Date: 03/06/08 Time fished: From 11AM to 3PM Air Temps: High was 57 degrees Weather: partly cloudy most of the day. Light to no winds. Water Temp: 48 degrees at 11:30AM Flows: 21cfs this morning and bumped up at mid-day Water condition: Clear until the flows got bumped up then tinted/muddy
I decided to fish the EW today instead of heading up to Reno to fish the Truckee. It was overcast this morning and I felt like fishing in the boonies versus in an urban environment.
I drove straight to my favorite starting spot and passed only two cars on the way....surely a good sign. I was able to grab two nice browns in the first hour and half of fishing. One on a #18 PT and one on a #10 Yellow Stone. Both fish were over 14" and very chunky and healthy.
I then headed back to the car to move to the next spot. By the time I got down to the water, it was evident that the flows had been bumped as the water was now tinted muddy. There was an excellent midge hatch underway, but no risers. I continued to fish for another hour and decided to move to a new spot.
Once at the new spot, it was obviuos that the flows were continuously being bumped as the water was now starting to look like a muddy mess. At this point I decided that two very nice fish made the day and I de-rigged and headed home.
Once home, a quick check here confirmed my suspicions - the flow were raised today. I feel that had the flows remained stable and the water clear, this could have easily been a two fish per hour day. Still not a bad day for early-March.
__________________
************************************** Brian Frias a.k.a Freedog96150 www.trout-bum.org **************************************
Date: 03/20/08 Time fished: From 11:30AM to 3PM Air Temps: High was 60 degrees Weather: partly cloudy most of the day. Moderate winds. Water Temp: 45 degrees at 11:30AM Flows: 79 cfs this morning and bumped up at mid-day to 90 cfs Water condition: slightly off-color until the flows got bumped up then muddy
Went back to the Rosachi section today. The afternoon started off promising with a fat 18" rainbow hooked in the first few minutes of fishing. I was also getting some good grabs and activity and spotting fish flashing the nymph rig. then it happened again...a wall of muddy water came rushing downstream and the fishing just turned off.
I was hoping that the flows would be stable as a look at the flow reports shows that the flows get bumped and left alone for several days. Since they just bumped them yesterday, I gambled that today would be left alone. I lost that bet.
Whenever the flows change, the fishing just turns off.
__________________
************************************** Brian Frias a.k.a Freedog96150 www.trout-bum.org **************************************
Sometimes you can predict what the water service people will do to the flows. I usually like to wait two days after the flows get peaked on my local water. Of course, that doesn't hold true all the time, too.
At least you are hooking up and getting grabs before the flows bump up.
Denny
__________________
Denny - Doin' it real since 1969. dennis@flyfishingspecialties.com
This time of year the East Walker normally ramps all the way up to around 300 cfs, which for those of you who do not know and fish this river, that is really blowing (and unfishable). Optimal fishing flows are between 80-200 cfs.
They normally start to bump the flows in early March and they raise the flows, hold steady for two to three days, raise the flows, hold steady for two or three days...you get the picture. So the gamble is always trying to hit the water on the last day before they bump it for max stability and killer fishing. I have rarely seen them go more than 4 days without raising the flows, so the question is always...do you go on the second or third day after a bump in flow??
Since this river is managed solely for irrigation and herd watering purposes, I have seen the increases and decreases cranked up and down suddenly to accommodate those needs, and that always wreaks havoc on the fishing.
If anyone has an inside line with the water control guys, be sure to let the rest of us know.
__________________
************************************** Brian Frias a.k.a Freedog96150 www.trout-bum.org **************************************