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...

Jim Stimson Reports on 2.17.2016

I have to admit, I have been away from my home turf. With the torrential rains Northern California has been getting hammered with, I have been looking at the long range forecasts for a break in the weather for the opportunity for a steelhead trip. It is a minimum nine hour drive so before you commit to a road trip, it is nice to plan ahead and try to stack the odds...

Jim Stimson Reports on 2.10.2016

It is amazing how quickly the weather can change over here. A week ago the thermometer read – 4º at daybreak. Today it reads 24º. Last week the temps barely crept out of the single digits the warmest part of the day. Now they are climbing into the 50’s in Mammoth. Bishop is expecting temps in the 70’s.. The Upper Owens is turning into a muddy quagmire in the...

Jim Stimson Reports on 2.3.2016

Winter has hit the eastside, it is cold and snowy. Today we awoke to a balmy 4º, yesterday it was – 4º! Beware out there! I can’t emphasize that enough. There are no access problems for the lower Owens River, however the upper is an entirely different story. Friday’s storm system arrived warm and wet. The high mountains received snow, but the lowlands rain. Then on...

Jim Stimson reports on 1.28.2016

As Jon Snow says on Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming”…. with just a few days left in January, it looks like a hoser coming in this weekend. One of them “pineapple connections,” an “atmospheric river,” whatever….. in other words, it looks like it could be wet and nasty. If you are planning on a trip to the eastside, make sure you are prepared. In addition to plenty...

Jim Stimson reports on 1.21.2016

Winter is flying by…. with just one week remaining in January, I’m wondering about El Niño. We still have two potentially wet months ahead. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the Eastern Sierra will receive some much needed drought relief. So far, we have been hovering just above “normal.” Northern California and the Pacific Northwest however are getting slammed....

Jim Stimson Reports on 1/12/2016

It is amazing the difference a day makes. For the past several mornings I have risen to temperatures near 0º. When a high pressure system settles into the Eastern Sierra, we typically get a temperature inversion in Crowley Lake and Long Valley. Even though Mammoth Lakes is higher in elevation, they will be warmer than us. That cold, stagnant air pools in the low...

Jim Stimson Reports on 1.5.2016

Happy New Year! I spent the holiday week near Sayulita, Mexico hanging with my family. My son and I went out early one morning with a guide and a panga and tried to catch some dorado. We had zero grabs with the mahí mahí but we did land some nice bonito and bass. It was a kick casting saltwater flies with a 10wt and watching how much bend those little fish can put...