Busman's Holiday Epilogue

 What a great holiday! A week in the really High Sierra; the "eastern-side"...along interstate #395. We camped  at 9550' (Tunbull Lake) in the Virginia Lakes area, northern Hoover Wilderness. Access was west of Conway Summit (8300'). We hiked and fly fished at Blue and Red Lakes; 10,100' and 10,500'. Yes, I was very winded even though the treks were less than 2 miles. 

Hoover Wilderness sign on trail 

                                                           Virginia Lake...a drive to

Blue Lake...10,100'...Brookies

        Red Lake...hike to above 10,000'...looking for cruising Brookies from a high-vantage point

The Brookies...and the fewer Goldens (...from 20 Lakes Basin of SaddleBag Lake area, below) were in the 7"-11" range and they ate both on the surface via dries or sub-surface via varying retrieves. Surface patterns were # 18 ParaChute Adams and #16 Elk Hairs. Effective nymphs were #18 Chartreuse Copper Johns and #20 Black Midge Pupae.

                          Salmo Aqua Bonita (current scientific name?)
                                                         ...California's state fish

 

After three nights of car-camping we went to a friend's very nice condo in Mammoth Lakes. From there we drove to the SaddleBag Lake area (southern entrance to the  Hoover Wilderness) and took the taxi across SaddleBag Lake, disembarking, then a vigorous 1-1/2 mile hike on to Conness Lake

Conness Lake (10,500')

 The short hike through granite...

 

 

There is a great article in the October '12 issue of California Fly Fisher magazine about planning a self-guided trip along highway #395 and accessing all the fabulous, high-elevation waters on the "east-side" of the central High Sierra.

 

 

 

 

Busman's Holiday

A somber day in our history....never forget.

Well, today I leave for a week of camping, attending the SouthWest Council of FFF's FlyFishing Festival and of course the opportunity to fly fish some waters in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes. Maybe I'll even encounter a Golden Trout. I will have my camera along and will post images & commentary...eventually.

"Frankie Flav is in Town!"

Frankie Flav is another of my many pseudonyms.

Locally, amongst fishing buddies, the phrase is used when when one of us observes the first sighting on our local waters of the Drunella Flavilinea; the Little and/or Lesser Western Green Drake or simply the "Flav". A first, reliable report of their appearance was Saturday, August 25th. The...sparse...hatch will last 3-4 weeks.

*

It is smaller in size than its larger cousin the Green Drake (Drunella Grandis or Doddsi); I prefer a size 12 regardless of nymph, emerger, dun or spinner pattern. The adults emerge late afternoons during late August thru September. If "head-hunting", 4:30-6:30 PM is the optimum time to be on the water. They are "crawlers"  that emerge in the slow-margins of a riffle and the trout generally will set-up in the spill-in of riffles into quieter water or smoother flows. With clear skies and warm weather they can/do lift-off quickly...floating awhile during overcast and/or drizzly weather.
...HINT.

An Excerpt from an authored Sierra Fisherman magazine article:

 "...Green Drakes are largest, in sizes #6-#8. The duration of the hatch is short-lived; at most three weeks**. The daily emergences are unpredictable; sometimes 10:30-12 noon and other times 1-3PM. There are few adults; observing 2-3 dozen is considered a good number. Nevertheless, trout are aware that this high-caloric food-item is around and they are on the look-out. The Little Western Green* Drake ( “Flav” ), in #10-#12 sizes, hatches for 4-5 weeks. It also has sparse numbers. Time-wise, they are more predictable than their big brother; late afternoons from 4-6 PM, at most…then they’re gone..."  

 * image from Hatch Guide For Western Streams
**unbelievably this season they were in the immediate Truckee area for a bit over 7 weeks!! Adults on the BT first seen (confirmed) June 8th...to June 29; the LT June 26-August 1st!