5-14-2010

Before the Sandy I popped over to fish a couple of flows nearb y. Wednesday evening I swung some flies in super conditions. Clear water, lots of bugs on the water, just super. Only moved once nice resident. Thursday AM I went to a boat launch and hiked up to the top. Swung a Black magic dry. At 7AM there was a PMD spinner fall. A guy launced a boat and rowed up through my water to fish the spot I was in at the top. 30 minutes after he went buy a hatchery hen popped her head up and grabbed the Magic. Lovely. After that the guy in the boat got 2 more on a slinky with yarn. Guess there were some fish around.

Cannot wait til June 5

5-6-2010

East Walker River just North of Mammoth Lakes, CA. 15 feet across. Loaded with BIG bows and HUGE Browns. Sight fishing via Nymph and Dry size 20. Fantastic

To do this yourself contact by friend Joe Contaldi 760 924-2181

5-7-2010

A Fantastic little spring creek running from the mountains to Lake Crowley. Rainbows and Cutts from 16" to 'oh-my'. Nymphing with size 20 all by sight. This is my kind of fishing. Every year from the beginning of May to mid June.

To do this yourself contact my friend, Joe Contaldi 760 924-2181

4-10-2010

Got up early, a beautiful sunrise was the reward, and took the hour long walk into the great pool. Dead calm, water 45 degrees and crystal clear. Started swing the Black Magic again. Here you cast 40 degrees down, tight to the far bank. The fly would slowly swing out from under the trees and make it's way across. The speed of the current here is so nice, the fly just creeps across and is hard to resist. All of a sudden, as the fly comes out from under the trees, a nose. Nothing else, nothing violent, no slashing grab, just a nose. My heart is pounding and I am feeling really cool. It is hard to wait but I know there Winter fish sometimes take a bit more time than their Summer brethren so I let the fly dangle for 5 minutes. HAH, maybe 1.5 minutes. On the next cast in the same spot a perfect head and tail rise, a sip, and fish on! This one took me way down the pool, good sport on the 7 weight single hander. In hand this was again 8-9#, wild, and a buck. A lovely fish. Also this one did not stick around long but was back to the river in a flash. To my knowledge these are the first two Winter runs on this flow taken on dries. I will keep fishing them here for sure.

4-9-2010

Got to the river about 1:30 in the afternoon. Slight overcast, air temp high 50s. The water is a little high with a touch of remaining color but it is dropping and getting better every second. With the higher water the best taking spot at the top of the run is out of play. The money water at this height is the 5 big rocks just above where the tailout forms and the water speed picks up. I put on a Black Magic, dry of course, ans start working my way down from the top. Things are fishing nicely and my confidence is high. As I get close to the rocks I start working a bit slower. I am throwing careful casts that turn over and fish right away. Just about to rock three and I see a flash and there is a big smash on the surface. A moment later I am tight to a fish and the fight is on. Hot fish, all over the pool, almost into the backing several times. Moments later, in my hand, 8-9# hen, pure wild steel, not a scratch on it. I removed the Black Magic, steadied

her in the flow and moments later she leapt from my grasp and back into the gene pool. Lovely.

I took a break and an hour later or so went back through the run with a slightly sunk Duncan's and viola, another identical hen. A really nice afternoon

2-15-2010

Last day of this season. Sunny, water at 44 degrees and pretty clear. Fished three runs which fished like a dream. Fished dry, wet, and in between. No love but happy to be out there.
Thank you for a great season
Goodnight Sauk

2-9-2010

Another day in paradise! Water is way low. Temp at 40 degrees. Fished carefully through a couple pools with a dry. The little Caddis looked great but moved nothing, not even a cutt or a dolly. Moved to another pool. A real rock garden along the far bank. A long cast with later beam loops to get under the branches to the rip rap on the far side. Went through with the dry and moved a couple of cutts and a small salmon smolt. Sat down for a break and a think. Decided on a tiny 1/2" Ally's Shrimp on a 1/8" tungsten tube. Fly is swimming nicely through the submerged stones. Then just as it started to come under tension a ferocious whack. A moment later a nice grab and fish on. A few jumps and runs and the little buck was in my hands. A perfect little wild Steelhead. There have been a LOT of wild fish in this river this Winter. The DFW says there are no wild fish left in this system, oh well. These fish was MINT bright with a pale red stripe and rosy cheeks. A wonderful way to end the day.