We have a special guest today. My wife has written a review on Cardinal Village Resort. Cardinal Village is located at 8,500 ft high in the mountains above Bishop, California. It is where we first met and now take our two boys whenever we get a chance. With horse back rides, two creeks running through, a trophy trout pond, game times for the kids each afternoon, and trails that start from the edge of the property, we have found it to be the perfect place for a family getaway. Now for the husbands, this area has also put up MANY trout for me in the 6 to 8 pound range. All while my family was having a great time. All you need to do is print this article (minus this intro - of course) give it to your wife in a card with flowers, and get ready for the fishi...I mean family trip of a lifetime! OK guys start printing here.

Cardinal Village Resort in the Fall of 2005

As soon as our two-year-old, Charles, saw the snow he was done being in the truck.  We were immediately bombarded with squirms and cries of “Out!  Out!  Snow!”  The baby caught the excitement and was equally restless.  The last few minutes of the drive to Cardinal Village were a challenge, but as we pulled in to the driveway we were rewarded by the snow heaped up on the front lawn.  Charles finally got to soak in the melting springtime snow while we greeted old friends and showed off the baby’s new walking abilities.

Later we made our way to our cabin, one of eleven available to rent, and the newest one on the property.  One of the great things about Cardinal is the history behind it.  It is a former mining camp where all of the cabins once played a role.  There’s Golden Trout, the largest cabin, which was the barn; Topsy Turvy was a miner’s home; and the lodge itself was the pay station.  A stroll through the Village will reveal wooden plaques on each cabin describing their original use, and a true history buff can get the whole story by reading Cardinal Mine, available in the general store. 

We stayed in Hungry Packer, a cozy little one-room cabin with a single bed in the front room and a queen in the bedroom.  We brought a pak’n’play and made a “special bed” for Charles on the floor in the bedroom.  All of the cabins are roomy, and there are several sizes to accommodate your party’s needs.  The cabins are wonderfully rustic, reminding you of when they were built, though they have been renovated several times since their original construction. You may notice that the floors in a few of them tilt a bit; all part of the fun.

Parts of the original mine are still nearby, and we enjoyed using the map provided in the general store to hike up to explore the pilings.  A little searching will reveal several interesting sites in the area.  We found the foundations to an old cabin, a “miner’s dump” full of a variety of rusty pieces, and there’s even a secret spot called “Wild Rose’s Cave;” if Hal is around the store, you might be able to talk him into telling you Wild Rose’s story.  The hike isn’t too long, and active kids over 3 or 4 can probably do it alone, but our two-year-old and 11-month-old rode in the baby backpacks.  If you’re going up with toddlers or babies, it’s a good plan to bring a backpack and/or a jogging stroller. 

We had a hard time if we tried to keep the boys inside, there was not only snow to play in and a mine to see, but there were fish to be caught at the pond – and fishing is Cardinal’s main draw.  The pond is stocked twice weekly, once by Fish & Game, and once by a local private company with Alpers trout up to 8 pounds. (The record  here is almost 12 pounds!)  Everyone can fish the pond, but if you have little ones it might be worth it to walk up the road in front of the lodge to it’s dead-end where there’s a “Kid’s Pond”.  This is a great place for kids to get the hang of fishing and not feel pressure from anyone else.  If the pond isn’t enough for you, Bishop Creek runs through the back of the property, and within two miles are the popular Intake II, Sabrina, and North Lake, all of which are stocked regularly.  There are also several back –country lakes within a day’s hike of Cardinal, and you might be surprised to notice when looking at a map that these lakes have the same names as the cabins.

We didn’t have to go too far to occupy our two little ones, though; the creek right outside provided hours of enjoyment.  Gone are the days when throwing rocks in the water was so entertaining, but watching the boys have so much fun is even better.  Rocks in and of themselves were studied thoroughly by both boys for longer than I thought possible.  Of course, I spent a lot of time fishing them out of the baby’s mouth, but it was worth it.

Before you leave Cardinal, you’ve got to have a meal in the café.  It’s a small little spot, and the food is great: “Hearty meals for the hungry gold miner,” if I may quote the menu.  We enjoyed great breakfast potatoes and eggs, and their burgers are the best in the Sierra’s.  It’s a great place to stop after an afternoon fishing session for a milkshake made the old-fashioned way, complete with vintage blender.

Cardinal Village is a place everyone in the family can enjoy, and fishermen are in their own little paradise.  The kids are entertained just being outside, Mom is relaxing in the sunshine, and Dad can fish as much as he likes, does it get any better?  With great cabins that provide all of your everyday needs, there’s almost no need to leave the property, unless it’s to find that elusive “perfect fishing spot”.  For complete cabin details and information on the Village, check out the website at www.cardinalvillageresort.com

Above article written by Christy Halsell

email her at christyleigh76@yahoo.com 

Berkley Pro Marlon Meade with his Opening Day limit.   It is now 5:30 am Sunday morning. Opening day of Trout Season has come and gone. It has kicked off another season in the Sierra's to look forward to. I was lucky enough to start this season with Marlon Meade. (pictured above) We started fishing Intake Two at 12:30am and didn't stop until 1:30 in the afternoon. We hit every spot along the South Fork of Bishop Creek as well. It was was over 12 hours of some of the best fishing I have had. I have still not caught up on sleep so I will have to give you the complete later. Thanks for stopping by, Charlie Halsell charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com    Lined up and ready! Crowley Lake 9:05am Friday Crowley Lake professional guide Tom Jones I asked Tom What he would recommend for anglers at Crowley tomorrow morning.  He said to use the Flame "Mirashad" and the brand new Pink Passion "Mirashad." Both of these colors have done well historically at the beginning of the season. A bubble gum colored "Needlefish" as well as the firetiger color will catch plenty of fish as well. Inflated nightcrawlers are always a standby for both the rainbows and browns. "Don't forget a threader" added Tom, as this will greatly improve the effectiveness. Berkley makes the best line of dough-baits available. As long as I have been writing these reports, Berkley has out-fished all the other baits 20 to one. There is an added bonus to using Berkley's high quality products this Opener. There is a tagged fish named "Jake" lurking in one of 5 Eastern Sierra Lakes as you read this. He could be in Upper Twin, Lower Twin, Bridgeport, Convict, June, or Crowley. The angler lucky enough to catch Jake will go home $10,000 richer for their efforts. You must be using Berkley line and bait to be in the running for the prize. Click on the photo below to see the latest in Berkley's products. Above - Crowley from 395 at 10am on Thursday 4-27-06 Below - Convict Lake at 10:30am same day Above - June Lake at 12:30pm on Thursday 4-27-06 I covered quite a bit of ground yesterday. I talked with Marina and Resort owners from Bishop to Gull Lake and got some great info. Convict Lake will be loaded as usual. The stocking there has been great for years now. The lake has been ice free for over 3 weeks now. I could see a lot of nice sized fish in the pools just below the outlet. Crowley should see some of the best weather and fishing in years with the water levels high and literally hundreds of thousands of catchables. Mc Gee Bay will be the hot spot, but you had better be there early! June and Gull Lake are ice free and ready to go. Expect to see some impressive numbers out of both of these lakes. Gull Lake Marina continues to kick in a lot of extra dough into the Alpers trophy stocking fund. I have a few friends fishing Gull Lake this opener and I expect a good report in a few days. (Shawn Arnold - the pressure's on!) Everywhere I went the buzz was already underway. About one in twenty vehicles had a boat behind them along highway 395. It was very easy to strike up a half hour conversation with a complete stranger. The fun has begun and will only intensify over the next few days.  It has been fun getting ready with you in the past weeks. I hope the info serves you well on Opening day as well as throughout the season. Now Go Fish! May God Bless your next cast, Charlie Halsell     High Sierra Trout Season Opener Update! April 27th 2006 8:37am Intake Two - Ice Free and Ready! No one was here when I took this picture. That will change in 2 days. I had a chance to drive around and check for potential spots along Bishop Creek Canyon. There are plenty of places along the creek that are open. Some pools had large amounts of trout that were visible. One spot near RV Creekside had a good 75 to 100 fish loaded up in it. Nothing huge, but I still think we will hit it on Opening morning. I spit in the water to see what the fish would do and sure enough, anything that was near the ripple I created went straight for it. (I know, I act like a 10 year old.) Marlon Meade and I will be fishing Intake Two at one minute past midnight to try and catch the first limit of the season. Marlon has caught and released 5 fish within the first 15 minutes on many occasions there on Opening Day. I drove up the South Fork of Bishop Creek to see how far up it was plowed. There was a solid 3 to 5 feet of snow on both sides of a one way road right around Parcher's Resort. A front loader was blocking the road less than 1/2 mile up from Parcher's but I could see that it had been plowed further. I was glad not to run into anyone along the road as there wasn't any room for 2 cars in most places. North Lake is more than likely completely frozen over according to Mike Morgan of Bishop Pack Outfitters. I ran into him at the mailboxes at the Cardinal rd. turnoff. Mike owns and operates the pack station at North Lake and knows the back country in this area better than anyone. I was considering hiking into North Lake Saturday morning but I don't feel like hiking in the 2 miles with an auger.   I took this picture just across from Parcher's Resort along the South Fork of Bishop Creek. I stopped by Mac's Sporting Goods on Main st.  in Bishop yesterday. If you have never made it in this shop, your are missing out. Dale, the owner, is one of the nicest and most helpful people you will ever meet. I consistently hear from other anglers that this is their favorite tackle store and I can definitely see why. Stop in and tell him I sent you for the latest on the local fishing conditions. I will be checking out Crowley, Convict, Mammoth Lakes, and the June Lake Loop today. Check back later tonight for first hand reports and photos on those areas. Scroll further down for a link to the weather report. Fish Hard! Charlie Halsell charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com   General trout Season Opener, 4/29/06   Fly Fishing Report submitted by Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service in the Eastern Sierra  The weather forecast for this opening weekend calls for warmer temperatures and light winds in the morning then partly cloudy later with a slight chance of thunderstorms.  Ideal conditions for enjoying the great fishing in the Eastern Sierra.  Good luck to everyone and please remember to use proper catch and release methods when “limiting your catch”, not necessarily “catching your limit”.    Bishop Creek Drainage  The roads into South Lake and Sabrina are being plowed right now and the intent is to have both lakes accessible for the opener.  Ice fishing these lakes will be the only option at this time.  The upper stretches of Bishop Creek still have a considerable amount of snow along the banks so please use extreme caution when approaching.  The lower elevation areas near Intake 2 are snow free and should fish well.  Prepare for “combat style” fishing if your plans include Intake 2.   Patience, patience!  Rock Creek  Rock Creek from Hwy 395 to the confluence of the Owens River.  Along Lower Rock Creek Rd. the DFG plants in several locations and the conditions should be good for catchable size Rainbows and the occasional wild Brown trout.  Upper Rock Creek above Tom’s Place will have limited access from about Big Meadow campground up, due to deep snow.  Rock Creek Lake  The road into Rock Creek Lake will be plowed however there is still mucho snow up there.  It appears to be 6’ to 8’ deep now at lake level so any fishing will be limited to the ice.  Again, use extreme caution venturing on to the ice.  Don’t risk it if you are at all unsure about the conditions.  Tom’s Place will have the latest information.  They can be reached at 760-935-4239.  Crowley Lake  Crowley Lake is totally ice free and has been since mid March.  Conditions should be ideal with mild temps and calm winds in the AM.  Expect the usual large crowds for the opener.  On average 3000 to 5000 anglers converge on this lake for the annual fisherman migration.  On the plus side this lake will produce an abundance of trout in both size and numbers.  Best bet for the fly-fisherman will be Streamers along the drop offs and midges in the bays such as McGee, Big Hilton and the Leighton Springs area.  Upper Owens River  The Upper Owens should be in good condition until the spring run off creates off color water and large amounts of floating debris.  From Benton crossing bridge upstream to Big Springs there is a two fish limit, 16” maximum size, artificials and barbless hooks only.  From Benton crossing bridge downstream to the fishing monument, Closed until May 27th.  Those spawning fish need a chance to pro-create!  From the monument down to Lake Crowley mouth, same regulations as the lake.  Always check the regs. and make sure you are within the current laws.  Convict Lake  This lake has been totally ice free  for 3 ½ to 4 weeks.  Expect a great opener for big fish.  Just before the close of last season Convict was heavily planted with large Alper’s Trout.  In addition the DFG planted approx. 1000 lbs. of catchable size trout on the morning of Wed. the 26th April.  The marina has recently replaced the boats and motors with new equipment so it should be another great season at this beautiful location.  Mammoth Lakes Basin  Plans have been made to begin plowing the access road on the 22nd of May.  If all goes well the gates should be open to the public the 9th of June.  All of the resorts will be anxious for this opening and look forward to providing for all your needs.  Lake Mary  has always been one of the most popular locations up here and if the fishing is anything like last year, hold on to your rods!  The Lake Mary marina and tackle shop will have all the latest info.   Stop by and see them. Good people, great fishing!  Bridgeport Reservoir  The lake is completely full and the fishing should be great, as it was last year.  The Bridgeport  Reservoir RV Park and marina will be offering a float tuber shuttle service again this year for those wishing to access the productive bays on the West side.  This lake has the potential to be the next best spot in the Eastern Sierra for the fly-fisherman. Techniques that are used on Lake Crowley will work the same here and the quality and quantity of the fish will surprise you!  East Walker River  The river is a bit high now.  Flowing at 360cfs it is still quite fishable for those willing to fish deep.  The flows will continue to rise however and will be tough fishing in the near future.  By the first part of June the conditions will greatly improve as the water flows stabilize.  Some of the largest Browns and Rainbows taken in the Eastern Sierra come from this river.  Always worth the time invested!  Upper and Lower Twin Lakes  Both of these lakes are in good condition with minimal snow and no ice.  The marinas will be open and ready for business for the opener.  Last season produced some huge fish and great fishing overall.  This season is expected to be as good or better according to Steve at the Twin Lakes Resort.  He can be reached at 760-932-7751 for the latest information.  Please be mindful of the New Zealand Mud Snail problem we have in this area and take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading this scourge.  For more information please visit the website http://www.flyline.com/enviornmental/nzms                                        Good Fishing, until next time… Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service Located in the Eastern Sierra. info@fish395.com         High Sierra Trout Opener Update! April 24th 2006 This might be my final check in with you before I leave for Bishop Creek Canyon. I will be staying at Cardinal Village right above Intake Two. I talked with the owner of the resort today and was told they have 6 fresh inches of snow but that it was melting as we spoke. Cardinal pond is still frozen over and is piled with snow. A good tip that I got is that the road to Sabrina is plowed and that part of the lake is ice free. This could be my spot for Opening day as every report I have heard has said otherwise. Yes the lake has been drained to the dam, but the original lake in the back is almost 200 feet deep still. As of today, the gate around 2 miles below Lake Sabrina is still closed to public traffic and no word as of yet if it will be open for Opening Day. To me all this means the same amount of fish in shallower water with fewer people. A short hike could pay off big.  I will be keeping my eye on this spot. Check back soon as I will be able to update the report from Cardinal Village. I leave you with a quote from an old report of mine that many have said proved helpful to them... If you are out to relax, then bring up the lawn chair, your favorite bait, plenty of snacks and drinks and no matter what happens, your day is a success. If you are out for a big fish, plan on a physical day, lots of hiking around checking numerous spots, and basically 6 or more hours on the water. Make sure your gear is in order BEFORE you leave home. A little planning goes a long way in fishing. Maybe most importantly, be willing to learn. When I walk around the lakes here, I ask a ton of questions. A great place to start is not necessarily the owner of the resort, but the guy running the boat rentals or the bus-boy at the café. These are people that are taking whatever jobs they have to so they can fish and fish often. Just act like you have no idea what you are doing and make them feel important. If they do decide to give up a few secrets, don’t interrupt with “oh yeah, that worked for me last week when I caught that...” Simply listen and know that you are getting a priceless lesson from someone who spends hours and hours on the water that you are about to fish. I got one of my best fishing tips from a young guy running the boat rentals at Lake Mary in Mammoth Lakes. I had fished here lots before and had always done well. Still, I simply said to him “Where would YOU fish if you had this morning off?” I would tell you what he told me but then I would have to find a new favorite spot.   I’ve written too much already so I’ll end it here. Once again – best of luck on your next time out and don’t forget…   Fish Hard! Charlie Halsell email -  charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com       High Sierra Trout Opener Update! - April 23rd 2006 Submitted by Charlie Halsell Less than one week now! Conditions are looking similar to last years trout opener. I highly encourage you to check out last years opening day reports that are posted at the end of this page. We are also looking at a great forecast for Opening Day of trout season on April 29th. Click on the word "weather" below to get a current forecast. Enter the name of the city closest to the area you plan on fishing. Tip of the day; Nightcrawlers! Due to the lack of surface food over the winter in the High Sierra's, fish forage along the bottom looking for the best source of protein they can find. Worms are something they are starting to see naturally this time of year and they will find a fat nightcrawler irresistible, especially if you can float it off the bottom. Unidentified at North Lake, waiting for Opening Day of Trout Season in the High Sierra.  It is 4am and I have been up for an hour now. I have got to get some sleep here soon! The weeks leading up to Opening day of trout season are like one long Christmas Eve for me. I just can't wait! Shawn Arnold of Fish Taco Chronicles checked in with me yesterday. He will be fishing in the June Lake loop north of Mammoth on Opening Day. He has caught some of the largest fish in the Sierra's on the trout opener over the past few years - so keep your eye out for him in the Post Trout Season Opener Report. The June Lake loop should be mostly ice free with a bit of slush that can be easily broken up by most boats. Crowley is ice free and should put out some impressive numbers again this year. Dave Appling was kind enough to donate "a few thousand" brown trout in July of the 2005 trout fishing season. Those trout were in the 1 to 1 1/2 pound range at the close of the season and should have put on a pound or more by now. I will be hitting Intake Two above Bishop at midnight with a crazy crew of anglers that have made a tradition of it for years now. (Inyo County is one of the few places where you don't have to wait for the sunrise to wet a line.) Intake Two is ice free and should provide for some great fun. Lake Sabrina has been drained for continued work on the dam but still has the original lake in the back as well as a lot of fish in the creek running to the dam. I am going to try and get some shut eye so that is all for now. Check back every other day or so for more updates.  Till then! Charlie Halsell charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com Charlie- just got back from bishop. My father and I fly fished the gorge and spin cast PVR- your info was great and your tip on the Thomas Bouyant s514 was key. We absolutely sleighed it with that lure. It truly was the hot tip. thanks again, we had a great time. Greg  High Sierra Trout Opener Update! - April 15th 2006 Today's report is brought to you by Rick Gunby.  Rick is a professional guide for the Eastern Sierra's. You can schedule a trip with Rick by going to www.fish395.com Greetings to all you anxious and excited fisherman out there. If you’re anything like me the upcoming fishing opener weighs heavily on your mind about now. Preparations are well underway with regards to tackle, making sure everything is in good working order. Breaking out the boat that has been sitting all winter and seeing to its many demands. It’s been said that a fishing boat is a big hole in the water you throw money into. That statement is not too far off course. Every new season something has to be done, it never ends! The thought of being out on the water and netting the big one always makes it easier however. Please make sure your boat has all the required safety equipment onboard and it’s in good condition.  Also our waterways are becoming more crowded each year and we all want to get the most of our outdoor experience. Please take the time to dispose of all trash responsibly, especially discarded fishing line. The wildlife and other anglers will thank you for it. The ten-day forecast doesn’t show any significant storms coming our way however this winter has not given up yet! We still have a series of smaller storms with high elevation snow and winds coming our way. Will it never end? To get the latest, follow the link below. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/forecasts/CAZ073.php?warnzone=CAZ073&warncounty=CAC051 Lower Owens River The Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power have increased the flows considerably as of late. The current CFS is hovering around 600 as of this writing. This flow rate on the river may continue for the foreseeable future, as all of our reservoirs will need to handle significant runoff this spring and early summer. These higher flows make room for the onslaught of melting snow. As the runoff subsides the water demands of our neighbors to the south will keep the flows up until fall. This has been a good winter on the Lower Owens River however, so no worries. If you haven’t joined us for a drift-boat trip down the river, let’s do it next year! This is a great opportunity to really experience what this river has to offer. Owens River/ Upper Gorge If you are up to the hike, this section of river is unaffected by the high waters experienced on the Lower “O”. It’s about a 30-minute walk down to some great fly-fishing. AM nymphing and mid-day hatches provide angling enjoyment on feisty Browns. The average fish are on the small side here but their willingness to take a fly more than makes up for it. Take water and a snack and make a day of it. The stinging nettles are beginning to grow now so watch where you kneel and put your hands. These devils will ruin your trip!  Crowley Lake / Bridgeport Reservoir We are looking forward to some great fishing conditions this season. The abundant snowfall and resulting runoff will be great for the lower elevation lakes Such as Crowley and Bridgeport Res. Being able to maintain higher water levels throughout most of the season will undoubtedly make for better fly-fishing. This will allow the water to stay colder longer; prolong the weed bed growth and keep the fish up in the shallows feeding on the perch fry and midges. Stillwater fly-fishing this summer and fall should be better than we have seen it in sometime! Pleasant Valley Reservoir Power is being generated up stream on a daily basis so the fish are moving up to feed towards the narrower North end. Float tubers are taking Rainbows and Browns using Midges up in the shallower areas and Streamers are also working well from the river inlet to around the boat ramp. Bank fishing near the mouth is real tough right now. The mud banks are very slippery and the weed beds make it near impossible to get a good drift. Late in the day some fish are feeding on Midges along shore. Up Canyons A late start will be the rule for the upper elevation lakes. A later ice out and limited access will delay fishing these scenic areas until sometime early summer. East Walker River   Currently the flows are 378 CFS. The Nevada side of the river is open now and still fishable at these flows, although wading is tough now. The outlook for the general trout season on the E.W. is very good this year due to the higher water in the Reservoir and the amount of cold water being released into the river. The Ca. portion of this river will open April 29th.  Good Fishing, until next time… Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service   Today's tip-April 7th,2006 - If you plan on ice fishing on opening day in the High Sierra, save a small amount of eggshells before you go. If you drop a few pieces down the hole you are fishing, the light reflected off of the fluttering shells will attract a few fish in the otherwise quiet water. If you are fishing the shallows, it will also give a white backdrop so you can see when a fish swims over it. Don't use too much -one small piece every so often will do the trick. Most important, BE SMART when ice fishing! Check with an experienced local before stepping on the ice. Best of luck!     April 1st,2006 High Sierra Opener Fishing Report - Submitted by Charlie Halsell It's that time again! If you haven't changed the line on your reel yet, there is still plenty of time left - but don't wait too long! There is a monster trout with your name on it swimming somewhere in the High Sierra mountains this very moment. Your mission is to go and find it. I will be headed for the area between the lakes above Bishop and the June Lake Loop on the Eastern side of the Sierra range. I hope to pair up with living legend Marlon Meade. He is still the greatest influence in the way I fish to this day. (Mini-Jigs with a 7 to 8 foot noodle rod) He has shown me some of his favorite spots along highway 395, and I will forever be grateful for it. I have placed all of last year's reports in our "archives" with the exception of the High Sierra Opening Day reports from last year. Read them carefully as they might just help guide you to the fish you won't soon forget. I suggest picking out a name for your fish before the opener. Whether you catch him (or her) on opening day or not won't matter as much as the fun you will have searching for him. One thing for sure - you will definitely know when you have him hooked. Best of luck landing him! Charlie Halsell Last year's Opening Day Reports...                                       High Sierra Fishing Report May 4th, 2005 Submitted by Charlie Halsell                            Shawn Arnold, owner of "Fish Taco Chronicles," at Gull Lake on Opening Day - 2005                                                    www.fishtacochronicles.com Opening Day 2005 has come and gone and the general trout season is in full swing now. Places like Intake Two on the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range are now nice and quiet compared to the “hootin’ and hollerin” frenzy we saw less than two weeks ago. (photo below)                                                           Intake Two - Opening Day 2005 - 6:15am I fished Intake Two two days ago with only 2 other people on the lake felt quite spoiled. The fish have recovered well and are willing to bite once again. Shawn Arnold, owner of Fish Taco Chronicles www.fishtacochronicles.com had an excellent start to the 2005 trout season. He landed a 6.7 ounce rainbow out of Gull Lake about 20 minutes north of Mammoth Lakes. ( see photo ) This past weekend is always the best of the year for low fishing pressure. During the “Mother’s Day” holiday, the same numbers of fish are stocked and only a handful of fishermen are here to catch them. Intake Two remains the place to be as it is receiving all of the fish that would normally be split with North Lake. Salmon eggs under a bobber or on the bottom with 18 inches or more of leader have been the hot ticket for the lucky few that are up here right now. The biggest fish I saw was a 7 pounder caught by Alfreado Zendejas of Ontario. He was fishing near the dam Friday at Intake Two when the lunker hit. He landed the fish like a pro despite the fact that this was his second fish EVER! I must admit I was jealous. Another case of beginner’s luck was had by Kevin Cramer of Orange County.  At Intake Two on Saturday morning he caught the first fish of his life using a red and gold “Thomas Bouyant.”  He landed the 5 and ¾ pounder on 3 lb “Maxima” line while his friends around him stood by in shock. The 1 and ½ mile hike to North Lake is still rewarding anglers with easy limits. Fish up to 3 pounds have been caught there in the past few days. “Trout Teasers” with a 2 inch piece of a “Berkley Power Worm” is a great way to knock ’em dead at the inlet here. The ice has been melting fast here and is not very thick so play it safe and fish from shore. Both forks of Bishop Creek are loaded with a fresh plant of DFG fish. The flow is just right to allow for drifting salmon eggs. “Rooster Tails” with a green body and gold blade work great this time of year in the creeks. Don’t forget to try a black bodied - gold blade “Panther Martin” in the moving water as well. Drifting this lure into still pools can make for an amazing day of fishing. Our weather at 8500 ft in the Bishop area has been quite cold compared to the t-shirt weather of opening day. That’s about to end as highs in the upper 80’s are forecasted for the Owens Valley over the nest few days. We should be seeing temps in the lower 70’s in the lakes in Bishop Creek Canyon. For the latest forecast, click on www.weather.com                                                                                                                                                                   Until next week, Best of luck to you!   Charlie Halsell High Sierra Woodcarvings charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com         HIGH SIERRA TROUT OPENER UPDATE!!! Only two days to go before Opening Day 2005! I write this to you from Bishop Creek canyon at 8,500 ft elevation. The snow has been melting off quickly but I’m still looking at 3 to 6 inches in the shady areas outside the window here. The forecast is calling for temps in the high 40’s to low 50’s during the day and low’s in the high 20’s at night. These temps are for the higher elevations; check out www.weather.com  for the local forecast in the areas you want to fish on Opening Day. There should be snow showers off and on throughout the weekend so plan on taking your warmest gear. Rick Gunby has come through with another valuable report for the areas all along highway 395. I’ll let him take it from here. Have a great Opening day 2005!!! April 23, 2005 Charlie Halsell High Sierra Woodcarvings TROUT SEASON OPENER – APRIL 30, 2005 Fly fishing report submitted by Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service in the Eastern Sierras Greetings to all you impatient, enthusiastic, “raring to go” anglers out there! Another fishing season opener is upon us and we are all eagerly anticipating April 30! As typical, the weather for the opener here in the Sierra Nevada mountains will be unsettled. The long range forecast calls for rain and snow on April 30 with temperatures in the mid 40s and about a 60% chance of precipitation. On the bright side, this storm is forecast to have light winds and move through the area quickly. Lower Owens River Unfortunately the Owens will be completely out of shape with flows being released from PV Reservoir at around 600 cfs. If you are into white water rafting instead of fishing, this section of water may be better suited. Bishop Area All of the canyon streams flowing into the valley from Lone Pine to Bishop should be fishable. High water from runoff is not expected to influence stream flow until later in the spring. Hungry trout will be available for the taking, using nymphs such as Hare’s Ears and Pheasant Tails. Small baitfish imitations should also work in size #12-14. Pleasant Valley Reservoir If you plan on fly fishing “The Rez”, a float tube is the only way to go here. Walking in from the south end at the parking lot with a float tube, fins and fly rod, wearing neoprene waders may seem like quite an undertaking. But sometimes it’s worth it! Another way to go is to ride your bicycle in from the north end at the power plant with your tube gear hanging on your back. The north end of the “Rez” has been fishing well for tubers pulling streamers such as Muddler minnows, Hornbergs, and Black and Olive wooly buggers. Where the river flows in, midges suspended under an indicator will also produce fish. Crowley Lake Be prepared for “Crowley Combat” fishing during the opening weekend. Expected anglers on the lake may number 5000 eager fisherman! If you can find an open spot on the lake, fly fishing should be very good. Crowley has been ice bound most of the winter and trout will definitely be on the prowl for a meal. Suspending midge larva and pupa patterns a foot or so off the bottom is always a good bet. Concentrate on areas that are 12-14 feet in depth and don’t be afraid to move around. Sometimes moving 100 feet or so, one way or another, will drastically improve your chances. Streamers fished on a type II or III sink line should also produce. The trout generally are not picky this early in the season so using Buggers, leach patterns and Twin Lake specials in dark colors black, olive and maroon should produce vicious strikes. Convict Lake As of this writing, Convict Lake has quite a bit of open water near the boat ramp and along the edges. It should be looking a lot better by the time opening weekend rolls around. It appears the campground will still be closed, so overnight accommodations will have to be made elsewhere. Mammoth Lakes Basin The upper elevation lakes will still have mucho snow and ice, so fly fishing is really out of the question. However the streams in the area should be in pretty good shape with the serious runoff delayed until warmer temperatures prevail. The accessible areas will be heavily stocked and ready for the onslaught. Bridgeport Lower Twin Lake will be completely open and should prove to be a great spot for the opener. Upper Twin Lake has broken up, but there remains some ice on the lake with most of the edges and outlet open. The campgrounds at this time are still fairly snowbound. Bridgeport Reservoir is completely open and will undoubtedly produce some great fishing this season. Jim at Rick’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport reports that streamers like Seal Buggers and Flasher Buggers with a Bird’s Nest trailer will definitely take fish. When the weather warms some and the insect action increases, midge fishing on the west side of the lake will also produce some good fish. The Walker River below Bridgeport Reservoir dam is currently running at 193 cfs and will be a good bet for fly anglers on the opener. Both the California and Nevada side of the river should fish quite well at these flow rates. Golden Stones, Tiger midges, Hare’s Ears and Pheasant Tails should produce fish in the smooth water below the riffles. Stimulators with a Midge dropper are always a popular rig. All of us who love fishing understand that “limiting your catch” and not “catching your limit” has become much more important every year. Please practice good catch and release methods, pinch down your barbs and return those great trout unharmed for those anglers that come behind us. Please be mindful of the New Zealand mud snail problem we have in this area and take the necessary precaution to avoid spreading the scourge. For more information, visit the website http://www.flyline.com/environmental/nzms . Good fishing until next time… Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com , Fly Fishing Guide Service Located along Hwy 395 in the Eastern Sierras Gunby1@msn.com High Sierra Trout Season Opener! April 30, 2005 The day we long for is almost here. The opening day of six months of fishing in the High Sierra! This year’s High Sierra trout season opener will provide everything the serious angler looks for. Cold temps and plenty of snow on the ground look like a given for opening day. This combined with the on fire action we saw at the close of the 2004 trout season should give all anglers an experience they’ll talk about for years to come. Below: Paiute Pass Brook Trout - photo by Charlie Halsell We are lucky enough to have Rick Gunby, one of the Sierra’s top fly- fishing guides, offering his expert advice on our fishing reports this year. His vast knowledge of the lakes and streams along the Eastern Sierras should help get you going in the right direction. Visit his website by clicking on the link at the end of this report to see even more of what these mountains have to offer. For the Bishop Creek canyon area on opening day, you might want to get to Intake Two a little earlier than you did at the opener last year. Tim Alpers will be planting 6,000 pounds of his famous “Alpers” rainbow trout BEFORE opening day. I know what the crowd looked like here last opener, so you probably won’t see me there. I will be fishing my favorite spot that is located… Wherever you end up on opening day 2005, I wish you a great day and the best of luck! See you out there! Charlie Halsell Rick Gunby’s Eastern Sierra Fishing Report for April 1, 2005 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Weather Service Forecast Office in Redwood City announced today that there is a strong probability that the spring of 2005 will be the coldest and wettest in recent history. Temperatures well below average will continue, with the Pacific storm track taking a dead aim at central California. Heavy snows in the mountains and low temperatures will delay the fishing opener in the Eastern Sierras until mid July this year! OR SO IT SEEMS…. April Fools!! Or is it?? The ten-day forecast doesn’t show any significant storms coming our way. Most of the inclement weather seems to be heading for the Northwest thank goodness. We sure would like to give spring a chance to develop here in the Eastern Sierras. For up to the date weather info, go here. Crowley Lake / Bridgeport Reservoir We are looking forward to some great fishing conditions this season. The abundant snowfall and resulting runoff will be great for the lower elevation lakes Such as Crowley and Bridgeport Res. Being able to maintain higher water levels throughout most of the season will undoubtedly make for better fly-fishing. This will allow the water to stay colder longer; prolong the weed bed growth and keep the fish up in the shallows feeding on the perch fry and midges. Stillwater fly-fishing this fall should be better than we have seen it in sometime! A late start will be the rule for the upper elevation lakes. A later ice out and limited access will delay fishing these scenic areas until sometime early summer. Lower Owens River The Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power have increased the flows considerably as of late. The current CFS is hovering around 300 as of this writing. This flow rate can only go up from here, as the PVR (Pleasant Valley Reservoir) will need to handle significant runoff this spring and early summer. The water demands of our neighbors to the south will keep the flows up around 400-500 CFS for the balance of the season. A change in tactics is required when fishing this higher water. These increased flows make it near impossible to wade the river so your profile from the bank will become more apparent to the fish. A common mistake is standing on the edge of the bank, casting straight to the fish. Instead, present the fly downstream to the rising fish, dropping the dry fly on the water well above the trout so as not to spook him. Then add slack line quickly and allow the fly to drift downstream, drag free into the feeding lane. Pause a moment after the take and set the hook! Nymphs to use would be Baetis #16-18 and Caddis pupa (Hydropsychid Net Spinner) #12-16. Use two or three BB size split shot and make sure you are on the bottom. Use a large enough indicator to support the heavier rig and open up your casting loop when lobbing it up and across the stream. Cover the run completely before moving on. Systematically fish each area of the holding water or you will be passing up fish. East Walker River Currently the flows are 73 CFS on the Nevada side of the river and according to Rick at Ken’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport the E.W is fishing well. There has been some dry fly action mid day with small BWOs from #18-22s and there are some Little Golden Stoneflies around so Stimulators are working with a Tiger Midge dropper being a good combination. The usual Baetis nymphs such as Bead head Gold- Ribbed Hares Ears and Pheasant Tails will also work. The outlook for the general trout season on the E.W. is very good this year due to the expected higher water in the Reservoir and the amount of cold water being released into the river. Pleasant Valley Reservoir Things have settled down quite a bit since the Blake Jones Trout Derby. (All that glitters isn’t gold!) Most of the floating bait has floated off somewhere else, and the majority of the debris has been picked up by the inmates, leaving the Res. somewhat back to normal. Power is being generated up stream on a daily basis so the fish are moving up to feed towards the narrower North end. Float tubers are taking Rainbows and Browns using Midges up in the shallower areas and Streamers are also working well from the river inlet to around the boat ramp. The water temps have warmed up some so you can stay in the water longer without turning blue. Good Fishing, until next time… Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service Located in the Eastern Sierra. email:gunby1@msn.com Find even more about the High Sierras by clicking on the following links;       ........................................................................

Standing on the hill above the Intake Two campgrounds on Friday 10-28-2005

We leave for the season in only two days. The weather has been so nice lately it is making it harder to go. The browns are starting to show in both Sabrina and South Lake. I wish I could stay just a little bit longer.

I will do my best to write more in the winter. I should be hitting the So Cal lakes every few weeks and will share any info I get.

Thanks for sharing yet another perfect season with us...

Charlie, Christy, Charles, and Thomas Halsell

           Our family at the US Open last month. Lake Meade, Nevada

             Cathy Phillips - probably the best female angler in the High Sierra.

August 8^th, 2005

High Sierra Woodcarvings Fishing Report

www.highsierrawoodcarvings.com

 I’m back in full swing again, as far as getting out fishing goes. I was able to go at least once a day over the past week. I didn’t break any of my old records, but it sure was nice to be back on the water again!

I fished South Lake twice this last week. I fished off the dam and didn’t’ have much luck until I went deep. There is an algae layer that is around 10 feet down. I didn’t see but a couple of fish above this. I did best by putting two B-B sized split shots 18 inches above a white jig. I waited until it hit bottom and then began a slow retrieve while bouncing the tip of the rod slightly. This produced a fish 50% of the time on a day when no one else was catching.

Intake Two lived up to its reputation with both size and numbers. I met a family that did well earlier in the week. Frank Garza of La Puente, Ca woke up the rest of his reluctant crew before 6am and made it down to the Intake near the pipe. The early start payed off quickly with a 4 pounder that hit on salmon eggs under a small split shot. This woke up the rest of his group and Kekoa Estrada, Gabriel Rios, and the youngest 10 year old Joseph Garza started filling their own stringers with fish up to 2 pounds. Thanks to “uncle” Frank, they were in the right place at the right time!

Others did well here with green “Power Bait” from shore or the grasshopper colored “Stinger” by Trout Traps. The main Inlet continues to be the hot spot for fish in the 2 to 7 pound range. With the water flow still high it is best to weight your line with a size 4 split shot to get your offering down to the hole where these big guys like to hang out. Cast up stream from the peninsula and keep most of the slack out of your line. Watch your line closely for any tugs and be ready to set that hook!

Sabrina is my new favorite spot. I fished from shore twice and also took a kayak to the back of the lake in the past week. The water is very clear so fish are hitting in the shallows as well as deep. If you have never tried “sight fishing” now would be a great time. The inlet at the back right-hand side produced the most fish. You can take the ½ hour hike or rent a boat to get there. A family drifting worms by casting up into the inlet were knocking ‘em dead from their boat.

If you do take a boat here don’t forget to stay at least 25 or more yards out from the inlet to keep from spooking the fish.

I made it to Weir pond 2 nights ago. It had been almost two weeks since any “Alpers” had been stocked, but I still managed to find a few hiding in the reeds. This place is a great standby when nowhere else is producing. There are 2 foot wide channels in the reeds at the far back that hold the bigger fish. Rarely do I find these channels empty. I keep my head below the sight line and cast a small jig BEFORE I look to see if something is there. You won’t be disappointed – just save one for me!

That’s it for this report; I hope it helps you on your next time out!

Charlie Halsell

charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com     

August 1st, 2005

                               Darrall Andreas- driver - and Augustine Murguia

This week's report is from as close to the source as you can get. Darrall Andreas and Augustine Murguia, both employees of Alpers Ranch, have shared with us a few of their guarded secrets. A common question they get from anglers that are lucky enough to be there when they stock is "How can I catch one of those?" Their most common reply is "You just got to be lucky I guess!"

Well I caught Darrall and Augustine on a good day. They had just finished stocking Cardinal Pond when I asked for a short interview.

Darrall has worked for Tim Alpers for over 16 years now. If there is anyone who knows about the famed "Alpers" trout, it's Darrall. He stocks trout in the 2 to 8 pound range on a daily basis. The largest fish he has ever stocked personally was a 21 pounder that was put into Lake Mary near the town of Mammoth Lakes. He still loves to fish and said his favorite spot is Pleasant Valley Reservoir in the Winter-time. He targets the German Browns that call the place home. I asked Darrall what the best way to catch the "Alpers" was and he said a "Thomas Bouyant." I then said "You mean the red and gold one right?" "Naw - that'll work sure- but too many people use that one. The best one is this one!" He then took a lure off of the visor in front of him and said," It's yours. Keep it!"

                             This is the lure that Darrall gave me.

It was a blue and silver "Thomas Cyclone" with black and red dots on it. The model number is s514 and it weighs 1/6th of an ounce. "It has a smaller profile than the spoons that most people use and does a lot better, especially when the fish are picky." according to Darrall.

Augustine actually lives at the Alpers Ranch and has been working for Tim since last November. He is the one that runs the fish from the truck to the water. The biggest fish he has stocked is a 14 pounder that he put into Crowley a few months ago. "It looked like a shark swimming with the other fish we put in. It was huge!" "Don't believe him!" joked Darrall from the driver seat. "That was a small one!"

They had to get going - but before they left they let me know that they had just put 600 pounds of fish into Intake Two, and 150 pounds into North Lake. The stream below Sabrina would get some in the pools there and a few would go into the pool at the North Lake turn off.

I had a big smile as I waved them off. I knew I had just heard some of the most valuable fishing advice I would hear in some time. Use this info carefully. (We wouldn't want too many people using THIS lure as well!) I think I might drive down to Intake Two for some strange reason.

Best of Luck on your next time out!

Charlie Halsell

charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com

July 12th, 2005

                 

               I caught and released this rainbow a few days ago at South Lake.

I don't actually have the right to post this report as I have only fished once in the past week. I have always prided myself in the ability to give you reports no more than a few days old because fishing reports, much like fish, begin to stink after just a few days. Life just got busy. That is my only excuse.

What I can offer is best wishes on your next time out. I will be taking the next two weeks off as far as the fishing report goes. To get the latest on the Bishop Creek Canyon area, go to www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com for a report that Patty Apted posts. I know of no other report that comes from people that still love to fish as much as Patty and her husband Rick.

We should be hearing from Rick Gunby soon. I look forward to it as he always  helps me get pointed in the right direction.

Wherever you end up, May God himself bless your lines.

Until next time...

Charlie Halsell

charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com

 

          July 2nd, 2005 - Gull Lake Marina

                                www.gulllakemarina.com

          Michael Maine of Palmdale, California with a 5lb 9oz "Alpers" rainbow

                   

             Brian Hopper of Valencia, California with a 3 lb "Alpers" rainbow.

                           

Rod Ida with sons Alex and Nicholas with another lunker out of Gull Lake.

                           

                             Dan Mc Kernan, Manager of Gull Lake Marina.

Gull Lake Report - July 2nd, 2005

Report and photos by Charlie Halsell

e-mail charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com

I love the Bishop Creek area where I live, but Gull Lake is where I go when I get some "time off." My first time fishing here I didn't have a clue where to start. I wandered out through the reeds on the south side and I couldn't believe what I saw. Twenty or more "Alpers" rainbows from 2 to 6 lbs were schooling next to an old fallen pine! It took me a long time to tie on a mini-jig because of how much I was shaking. Over the next two hours that followed, I had the best fishing experience of my life at that point. I ended up with 3 fish over 4 lbs.

Today I stopped off at the Gull Lake Marina to talk with some friends. It was 6pm and the anglers that had rented boats were beginning to come in. The first was Michael Maine of Palmdale, California. He was walking proudly towards the scale with a big bellied rainbow trout that weighed in at 5lbs 9oz. It had the fattest belly I've seen on a fish in quite some time. (See photo above) He had caught the fish with an inflated night crawler along the reeds on the west side of the lake. He was using a Shimano combo with only 2lb test!

Next off the docks were the Ida family of Orange County. Rod Ida and his sons Alex and Nicholas made their way to the scale with a nice looking rainbow that weighed in at 2lbs 4oz. Rod gave credit to Dan the marina manager for the advice he had given them before they rented the boat. Chartreuse "Power Bait" did the trick for the trio along the reeds on the west side. They had witnessed the 5 lb 9 oz rainbow being caught and they "can't wait" to get back out there again.

Only a few minutes later, Brian Hopper of Valencia, California docked his boat and then brought up a 3 pounder to the scale. He used a blue/silver 1/4 ounce "Kastmaster" to land his fish. He had anchored his boat on the South end of the lake where he caught his trophy.

I stopped in the shop before I left to ask Dan Mc Kernan, the marina manager, what he would recommend to anyone heading to Gull Lake soon. He suggested "bait-fishing the tules as well as Indian Rock." "Troll the corners of the lake with Triple Teasers and red/gold Thomas Bouyants" "An assortment of Rapalas will bring good results as well when trolling." Stop in and talk with Dan if you get a chance.   

I continued to watch the fish cleaning station fill up with big fish and smiling faces. The sun had set but it was still warm out. People weren't in any hurry to go anywhere as they exchanged fishing stories from the day. Gary, the owner of the marina, was getting a fire started out in front of the tackle store and gift shop as I drove off. It was another perfect day at Gull Lake. I can't wait to go back...

See you out there!

Charlie Halsell - charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com  

        Sandra Bullock with a nice rainbow from Bishop Creek. June 29th

                          

     Gordy Coulman of Fallbrook, California with a 6 pound rainbow - Intake Two

June 26, 2005

High Sierra Woodcarvings Fishing Report

Submitted by Charlie Halsell

Weather Report

It’s the time of year for afternoon thunder showers. We got around an inch of rain at 8,500 feet in Bishop Creek Canyon yesterday. Today’s www.weather.com forecast calls for more thunder showers throughout the coming week. Temps will stay mild with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 40’s.  The fishing has been good to great this past week, but be aware of the possibility of lightning if you plan on being out in a boat.

 Intake Two is simply a trout factory this year. Even the stories of “the good ol’ days” don’t hold water to the size and numbers that are coming out of Intake this season. A three or four pounder hardly gets a reaction out of anyone with fish in the 6 pound plus range being an almost common sight

  Gordy Coulman of Fallbrook hit Intake Two Friday with a red/gold Thomas Bouyant next to the small pier. His efforts landed him a big bellied 6 pound rainbow as well as a 3 pounder.

  Only a mere 20 feet away the Johnson brothers, Chad and Shane pulled in 8 fish that totaled 23 pounds! They used night crawlers, Powerbait , and a Thomas Bouyant to land their lunkers.

  Brad and Brandon Valerius fished from shore closer to the dam to land their limits which included a 6 pound rainbow. Salmon eggs just off the bottom got them each of their trophies.

   The list of people with fish in the 3 to four pound range is too long to list. I will tell you though that most of them were caught on the red/gold “Thomas Bouyant.”

The “Thomas Bouyant” company can no longer produce the same red/gold lure that they have in the past. The finish on it needed an additive to produce the “wrinkled” look. This “additive” can no longer be used for one reason or another. The new red/gold lure that they cam out with has a “stamped” texture on it and has proven itself to work just fine.

They also came out with two gold lures with a red or black lightning bolt on it. I haven’t used these yet but I’ll give them a shot soon and let you know how it goes.

  Let’s review today’s report just for the fun of it.

Intake Two – red/gold “Thomas Bouyants” – BIG FISH!

Even if you are headed all the way to Bridgeport, you just might want to head 17 miles west when you get to Bishop. It is getting 3 to 4 times the amount of fish in the 2 to 9 pound range this season. A few hours spent here could be well worth your while.

I’ll try to get to the bigger lakes this coming week and get some info for you there.

Till then…

Have fun out there!

Charlie Halsell

June 24th 2005, 4pm

                      Nice catch at Intake Two!

         The Johnson family of La Palma, California- L to R- Chad, Susan, Carl, and Shane.

June 22nd, 2005

              South Lake, almost full, 6-22-2005  1pm

            

Update!  I fished South Lake today. Lots of fish are hanging by the dam. Nothing over 2 pounds visible. Probably bigger ones behind the island. Wind came up strong by 11am. Intake Two is the better call for this weekend. Good luck!...Charlie Halsell

                         

Another high country lake, loaded with fish and no-one fishing. (2 hour hike)

June 21st, 2005

Fly fishing report submitted by Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com

Fly Fishing Guide Service in the Eastern Sierras, CA

 The Eastern Sierra Mountains have finally been released from the grip of a very potent winter.  The high mountain passes and roads leading to our most beautiful resorts, lakes and streams are now open.  The exception is Tioga Pass that should open by the end of the month.  The Bishop Canyon area including North, South, and Sabrina Lakes are all open just waiting to be fished!  Rock Creek Lake area above Tom’s Place has awakened from under a thick white blanket with a multitude of angling and camping opportunities.  The road leading into the Mammoth Lakes Basin was opened last Saturday providing access to great camping and fishing in a truly remarkable setting.  Now if we could get rid of these powerful wind events we have been experiencing lately, we can get down to the business of catching some fish!

Lower Owens River

Currently the flow rate is at 300 cfs and scheduled to be increased to 350 by the end of next week.  At those flows, wading can be tricky!  The use of a wading staff will enable you to maintain your balance should you lose your footing.  I talked to a friend who went down twice yesterday!  The second time completely submerged with no serious damage incurred fortunately (except his pride).  The Lower Owens is fishing quite well, however, with large caddis nymph patterns in size #12-14 and big Pheasant Tail nymphs, both taking Browns.  At least two BB size shots and long leaders are needed to get right on the bottom. In late afternoon to evening the bug activity on the surface will allow you to entice some fish on dries such as Elk Hair and Fluttering Caddis patterns.

 Bishop Creek Canyon

(Scroll down to the June 19th report for even more on Bishop Creek Canyon)

As stated earlier in this report, all lakes in this area are now open.  The most recent opening was North Lake, which is a great float tube lake.  Each season this lake accounts for consistent limits on rainbows from 1½ - 4 pounds.  Leech patterns in maroon and black are good along with wooly buggers with some flash in the body and marabou tails.  Olive, black and purple colors are good in the buggers.  Water is very cold this time of year.  Layer up!  Bishop Creek, although high, is providing action on dry flies.  The fish are not large, but their numbers make up for it.  Try Sierra Captains or little Yellow Sally’s along with small stimulators and Caddis patterns.  These fish are very opportunistic and will hit most any well-presented fly.  “Dappling” the fly in eddies behind rocks will often bring strikes.  South and Sabrina Lakes have rapidly rising water and both have large numbers of fish cruising the shoreline at lowlight levels, searching for food.  Most types of streamers fished on a type II or III sink line, parallel to the shore, will fool these fish.  Popular patterns here would be Doc’s Twin Lake Specials in black and brown, olive Matukas, and AP nymphs in dark colors.  Areas around the many inlets will always hold fish.  Casting up into them, allowing the fly to sink and then fast strips should bring vicious strikes!

 Crowley Lake

So far this season Crowley has been tough to figure out.  One day it fishes great; the next day when you think you have it wired --- Not so!  Fluctuations in water levels this year seem to be playing a major role, in my humble opinion.  If the lake level would stabilize for a while, I think the fishing would be greatly improved.  The weed beds have extended out from the shore into about 12 feet of water now.  They still have a way to go before reaching the surface.  Fishing along the edges of these weeds is always a good bet especially when the perch fry are present.  The depth at which most fish are caught is between 12-15 feet.  Midging at this depth requires a very long leader and a long arm as well.  Recently, suspended flies at 1-3 feet off the bottom produce the most hits.  Callibaetis Mayflies are present in larger numbers than I have seen in some time.  On a two-fly rig, use a natural Hare’s Ear pattern (Baetis Nymph) on top and a midge pupa on the bottom.  We have taken quite a number of fish with this combo lately.  Big Hilton Bay and McGee Bay have been the most consistent producers up to this point.  The algae bloom has been increasing daily but has not presented a problem as of yet.

Mammoth Lakes Basin

At this time I only have info on Lake Mary.  Yesterday 75 large Alpers trout were planted there.  Float tubers are taking many trout near the south cove and the Lake George inlet.  Olive Matukas and Wooly Buggers have been responsible for the majority of fish.  Using full sink lines and getting that fly to the bottom will get those hungry trout excited.

 Bridgeport Reservoir

The reservoir is completely full and many areas are covered with water that has not seen this condition for some time.  The trout are spread all over the lake right now with no one area being singled out as the hot spot.  Peak runoff should be expected within a week or so.  This will insure more favorable conditions as the reservoir and river levels decrease. In most years by this time, the algae in the “Res” have all but covered this lake.  But due to the cold water from runoff still being introduced, this condition has been delayed considerably.  Take advantage of this great fishery if you get a chance.  You won’t regret time spent on this water.

 East Walker River

Currently the flows here are at 860 cfs.  This flow rate makes it tough to fish.  There have been reports of large Browns being hooked recently, but none have been landed.  When hooked they move into the fast water and gain the advantage, immediately breaking the leader or shaking the hook.  Best to wait for lower flows here before casting to these trout!

 West Walker River

Flow rate of 1050 cfs now.  Whoa!  Give it three weeks at least.

 Good fishing until next time . . . .

 Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service

Located along Hwy 395 in the Eastern Sierras, CA

info@fish395.com

                            Happy Father's Day!

         

High Sierra Woodcarvings Fishing Report

Submitted by Charlie Halsell

June 19, 2005

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

   Father’s Day weekend is always a great time to be up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Dads and their families can be seen fishing, hiking, or just simply relaxing. (When they are not un-tangling line, that is.)

  We had some amazing wind over the past three days. Gusts of wind over 100mph were reported over the crest of the High Sierra. At 8,500 ft in Bishop Creek Canyon we had steady winds of 30 to 40 mph with the occasional gust of 50 to 60. Temps have stayed in the low 40’s at night with the highs getting up into the 60’s. The forecast for Father’s Day is for highs in the mid 60’s and lows tonight in the high 30’s. We should see a big jump in temps tomorrow with a high pressure system moving over the area bringing another 10 degrees or more to the highs and lows.

  I didn’t see nearly as many big fish caught this week as I have in the weeks past. It just wasn’t easy to spend large amounts of time on the water. Places like the south side of Intake Two or Cardinal Pond were the only places somewhat sheltered from the high winds. A few spots along both forks of Bishop Creek like Weir Pond and the pools below Sabrina allowed for a bit of a wind break as well. Anyone willing to tough it out did fine, especially at North Lake.

  The road to North Lake has been opened for 5 days now. It received its first stocking of Tim Alpers fish this past Friday. Most of these were in the 3 to 4 pound range with a few around 6. Throwing jigs wasn’t much of an option with the high winds unless you know how to use them with a bobber. I do best with at least 6 feet of line between the bobber and the jig. Casting side shore into the wind using a slow steady retrieve works best. Keep the tip of your rod near the water and as much slack as possible out of your line so you’re ready to set the hook as soon as the bobber goes down.  I use a small yellow and orange bobber with a few BB’s in it for weight and sound.

Bob and Kathy Phillips of Grenada Hills caught plenty of fish over 2 pounds this trip using their favorite “grasshopper” Trout Traps from their float tubes. Bob switched to a gold Panther Martin and hooked into a fish that kept him busy for just over a half hour at North Lake. I wasn’t there to see it, but I had no problem believing him as he often catches fish in the 6 plus pound range. I was fishing from my kayak last year at North Lake when Bob hooked into a fish using a small brown Rapala. I was only 20 yards or so from him when he hooked it so I got to see the near 7 pounder when he landed it About the only person up here that can out-fish Bob on occasion is his wife Kathy. I have seen her catch plenty of fish in the 4 plus pound range. If you are lucky enough to meet this couple while you’re up here, pay attention, these two can catch fish!  

Most of the fish caught over 4 pounds at North Lake were off of “lemon twist” Power Bait fished just off the bottom with at least 18 inches of leader. Roger Privett of Los Angeles used “chartreuse” Power Bait to land a 4.25 pound rainbow from the shore closest to the parking area. Roger always gets nice fish using just enough Power Bait to cover a #20 treble hook.

   A system I almost always do well with when fishing North Lake is fishing the shallows near the outlet at first light, the shore near the red rock slide by 10am, the reeds along the dirt road until 12 or 1pm, and then I fish from the reeds at the inlet from 2pm on. The big rainbows at North Lake are pretty predictable and they seem to school in this pattern more often than not. Throw a size 7 Rapala from the reeds at the inlet in the last ½ hour of light for a chance at some of the bigger browns that live here.

  Intake Two wasn’t as hot as it has been, but it still managed to put out a few fish in the 4 to 6 pound range. An extra heavy stocking of DFG trout on Thursday made for some quick limits for the anglers who didn’t mind the wind. The inlet side is still the spot to be for the fish over 3 pounds. Bring up your waders to access this side as it is knee to waist deep water as you work your way through the reeds.

It’s a good idea to start with a red/gold Thomas Bouyant when fishing this side until you get a hit. The fish will school in one or two areas here, so once you find them stay put until the bite’s off. Keep moving until you get hit again.

  The best advice I can give is to be persistent! I get a few complaints every now and then from people who “did exactly what I suggested” and they still didn’t get anything. I then find out that they “fished at least a whole 30 or 45 minutes” before they gave up.

If you are out to relax, then bring up the lawn chair, your favorite bait, plenty of snacks and drinks and no matter what happens, your day is a success. If you are out for a big fish, plan on a physical day, lots of hiking around checking numerous spots, and basically 6 or more hours on the water. Make sure your gear is in order BEFORE you leave home. A little planning goes a long way in fishing. Maybe most importantly, be willing to learn. When I walk around the lakes here, I ask a ton of questions. A great place to start is not necessarily the owner of the resort, but the guy running the boat rentals or the bus-boy at the café. These are people that are taking whatever jobs they have to so they can fish and fish often. Just act like you have no idea what you are doing and make them feel important. If they do decide to give up a few secrets, don’t interrupt with “oh yeah, that worked for me last week when I caught that...” Simply listen and know that you are getting a priceless lesson from someone who spends hours and hours on the water that you are about to fish. I got one of my best fishing tips from a young guy running the boat rentals at Lake Mary in Mammoth Lakes. I had fished here lots before and had always done well. I simply said to him “Where would YOU fish if you had this morning off?”

I would tell you what he told me but then I would have to find a new favorite spot.

  I’ve written too much already so I’ll end it here. Once again – best of luck on your next time out and don’t forget…

Fish Hard!

See you soon-

Charlie Halsell

charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com

                                      June 16th,2005

           

                       Convict Lake with a bit of wind on it.    6-16-2005 6:30pm

Fishing has been a little difficult lately. The gusts of wind over the crest of the Sierras are reaching over 100 mph. I hope I can give a good report soon. I have gone fishing the last three days and I now suspect that someone dipped all of my jigs and lures in gasoline. Maybe tomorrow if the wind is still up I will just go surfing at Convict Lake. Wish me luck....

June 14th, 2005                North Lake Road Opens!            I took the photo above from the outlet at 5:15pm. Only 3 people were fishing.   I drove up to North Lake as soon as I got the news from "Dale," the regional campground manager. I only had an hour to fish, and I didn't do so well. I only caught one fish at the inlet that was less than a pound. There is a whole lot of water in the meadow above the lake. I can imagine that we're in for a  record mosquito season. You can see how high the water level is in the photo above. Normally this guy would be standing in just below the knee deep water. I will go back up there tomorrow and see if I can do any better.                        "Big Fish Board" located outside Cardinal Village Bait Shop High Sierra Woodcarvings Fishing Report 6-12-2005 Submitted by Charlie Halsell charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com June 12, 2005 5:30 am Life is great at 8,500 ft. I feel extra spoiled this morning as I write this. The high today for this elevation is forecasted for the upper 70’s. There are two baby golden eagles in the nest on the cliffs above. The fishing is better than even “the good ol’ days.” I have a brand new son who is now 5 days old…. It just goes on and on.   FISHING REPORT….   I have had a busy week with our baby boy being born, but I still managed to get out and fish twice with my 18 month old son Charles in his baby back-pack.  Intake Two once again is making headlines with both numbers as well as size. This will continue throughout the 2005 season as S.C. Edison continues to prime the big fish fund to help make up for lost business in this area last year. They had to drain both Intake Two as well as Lake Sabrina to be able to work on the dams there. This translates to big fish – and LOTS of them!   INTAKE TWO has been kind to many people over the past week – again! It’s not just the locals and the semi-pros that are getting the lunkers either. Pink “Power Bait” and salmon eggs have landed many fish in the 7 to 8 pound range for people who have never caught much more than a pound. “Trout Teasers” and other mini-jigs still rein king over any bait or lures though. Pearl white is the best color to use if you “just happen” to be up here on the day the big fish are stocked. It is common to see 5 or more people throwing this color and then see the same people later at the fish cleaning station with their limit of fish in the 3 to 6 pound range. If it has been a couple days or more since a water has been stocked, it is best to use a more natural color such as brown or green and oil. The grasshopper color by “Trout Traps” has become a favorite to many. The perch color put out by “Trout Teasers” is still my favorite.   Orland Pilon threw a “fightin’ frog” colored mini-jig and landed a 6 ¾  pounder while float tubing near the inlet at Intake Two Friday. Orland has quite a few pictures on the “Big  Fish” boards in many tackle shops in the Sierras. He consistently catches huge fish using jigs and the occasional “Thomas Bouyant” – (red and gold of course.) Jeff Creamer also of Corona is another regular that always does well with jigs. This trip the jigs weren’t producing as well for him so he switched to the red/gold “Thomas Bouyant” and caught 3 fish over 3 pounds in less than 45 minutes. Jeff can also be found on many “Big Fish” boards with fish in the 6 to 8 pound range. Seven year old Jakob Gonterman of Hunington Beach used a “Trout Teaser”from the shore at Intake Two to coax a 2 ½ pound hard fighting rainbow to his net on Saturday morning. I saw Jakob hours later Saturday evening with the same huge grin on his face. Ken Morse of Vista tossed a red/gold “Thomas Bouyant” near the small pier at Intake Two Friday and landed a 4 pounder as well as a 2 ¾ pounder. He suggested tying directly to the lure with no swivel to get the most hits. A 7 pounder was caught near the dam by Doug Gagnon of Upland. He used a night crawler and 3 pound line to land the lunker. Are you seeing a trend? BIG FISH – a variety of baits and skill level. It is anyone’s game at Intake Two this season. If you have been coming to the Sierra’s for years hoping to finally catch that monster, you just might want to head west when you get to Bishop. Intake Two is located 17 miles outside of Bishop on 168 or “West Line St.” If you see the Cardinal Village Resort sign, then you have only gone one mile too far. Stop in the Cardinal bait and tackle shop and see what the fish have been hitting on, grab some breakfast or lunch, and then head back down 168. Intake Two is easy to spot when you are going downhill. Oh yeah – don’t forget a net, a BIG net!   I didn’t fish any other areas this past week, but I will try to hit at least Sabrina and South Lake before I write you again. Until then – put in your 2 weeks notice at work, buy a camper, and I’ll see you in Bishop Creek Canyon soon! Best of luck! Charlie Halsell charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com                                                          Thomas Raymond Halsell                                     Born June 6th,2005 at 4:36 am               God is so good to me...        No reports for a week or so, I have someone I need to get to know. Thanks...Charlie   June 5, 2005 High Sierra Woodcarvings Fishing Report By Charlie Halsell   This time I write to you from the Mammoth Hospital. My wife Christy and I have been here for three hours now and it is only 6am. You see when contractions are 5 minutes apart or less that means that a little one is on the way! Yup, we are going to have a baby! She is doing fine and is hoping that today is actually the day. “Grace Jacquelyn Halsell” is the only name we have decided on at this point so we are guessing the baby is a girl. If not, we will have a baby boy without a name for just a little while. I’ll keep you updated…..   The FISH Report!   I have been lucky enough to fish every day this past week! Charles ( in his baby backpack) and I have hit Intake Two every day around 4pm. We have had our best luck wading in the reeds on the South side of the lake. Perch colored mini-jigs tipped with a 1 inch piece of Berkleys “Gulp” nightcrawlers have landed us some nice fish. I keep cookies and crackers in my fishing vest to help out Charles when the fishing is slow.   South Lake is ice-free and the fish are not picky. The fish piled up at the inlet gave me my best time fishing so far this year. The water level is still down around 40 feet so the “inlet” is now just to the left of the normal “island” at the back. I fished here with Tony Davidson of Davidson Taxidermy less than a week ago. We caught both browns and rainbows and had hits on almost every cast! A size 7 brown Rapala got the most reaction out of the browns while the rainbows went for just about anything. Use caution if you hike here as there is 3 creeks to cross as well as a lot of sections of ice and hard packed snow.   North Lake has put out an eight as well as a nine pounder in the last week. You still have to hike 45 minutes to get to the lake, but the walk has paid off greatly for anyone who has gone there. The road in will still be closed for one week according to the Forest Service. Natural colored jigs at the inlet as well as an assortment of lures with red on them have landed plenty of fish here in the 2 to 4 pound range. Nightcrawlers have landed most of the fish above 5 pounds. Access around the whole lake is wide open now. Plan on taking waders if you want to get to the areas that haven’t been fished yet. I would recommend hiking up with a float tube to anyone who feels up to it.   Intake Two is putting out ridiculous amounts of big fish! The normal spots that used to hold the big ones at the front of the lake are now gone due to the thousands of truckloads of dirt and sediment that were taken out the past two seasons. The “hot spot” is now on the peninsula at the main inlet. There is a hole here that the big fish seem to like to hang in once they find it. (Please limit yourself to 10 minutes of fishing here cause there are usually 10 or more people waiting for you to call it quits so they can have the “hot spot” for a bit.)  Salmon eggs have taken a lot of nice fish on the North side of the lake. Yellow “Power Bait” is the favorite color of choice for anglers fishing off the bottom near the dam.   Lake Sabrina is in full swing now with the water rising 2 feet a day. I fished the inlet in the back from a kayak last week and had a great time catching and releasing browns, rainbows, and some hard fighting brookies! You can rent boats here to get to the back where the fish should be piled up for the nest couple of weeks. Don’t pull your boat up all the way into the inlet as this will scatter the fish holding there. Anchor out 30 yards or so away from the shore and cast lures or bait under a bobber up into the moving water and keep most of the slack out of your line. Usually 4 or 5 fish will give you a chance on each pass so be ready!   Bishop Creek on both forks is experiencing well above normal flows. This makes the fishing more challenging, but don’t just drive past the bends in the creek without giving it a try.   The contractions are getting closer – say a prayer for Christy and the baby, Gotta Go!!! Charlie June 4th 2005 High Sierra Woodcarvings Fishing Report                                          "Local Boy" Nathan, of Aspendell - Nice catch at Cardinal Pond 6-4-2005 Just a short note and a picture to let you know that the weather is as nice as the fishing right now. The rumors are true. The only thing more amazing than the crowds at Intake Two are the size and numbers of the fish. I'll have a full report soon so check back in a few days. Thanks for stopping by.....Charlie June 2nd, 2005 High Sierra Woodcarvings Fishing Report Submitted by Charlie Halsell charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com Welcome back to 8,500 ft. in the heart of the high sierra! We have been having some near perfect weather in Bishop Creek canyon. I would guess that it was July if it wasn’t for the snow on the mountain peaks outside the window here. Daytime temps have been in the mid 70’s to low 80’s for over a week now. Night time temps are staying in the mid 40’s. Check out www.weather.com for the current report and forecast.   The fishing has been great throughout the canyon here. Your favorite pool on the creek might be the exception though as the water flows are still high with the snow melt. It is a nice surprise to find new spots that have been created by recent log jams, so don’t overlook blazing a new trail when you get here.   Intake Two remains the hot spot as far as the big fish go. It is amazing to see that a 7 pounder is a common thing this year. Just last year a 4 or 5 pounder got everyone excited and now it takes something in the 8 pound range. I fished Intake Two twice this past week and had pretty good luck. On Thursday I fished along the dirt road side with my son Charles (who is now 17 months old) in his baby backpack. Using a perch colored jig with a piece of Berkley’s “Gulp” nightcrawlers on the hook I caught and released a lot of nice fish including two that were in the 6 pound range.  People on the dam were doing well with salmon eggs under a bobber, while guys at the inlets did best throwing watermelon colored “Thomas Bouyants” and green “Rooster Tails.” Harry Krewsun of San Diego had a great time Tuesday landing a 6 ½ pound rainbow from his float tube. He was fly-fishing with an olive wooly-bugger on the South side when the lunker hit. Hal Meyer of Las Vegas was glad he made the drive Friday when a 6 pound rainbow took the red “Rooster Tail” he was using.   North Lake continues to provide a great option for those looking for some solitude. The road will remain closed for two more weeks until the forest service is able to plow the snow and rocks. A six pounder was caught here three days ago using a nightcrawler while fish in the 1 to 4 pound range are more of the norm. Plan on two hours of hiking (round trip) if you are going to give this lake a try. Someone walked into the Cardinal Village Resort www.cardinalvillageresort.com bait and tackle store with a 8 pound rainbow that they caught after hiking into North Lake. They got their picture taken and then left without saying how or with what they caught it with. There is a Polaroid picture with "no comment" written at the bottom on the counter by the cash register. South Lake is now ice free! The water level is still 12 ft. or so below the end of the boat ramp, but the level is rising fast. I would expect to see a full lake in 2 to 3 weeks. I looked at the back of the lake from the upper parking lot (Charles was asleep in the truck so I couldn’t hike down to it) and could see nothing but open water. I would like to take a kayak out here soon before the lake is open to boats. Update!- I fished here last night and had some great luck! I hiked to the back of the lake where the inlet is. ( Just to the left of the normal “island” because the water level is still low.) Tony Davidson of “Davidson Taxidermy” was the only person back there. He was using a size 7 or so Rapala and catching plenty of rainbows and browns as well. I didn’t catch any record breakers, but throwing jigs landed me the most fish I have caught in a long time. USE CAUTION if you hike to the back because there is still plenty of snow.   Bishop Creek on both the north and south forks is way up as far as flow goes. The deepest pools are still relatively calm but most of the creek will provide a nice challenge for the average angler. Try casting behind large rocks where trout are holding until the flows are back to normal. There are large stretches of the creek that are being ignored and are well worth your time due to the large numbers that are stocked each week.   I fished Weir Pond two nights ago with my son Charles. We stopped here after checking South Lake and noticed that only one guy was fishing. He was hardly awake but was still able to say “Bish! Bish!” (fish, fish) as we came to a quick stop. I quickly got out my waders, put Charles on my back, and then wondered out to the far side of the pond where the small pools are. ( It was at this point that I realized how much he has grown because last year I never had to worry about his feet getting wet. Now he can splash Dad with the tips of his shoes, much to his amusement.) Anyways, we started off right by hooking into a colorful rainbow that was over 20 inches but couldn’t have weighed more than 2 pounds. She had obviously survived the record winter and wasn’t about to give up without a fight. This fish would head for open water, jump, and then turn and try to bury in the reeds. After a few runs and jumps she got tangled up in the reeds so we waded over and helped her back on her fins and waved “bye-bye bish!” as has become our habit now.( I have to remember not to do this if I fish by myself and there are other people around.) It had only been a round 10 minutes total but it was cold with the sun behind the mountain so we headed for the truck. Charles’ nose was running and his cheeks were bright red as I put him in his car seat. I felt like a bad Dad for the next few minutes on the ride back to the north fork. He made me feel better when he said “Bish, up! Bish, up!” (Talking about when the fish we caught jumped out of the water) I knew he had forgiven me at that point.   Lake Sabrina is completely ice free and has boats to rent and LOTS of fish! I took out a kayak here three nights ago and did quite well once I switched from fishing for “monster” browns to the rainbows. I sat near the inlet and got at least a hit on every cast. I was using a “glow” Trout Teaser because it was nearly dark. Between the huge school of holdovers at the inlet and the ever bigger school that hangs out by the rental boats, you don’t need any advice from me. You can check out the Lake Sabrina website at www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com for some great pictures and fishing advice from the locals there.   That’s it for me this week….. See you out there!   Charlie Halsell charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com      May 22nd, 2005 High Sierra Fishing Report Bishop Creek drainage area - including South Lake, North Lake, Intake Two, Bishop Creek – north and south forks. Lower Owens river, The Canals, Crowley Lake, Bridgeport area, East Walker River, and West Walker river. Submitted by Charlie Halsell High Sierra Woodcarvings www.highsierrawoodcarvings.com Spring is here! Here at 8500 ft. most of the snow has melted and the aspens have begun showing their first leaves. The past two days have brought us temps in the high 70’s to low 80’s. Down in Bishop they topped 95 with even higher temps forecasted for the next few days. South Lake The road to South Lake is closed just above Parcher’s Resort due to 2 to 3 feet of snow still on the road. Hiking in (plan on 45 min to one hour) has rewarded anyone wanting to ice fish with plenty of action. Weir Pond is free of ice and is around a 20 to 30 minute hike. Fish to 4 ½ pounds have been taken here since the opener. Browns sitting in the inlet here are going for anything live. Try drifting a cricket or mealworm into the stillwater. The larger rainbows have mostly been caught on white or perch colored mini-jigs. Bishop Creek – north and south forks Lots more open areas to fish on the south fork thanks to the warming trend we have seen lately. Higher flows have made fishing a bit more challenging but there are plenty of still pools holding fish up to 8 pounds. (Tim Alpers plants this area once a week) The north fork is nearly ice free with the pools just below Lake Sabrina providing the best results. There are a few pools there that are absolutely loaded with rainbows both DFG and a few of the larger fish from the Alper’s Hatchery. Salmon eggs have been the most productive bait and small “Panther Martins” (black body with yellow dots and a gold blade) seem to be the lure of choice. Intake Two Crowded, but still worth a try. I have fished this place almost every day for a week now and have managed to find my own piece of shoreline by wading out to the reeds on the South side of the lake. I have had my best results with green and clear mini-jigs and the occasional red/gold “Thomas Bouyant.” Fish in the 7 to 8 pound range are being caught on a regular basis thanks to the huge sum of money S.C. Edison kicked in to the “Alpers” stocking program. This has resulted in record crowds that resemble Crowley on opening day. The higher flows keeps 4 to 6 inches of water flowing over the spillway which also means the water is much deeper than normal on the south side of the lake near the two inlets. This is great news for the fly-fishermen as this allows enough water here to coax the fish into these beautiful bays. This is usually the leeward side and will allow for fly-fishing through most of the day. Plan on a float tube, kayak, or waders to fish this area, as any of the shoreline access has disappeared with the high water level. People on the dam were doing great with salmon eggs off the bottom. Three fish over 7 lbs were caught this way in the past week alone. Nightcrawlers are the close 2nd for producing the biggest fish at the dam. Diesel Winstead of Orange City landed a healthy 6 ½ pound “Alpers” rainbow using chartreuse “Powerbait” last Thursday at Intake Two. North Lake The road is still closed at the turn off from highway 168. It will be three more weeks before the road will be cleared and the road opened according to the campground area manager. This has actually been nice as the 45 minute hike in offers an option to the masses at Intake Two. The lake was nearly ice free just 3 days ago. Only a small patch of ice remains at the outlet. The fish are piled up at the inlet waiting in line for a chance at whatever floats in from the stream. There has been only good to great reports coming from North Lake. The fish are not as big here but the peace and quiet more than make up for it. Two fish in the 4 pound range were caught here Saturday on the red/gold “Thomas Bouyant.” This color works best in shallow water (2 to 6 feet) while the blue/silver color is best when fishing in lower light or deep water. That’s it from me this week. Wherever you end up….. Best of luck! Charlie Halsell High Sierra Woodcarvings www.highsierrawoodcarvings.com   Update!!!!! I took a kayak out to the back of Lake Sabrina last night. (Friday, 5-27-2005) The lake is completely ice-free now and the fishing is easy to put it simply. I will give more details in next weeks report. Until then you can check out some recent photos of the lake at www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com   O.K Rick, take it from here!!!!           May 15, 2005              Mid-May Fish Report   Fly fishing report submitted by Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service in the Eastern Sierras, CA   Recent warm days and spring storms have started the considerable run-off we have been expecting.  Most streams are full to the point of overflowing, with the water color changing to whiskey brown.  Some of the high elevation lakes such as Rock Creek Lake, South Lake, and lakes in the Mammoth Basin are still ice bound.  But don’t despair; there is still a multitude of waters available for great fly fishing!   Lower Owens River The flows on the Owens continue to be very high, near 550 cfs (cubic feet per second).  Some fish are being caught however by persistent, highly motivated anglers who will fish this river no matter what, “come hell or HIGH WATER”!  A heavily weighted streamer fished in corner pools, eddies and along seams near the banks may take fish Bishop Area Waters Bishop Creek, both north and south forks, are high and roily but still fishable if you’re up to the challenge.  Fish the pools and slack water areas behind rocks where the fish are holding to keep from becoming projectiles launched down the stream.  San Juan worms, egg patterns and small baitfish imitations, weighted to get close to the bottom, should produce hits.  Alpers trout up to 8 pounds are planted here on a regular basis.   Intake Two I have reliable information that the record crowds seen at #2 have not depleted the huge number of fish planted here.  With the use of float tubes, fly fishermen can access the south side near the inlets where the above-average water levels encourage these big fish to cruise the bays.   The Canals These controlled-flow waterways are disregarded by many, but hold a lot of fish.  When most other waters are high and almost unfishable, the canals may provide the fly angler the chance to “match the hatch” and have a great time catching Browns especially late in the day and early evening.                                                                                                                         Crowley Lake The chironomid (midge) fishing has recently picked up with a strong bite occurring mid to late morning.  Concentrate on water depths of 9-12 feet along drop-offs and inlets.  Good areas of late have been the south side of Sandy Point, Big Hilton Bay, McGee Bay off the old weather station and around the middle of the bay directly out from the fence line.  Very early in the morning, try red larva patterns on the bottom.  As the morning continues,       switch to pupae imitations.  A gray body with black ribbing and a black bead head is consistently taking big fish.  Also a black body with copper ribbing and copper bead head in size 18-20 is working well.  Using two flies will often take more fish than just one fly rig.  An attractor pattern like an AP Nymph or Perch fry in black or olive on top, with a midge on the bottom can be very productive.  Don’t get caught up in the idea that where most boats are located is the only place to catch fish.  This time of year the fish are scattered all over the lake, moving from place to place in large schools.  You might hit the next great HOT SPOT and have it all to yourself, for a short time anyway!   Bridgeport Area Bridgeport Reservoir has been fishing well for the trollers using Dodgers trailing a worm or Thomas Bouyants.  The fly fishing has remained slow with only a few fish being caught on Wooly Buggers.  This condition will improve with the forecast for warmer temperatures and light winds in the near future.  Float tubers have not been able to fish some of the more productive areas on the west shore due to the winds.  I’m sure we will get some good reports when access is better.   East Walker River In my last report the flows were at 265 cfs, but there has been major changes in the run-off since then.  Flows have spiked to around 550 cfs now with some minor flooding occurring in the lower areas.  Real tough fishing these flows!  Better to set your sights on stillwater fishing for awhile. West Walker River Same situation, white-water rafting anyone?   Today the National Weather Service issued a small stream flood advisory for the Eastern Sierra due to warming temperatures and rain to the north.  Until the snowmelt run-off decreases, stream fishing along Hwy 395 will be pretty much blown out.  It won’t be long before many of the other lakes in the area will open up.  Your luck will be much better there, focusing your attention on these stillwaters.  On the lighter note:  An angler felt guilty about fly fishing on Sunday.  He said to his companion, “Maybe we shouldn’t be fishing today.  We should have gone to church.”  His companion said, “Well I certainly couldn’t have gone to church.  My wife’s home, sick in bed.”   Good fishing until next time. . . . Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service Located along Hwy 395 in the Eastern Sierras, CA info@fish395.com               High Sierra Fishing Report May 4th, 2005 Submitted by Charlie Halsell                            Shawn Arnold, owner of "Fish Taco Chronicles," at Gull Lake on Opening Day - 2005                                                    www.fishtacochronicles.com Opening Day 2005 has come and gone and the general trout season is in full swing now. Places like Intake Two on the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range are now nice and quiet compared to the “hootin’ and hollerin” frenzy we saw less than two weeks ago. (photo below)                                                           Intake Two - Opening Day 2005 - 6:15am I fished Intake Two two days ago with only 2 other people on the lake felt quite spoiled. The fish have recovered well and are willing to bite once again. Shawn Arnold, owner of Fish Taco Chronicles www.fishtacochronicles.com had an excellent start to the 2005 trout season. He landed a 6.7 ounce rainbow out of Gull Lake about 20 minutes north of Mammoth Lakes. ( see photo ) This past weekend is always the best of the year for low fishing pressure. During the “Mother’s Day” holiday, the same numbers of fish are stocked and only a handful of fishermen are here to catch them. Intake Two remains the place to be as it is receiving all of the fish that would normally be split with North Lake. Salmon eggs under a bobber or on the bottom with 18 inches or more of leader have been the hot ticket for the lucky few that are up here right now. The biggest fish I saw was a 7 pounder caught by Alfreado Zendejas of Ontario. He was fishing near the dam Friday at Intake Two when the lunker hit. He landed the fish like a pro despite the fact that this was his second fish EVER! I must admit I was jealous. Another case of beginner’s luck was had by Kevin Cramer of Orange County.  At Intake Two on Saturday morning he caught the first fish of his life using a red and gold “Thomas Bouyant.”  He landed the 5 and ¾ pounder on 3 lb “Maxima” line while his friends around him stood by in shock. The 1 and ½ mile hike to North Lake is still rewarding anglers with easy limits. Fish up to 3 pounds have been caught there in the past few days. “Trout Teasers” with a 2 inch piece of a “Berkley Power Worm” is a great way to knock ’em dead at the inlet here. The ice has been melting fast here and is not very thick so play it safe and fish from shore. Both forks of Bishop Creek are loaded with a fresh plant of DFG fish. The flow is just right to allow for drifting salmon eggs. “Rooster Tails” with a green body and gold blade work great this time of year in the creeks. Don’t forget to try a black bodied - gold blade “Panther Martin” in the moving water as well. Drifting this lure into still pools can make for an amazing day of fishing. Our weather at 8500 ft in the Bishop area has been quite cold compared to the t-shirt weather of opening day. That’s about to end as highs in the upper 80’s are forecasted for the Owens Valley over the nest few days. We should be seeing temps in the lower 70’s in the lakes in Bishop Creek Canyon. For the latest forecast, click on www.weather.com                                                                                                                                                                   Until next week, Best of luck to you!   Charlie Halsell High Sierra Woodcarvings charlie@highsierrawoodcarvings.com              HIGH SIERRA TROUT OPENER UPDATE!!! Only two days to go before Opening Day 2005! I write this to you from Bishop Creek canyon at 8,500 ft elevation. The snow has been melting off quickly but I’m still looking at 3 to 6 inches in the shady areas outside the window here. The forecast is calling for temps in the high 40’s to low 50’s during the day and low’s in the high 20’s at night. These temps are for the higher elevations; check out www.weather.com  for the local forecast in the areas you want to fish on Opening Day. There should be snow showers off and on throughout the weekend so plan on taking your warmest gear. Rick Gunby has come through with another valuable report for the areas all along highway 395. I’ll let him take it from here. Have a great Opening day 2005!!! April 23, 2005 Charlie Halsell High Sierra Woodcarvings TROUT SEASON OPENER – APRIL 30, 2005 Fly fishing report submitted by Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service in the Eastern Sierras Greetings to all you impatient, enthusiastic, “raring to go” anglers out there! Another fishing season opener is upon us and we are all eagerly anticipating April 30! As typical, the weather for the opener here in the Sierra Nevada mountains will be unsettled. The long range forecast calls for rain and snow on April 30 with temperatures in the mid 40s and about a 60% chance of precipitation. On the bright side, this storm is forecast to have light winds and move through the area quickly. Lower Owens River Unfortunately the Owens will be completely out of shape with flows being released from PV Reservoir at around 600 cfs. If you are into white water rafting instead of fishing, this section of water may be better suited. Bishop Area All of the canyon streams flowing into the valley from Lone Pine to Bishop should be fishable. High water from runoff is not expected to influence stream flow until later in the spring. Hungry trout will be available for the taking, using nymphs such as Hare’s Ears and Pheasant Tails. Small baitfish imitations should also work in size #12-14. Pleasant Valley Reservoir If you plan on fly fishing “The Rez”, a float tube is the only way to go here. Walking in from the south end at the parking lot with a float tube, fins and fly rod, wearing neoprene waders may seem like quite an undertaking. But sometimes it’s worth it! Another way to go is to ride your bicycle in from the north end at the power plant with your tube gear hanging on your back. The north end of the “Rez” has been fishing well for tubers pulling streamers such as Muddler minnows, Hornbergs, and Black and Olive wooly buggers. Where the river flows in, midges suspended under an indicator will also produce fish. Crowley Lake Be prepared for “Crowley Combat” fishing during the opening weekend. Expected anglers on the lake may number 5000 eager fisherman! If you can find an open spot on the lake, fly fishing should be very good. Crowley has been ice bound most of the winter and trout will definitely be on the prowl for a meal. Suspending midge larva and pupa patterns a foot or so off the bottom is always a good bet. Concentrate on areas that are 12-14 feet in depth and don’t be afraid to move around. Sometimes moving 100 feet or so, one way or another, will drastically improve your chances. Streamers fished on a type II or III sink line should also produce. The trout generally are not picky this early in the season so using Buggers, leach patterns and Twin Lake specials in dark colors black, olive and maroon should produce vicious strikes. Convict Lake As of this writing, Convict Lake has quite a bit of open water near the boat ramp and along the edges. It should be looking a lot better by the time opening weekend rolls around. It appears the campground will still be closed, so overnight accommodations will have to be made elsewhere. Mammoth Lakes Basin The upper elevation lakes will still have mucho snow and ice, so fly fishing is really out of the question. However the streams in the area should be in pretty good shape with the serious runoff delayed until warmer temperatures prevail. The accessible areas will be heavily stocked and ready for the onslaught. Bridgeport Lower Twin Lake will be completely open and should prove to be a great spot for the opener. Upper Twin Lake has broken up, but there remains some ice on the lake with most of the edges and outlet open. The campgrounds at this time are still fairly snowbound. Bridgeport Reservoir is completely open and will undoubtedly produce some great fishing this season. Jim at Rick’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport reports that streamers like Seal Buggers and Flasher Buggers with a Bird’s Nest trailer will definitely take fish. When the weather warms some and the insect action increases, midge fishing on the west side of the lake will also produce some good fish. The Walker River below Bridgeport Reservoir dam is currently running at 193 cfs and will be a good bet for fly anglers on the opener. Both the California and Nevada side of the river should fish quite well at these flow rates. Golden Stones, Tiger midges, Hare’s Ears and Pheasant Tails should produce fish in the smooth water below the riffles. Stimulators with a Midge dropper are always a popular rig. All of us who love fishing understand that “limiting your catch” and not “catching your limit” has become much more important every year. Please practice good catch and release methods, pinch down your barbs and return those great trout unharmed for those anglers that come behind us. Please be mindful of the New Zealand mud snail problem we have in this area and take the necessary precaution to avoid spreading the scourge. For more information, visit the website http://www.flyline.com/environmental/nzms . Good fishing until next time… Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com , Fly Fishing Guide Service Located along Hwy 395 in the Eastern Sierras Gunby1@msn.com High Sierra Trout Season Opener! April 30, 2005 The day we long for is almost here. The opening day of six months of fishing in the High Sierra! This year’s High Sierra trout season opener will provide everything the serious angler looks for. Cold temps and plenty of snow on the ground look like a given for opening day. This combined with the on fire action we saw at the close of the 2004 trout season should give all anglers an experience they’ll talk about for years to come. Below: Paiute Pass Brook Trout - photo by Charlie Halsell We are lucky enough to have Rick Gunby, one of the Sierra’s top fly- fishing guides, offering his expert advice on our fishing reports this year. His vast knowledge of the lakes and streams along the Eastern Sierras should help get you going in the right direction. Visit his website by clicking on the link at the end of this report to see even more of what these mountains have to offer. For the Bishop Creek canyon area on opening day, you might want to get to Intake Two a little earlier than you did at the opener last year. Tim Alpers will be planting 6,000 pounds of his famous “Alpers” rainbow trout BEFORE opening day. I know what the crowd looked like here last opener, so you probably won’t see me there. I will be fishing my favorite spot that is located… Wherever you end up on opening day 2005, I wish you a great day and the best of luck! See you out there! Charlie Halsell Rick Gunby’s Eastern Sierra Fishing Report for April 1, 2005 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Weather Service Forecast Office in Redwood City announced today that there is a strong probability that the spring of 2005 will be the coldest and wettest in recent history. Temperatures well below average will continue, with the Pacific storm track taking a dead aim at central California. Heavy snows in the mountains and low temperatures will delay the fishing opener in the Eastern Sierras until mid July this year! OR SO IT SEEMS…. April Fools!! Or is it?? The ten-day forecast doesn’t show any significant storms coming our way. Most of the inclement weather seems to be heading for the Northwest thank goodness. We sure would like to give spring a chance to develop here in the Eastern Sierras. For up to the date weather info, go here. Crowley Lake / Bridgeport Reservoir We are looking forward to some great fishing conditions this season. The abundant snowfall and resulting runoff will be great for the lower elevation lakes Such as Crowley and Bridgeport Res. Being able to maintain higher water levels throughout most of the season will undoubtedly make for better fly-fishing. This will allow the water to stay colder longer; prolong the weed bed growth and keep the fish up in the shallows feeding on the perch fry and midges. Stillwater fly-fishing this fall should be better than we have seen it in sometime! A late start will be the rule for the upper elevation lakes. A later ice out and limited access will delay fishing these scenic areas until sometime early summer. Lower Owens River The Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power have increased the flows considerably as of late. The current CFS is hovering around 300 as of this writing. This flow rate can only go up from here, as the PVR (Pleasant Valley Reservoir) will need to handle significant runoff this spring and early summer. The water demands of our neighbors to the south will keep the flows up around 400-500 CFS for the balance of the season. A change in tactics is required when fishing this higher water. These increased flows make it near impossible to wade the river so your profile from the bank will become more apparent to the fish. A common mistake is standing on the edge of the bank, casting straight to the fish. Instead, present the fly downstream to the rising fish, dropping the dry fly on the water well above the trout so as not to spook him. Then add slack line quickly and allow the fly to drift downstream, drag free into the feeding lane. Pause a moment after the take and set the hook! Nymphs to use would be Baetis #16-18 and Caddis pupa (Hydropsychid Net Spinner) #12-16. Use two or three BB size split shot and make sure you are on the bottom. Use a large enough indicator to support the heavier rig and open up your casting loop when lobbing it up and across the stream. Cover the run completely before moving on. Systematically fish each area of the holding water or you will be passing up fish. East Walker River Currently the flows are 73 CFS on the Nevada side of the river and according to Rick at Ken’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport the E.W is fishing well. There has been some dry fly action mid day with small BWOs from #18-22s and there are some Little Golden Stoneflies around so Stimulators are working with a Tiger Midge dropper being a good combination. The usual Baetis nymphs such as Bead head Gold- Ribbed Hares Ears and Pheasant Tails will also work. The outlook for the general trout season on the E.W. is very good this year due to the expected higher water in the Reservoir and the amount of cold water being released into the river. Pleasant Valley Reservoir Things have settled down quite a bit since the Blake Jones Trout Derby. (All that glitters isn’t gold!) Most of the floating bait has floated off somewhere else, and the majority of the debris has been picked up by the inmates, leaving the Res. somewhat back to normal. Power is being generated up stream on a daily basis so the fish are moving up to feed towards the narrower North end. Float tubers are taking Rainbows and Browns using Midges up in the shallower areas and Streamers are also working well from the river inlet to around the boat ramp. The water temps have warmed up some so you can stay in the water longer without turning blue. Good Fishing, until next time… Rick Gunby, www.Fish395.com Fly Fishing Guide Service Located in the Eastern Sierra. email:gunby1@msn.com   ........................................................................

November 16, 2004

This time I write to you from Bali, Indonesia, 8,570 miles from our home near Bishop, California. Bali is just one of 17,000 islands in Indonesia, but is the most developed as it has become world famous for the high quality of the waves here. It is not uncommon to hear 4 or 5 different languages spoken while you eat in one of the many restaurants along the beach. The islands of Indonesia are a world apart from the busy life back in the states. "Ceremonies" that bring daily work to a halt happen at least once a week here. Long parades of colorfully dressed locals can stop traffic for an hour and nobody seems to mind. Sing ken ken or "No Problem" is the theme here and it shows in their daily lives.

This is my 6th trip to Bali and it is usually only for the surf, but this trip I have had a chance to fish quite a bit. I started off fishing along the coral reef at a place called "Bingin" beach. Bingin is famous for it's wave, but it was almost flat one day so the water was perfectly clear and ideal for spearfishing. Just being out in the 80 degree water was a treat in itself. The visibility was 100 plus feet so spoting the larger fish wasn't a problem. A Manatee lives just outside the reef here and usually shows up to see what you are up to. Huge "ulua" ( jacks ) are present in the caves outside the reef in only 20 - 30 feet of water. The caves are part of a giant maze so you have to make that first shot count if you want to see the fish ( or your spear! ) again. Lobsters can be seen peering from their holes, and small fish of every color swim close to you, unafraid. The edible fish are a lot smarter and try to keep a safe distance. I ended up with 6 fish that I gave to a local family that I've gotten to know over the years. The first time I came here in 1992, I would pay less than a dollar to have them cook up the lobster I had caught. This would get me a drink, fried rice, and butter for the lobster. Once they noticed that I never ate the "meat" inside the head, they asked if I'd be willing to trade the head of the lobster for the price of my meal. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! ( Or at least I knew I had found the perfect place to go if I ever ended up homeless. ) A similar trade can be made with the heads of any fish you catch. They find it hard to believe that we throw away the best tasting part of the fish!

Fishing from shore is amazingly productive. It has been only in the past 5 years that rod and reel combos have started to catch on. Most of these have been given as presents on the last day of tourist's trips. I brought a small 5' pole and mess of jigs in a variety of colors/ sizes. Rock fish would bite on just about anything, but the clear 2 inch jigs with red and blue sparkles was the best for size and variety.

Two days ago I asked to go out with a local fisherman with a freshly painted outrigger. He had a hard time telling me that it would cost me 200,000 "rupiah" ( 20 U.S. dollars ) as here that is 4 days wages. I gladly gave him what he asked as the resort hotels charge $100 for a boat and a driver that rarely knows where the fish are biting. I wasn't sure how far we would go out, (or when we would come back for that matter) but the new bright orange paint gave me an unnatural confidence in a boat that I normally wouldn't consider taking out on a small lake! Once we lost sight of land I felt SURE that we were going to a super secret spot that had massive fish that would bite on anything! Being in such a small boat I could see that he hadn't brought any food or water so I knew that we must be getting close. Finally he cut back on the throttle and motioned for me to start trolling.

This was it - I could FEEL it! After I had about 50 yards out he signaled to stop letting out line. I then sat there nervously wondering what monster would hit - did I have the drag set just right? - Would not having a harness or chair to fight in keep me from the new world record marlin? Where would I weigh it? Is this a certified scale?........The sharp sound of the reel going off broke me from my daydream....fish on!!!! Or so I thought. The trolling set up that he gave me to use wasn't the one he normally used. In fact it hadn't been used in quite some time. The sound the reel was making was because it was completely rusted out. I couldn't even reel in the lure. We had to bring it in by hand. Lesson learned. I got out my "things to not forget next time I go to Bali list" and wrote;

1. bring own gear
2. check gear BEFORE getting into boat

I sat there in disbelief while the "captain" ( named "putuh" ) tried fixing the reel. When I asked him what we were going to do now he smiled and said "tidak ikan hari ini" or "no fish today." In a very predictable manner he added "sing ken ken" - "no problem..." So that was my last time out. No big fish - just big lessons. This week we will take little Charles on an elephant ride through the middle of the jungle on the side of the volcano. This seems to be a much safer bet than trolling with a broken reel in 19,000 feet of water.

Until next time...... sing ken ken........Charlie Halsell

October 18, 2004
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Variety is the word for the weather this past week. Lows in the 40's and highs in the mid 70's were the norm for the most part. As I write to you now it is still dark outside ( 4:30am ) but the wind is gusting to 60mph every few minutes. The sky above is clear and full of stars, but small bits of snow are being blown sideways from clouds too far up the canyon to see. My wife Christy, baby Charles and I leave today for Bali, Indonesia. This will be my last fishing report from this part of the world, but check back as I will be doing some very primitive style fishing with a friend I have made there over the years. I should be able to post a new report from Bali but we'll see...

BISHOP CREEK, NORTH LAKE, LAKE SABRINA, PLEASANT VALLEY RESERVOIR...
The fishing has been fun with so much change going on. "Boredom is a choice" was what my parents told us kids growing up and that quote rings true in Bishop Creek Canyon this time of year. The hardest part of fishing lately has been picking where to go as great reports have been coming out of just about everywhere!

Weir Pond has been absolutely ridiculous over the past week. At the risk of being called a "stretcher of the truth", I will report that I caught 20 fish in just under 2 hours that were all over 3 pounds. Three trout were in the 7lb class. It was my best fresh water fishing of all time, and will remain hard to beat. I sent in some pictures to a few magazines just so there would be a little proof out there.

North Lake has been a great spot to hook a huge one as well. Fourteen year old Eric Lara of Murietta,California caught a beautiful 6lb 8oz, 23 inch rainbow from the red rockslide area on 10-16-04. Chartreuse powerbait covered with garlic flavored "gravy" was his bait of choice. He was fishing with his father and grandfather when the lunker hit. I'm sure they won't forget the experience.

Greg Webb and Harley Heft both used a fly and bubble set-up to land 5 fish all over 3lbs. A "Red Humpy" size 14 hooked each of their trophies.

Lake Sabrina is producing German brown trout in the 4-5lb range with plenty of break offs after long fights reported. I have been fishing here quite often but have not hooked into any record breakers. Most people who have caught a brown have been throwing a size 7 "Rapala" or "Rebel" lure in the last hour before dark on the lake in the back. The outlet has produced the biggest ones.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir has been great as of the past 2 weeks. I fished there 2 nights ago with the owner of "Fish Taco Chronicles", Shawn Arnold. We rode bikes in to the boat ramp, fished there for an hour, and then fished near the big rock at the inlet. I was lucky enough to catch one on my first cast, but he went home with "big fish" honors on the rainbow that hit when it was almost completely dark. Browns in the 1lb range are pretty easy to catch this time of year at P.V. A gold colored "Thomas Bouyant" or a brass "Blue Fox" spinner ( size 2 ) can bring in some impressive numbers of these normally shy trout.

The creek has been lots of fun to fish now that the flow is down and the fish have settled into deeper pools. I've had my best luck with natural colored mini-jigs.

It is with sweet sorrow that I bid fare-well to Bishop Creek Canyon, but I will be back a few weeks before the 2005 opener. Say a prayer for baby Charles as he is in for his first airplane experience, and it will take almost 36 hours to get there with layovers. ( Maybe say a prayer for whoever wits near us as well. ) Until next time....

Charlie Halsell
High Sierra Woodcarvings

October 04, 2004
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The fall colors are in their prime now. It's hard to focus on your fishing technique with a grove of bright orange and red Aspen trees nearby. I have missed a few nice ones lately because I've been staring off in the distance when a fish hit. Tripods for cameras are just as common as tackle boxes this time of year in Bishop Creek Canyon. Some of the trees look like they are actually giving off light. Walking along the creek alone lately makes me think about what heaven could be like.

The weather has been mild with highs in the low 70's and lows in the low 40's. Wind hasn't been a factor at all lately which has allowed the fly fishermen to fish just about anywhere.

Brandon Santone of Menifee Ca, gets top honors this week. Saturday he landed a 5 pounder as well as a 4.5 pound Alper's rainbow out of Weir pond using a pearl white "Trout Teaser." He went right back to the same spot on Sunday to nail three more from 3.5 to 4.75 pounds! This time he caught them on a black/perch "Trout Teaser." At only 18 years of age, Brandon has definitely learned how to use those jigs!

Winston Creel of Fullerton California is one of the better fishermen that comes up here. He's been bringing his family here annually for around 30 years now. This trip started off better than most as his first fish was a beautiful, full bellied rainbow he caught in the creek just below Sabrina Dam.
Sabrina is getting more attention now that the big browns are starting to bite. The hour before dark has produced most of the big ones here.

At North Lake the photographers outnumber the fisherman. This is great news as North Lake is getting all of it's normal Alpers stocked as well as the Alpers that would usually go into Intake Two. Less fisherman with more fish is a good combination in my book.Olive Matukas almost always do well here. Bead headed prince nymphs have been the hot fly recently( size 14 ) Powerbait of any color has been working so good here that it's almost unfair. Yellow and orange seem to be the favorite.
The creek below Intake Two keeps putting out a lot of small browns. Most guys fishing here are catching and releasing on flies with barbless hooks so the fishing remains good.

If you're headed to South Lake, rent a boat, go behind the island, and the fish pretty much do the rest for you. There are some big hungry rainbows there, and they aren't very picky. Jigs tipped with a night crawler and "Thomas Bouyants" around the inlets have produced some whoppers this time of year.
The sun is starting to show now... it's time to start another day. I'm really not sure if I will fish today. Even with only a little light outside, I can see that the fall colors are even more intense. Maybe we'll just take little Charles for a hike up to Blue Lake. I feel spoiled...

Until next week....Charlie Halsell

September 23, 2004
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"DOUBLE HAUL IN THE FALL" TOURNAMENT
WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS 2004 "DOUBLE HAUL IN THE FALL" TOURNAMENT

Bill Hutcheson guided this year's "Double Haul in the Fall" tournament through strong winds, rough waves, and even a couple earthquakes that registered 5 plus on the Richter scale! He is now known as "Captain Hutch" for navigating the less than ideal conditions with the skill of a Bering Sea sailor. Contestants as well as the judges gave him an A+ as a tournament director.

High Sierra Woodcarvings had the honor of providing the trophies for this prestigious tournament, so this weeks fish report will be a first hand account of the event.

A total of 257 kayakers, canoeists, and float tubers participated in this catch and release, barbless fly tournament. Although the event had to be called 3 hours early because of the high wind and waves in the McGee bay zone, hundreds of fish were caught including 70 "qualifiers." Trout had to be over 18 inches to qualify. I helped out as a judge in the tournament and had a blast doing it. Once an angler had a fish that he/she felt was a "qualifier," they would hold up a orange flag to signal one of the judges in boats nearby. It was pure fun to measure a fish that ended up passing the 18 inch mark. I really felt for the anglers when a fish measured out just slightly under the minimum. ( One fish measured 17 5/8 inches! ) Once the wind picked up, it made it very challenging to maneuver the boat, measure the fish, and still try to get a decent picture of the catch. Seeing the determination of the people in the water was inspiring. There were definitely no "girlie men" in this tournament!

By 11am there were surfable waves breaking off a point between McGee and North Bay. It would have been tempting had a long board been nearby. Shortly later the tournament was called off and everyone began the wet trip back to the Crowley Lake marina.

From there judges and contestants alike drove to the "Canyon Lodge" in the town of Mammoth Lakes where dinner was served and over $50,000 dollars in prizes were handed out! Everyone that entered had a good chance of going home with a nice prize as most of the prizes were won by drawing raffle tickets. The prize that I envied most was of course the trip to Alaska, but the custom fly rod by "Sierra Custom Rods" was the nicest I have ever seen. This rod went to the "Big Fish" winner, Martin Willey of Bakersfield, who won with a 22 inch rainbow he caught on a green "hornberg" out of McGee bay. Martin won 1st overall as well and will be enjoying a guided trip to Alaska for his efforts.

Tony Del Rio drove from Upland,Ca to take home 2nd place using a perch imitation in McGee bay.
Jerry Johnson took 3rd overall using a perch imitation as well. Many people liked the trophy he won better than the 1st or 2nd place ones.

Margie Kamens won the women's division for the 2nd year in a row. An olive Matuka landed her fish for her. One qualifying fish was all it took to secure 1st place as well as many nice prizes. Ladies, make a note of this, because all of the remaining prizes for the women's division went back into the men's raffle. We at least need to get Cathy Phillips of Grenada Hills out there next year to help take home some of those great prizes!

All in all the day went great. Anyone who participated went home with some great memories, and most took home some great gear they won in the raffle. Bill Hutcheson is calling for over $100,000 in prizes for next year's "Double Haul in the Fall" tournament, so register as soon as you can come Fall next year. You won't want to miss it! Until next week's report, best of luck out there!


Charlie Halsell
High Sierra Woodcarvings
 

September 16, 2004
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The hot spot up here now is Lake Sabrina. The dropping water level slowed fishing here for a few weeks, but it's on fire now! Brothers Jim and Jack Miller of Garden Grove showed up at Cardinal Village an hour after dark with two nice fish. Lake Sabrina put out a healthy 6.75 pounder for Jim( who was using rainbow "Power Bait" )that was 23 inches while his brother Jack landed a 2.75 pound rainbow on a nightcrawler. I have fished there three times this past week and have been amazed at the numbers and size of the fish there! With the water drained back to the two original lakes, it makes fishing pretty easy as they are all concentrated into much smaller areas. The best spot I have found is on the right hand side of the big lake in the back, where the water is draining into the smaller lake. There are two deep holes there that you will have to see for yourself 'cause most people just wouldn't believe how many fish you can see from up on one of the boulders there. I did well with both the pearl white "Trout Teaser" as well as the perch colored one. Letting them drop to the green water ( about 10 feet down near the outlet ) and then jigging them back worked best. Stop in and talk with Rick or Patti at the store/cafe before you go out. They are the experts at Lake Sabrina and they still love to fish. www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com

I fished North Lake twice and didn't catch anything huge, but the fall colors there made it more than worth it. Jim Lewis of Marina Del Rey and Ron Dale of Simi Valley were fly fishing from floatubes at the inlet. Jim was using an olive "Matuka" and doing quite well, but Ron was cleaning house with flies that he ties himself. He caught 12 on a olive "Woolybugger," 8 on a light green "Woolybugger," and 9 on a fly he calls a "PT Cruiser." I have never seen flies tied so well. He gave me one of the P.T. Cruisers and I look forward to using it. Browns as well as rainbows were going like mad for his custom set up. It was fun to watch.

Intake two was drained in one day at the beginning of this week. The power company will be doing more work on the dam before winter so it will remain empty for most of this season. This would seem to be bad news for people who fish this area, but because of how fast the lake was drained, the fish didn't have a chance to move upstream like last year. Intake Two had been stocked recently by both DFG and Tim Alpers. ALL of the fish are in the pools right below the dam now, and they are not picky. That's all I will say about that.

The next few days will be busy for me. ( probably no fishing ) High Sierra Woodcarvings is providing the trophies for Western Outdoor News' "Double Haul in the Fall" tournament at Lake Crowley on the 18th, so there will be plenty for me to do. I will be one of the judges which might allow for a little fish time - it's a catch and release tournament, so we'll measure the fish from out on a boat. ( I might just have to throw a line out myself every now and then. ) We'll see...

It's back to work for me, so bye for now!

Charlie Halsell

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September 01, 2004
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I have been lucky enough to fish every day for over a week now. I have said it before ( and will say it again I'm sure ) but this has been my best week so far this trout season. The fall colors are starting to show and the fishing has been incredible! The largest of the ones I caught over the past three days are as follows - North Lake, 6 and 4.5 pounds. Upper Twin Lake - 6lbs, 5.75lbs, 4.75lbs, 4.5lbs, 4.5lbs and a three pounder! I only kept two for the smoker, so the others are still out there for you. I caught most of them on a black/silver sparkle mini-jig. The fishing was a good as I've had in a long time. Four of the ones at Upper Twin Lake I got in under an hour.

We camped the past few days above Bridgeport in the Twin Lakes area. We stayed in the "Crags" campground. Tom and Mattie Paulsen are the hosts there. They have taken hospitality to a new level in campground management. I can't imagine a nicer couple.

If you walk to the far side of the inlet at Upper Twin Lake, you will see a large dead pine still standing on the shore. Just 50 feet or so closer to the inlet from this pine is where I caught each of my fish. A girl around 12 years old reeled in a 4 plus pound, hooked jaw rainbow from the same spot. It was great to see someone so young be so calm and confident reeling in a hard fighting fish like that. After I took her picture, she released the fish for someone else to catch another day.

I accidentally deleted most of this weeks report - so the pictures will have to tell the rest from here. I hope today goes great for you and I'll check back with you next week.

Till then....... Charlie Halsell
 

August 23, 2004

Current High Sierra Weather; 8 - 23 - 2004
After a week and a half of afternoon thunder showers, it looks like we are going to have clear skies for a while. Today as I walked down to the "office" at 7am it was already 48 degrees. Afternoons should stay around 75, at least for the next few days. The thunder and lightning a few days ago were a real treat. It even hailed on Friday for a bit.

Current High Sierra Fish Report 8 - 23 - 2004 BIG FISH!!!!!!!

South Lake - This lake put out some real nice fish starting 5 or 6 days ago. As of yesterday, the biggest fish of the year at South Lake so far is a 8lb 2oz rainbow caught by Chris Cornette. A mini-jig caught him his trophy. I was tied for the biggest fish for around 24 hours with a 7lb 11oz rainbow (pictured right) that I got behind the Island on Tuesday. I knew that the"record" wouldn't last long as I saw two other fish that same day that were pushing 10 pounds. Four other fish in the 7lb pound range have been caught this past week. One was caught on a "Thomas Bouyant" and the rest on mini-jigs. This is a great time to bring up a boat or rent one when you get here. Whether you have to walk, crawl or swim - just do what you have to to get to the back of the lake!

Intake Two - Mike Camara of Norco, California caught a big bellied 6.25 pound rainbow on a red "Rooster Tail" here. He said his boss back home was wondering why he was traveling all this way just to catch "pan sizers." Mike will be needing a HUGE pan for this fish!
Jim and Celina Chan were back again. They brought out a beach umbrella to help keep off the rain as they fished near the inlet. This couple loves to fish! It is always great to get to talk with them.
Megan Cripe ( age 13, pictured right) of Palmdale,Ca gets the "hardcore angler of the week" award. Not only was she up at 4am Saturday to fish South Lake, she also braved the rain later that day to catch a 3 plus pound, hard fighting rainbow off the dam at Intake Two!! Everybody nearby came over to see what she had caught it on as the fishing had been slow for most. A watermelon colored "Thomas Bouyant" is what Megan recommended to the anglers nearby. If you haven't tried this color yet, it would be worth your while. Many times too many people have the red/gold "Bouyant" on and the fish get used to it. This is a great time to have a watermelon colored spoon in your tackle box. The fish see something just different enough and then attack it. The local tackle shop sold out of this lure the day Megan caught her fish.

North Lake - I didn't make it up there this past week, but I heard that green tailed/ green bodied / gold blade "Rooster Tails" were the hot lure there. Nothing huge - just lots of them.

Lake Sabrina - continues to be the best place to catch a quick limit from the shore or by trolling. The inlets have slowed down with the water level dropping so fast. I love fishing this place because of the potential of a monster brown. Fall is getting closer, and I can't help get excited about the fish in here. Maybe this is my year, maybe it isn't, but I'm gonna have fun trying.

Thanks again for all of you e-mails. I always read each and every one.

See you out there!!!
Charlie Halsell
 

August 17, 2004
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WEATHER

Plenty of variety this past week! It was shorts, T-shirts and, temps in the mid 80's to start the week off, and now we are seeing mid 60's with rain heavy at times! The rain is always welcome here as we don't see it very often. The last 2 nights have gotten below 40. It was 42 degrees when I left the house at 6am today. The wind has been very light in the mornings, so the lakes have been beautiful with the mountains reflected in them.( check out the pictures by clicking on the link at the top of this page. )

FISH REPORT

My apologies for no report last week. We stayed with my wife's parents near Sacramento ( Who just happen to live only a few minutes from the Nimbus Dam on the American River! ) The salmon have started to show but I had no luck in landing one. One guy was lucky( or skilled ) enough to land a 45 pounder using a 1 ounce gold "Kastmaster" below the dam. This doubled the amount of guys in the water for the rest of the time I was there. Not many fish were landed though.

When I go back to the Bisop area, I should have known that Bob and Cathy Phillps were on their way up. The largest trout are always the first to find out, and usually start beaching themselves at all the local lakes, knowing their time is up soon anyways. I met this couple while fishing from a kayak at North Lake. I hadn't been out long when Bob landed a 6.5 pounder not 30 feet from me in his floatube. They usually come up a few times a season. I have yet to see them leave without landing fish over 4 pounds. This trip, Cathy got top honors with a 4.5 pound "Alpers" rainbow she caught from her floatube at North Lake. ( see photo ) A grasshopper colored "Stinger" is usually her weapon of choice. I put out a challenge to Western Outdoor News to put on a couples fishing tournament.( I know who my money would be on! )

NORTH LAKE ON FIRE!!!!!!

This lake almost always puts out trophy sized rainbows, but this past week it really out did itself. My uncle and I fished it Friday evening. We saw two nice fish caught as we walked to the red rock slide. Right as we walked past the reeds near the inlet, Job Teaney of Palmdale, California hooked into a nice looking fish with a red/gold "Thomas Bouyant." ( see photo ) He didn't have a net nearby so I had the honor of helping him land it. I would guess the fish was an easy 4.5 pounds. I had hardly finished taking his picture when Licia Brooks of Mexico City let out a scream from only a hundred feet or so down the shorline. Her boyfriend, Sato Ojeda, still had a look of disbelief on his face as I walked up to see what had been caught. She claimed "beginners luck" had helped her out, as well as the yellow "Power Bait" she was using. The fish ( which looked just over 2 pounds ) was the first she can ever remember catching! ( see photo ) Continuing on towards the rock slide, ( I still haven't made my first cast yet ) I run into Becky Kilpatrick from Placentia, California. She had a great stringer of fish in the water in front of her. ( see photo ) Obviously she is used to catching bigger trout because she said "how small" the ones she had were. She really seemed to be enjoying herself though. Her smile showed it. Becky's son Daniel was floatubing closer to the inlet. ( see photo ) He did well that evening and recommends a "size 14 knat" to anyone heading this way soon. We finally started fishing ourselves, and my Uncle Steve was the first to land anything. He used a red/gold "Thomas Bouyant" throughout his entire visit here and out fished me almost two to one! ( I have become addicted to mini-jigs, thanks to Marlon Meade, and have a hard time using anything else even if the jigs aren't doing as well.)

SOUTH LAKE

Saturday, my uncle and I hit South Lake nice and early. We fished from shore in "Boiler Cove" and didn't catch any record breakers,but had a great time anyway. My Uncle Steve did well again with the "Thomas Bouyant." I did O.K. with a perch colored jig. ( I'm convinced it was defective ) The water level is way up right now, and the water just couldn't be any clearer! ( see photo ) Two guys in float tubes did better than most fly fishing outside of the cove around a hundred yards offshore.( see photo ) I never saw what they were using, and I didn't want to break the morning's silence by yelling across the lake.

INTAKE TWO

Sorry,no report. Every time I drove by it looked just a little too crowded.

LAKE SABRINA

Now this place has me thinking. It continues to be drained around a foot a day, and is within a few weeks of being emptied to it's original level so necessary maintenance can be done on the dam. Big brown trout call this place home, and they are about to be "evicted" to the stream below. Never mind the browns, and there are still the huge "Alpers" rainbows that haven't been caught that were planted over three weeks ago! I drove up there this morning to check the water level, ( see photos ) and there wasn't one car in the parking lot. "Little" Charles was with me in his backpack as we walked to the end of the dam. The amount of fish surfacing was amazing! Even more amazing was the complete absence of fisherman! It is pretty safe to say that I will be spending most of my free time on this lake in the months to come. I won't attempt to tell you what to use here or where the hot spots are. The person you need to talk to is Rick Apted. ( see photo ) This is his 31st year at Sabrina, and he still loves to fish! You can usually find him at the store or boat landing if he's not out fishing with his wife Patti. Patti has a wonderful website www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com  that can put you in the right direction here.

It's time for me to get back out there, so that's it for this week's report. I would like to thank all who have written to me through our "contact" page. I have read every e-mail that has been sent, but I don't have time to reply to each one. Please keep the suggestions as well as the encouragements coming. They both help me to figure out what to put in future reports. Until next week, may your lines be blessed!!!!!!!!

Charlie Halsell
 

August 3, 2004
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WEATHER

We have had clear skies this past week. The stars are something I normally take for granted, but lately I can't help looking up as I walk home at night. The wind in the afternoon has been very strong, but other than that, the temps have remained mild ( daytimes around the low 70's and nights in the high 40's )

FISH REPORT

This past week , I gave the fish in the lakes nearby a break and headed for the high country! My wife and I have been waiting for the mosquitos to die down so we could take "little" Charles ( who is almost 8 months old now ) for his first real hike. We couldn't have asked for better conditions as we started up Paiute Pass above NORTH LAKE.

The general rule of thumb for fishing the high country is this; little hike = little fish , BIG hike = BIG fish. Yes, of course there are exceptions , but the lakes that only take an hour or so to get to get fished quite often compared to the lakes and streams that call for a few days hike. I have fished many lakes within a weeks hike of BISHOP CREEK and haven't found one yet that doesn't at least have a half-ton of small "brookies" to keep you happy.

Here's the part that some people won't like; I won't put the names of individual lakes in the high country in this report. Going into the back country is an adventure in itself, Fishing is simply a bonus that makes the experience all the better. Putting the names of lakes can crowd out a lake and, as I said before , I haven't found a lake up here that doesn't have fish in it. Any lake you make it to will reward you with an adventure that you won't soon forget.

Some people would like to see the "back country" closed to the general public. This is not my point of view, as I think it should be available to anyone that desires to see what is beyond the normal boundaries. My own father took me on trails in King's Canyon when I was too little to walk, so I rode on his shoulders. His love for the mountains was passed on, and has literally been life changing for me. I would hate to see access to these places be denied to anyone.

I honestly didn't set out to preach ,( after all this is supposed to be a fishing report ) so I will simply let the pictures of our trip do the talking. ( Click on the link at the top of the page ) If you would like a report on the usual lakes ( LAKE SABRINA, NORTH LAKE, INTAKE TWO, or SOUTH LAKE ) check out either of these links; www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com or www.bishopcreekresorts.com

Until next week, best of luck out there!

Charlie Halsell

July 27, 2004

WEATHER

This past week on the middle fork of Bishop Creek has been extra nice. The daytime temps have reached the high 70's and the nights haven't gotten much below 50. This has made for ideal camping conditions. The campsites have been filling up by Wed. afternoons with this being the peak season, so plan ahead if you have a favorite site.

FISH REPORT

There wasn't the normal consistency with the fishing in the local lakes over the past week. It was definitely hit and miss as you either got a quick easy limit or completely "skunked" depending on where and when you went. The moon has been high overhead most nights. Some will say this has no effect on fishing conditions, I beg to differ. I lived on Maui for 6 years and dove for lobster quite often at night. The best times for this were on the full moons when the lobsters ( and fish! ) would leave their homes in the reef and be out in the open. Most of the activity would happen from midnight on. I 'm no scientist, but I have seen fishing in the clear water of the high mountains slow down on days when the moon was up most of the night. As with most things there are definitely exceptions.

NORTH LAKE

This lake provided some nice sized fish throughout the week despite not having been stocked recently. Some of the larger " Alpers" rainbows have moved out of the lake into the stream above. James Owens of Simi Valley found a nice hole with "lots of small fish with a few in the 2 plus pound range." James landed a 2 pounder using a white mini-jig. Mark Cripe caught and released 12 fish from the same pool. ( both browns and rainbows ) His favorite jig is the grasshopper colored "Stinger" by Trout Traps.

INTAKE TWO

Most people who fished here will tell you it was frustrating. No matter what they used, the fish just wouldn't bite. (It also didn't help to see the occasional 3 or 4 pounder caught just down from you.) For those who did have better luck, you wouldn't guess they were fishing the same body of water. Almost all of these fish were caught on mini-jigs or "Stingers." This set up almost always brings out the big fish, even when no one else is catching. I highly recommend trying this kind of fishing. It can be a little frustrating at first, but once you learn it - there's no turning back.

BISHOP CREEK

The big news is the water level! The dam at LAKE SABRINA will have some work done on it this fall, so the lake has to be drained back to its original level. The "draining" began this past weekend and will continue for the next few weeks. This means almost twice the normal flow in the MIDDLE FORK of BISHOP CREEK. On Sunday, I went to cross the creek on a log that usually sits 6-8 inches above the water. The log was still there but had half a foot of water flowing over it. There are still lots of pools holding fish, but it's not the same creek you saw the last time you were here! Heavier lures like "Kastmasters" or spinners that stay underwater have done well. The larger "Panther Martins" in gold or brass colors have been working just below the dam.

SOUTH LAKE - LAKE SABRINA

I didn't fish either of these this past week, but have seen a few of the full stringers at the fish cleaning station. Fishing from shore as well as trolling worked great for the people I talked with. Salmon eggs at both inlets continues to catch the majority of the fish. Night crawlers come in a close second.

Overall I didn't see the normal numbers coming out of the local waters. I have found that short hikes off the beaten path pay off when the bite turns off at your favorite spot. That's all for now... until next week!

Charlie

 

July 19, 2004
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HIGH SIERRA FISH REPORT 7 - 19 - 04
This past week we've seen a lot of variety in the weather. Afternoon showers were a daily occurrence above 11,000 feet. Here on middle fork at 8500 ft. we saw mostly clear warm days with 2 days of off and on rain. The day time temps stayed close to 70, with night temps from 45 to 50. The daily rain in the high country, combined with the warm temps have caused the streams to fill rapidly. This has slowed the fishing in the more popular spots along Bishop Creek.
I am ashamed to say that I only fished once this week, so you will get this weeks report from Terry Schultz of Lancaster, Ca. He always brings in nice fish each time he visits. ( Last year he caught a rainbow trout over 7 pounds at NORTH LAKE.) This year he ended his trip by nailing a 6 pounder on a night crawler. His son Trevor ( age 12 ) catches big numbers on a fly and bubble set up. He almost always fishes from his float tube. I did make it to the back of SOUTH LAKE early Monday morning. ( I put some pics of the lake in the photo gallery so you can see where the water level is. ) Since the fish I caught weren't much bigger than the lures I was using, I' ll let Terry and Trevor take it from here...

Terry and Trevor Schultz's Report

We had a great time this trip! We didn't top last year's fish, but the crowds were light and the fishing stayed strong for most of the weekend. We got here Friday morning and float tubed NORTH LAKE from 10 am to 3 pm. Small browns and "stocker" sized rainbows went for night crawlers and meal worms.
Saturday morning we fished from 7:30 to 11am. ( NORTH LAKE ) It rained most of the day, heavy at times. JB Lloyd form Rosamond caught a 4 pounder as soon as we got there. He was using a Panther Martin. We all did OK until around 10 am when a guy in a float tube was the only one catching anything. He was using a white jig and doing quite well.

Sunday we got to North Lake at 5:30 am. This time we left the float tubes and fished from shore. Yellow and green "Power Bait" was working good for some, but the key was night crawlers! We were catching small browns and rainbows left and right. Two guys just down from us were catching on worms as well, and that's when the 6 pounder hit!

After the sun hit the water, the worms continued to work, but we didn't have much luck with flies anymore. All in all we had a great time and we'll definitely be back...

Terry and Trevor Schultz
 

July 12, 2004
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We're getting closer to the best part of the year! The temps have been in the upper 70's during the day and the low 50's at night here on the middle fork. The wind hasn't been very strong which is great news for the fly fishermen. The mosquitos have backed off, making the evening sessions enjoyable again.

I fished INTAKE TWO Friday evening with Mike Champion of Santa Barbara. He landed a brightly colored Alpers trout on a white mini-jig tipped with a piece of night crawler. The 3 plus pounder hit after only a few minutes of fishing. Right across from us, Jim Bergschneider had landed a 4 pounder a mere 10 minutes before. The same white jig set up had caught his as well. The Chan family of Covina were fishing near the small pier. It was no surprise to see a 3 and 4 pounder on their stringer. Jim, Celina, and their son Albert consistently catch huge fish. Red/Gold Thomas Bouyants land many of them.

NORTH LAKE has slowed down a bit. Fishing the inlet at dark continues to produce nice fish though. Just use whatever you are used to and you'll be surprised what kind of fish can be caught here. Brooks , browns , rainbows , and even golden crossbreeds share this body of water. Please catch and release the non - hatchery fish here so that it stays this way.

At WEIR POND below SOUTH LAKE, "Sierra bright dots" and "female adams" have been landing some impressive numbers for Greg Bennett of Orange County and Steve Wicker of Merced. I watched the pair pull in some nice fish along the reeds Saturday morning. WEIR POND gets stocked heavily on a weekly basis. Both the DFG as well as Alper's hatchery put some impressive fish in here. A good technique is to fish from the middle of the open areas , and throw jigs or flies to the edge of the reeds.

I didn't fish SOUTH LAKE this week, so I can't write other than what I heard. ( Which can be a dangerous thing in fish reports ) I have never regretted the hike to the back of the lake, so I'll see if I can't make it there before next weeks report.

Once again, people renting boats on LAKE SABRINA were rewarded with quick limits. Salmon eggs and night crawlers have produced most of these. Rumors of huge browns breaking off recently have increased the numbers of big Rapalas being used from shore and boat. I know there are new state record browns in SABRINA, I've seen what I thought were "logs" underwater swim away early some mornings. I'm starting to doubt if these can even be caught, but they're sure to cost me many hours of sleep again come fall.

Until next week, good luck out there!

Charlie Halsell

 

July 6, 2004
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The big fish are back! It is nice to see anyone catch a trophy fish. It's even better when it's a young person. I met the Doskosil family of Long Beach at North Lake Friday. The father Brad had landed some nice ones, but it was his 13 year old daughter Laura who caught the 5 plus pound rainbow. A # 4 "Panther Martin" ( gold blade, black body, with yellow dots) is now her favorite lure. They were fishing the far side of the red rock slide. The Quispe Family of Riverside did very well at the outlet. They recommend baby night crawlers under a bobber to anyone coming up here soon. This set up had landed them many rainbows in the 1lb range as well as a few smaller browns.

Mike Robertson, a local, was fishing closer to the inlet. He had a 2 pounder within his first few casts. I have had the honor of fishing with Mike a few times, and I'm convinced that he could catch a trophy trout out of a dirt road if he wanted to! He has nearly perfected fishing the waters around the Bishop area. One of his set-ups is the "Berkley Micro Worm" threaded on a single hook a few feet under a split shot. A slow, steady retrieve, produces huge fish for him on a regular basis.

Lake Sabrina continues to pump out limits for just about anyone willing to take the hike to the inlet, or better yet, troll on the way there. Launching a boat here is free, and the marina offers boat rentals as well. Red throated Matukas or olive woolybuggers do well here, but don't anchor too close to the inlet, as most of the fish will get pushed out to deeper water. Floating a worm or a salmon egg under a bobber can produce some great action here as well. Talk with Rick at the marina if you get a chance. He has been fishing Lake Sabrina for over 30 years now, and can put you on a fish a lot quicker than I can.

South Lake is near it's prime now. It becomes my favorite "drive to" lake once the water fills up behind the island in the back. I will usually hike to one of the inlets before the sun begins to show. I recommend taking a boat to the back unless you have done this hike MANY times during the day. (There isn't a trail to follow and there are lots of loose boulders.) Use barbless hooks at sunrise as many brooks and browns will bite.( and it's just a shame to keep any of these - stick to the hatchery rainbows for the smoker)

Robert, Bill and Billy White of Mojave came up for the weekend. Robert has been fishing this area since the early 1920's. Talking with him was one of the highlight's of my summer so far. He remembers fishing Bishop Creek when the Cardinal gold mine was still in full operation. He landed the first two trout of this trip according to his grandson. Bill caught a 3 1/4 pound Alpers out of Cardinal Pond on Sunday. A 1/4 ounce gold "Kastmaster" did the trick for him. "Billy,"as his father calls him, will be heading off to Baghdad in just a few weeks. He will be serving in our nations military. I know I speak for many when I say thank you. Please send me a e-mail when you get there and I'll post it for our readers.

All in all, it was a great Fourth of July weekend in the Sierras. The fishing was fun, and the bar-b-ques were plentiful! ( We took little Charles down to Bishop for his first fireworks show.) I think every week is my favorite week, but this one seemed extra good. Until next time!

-Charlie

June 28, 2004
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We are getting spoiled up here AGAIN!! The daytime temps on Middle fork are ideal, right around 75. We had two windy days, but it was just what we needed to keep the fish stirred up. South Lake and Lake Sabrina get top honors this week. Even with a fresh plant of Alpers on the 25th, Intake two still took a back seat to the on fire action of the two bigger lakes.

Don't hesitate to rent a boat if you are heading up here this coming weekend. The GREAT reports I got from people on both lakes are too many to list here. Last Thursday was almost unreal at South Lake. I hesitate to even say how many 1- 4plus pounders you could actually see from the dam. Most people just wouldn't believe me. Brent Dickason and his brother Greg had just finished fishing near the dam when I saw them in the parking lot. They said " Go straight to the dam, you're not gonna believe the school of fish down there!" Brent landed 21 fish in just over an hours time. Orange Power Bait had caught each of his fish. A local guy named "Dusty' was catching almost a fish a cast from the spillway when I got there. The first fish I saw him land was over 3 pounds. He was using a 1/16th oz Thomas Bouyant, gold with black and red dots. Everyone was just laughing as another fish was "on." That was great fishing! Sabrina put out heavy limits throughout the weekend. Most guys I talked with caught theirs trolling red/gold Thomas Bouyants near the surface.

At North Lake, the fly fishermen ruled. " Blue Duns" are starting to work well at the inlet as well as "light cahills." The green bodied mosquito size 14 or less did great there as well as in the high country lakes. Intake Two saw most fish taken on salmon eggs with the gold flakes in them. This combo is almost always a sure thing when the fishing gets slow. David and Michelle Browning of Altadena did just fine there with custom streamers that Michelle ties. I hadn't seen this color combo before. It was mostly black with some silver and red in it. Not too many of the Alpers were taken over the weekend at Intake Two, but that's great news for those coming up soon. As for mini-jigs, I'm still sticking with the new "brown trout " color by Trout Teasers. The "blue/clear silver flake is doing good as well, especially at North Lake. Try a piece of night crawler on the jig this time of year, then switch to a meal worm as the season moves on. Today ( Monday) we are going to take a break from fishing and take baby Charles to Hot Creek near Mammoth. He loves playing in water ( but only if it's warm!) Until next week...enjoy each day God gives you!

Charlie Halsell

( My sincere apologies to Dave Burt of Tustin, Ca. In last weeks report , I stated that he was fishing with "Power Bait," when in fact he raises his own bait worms, and that is what he was using. Best of luck an your next time out Dave!)

June 21, 2004
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I love Fathers Day Weekend in the Sierras. It brings out the nicest people you would ever want to meet. I fished Intake two on Thursday with my 6 month old son Charles in his baby backpack. We talked with Bob and Cathy Phillips while they were float-tubing near us. Bob said it was" the best fishing they have had in the five years they have been coming here." Cathy added that " Almost every cast produced a fish early in the morning, and the bite stayed strong until just after noon!" They both were using a cricket colored "Stinger" by trout traps. Most of the others I talked with were near their daily limit by using either rainbow sparkle "Powerbait" or salmon eggs under a bobber with at least three feet of leader.

Friday evening at North Lake I met Richard Terada of Culver City . He was walking back to his truck with an easy 3 pounder that he caught from the red rock slide area. He still had the chartreuse "Stinger" that landed his fish tied to his line ( no swivel or splitshot).

I fished the reeds near the inlet without much luck while I watched a guy in a float tube pull in over 20 fish in just as many minutes! It was Rusty Mineer of Alta Loma. He was using a "Loberg" streamer. It had a green body with some gold sparkel and a beige hackle. His leader was 5x as well as the tippet. This same set up had landed him a 24 inch 5 plus pound rainbow earlier in the season at Crowley. Rusty had come to spend Fathers Day weekend with his wife Valerie and their 4 1/2 year old twin boys. From the size of the smile on his face he had no regrets!

Meanwhile at the other side of the lake, John King and Paul Torrence of Orange County were laughing their way to their limits. By the time I had worked my way over to them they had a full stringer of rainbows averging at least a pound. "Everthing is working!" said Paul. "We've used chartreuse "Power Bait", baby night crawlers, and live crickets. "

Going back towards the inlet I ran into Dave and Rebecca Burt of Tustin, Ca. This father daughter combo had just started fishing and already had a fish a piece. Rainbow "Power Bait" had done the trick for both of their fish.

Since the crowd was so light that evening, I went back at the crack of dawn Saturday morning. There weren't many people out but the bite was slow. The first people I saw catch anything were float tubing at the outlet. While nobody from shore was seeing any action, these two were hooking a fish every few cast! It ended up being Bob and Cathy Phillips. The cricket colored "Stingers" were doing it again for them. The fishing stayed slow for most others until the water exploded in front of Cary Ugolini of Long beach. He was fishing the inlet with one of Jed Welsh's "cheese stream rigs" (# 12 hook with a 3 ft leader) Everyone around North Lake heard Cary's "YAHOO!" as he landed his 3.5 pound Alpers trout. Rainbow glitter "Power bait had lured this fish into no more than a foot of water.

Driving back home from North Lake, I saw Andy Johnson with his sons Eric and Gunner. They had just pulled up to fish the Bishop Creek at the North Lake turn off. They have been coming up for Father's Day for years now. They always stay at Cardinal Village Resort, and they ALWAYS catch a ton of fish. They said renting a boat at Lake Sabrina the day before provided them with some "all time fishing." They threaded a Berkley micro worm on the back of a mini-jig to catch most of their fish.

Overall, it was a great weekend. I didn't break any of my personal best records this Fathers Day weekend, but I met a lot of nice people and got to fish with my son. I won't soon forget it.
area contacts; Cabins - www.cardinalvillageresort.com  boat rentals - www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com