Jim Stimson Reports on 5.5.2016

The weather on the Trout Opener, Fishmas, did not disappoint. Crowley Lake was nasty with biting winds, snow, sleet, cold temperatures, and of course trout. Anglers hooked into rainbows, browns, and cutthroats. I myself stayed indoors most of the day to tie flies and kick back as I fished hard the day before on a year ‘round stream. See photo below…..

Lower Owens...

Jim Stimson Reports on 4.28.2016

Merry Fishmas!

April, in like a lamb, out like a lion….. the weather is unsettled now as it always seems to be around the trout opener. By Saturday, you can expect Crowley Lake to be like the North Sea with foul weather, wind, and a blizzard….people and boats stacked shoulder to shoulder, jockeying for position. That said, it is fun! It is always an entertaining...

Jim Stimson reports on 4.13.2016

The countdown to the official season opener begins, April 30th is right around the corner. I am looking forward to fishing “new” water. The Lower Owens is raging, some of the best runs have blown out and wading down there is tenuous. However, there are fish to be had and because of the high river levels, there isn’t that much angling traffic down there.

Get out...

Jim Stimson reports on 4.7.2016

April….. the weather is getting warm in Bishop. Not only are we getting high temperatures (mid-80’s), the water levels on the Lower Owens are sky rocketing. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is moving some water around. The flows are cruising along at 315 cfs. If you want a challenge with wading and fishing, I’ve got the place for you. The silver lining...

Jim Stimson Reports on 3.31.2016

We’re almost ready to turn another page on the calendar. It’s hard to believe it is almost April and the official fishing opener is a month away. For the Eastern Sierra, the weather tends to be a little unsettled; one day it will be warm, then the next, blustery and cold. Looking at the long range forecasts, we could be in for a showery spring. The mountains have a...

Jim Stimson reports on 3.24.2016

With the stable weather out there (all we seem to get from El Niño is wind), I’ve been poking around and exploring a little. I checked out the East Walker two weeks ago and the river was flowing nicely and the clarity was good. However, I wouldn’t recommend fishing it, yet. The flows are fluctuating wildly. The river is seeping along at about 40 cfs. When we fished...

Jim Stimson Reports on 3.16.2016

aIf I had to hazard a guess, I would say that winter is over for the Eastern Sierra. This doesn’t mean that we won’t get some more snow before spring sets in, but I think the major effects of El Niño are behind us. Most of the moist plumes of weather rode over the top of us and drenched Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. That said, I had hoped we would...

Jim Stimson Reports on 3.9.2016

Fishing at Pyramid Lake is always entertaining. I was there last week with a buddy John Fochetti. We were standing on ladders, not too far apart, exchanging stories and catching up on lost time. Right after he said laughing, “You see the weirdest things out here sometimes,” an older gentleman, perhaps in his mid-seventies, got a sudden and abrupt grab. He had been...

Jim Stimson reports on 3.3.2016

Could it be we’re in for another Miracle March? The weather Gods seem to be beating their drums. As early as Friday, we could be in for a couple weeks of wet and hopefully snowy weather in the Sierra. It sounds wonderfully wet. We need the moisture so badly. I am keeping my fingers crossed (and my snowblower ready for action).

Upper Owens River

The river is...

Jim Stimson Reports on 2.25.2016

¿El Niño, dónde está? February is going out with a fizzle. I mean the weather is unbelievably nice, don’t get me wrong, but t-shirt weather? Hopefully March will bring much needed snow to the mountains.

Upper Owens River

The river is changing…. big rainbows can still be found here and there but I believe a lot of fish are moving back into Crowley Lake. The numbers...