Reno fishing report 8/14/09

[T_boy]

FRENCHMAN LAKE: Fishing slowed a bit last week. Most reports were of anglers catching two or three fish, 2-3 pounds and 17-21 inches long. Most are using nightcrawlers, Powerbait and/or lures in blue, red or green. Trolling is good in the early mornings. Best lures include Dick Nite and Luhr-Jensen. Campgrounds are filling up quickly. Wiggin's Trading Post, 530-993-4683.

UPPER TWIN LAKES: Powerbait worked well last week. Many 2-pounders coming in, with a few 3-pounders. Nightcrawlers working well form shore. The lake is full with streams still running. Mono Village Resort 760-932-7071.

TRUCKEE RIVER: The best fishing has been in the mornings and late afternoons. The crawfish are molting and the fish have been keyed into Tim's Dead Drift Crayfish, be sure to have a few. The grasshoppers are out, try the hopper dropper set-up with a Bottom Roller, Hares Ear or Prince Nymph. The fish have been chasing streamers pretty consistently as well, try McCunes Bandit leech, Cutters Goblin and Sasquatches. In the evenings, there has been a pretty strong caddis and little yellow stone hatch as well as a spinner fall. Try Elk Hair caddis, Rip Cord caddis, Burks extended little yellow stone and the Orange Julius. Reno Fly Shop, 775-825-3474. www.renoflyshop.com.

LITTLE TRUCKEE RIVER: The flows have been raised to 115 c.f.s., and the fishing has been good. There are still a few PMDs hatching mid-day. Size 18 and smaller caddis pupa and midge pupa in the evenings. Try Quigley's micro caddis emerger, WD-40s, zebra midges and hoppers on windy afternoons. Reno Fly Shop, 775-825-3474. www.renoflyshop.com.

EAST WALKER RIVER: Water flow is 165 c.f.s. The water continues to fluctuate, but fishing is good. The best time to fish is in the morning hours as mid-day water temps are in the 70s. Most of the catch is smaller browns in the 10-12-inch catagory. WD-40s, pheasant tails, brassies, hares ears and birds nests all working well. Try stimulators,a dams and elk hair caddis. Performance Guide Service 760-934-6101.

EAGLE LAKE: Fishing has been good. The fish have settled into the summer locations of 40-60-feet of water and at depth of 30 feet. Both bobbers and trolling have had excellent results. Most fisherman are on the east side of the lake at Miners Bay and Eagles Nest. Trollers have had good success with trolling worms, Needlefish (black with red spots, white bikini and watermelon) and grubs. The most important variable is depth (30 feet). The bite is early for bobbers (before 6 a.m.). Recommend fishing early with bobbers and then troll for your limit. Spaulding will dredge the south ramp in mid-August and will be closed for three days during the week. Eagle Lake Charters 530-260-3474.

SACRAMENTO RIVER: The striped bass fishing on the Sacramento Delta is happening now as the fall run of stripers make their way into the Delta to feed on the shad fingerlings. Trips last week produced 15-25 hookups per outing with fish up to 12 pounds. Trolling and spooning have been the best techniques, but the bait soakers using anchovies are also catching fish. The water temperature has been 68-71 degrees. rad Bugica, salmonstriperfishing.com, 866-751-1331.

CROWLEY LAKE: Fishing on the lake was great last week. The Stillwater Classic Tournament was held Aug 8. with the winner landing 15 fish. Stevie's Wonder in olive or gray has been fooling some very large trout recently. Best fishing has been in McGee Bay in about 13-15 feet of water. Performance Guide Service 760-934-6101. www.performanceguideservice.com.

HOT CREEK: Water flow is 14 c.f.s. Fly-fishing here is still good, but the weed growth and lower water flow makes things a bit tougher. Small nymphs like pheasant tails, hares ears and Birds nests. Some surface action with hoppers and caddis. Performance Guide Service 760-934-6101.

UPPER OWENS RIVER: Water flow 57 c.f.s. Conditions haven't changed here. Hares ears, WD-40s, prince nymphs and birds nests. Dry fly-fishing is still good in the afternoons with caddis patterns and may fly emergers when the wind isnt blowing. Don't forget your mosquito repellant. Performance Guide Service 760-934-6101.

LOWER OWENS RIVER: Water flow is 149 c.f.s. Fishing is still very good. Try zebra midges, cased caddis and small pheasant tails under the surface. Dry fly-fishing is fair with some little yellow stone flys begining to show up. Real good caddis hatch in the afternoon hours. Day time temps have been in the 100s. The river has seen very little pressure and is a great place to avoid the crowds. Performance Guide Service 760-934-6101. www.performanceguideservice.com.

MAMMOTH LAKES BASIN: Best fly-fishing is at Twin Lakes with olive woolly buggers with a Prince nymph trailer. Some decent action at Mary with olive matukas. Lake Mamie is also fun with dry flies in the evenings. Try para adams, coachmen and midge adults. Performance Guide Service 760-934-6101. www.performanceguideservice.com

JUNE LOOP: Gull Lake and Silver Lake the best chance for fly fisher's with dark woolly buggers, zonkers and black matukas. Also try a Stevie's Wonder black/silver under an indicator. Performance Guide Service 760-934-1957 or 760-924-2181.

SAN JOAQUIN\RED'S MEADOWS: The water flow ideal and fishing is good. Most attractor type flys are working well. Yellow or red humpies, madam x's, Sierra brite dot's and stimulators. Some good reports from Sotcher Lake. Try black muddler minnows and zonkers. Performance Guide Service 760-934-6101.

LAKE SABRINA: (Bishop, Calif.). The best fishing once again was back at the inlets with nightcrawlers or Powerbait. If you can get your trolling line down flashers and a nightcrawler has worked. Getting some much deserved peace and quiet while drifting the rock piles with nightcrawlers and Powerbait was working for some, while those eho were fishing from shore had some luck with nightcrawlers, Powerbait or Salmon Eggs. The Department of Fish and Game stocked the lake last week with pan-size fish and some a bit bigger.

The lake is no longer spilling and has dropped a few inches this week. With the snow in the back country almost gone, the run-off has slowed tremendously, thus not as much water flowing into the lake. Lake Sabrina Boat Landing, 760-873-7425.

SOUTH LAKE: Strong winds and unseasonably cool weather made fishing at the lake nearly impossible early in the week, but then the south wind was replaced with a light north breeze, which is the best scenario fishing South Lake. With very little fishing pressure, the trout settled down and the bite came back strong once boaters were back on the water. The inlets are hot for bait dunkers using Salmon/Peach Powerbait, fly-lined nightcrawlers and Orange Gulp! eggs. Plastic baits like Orange Powerworms, Lip Ripper jigs and Trout Traps were also producing, especially on the larger fish in the 2-3-pound class. The big boys over 4 pounds are still playing hard to get, but there are a lot of them cruising the dam and the inlets. Trolling has picked up a bit and anglers hauling Red/Gold Thomas Bouyants, Flashers or nightcrawlers are connecting on a lot of fish along the dam and in the back area of the lake behind the island.

The lake is still near capacity although it finally stopped spilling over the spillway following the cold snap. The lake level is expected to stay relatively high well into the fall, a good sign for the late season bite. Info: 760-873-4177. E-mail: sierrasmitty@cebridge.net

SOUTH FORK BISHOP CREEK: With the funky weather early in the week, most canyon anglers hunkered down on the creeks to find trout. Thankfully the harsh winds pushed folks down to the valley fisheries of the Owens and the lower stretches of the creeks so there were still a lot of fish in the creek for the weekend crowds. Following stockings on Monday and Tuesday, the creek bite was reported to be excellent on the usual suspects, red salmon eggs, crawlers, crickets and spinners like Mepps and Panther Martins. Info: 760-873-4177. E-mail: sierrasmitty@cebridge.net.