bishop, CA 1995

Stillwater River, Sept, 2001

Michael, North Fork of The Tule River, Spring 2003

Planettrout, Owens River, Spring 2001

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