Piru Creek Spring 2008 - Wild Trout and Low Flows at Frenchman's Flat

This might be my last Piru Creek update for a while.  The flows are way down, algae is covering the streambed like a shag carpet, and the fish are much tougher to find.

I'm not saying that I wont go to Frenchman's Flat this summer, but I wil probably break out the float tube and go after Bass more than anything else.

Tandem Nymph Rigging - Nymphing for Beginners

Since it's refined to include only the methods that seem beginner specific (based on my newbie-ness), it's almost
impossible to give credit to those who probably deserve it.

Certainly Ed Engle, Jim Reid and Dave Whitlock inspired me in their own ways.

Photos of Upper and Lower Owens River and the East Walker River

Ok, and one picture of Mono Lake...

Fishing Trip - Cachuma Lake

The first stop of our trip was Cachuma Lake.  It's my daughters' favorite place to camp and my wife and I decided to bring her for the first leg of our trip.  Even though I was skunked (after fishing for maybe an hour), I was glad we went.  Lake Cachuma is no longer "dirt camping".  It is plush and green there, and the lake is up about 8 feet.  Seriously.

East Walker River

I started fishing around 2pm on Tuesday and didn't stop until sunset. I threw nymphs of all shapes, colors and sizes – then I threw dries. Big Rainbows were sipping the surface all over the pool I was standing near. It was frustrating.

The next day, I got up and went to the local fly shop – Ken's Sporting Goods – and got some advice and supplies. Jim Reid is the local Walker River guru, and he was very forthcoming with the suggestions. The most useful of the advice (that I don't think he would mind me repeating) was to keep the nymphs small. Size 18 to 20... small. Also, he said they aren't leader shy, so I used 4X tippet, and it was a good thing. If you want more details, be sure to go by his shop in Bridgeport about 3 miles from the E. Walker River.