Fishmas Day Is Almost Here
10,000 anglers possible at Crowley

April 27, 2005

By Bump Diamond
Man About Town

    With snow levels still at 7,500 feet, it looks as if Crowley Lake is about to get crushed on Opening Day of the High Sierra fishing season Saturday.
    “Expect the crowds to be extremely large, even for a Crowley opener, as it is about the only game in town,” said Tom Loe on his Sierra Drifters website.  Ten thousand  people on opening weekend from what I hear."
    They might not be disappointed, either, according to fishing guide Dave Neal, who has his fishing season opening guide posted online at Flyfish Mammoth .
    “Currently the lake is ice-free,” Neal wrote, “and the fish are pigging out and fattening themselves up on midges, leeches etc. without a care in the world or rude interruptions from us anglers and our hooked flies.”
    So what’s it going to be like for Neal?
     Here's Neal, by the way  --------->
    “I’ll be avoiding the lake and its mob scene on the opener to focus on our spring creeks and tailwater fisheries for a week or so.”
    Loe, however, indicated that he will be at the lake, and posted this report:
       “The lake has been ice free for over two weeks now, and the water temperature is 42-to-45 degrees.
    “I have been on the lake several times last week looking for concentrations of fish and most of the rascals are in deeper water and off the flats.  There are solid numbers of mature rainbows staging to migrate up the creeks that feed the lake. 
    “The chironomid hatches are not happening at this time, but that will change as soon as the weather warms and the barometer starts to rise for a change.  Traditionally the Mothers Day hatch can be epic for the school sized rainbows that move onto the flats and begin foraging on the chironomid pupa that emerge in huge numbers around Mom’s day each year. 
    “If you plan on fly fishing Crowley early in the season stick to the drop-offs and areas that border deeper water.  Six Bays, Alligator Point, North Landing, Sandy Point and Hilton Bay.
     Streamers, leech patterns and chironomid larva imitations are your best bet during the infant stages of the season.  Drifter’s Crystal Tiger and Zebra Midge’s #16-18 are excellent early season patterns for stillwater nymphing.  Loebergs #10 and our Crystal Leeches in #12-14 can be dynamite for streamer tuggers early on. 
    “The water is off-colored for this time of year and although there is no algae present I suggest you use patterns that have some flash built in them as they will draw more attention. 
    “Look for the trout to be holding deeper in the water column, 10-20 feet is where I observed several decent sized pods of school fish holding last week.  Full sink type 4’s or heavy 200 grain 20 foot sinking tips will get you down best.  Work the ledges and edges!”

E-mail this page to a friend.

Enter your e-mail address and your friend's e-mail address, then click "Send Link". Your friend will receive a link to this page. Your e-mail addresses will not be saved or shared.