Jimbo
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What Kevin said is correct. If flows were even 100cfs there would be more Trout that make it down to RRC. A couple of years ago when flows were 500-600cfs wading was difficult and the one day I had to fish most of the accessible water was covered up. Crossing the river was extremely limited to a few spots. So I went down to RRC and was the only flyfisherman there. I worked upstream all the way to the bridge. In the riffle section about half-way there there were Rainbows in every drop. I caught well into double digits. But that was an exceptional year. Nonetheless there will be a few fish there now and more especially in late January and February. In these low flows they will more likely harvested, but if you want solitude from there all the way to Lower Rio you will have it. Another plus is the deeper hole about 100 feet above the bridge. Wading is treacherous with many slabs and deep drop offs, but some fish will hold in that deeper water because noone can easily get to them.
Jimbo
The best Places would be: Rio, Lazy L&L, and Action Angler for pay and fish….
Then again if action is all you wanted The dam access and Huaco Springs….
Jimbo
My first real day fishing since before the first Rainbow Trout stocking was Friday. Started at #5 at 8:30 and was the 5th vehicle parking there. I geared up and and saw many anglers and boats between the weir and Rio. I hustled downstream to the drop at Barking Dog pool. Two anglers were there and we talked and fished together, but no fish were caught while I was there. They left after a while for S Turn and worked some oft overlooked spots, but caught zero nymph fishing. So I followed downstream too. Mountain creek pool had about a half dozen anglers fishing, a drift boat and several kayaks. There were about 4 anglers covering the Lower Slot. I was looking into the water between BDP and there. I decided these fish were neutral and decided to change tactics and start throwing streamers. I tied on a wooly bugger and soft hackle trailer and started throwing that around. That’s when Kevin came upstream and gave him a holler. I asked how he done and he said he had been there since dawn and already caught about 10 fish. I asked what he had hooked them on and he said mostly a red and white spoon. Kevin carries a flyrod and a light spinning rod. He was talking about a classic very small Daredevil spoon he uses. That told me what I suspected. The guys that were all nymph fishing below us were in casting class. Kevin and I stayed up there and chasing the passing pods of fish. My first one was a dandy, a hen which I thought was about 3 1/2lbs and Kevin thought closer to 4. We both worked these fish and caught many while those below us watched. I got to double digits in the next couple of hours. During this time it went from blue bird to overcast which I really think helped the bite. The major was also in the late morning, which didn’t hurt a bit.
I left after noon, stopped at Action Angler looking for more soft hackles, ate some lunch, and then fired up my computer trying to finish off a real estate deal I’ve been working on. In the afternoon I went to Pott’s, it was covered up by guide boats and anglers, and then jumped to Kanz hoping for some more bites, but it wasn’t very good at all and I packed up and went home.
So my conclusions for the day were: these fish are still in hatchery mode. They bite early and really should late too(but not this day), they are still podded up, you can get a strike out of a pod of fish because of their competitive instincts, cloud cover helps, as does fishing during the major, and when they are full it’s essentially done for the day. This is all typical of early days after stocking. I do think the low water is hindering getting out of this pattern and them spreading out and getting into a pattern where they are relying on feeding on the naturals available in the river.
Jimbo
We need to be teaching these new generations the joys of flyfishing. Creating these future advocates for the sport will ensure it’s continued success in restoring our cold water fisheries to the grandeur they once had….
Jimbo
It usually is a chaotic tussle when facing such a large fish… Good Work !!!
Jimbo
Hard to say, when fish get fungus from spawning it’s usually on their nose, tail and belly. But I would guess someone with dry hands wanted a hero shot of this fish or worse yet dragged it up on the shore removing it slime coat. As much as we would all like everyone who fishes here know how to properly handle these fish, they just don’t. Too many don’t even know that what they are doing is detrimental to the fish and the fishery. Understand that many are used to fishing for Black Bass or Catfish and don’t understand how delicate these fish are !
Jimbo
The really good news about the Lahontan Cutthroats is that about 4 or 5 years ago the discovered the original Pyramid Lake strain of the Lahontan Cutthroats in a small isolated stream in northern Nevada. Those fish have been used now for several years by the native Indians as brood stock for their breeding program. And there is now a fish ladder that allows for the Cutthroat to swim around the dam and back upstream to their natal spawning grounds. Someday we will see the return of the Monsters that once called this place home. And I am not talking about 40 pounders. Records indicate Cutthroats of a much larger size lived here when the 49ers came through and we are talking stories of fish past 60 pounds !!!! So If I do move to California this is probably the best thing about it. I will be able to stand on ladders and cast my foam beetles and tadpoles hoping for something beyond imagination….
Jimbo
It’s next on my list…. Fishing from ladders for the largest Trout species on the planet…..
Jimbo
I Look forward to seeing everyone and I’ll be there with the walkie talkies to play traffic cop again….
Jimbo
Dustin Scott is who you should contact. Give him some time as he has a full time job, in addition to being a volunteer on the GRTU Board.
Jimbo
No Lazy L&L has been a continuous LAP site for decades. We lost Bezdek’s this season, Gypsy River and Koozies few years ago…. Not sure which site your thinking of? Recent sites we added are River Rose and a few years ago Red Bates (Janie’s).
Jimbo
No, It’s the additional time it takes from the hatchery truck to the water. Plus I told Dan that this is a place where it’s important to put fewer fish per bucket. Even if it means two trips or more with the truck. Here the fish go from truck to bucket, which are placed in the back of the truck with another tub on top to keep them from jumping out(but also limits oxygen getting in the water). Then drive the truck down to the water, then take the buckets from the truck to the river. There’s probably and extra 5 minutes or so they spend in the buckets.
Jimbo
Alex, you said you saw many dead Browns. What number would you say you saw? We put somewhere around 250 Browns there. I went in there several days later and saw just a few. I looked long and hard and the Dead Browns I saw I could count on one hand. Unless predators like Ospreys or Stripers came in and ate them, I don’t think we lost that many, certainly not 100’s.
Jimbo
Why do you say most of the Browns didn’t make it? Have you seen large numbers of dead Browns and where did you see them. The Browns come from a different Hatchery Cedar Springs and not Crystal Lake Fisheries where we get out Rainbows. We have not seen evidence of a significant loss of the Brown Trout after stocking them. I personally targeted them and caught them every place we stocked them. I saw a few dead Trout but not many.
Jimbo
It’s a Seasonal Lease in the LAP.
Jimbo
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