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The official newsletter of the High Sierra Fly Casters
May 2015
Since 1991
fishstories……
Partner Club Programs
by Kurt Zeilenga, HSFC Fish Master
Earlier this year I was contacted by Mike Mott of the Ruby Mountains Fly Fishers asking about how their club and ours
could work together for the benefit of the membership of the both clubs, to build new friendships and to share local
knowledge. After a bit of discussion between us and within our respective boards, we came to a two part agreement: Open Invite and Local Water Fishing Buddy programs.
The Open Invite program is quite straight forward… we have invited their membership to attend any of our fish outs
and other events… and they have invited us to attend theirs. Any HSFC member desiring to attend a RMFF club
event should contact the HSFC coordinator (me) prior to the event. The coordinator will contact the RMFF coordinator. If there’s food or other costs involved, visiting members may be asked to contribute a few bucks to cover their
share of the expense. Looks like they have a really sweet event coming up in June at Angel Lake 1-Fly Tournament
and BBQ - 20 June. For additional events, see their calendar at https://sites.google.com/site/rubymountainflyfishers/
home/calendar or follow them on Facebook < https://www.facebook.com/groups/1429918410555668/>.
The Local Water Buddy program is all about making new friends and sharing local knowledge both on and off the water. Want help planning when and where to fish in the Ruby Mountains and surrounding areas? Where to stay? Where
to eat? What flies to use? Or maybe you would just like to fish with someone new. With this program, the club coordinators will work together to hook you up with a buddy (or buddies) to help you get the most out of your visit.
I’m personally planning on asking for a buddy to help me chase down a Bonneville Cutthroat (as part of the NV Fish
Slam <http://www.ndow.org/Fish/Angler_Recognition/Fish_Slam/>). Anyone want to join me for a bit of Ruby Mountain fishing?
About the Ruby Mountain Fly Fishers
by Joe Doucette, RMFF President
The Ruby Mountain Fly Fishers <http://rmffs.org> promote the fly fishing experience through fellowship, education,
conservation and outreach.
Beyond fooling trout with a well-tied fly and a good presentation, fly fishing is about sharing our experiences with fellow fly fishers; heading out on a chilly single-degree morning to find a hatch and willing trout; or being in some of the
prettiest country people will ever see. The mission of the RMFF is to share it all.
For fellowship the club conducts at least one event each quarter, among them are an outing to Ruby Marsh on New
Year’s Day, a trek to Pyramid Lake in March, an Ice Off Event in April, One-Fly tournaments in May/June and October
and a Christmas Dinner in December. Our buddy program and reciprocity with the High Sierra Fly Casters is an exciting opportunity, and a great extension to our fellowship efforts.
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On the 2nd Wednesday of each month, RMFFers discuss business, in as little time as possible, and swap stories about
fishing. While we are gathered we have an education offering. Guests, such as fisheries biologists and water masters,
have spoken with our club about the local waters and fish found there. Top Tier fly tiers, such as Andy Burke and Kevin Kirkelie, have spoken to us about their patterns and raising chickens. We sometimes learn a new pattern together, or
watch videos of subjects about bugs, gear, and technique.
For outreach the club as gives back to the area with activities such as cleaning up Carlin Canyon or planting trees to
observe National Public Lands Day.
We have submitted our application for a 501c(3) in order to pursue grant money for conservations projects.
But most of all the RMFF is a good group of people, who share a passion for all things fly fishing.
Mentor Program
by Kurt Zeilenga, HSFC Fish Master
Did you know that that club has a mentor program? What’s this, you ask? Basically, it’s personalized assistance you
can obtain to help you with your fishing activities and can come in many forms. For instance, maybe you’d like some
stream side assistance learning (or perfecting) a particular fishing technique or maybe you’d like some fly advice for a
particular water… or help learning how to tie a particular pattern. To arrange for a mentor, contact Kurt Zeilenga
<[email protected]>. He’ll arrange a club member to help you out. The cost: provide service to the club and/or its
membership in some way (volunteer as a mentor, volunteer to provide food for a fish out, tie a dozen or two flies for
one of retreats, join the board, etc.).
May General Membership Meeting
by Mike Sevon, HSFC Lifetime Member
May's joint meeting of the Carson Fly Club and the High Sierra Fly Casters will feature a presentation on Fly
Fishing Christmas Island. The presentation follows the journey of Mike Sevon, Tillie Arizmendi and Mike
Phillips to Hawaii, then 1400 miles south to Christmas Island. Many of the Carson anglers will remember
when Tillie Arizmendi was new to fly fishing in 2003 and joined the Carson Club. This trip was a culmination of the skills she learned from those who lent her a helping hand. If you are interested in flats fishing this
program is a must see. The trio of anglers hooked up to big bonefish, blue, black and giant trevally, triggerfish, lady fish and more during their week at the Villages Resort.
The meeting will be held at 7:00 PM on May 13 at the Elks Lodge, 1227 Kimmerling Rd., Gardnerville, Nevada. The doors open at 6:30 PM for those who would like to socialize in the lounge before the presentation.
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For those interested in a trip to Christmas Island, Mike Phillips and several of his friends are going April 2017. There is
still room for anyone who is interested. Contact Mike Phillips at 775-450-3564 if interested.
April Fish Out Report
by Mike Phillips, HSFC Editor
With wind up to 12mph, only four of our members showed up to fish Pyramid. I was so jazzed about going I got up at
3:30AM and drove there with my waders and boots on. I planned on fishing the rocks by Pelican Point, until I spotted
some nice northeast winds coming into the South Nets area around 5:50 AM. As an added bonus there was no one
fishing yet even though there were about ten trailers camped there. I pulled in and had my ladder out in a few minutes.
There was one other fisherman that joined me. I didn’t see any club members as I began to talk and fish. The guy next
to me told me Saturday fishing had been good. The first five guys on the line caught 80 fish between them. A 12 year
old boy fly fishing with his dad caught 26 fish in the spot where I had my ladder. I had five takes in about an hour
bringing only one fish to hand. The rest of the guys who joined us were not doing to well. That all stopped when the
guy next to me caught a 13 pound 5 ounce on a white beetle pattern. Five minutes later the guy on the other side of me
caught a 9 pounder. I was pretty optimistic about my chances when a 20 inch fish took my beetle. Well so much for
me and a big fish. The wind slowed down and so did the fishing success. I left the South Nets and joined two of our
club members, Bob Taomina and Jack Kowalski for lunch at 12:30 PM. Bob and Jack did quite a bit of exploring fishing three different spots before lunch. Unfortunately they drew a blank. We discovered another member at the rocks,
2015 HSFC Officers
Jim Norton
Unfilled
Dan Sedergren
Unfilled
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Recording Secretary
775-265-3121
775-265-2767
2015 HSFC Board of Directors
Bob Taomina
Membership
Kirk Chiapella
Conservation
Jim Norton
Education
Ken Baldwin
Webmaster
Bob Taormina
Publicity
Dan Anthony
Fund Raising
775-265-9159
775-265-7181
775-265-3121
775-849-3920
775-265-9159
530-495-2817
Mike Phillips
Kurt Zeilenga
Newsletter Editor
775-265-4610
Fish Master
775-790-2166
Special projects
775-782-1201
At Large
Bob Rittenhouse
TENTATIVE FISH OUT SCHEDULE FOR 2015
Dates
Feb.
March
April
May
June
July
August
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
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29
26
31
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Hinkson Slough
Rosaschi Ranch
Pyramid Lake
East Carson River
December and January No fish outs held
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Kaare Fladby, who caught the big fish of the day a 22 inch cutthroat. Jack, Bob and I fished some more at the rocks,
but we did not catch anything. We all wished that we could of fished on Saturday. Timing can be everything.
Jack, Bob and Mike with the rocks and lake behind them
Kaare Fladby who caught the big fish for the day
May Fish Out - East Carson and Silver Creek
by Kurt Zeilenga, HSFC Fish Master
The May fish out will be held on 31st of May. You’ll have the option of fishing the East Carson or Silver Creek or
even Wolf Creek. The water should be low, clear, and fairly warm. We’ll meet at the intersection of CA 4 (Alpine
State Hwy) and Wolf Creek Road (Centerville Flats Campground), 16 minutes (7.3 miles) south of Markleeville,
CA. Club will provide BBQ chicken sandwiches. Please bring a side dish to share and your own drinks. Meet time:
9:30AM. Lunch: 12:30pm. Leave time: whenever you’ve had enough. Please let me know if you plan to attend so I
can properly provision the BBQ. As I’m a dry fly nut, I’ll be fishing a 3wt (or lighter) rod and fairly light (5x) tippet. If you are nymphing, especially on the East Carson, 4wt would be a better choice. A 5wt will do fine. Floating
line and 9ft or longer tapered trout leader recommended. Lots of different bugs could be hatching at the end of May…
so either come prepared with a wide selection or ask for advice closer to the fish out date. If you like some mentoring
during the fish out, let me know in advance so I arrange for it. The Angler’s Edge is a great information resource and
they stock some awesome flies for our local waters. If you like some mentoring during the fish out, let me know in advance so I arrange for it.
News of Interest from California
by CJ Webb, HSFC Lifetime Member
The latest legislation and the first hearing for the Sport-fishing Stimulus Act of 2015 (SB 345; Berryhill, R-Twain
Harte), is set for Tuesday April 28th in Sacramento. It is believed that fishing's economic impact is threatened by an
unprecedented decline in participation that is due, in part, to one of the costliest annual fishing licenses in the nation not
being valid for a full year from the date of purchase according to Marko Mlikotin, Executive Director for the California
Sport-fishing League (CSL). He also states that "California needs to abandon its existing licenses program and remove
barriers to participation by making recreational fishing more affordable. In doing so, jobs will be created and communities will grow stronger."
DFW reports 2015 stocking will be down by 40% due to budgetary problems within the department through the legislature. As previously reported, the size of trout to be stocked this summer were has changed to 2 to a pound instead of
the original 4 to a pound. Stocking will probably be done every other week but that could also change. The normal
trout production year was 4 million pounds of trout, and 2014 saw 3.28 million pounds, and 2015 will see 1.6 million
pounds meaning many waters may not get planted but if they do, they will be drastically cut from prior years. Stafford
Lehr, Chief of Fisheries stated they need to "find" $2 million that could be allocated to the hundreds of thousands of
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fishermen in California that buy licenses. But obviously, "someone" in the Department doesn't see that as important.
All Mono County waters were heavily stocked prior to the trout opener by DWF and Desert Springs out of southern Oregon.
CalTrans will be working on US395 along Mono Lake starting May 4th to improve safety for the traveling public by minimizing
rocks falling from the steep adjacent slopes. The project also includes a plant establishment program on the six slopes involved to
reduce erosion, establish healthy soil, and promote successful revegetation. Be prepared for daily lane closures with delays no
longer than 20 minutes Monday thru Thursday from 5am to 8pm and Fridays 6am to 3pm with flaggers and a pilot car. But starting
May 12th, there could be one hour delays but notices will be posted when the dates are determined.
Eastern Sierra Fishing Report
by CJ Webb, HSFC Lifetime Member
My annual scouting was good but lake testing was minimal due to rotator cuff surgery and looking forward to using a
rod in mid May when the shoulder has a lot more strength.
Remember to check the regulations prior to fishing unfamiliar water concerning limits, size, and other restrictions.
ROCK CREEK LAKE is ice free, but no report on angler success. Mosquito flats road is plowed to parking area.
Resort scheduled to open by Memorial weekend. Creek flow has been around 32cfs as of the 24th.
CROWLEY water level is rising faster now with present elevation of the lake at 6763.7 ft. versus 6781 at the spillway.
Because of the excellent food source in the 5280-acre reservoir, the hatches have been good so expect fish to be larger
on the average and in the feeding mode. A lot of these fish are from previous years or are wild fish produced in Crowley's tributary waters. Fish are spread out but decent in most areas with higher water temps. The fish are also at various depths, 25 ft of water suspended at 16 ft at Stormy Flats so adjust to fit the depth. Watch for a second Crowley
Cam at the Fish Camp boat ramp soon with streaming video.
UPPER OWENS is poor and the water cleared some and now back to normal. Try some large flashy patterns. Dries
working are Parachute Adams, Stimulator #16, Elk Hair Caddis #16-18, and Brook's Hot Creek Caddis #18. Nymphs:
Zebra midge #18-20, red copper John, #14-18, Prince nymph #14-18, red San Juan worm #12, flashback hares ear #1418, flashback pheasant tail #16, Black Bead Bird's nest #14, Nitro Caddis #14, and Nori's Caddis Pupa Green #16-1.
Streamers: Perfection Perch, Punk Perch, Sculpin Patterns, Meat Whistle, black and purple Woolly Buggers.
CONVICT LAKE was heavily stocked and reports were good but mostly on bait. Trophy trout were stocked for their
Derby, with good reports. Try the inlet and outlets and keep your line tight should a "Desert Springs Beauty" cruise the
area. Try some Wooly Buggers in black, olive or purple and if you have any with rubber legs, tie 'em on and be prepared. It's been a long dry winter and they are easily entertained. Use just enough line to drift by their nose BUT don't
overcast.
HOT CREEK flume is at 18cfs and water is clear, but will produce when the temps are at their peak. Knowing how to
throw a good drift to get into fish is essential. Some caddis in the afternoons with baetis in the am but not a lot of rises
and this always changes as the weather warms up. Trout are mostly taking small mayflies with good numbers just no
size. Dries: Parachute Adams size 20, Extended body blue winged olive 20-22 and Griffith's Gnats. Nymphs taking
fish are WD-40 #20-22 Grey RS2 emergers, #18-20, Tungsten Psycho 18-20, olive Micro-mayflies #18, Zebra Midge
20-22, and Frostbite Midge 20-22. Streamers - no go.
MAMMOTH BASIN road crew cleared the basin and all lakes are thawed. Basin was stocked by DFW for the opener
and they will be getting 15,000 pounds in the Lakes Basin by the Town this summer.
SAN JOAQUIN flow is low at 52cfs with normal around 200cfs. Road to Agnew Meadows, Devils Postpile, Rainbow
Falls and Reds Meadow is projected to open by May 19th.
JUNE LAKE loop has been open since March 14th. The June Lake cage culture program did not raise fish this past
winter but it is still holding Kamloop Rainbows for DFW due to water issues at Junction Reservoir. Wind also pummeled the loop and not many boats attempted the conditions. Reports were dark streamers using quick action near
weedy areas by the west end of the lake (as always) also near the south shore. There are a lot of deer moving into in
the area, so stay alert and avoid wrecking your trip.
GULL LAKE iced out in early March and was stocked for the opener. Gary put in some really nice trophies for the
opener so bring your best streamers, buggers and a dropper near the reeds. Check in at the shop and see what's hot.
SILVER LAKE also iced out mid March and was stocked last Monday by DFW and 400 pounds of large rainbows
from Desert Springs of Oregon averaging 5pounds. Fishing was good overall according to non-fly anglers. My choice
would be to hit the smaller areas of the inlet and outlet for browns cruising for larger morsels to whet their appetites.
Lake is only about 11" down.
RUSH CREEK: Flows above Grant Lake are up to 60cfs and 33cfs below. No report on fly action.
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GRANT LAKE is extremely low and anticipating some run-off, but there's still a lot of water to fish, try the south shore (drive) or the inlet (park
and walk) for trophy's cruising for smaller fish. Check with Ernie’s or the Grant Lake Marina for current info.
LUNDY LAKE is ice free and down due to low snow pack and the road is open all the way to the back-canyon restroom. The lake has come up
one foot similar to 2014 and Edison is letting the lake rise to meet water requirements for the area. The resort will open around mid June from
the latest report. You can hit the ponds for some great dry fly action or the inlet on the mountain side of the resort. These are always a good
option to blow-out conditions but it is muddy. DFW didn't plant due to the possibility of the truck getting stuck and no one around to assist.
VIRGINIA LAKES ROAD has been open all winter to Rand Road due to the lack of snow. The County plowed and cleared the parking area at
Big Virginia on the 17th.
BIG VIRGINIA has a lot of water showing at the outlet and 10-14 feet of water along the entire east shore with more at the inlet and the entire
lake is dark. The ice will break down fast due to the warm weather of March and early April. It's the density of the ice, not the thickness. No
one was on the ice for the opener. Smart!
LITTLE VIRGINIA thawed on the April 11th. Weather was cloudy and cool most of the week prior to the opener with night temperatures
between the high 20's to low 30's. Only a few braved the conditions early morning, but a few tubers hit the water late Saturday afternoon and
two anglers reported 30 fish C&R but they didn't want to say what they used. The bugs out (very small and dark), were definitely midges but
possibly a hungry mosquito on the hunt. Sunday saw about 15-18 anglers on and off all day, with about 9 tubers mostly using flies but not a lot
of success until late afternoon.
TRUMBLE LAKE has been ice free since April 9th and snow around the lake was gone until the storm early am on the 25th. A few small snow
patches remain throughout the campground. No one fished it on opening day due to the weather. Saw a couple hatches earlier in the week and
trout were rising so small dries would have been my choice, small black midges, Griffith's Gnat, green body mosquito size 18 or even a parachute Adams size 18. A few anglers showed on Sunday but not much luck even on bait.
EAST WALKER flow continues to hover around 20cfs with good reports of high count fish days. I managed to scout the area and found a
bounty of bugs before the cold snap. Reports say some really nice fish up to 24" were landed on both the CA and NV sides of the river. Best
spot is below the bridge on the CA side. Don't give up on the Miracle Mile it can be unpredictable and productive as well. Low clear water is
the current norm so fish are skittish; tread softly to avoid spooking them prior to tossing a fly. Try woolly buggers, double bunnies, flashback
emerger, WD-40, white Zebra midge, Rainbow Warrior, Micro-mayflies, stimulators, rubber leg stimulator and Chubby Chernobyl.
BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR and the feeder creeks are very low but fairly clear. Lake has been stocked and DFW bows were ready for some
action. Also, an unexpected load of catchable browns appeared out of nowhere. The Rez fished fairly well from boats and shore but mostly on
bait. Conditions will improve after the low-pressure moves out. Tube the drop-offs with Hornbergs, leeches and perch patterns. Also try Callibaetis nymphs, broken back midges, and flashback pheasant tails for good action. The Rez will fish well early in the season and hopefully get
more water from run-off depending on what comes out of the canyons into the confluence. There is a small boat launch/courtesy dock near the
dam that will get you on the water. Check with Jeff at the marina for flies, boat rentals and current fishing info.
WEST WALKER flow is 160cfs but it’s early, it will get higher as the temps increase this week. Look for great action the entire length of the
"West" into town. DFW stocked some nice fish, but no report if North County Chamber put in some Desert Springs fatties, but I'm sure they did.
Flows have been a bit inconsistent but without the huge run-off numbers as in the past. The town will also be hosting two big Derby's this summer. Check their website for details (Northern Mono County Chamber of Commerce). No report due to weather.
KIRMAN LAKE - Reports from yesterday that the weather was nasty and anglers that fished were soaked and frozen with only a few caught on
streamers. The weather is going to be great for the next week, so probably try Seal Buggers, Matukas or Mini Leeches with an AP emerger or
soft hackle dropper. (Mike Sevon fished it last week and it was extremely low. A large group was there and no one caught fish.)
TIOGA PASS ~ is still currently closed from Crane Flat to the Mono County line on the pass. The Mono County side has been cleared to the
pass but currently closed due to recent storm. Saddlebag, Tioga and Ellery all remain frozen and/or inaccessible.
Please note: Tioga Pass will be undergoing a resurfacing project that is in progress from Crane Flat to White Wolf and is scheduled to conclude
in November 2015. Once the road opens for the season, expect 15-60 minute delays depending on the time of day. Work will be 24 hours a day
beginning Sunday at 11pm through Friday at 4:30pm. Big Oak Flat road tunnels will also have delays. Check their website for specific times. If
you can't locate it email me at ([email protected]) and I'll send you the schedule.
SONORA PASS – Opened April 17th (subject to storm closure) and closed currently due to storm but will reopen tomorrow.
MONITOR PASS opened on March 7th (subject to storm closure) but has been closed off and on for storms may reopen in 2 days. CJ
Here are businesses that chose to support this club, so think about supporting them!
York Plumbing 775-782-5336 G’ville, NV Giving a 10% discount for mentioning this ad
Virginia Lakes Resort 760-647-6484 www.virginialakesresort.com Bridgeport, CA
Edward Jones Investments Ron Bankofer 775-782-9102 www.edwardjones.com
G’ville, NV
Michael Matuska, Attorney at law, 937 Mica Drive, Suite 16A, Carson City 775-392-2313
Put your ad on this page for only $50.00 per year!
A business can purchase space on this page for $50.00 a year. Contact Mike Phillips at 775-265-4610 if interested.
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High Sierra Fly Casters
PO Box 3121
Gardnerville, NV 89410
Upcoming HSFC Events
General Membership Meeting
May 13
Fish Out– East Carson River
May 31
General meetings are held at 7:00 P.M. on the second Wednesday of each month (except December) at the Elks
Lodge, 1227 Kimmerling Rd., Gardnerville, NV.
Doors at open at 6:30 P.M. for those who want to socialize in the lounge.
The HSFC Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at
Warren Reed Insurance, 1521 Highway 395, Gardnerville, NV.
HSFC members are welcome to attend.
We welcome contributions, quotes, jokes, stories and articles to fishstories……
Please send to: Mike Phillips, 887 Marion Way, Gardnerville, NV, 89460 or [email protected]