Squeezing-In Fly Time via So. Cal. Salt

It's amazing how many So Cal anglers know of the opportunities on the beach yet never get there. I have dabbled with this for several years and am only now building myself a proper stripping basket. In other words, I am pretty guilty as well. I love my trout and my granite-lined streams. So, all that aside, this season has proven to be exceptional for surf perch. These fish are fun, strong and provide a great excuse for a pre-work stroll on the sand.... Give it a shot!
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Update from Jimmie Morales - West Slope Fall Conditions

As pilfered from the Sierra Fly Fisher Blog (http://www.sierraflyfisher.com/streamreport/index.htm).
"We are chompin' at the bit in anticipation for the appearance of the October caddis. Anticipation is also high for a significant spike in "brown trout friskyness" and we couldn't be happier. Browns love fall and they love "weather". This coming weekend we'll have co-host and special guest Andrew Maurer at Mono Hot Springs. For those of you with a soft spot for photography, you may wish to join us for our evening "hang time" at the restaurant there. Andrew's photos speak for themselves. See: http://www.troutstreamdesigns.com/Photos.htm and check out these recent Eastern Sierra. sample photos below."

Oh no more product endorsements!

I am very excited to try out in the coming days one of those Freedom Hawk kayaks. Look for that report soon.

After rummaging through the Spot's bargain bin fly boxes, I threw some streamers into the waters of the Merced River. The rewards were bows, browns and a hog pike minnow(eeeek!).




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Oh no a product endorsement!

Sometimes there isn't enough time to tie. Sometimes a cool fly will catch your eye. A few months ago I bought a streamer from the The Spot for some trout hunting and it paid off. This summer, while in Montana with Noah Snyder and Jim Lowe had me learning a little about the ever-fascinating Bull Trout. Here's a shot of a Montana specimen with a Coffey's Conehead Sparkle Minnow in its mouth.

There are some additional shots at my Photobucket account. Click HERE and both Noah and Jim have posted fun reports HERE.

Early Summer Yosemite Report from Sierra Fly Fisher

This report came to us recently from Jimmie Morales and Bernard Yin who are getting busy in the Yosemite area. Small streams appear to be the order of the day and show no signs of disappointing the angler. Visit Sierra Fly Fisher at: http://sierraflyfisher.com
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Hello Everyone,
The rivers remain unusually high for this time of the year but the air temps are pleasant to warm and if you hit the edges of the bigger water or smaller streams, the fishing is wonderful. Summer in general should prove to be very solid this year. In the weeks to come, the Merced should be coming down to a workable level. All that said, we are getting busier and busier with fun-seeking clients of all ages from all over. A recent outing with Bernard guiding on a small stream with Chris, Jake and Logan proved nothing short of a riot as they honed their chops on some dry fly action for browns and brookies. Don't be fooled either. These small and beautiful fish were skittish and gave us a quality game. Thanks guys for a truly fun day. Bernard reports that it was excellent therapy after his recent road mishap. Everyone, please check the road conditions online with the park service. Current construction on the 41 (and other park roads) is creating hazards, delays, dusty conditions as well as reducing turnouts. Just be careful. Here's a helpful link: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. The waterfalls in Yosemite Valley proper are doing very well and we are finding happy clients who integrate a day on the stream into their Yosemite visit. Smiles all around.

March and April Browns

We just got a great report from the Sierra Fly Fisher crew
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The annual March Brown "event" on the Upper Kings has remained true to form: Mysterious yet rewarding.

Photo: Artin Marootian

The hatch would shift in time and even location but it held enough onto tradition and we got into some action. Between the feeding frenzies we were spoiled by the amazing spring beauty and while smelling some flowers SFF guide Bernard Yin planted his face roughly two feet from a sizable rattler. "I never heard a flower like that!" As he adjusted his focus, he tells us, "All I saw were scales and huge diamonds" (as in Diamondback Rattlesnake). Luckily the only thing bitten were our flies. Pocket water hunting provided fish when the bugs were less active. Mayflies and numerous types of stoneflies were and are the predominant insect at this time. This river is truly an interesting game. What is this all about? We look for good weather but not so hot that the high country slopes start to melt. We then dash in and work hard at finding the hot zones. Upper Kings bows are strong and wild. A foot long fish is average but a few in the "teens" are always sprinkled in. Look at the bend on client Dave's rod...

Photo: Andrew Maurer

Note that this is the catch and release section of this massive river and also remember that most streams are not open for fishing until the last Saturday in April. Don't be discouraged, just know the regs.

We have been blessed with great photographers. Last year Stephanie Skiff shot a multitude of great shots. Over the last few days we had the honor of guest photographer Andrew Maurer (see: http://www.troutstreamdesigns.com ) in our company.

Photo: Andrew Maurer

The collective crew be they guides, clients or others crated a wonderful mix and camp every night was a great hang with food and laughter. Some of these shots are a sneak peek at Andrew's stellar work and look out for more photos very soon. For those of you in So. Cal. Jimmie and Bernard will be present at The Fishermen's Spot (April 8th). More of Andrew's photography, Stephanie's photography and even some exclusive 2010 helicopter footage of the drainage will be showcased. The conversation will be about Yosemite, The Kings, our Fall brown trout camp and mucho mas.

LATE BREAKING NEWS
April 1st UPDATE: The upper Kings continues to be fishable fish despite a "false alarm" on Weds./Thurs. that spring runoff might kick in.

Suddenly a cool front curtailed the rise in flows and we're seriously considering heading back on the river! April Browns we call them (nudge nudge wink wink).

Contact us if you want to talk trout or we'll see you March 8th in the early evening at the Spot. Call Ken or Steve for details.
The Sierra Fly Fisher Team