Jim Stimson reports on 1.5.17

We seem to be off to good start with the weather. Here is the current local forecast. Of course, read it with a grain of salt, anything can happen but it does appear that the Sierra will be heading into a prolonged period of wet weather. For the next week the Town of Mammoth could receive 5-8 feet of snow, 12-16 feet of snow at the higher elevations! You read that...

Jim Stimson reports on 12.30.2016

The Eastern Sierra is looking very winter like. Even where I live in Crowley Lake, the rain shadow, we received roughly 8” of snow from that storm system that arrived before the holidays. Now that the front has passed we are getting frigid Arctic air settling into the basins. The Upper Owens River has had morning temperatures hovering near -10º F. It is cold out...

Jim Stimson reports on 12.22.2016

Has anyone ever had a close encounter of the bovine kind? Let me explain. I was guiding a client on the Lower Owens River and was rammed by a cow! I inadvertently startled her coming out of the willows but instead of loping off in an another direction as they usually do, she ran full steam at me, lowered her head, and hit me square in my chest. I went airborne,...

Jim Stimson reports on 12.15.2016

Lower Owens River

The Lower Owens is flowing at 75 cfs. This is on the low side but the wading is easy and the trout are hungry. With the background peaks cloaked with fresh snow, Bishop is a nice place to wet a line. Try a hopper-dropper combo with either a black zebra midge or micro mayfly on the bottom. Money! There is also a nice midday surface hatch along the...

Jim Stimson Reports on 12.8.2016

And voilà! Just as the weather forecasters predicted, we have snow! Not exactly an “atmospheric river” but there is snow on the ground with more expected throughout the weekend. The ski area is reporting a half foot. The paved roads are slick and I am guessing that the Upper Owens River will have some mucky conditions to contend with. Be careful out there! Today...

Jim Stimson Reports on 12.1.2016

Brrrrrr! The thermometer seems stuck at 14º F this morning. I can look across the Long Valley Caldera and see a thin, wispy veil of fog that hovers above the Upper Owens River. The coldest weeks of the year are coming soon as the sun dips lower on the horizon and the nights grow longer. It is hard to get motivated to go fishing but I know that it warms quickly and...

Jim Stimson Reports on 12.24.2016

As I gaze out the window this morning, a cold, biting fog drifts in and out of the foothills. The sage and rabbitbrush are coated in a delicate frost from the Poconip. The thermometer sits at a chilly 18º F. I may try to sneak away for a couple of hours to fish the Upper Owens, see what I can dredge up before I hop into the car and make the drive to Southern...

Jim Stimson Reports on 11.17.2016

Tioga Pass is open again along with Sonora and Monitor Passes. Come on over the hill. The weather outlook looks clear, warm, and sunny until later in the month.

Lower Owens River

The Lower Owens is flowing at 80 cfs. This is on the low side but it is easy wading combined with hungry fish. With the background peaks cloaked with fresh snow, Bishop is a nice place to...

Jim Stimson Reports on 11.10.2016

cannot write this without some commentary on the election. Although I was not a supporter of the Trump campaign, I have to accept the results as part of our democratic process. I shake my head in disbelief and wonder what the future holds. We need to unite and work together, however, there will be no compromise in the defense of the land. We deserve clean air and...

Jim Stimson Reports on 11.3.2016

What a World Series! Congratulations Chicago!

We had another weekend of wet weather. The ski area received anywhere between 6-24” of snow, depending on the elevation. Tioga Pass closed for the season (I think). All of the freestone rivers blew out during the storm as well. The San Joaquin went from 40 cfs to 1400 cfs, then back down again. Hopefully this trend of wet...