*****

Went to the Eastern Sierra the week before Memorial Day to see what high water in the creeks looks like thanks to this past winter's record snow dump.  Met my pal Chuck at his pad in June Lake.  We flyfished Rush Creek between 395 and Mono Lake.  Water was too high and there were too much brush to be any fun.

The next day I wanted to fish Walker Lake but the road was closed due to a washout.  I flyfished various nearby creeks, Hot Creek, Owens River, Convict below 395 but all were high and silty and not one bite was had.  Instead I drove around and took pictures:

Sierra Photos 5/25

*****

Brad R. Float Trip down a river somewhere in North America 5/10

*****

Springtime wildflower trip snapshots:

Indian Wells Canyon 4/25

Red Rock Bloom Trip  4/18

Red Rock Canyon Bloom Trip 4/4

Wiley Well to Cottonwood Springs pics 3/27

Anza-Borrego spring bloom trip III 3/21

Mt. Estell Bloom pics 3/15

Anza-Borrego spring bloom trip II 3/14

Mt. Estelle & San Gorgonio from my hood 3/12

Mt. Estelle Panorama from my hood 3/12

Mt. Estelle Preserve poppy pics 3/8

Anza-borrego spring bloom trip I 3/6

*****

Plans for this year:

    Maybe you noticed -- or not -- I did't report much fishing last year.  Only one write-up, in fact.  I's not that I didn't try.

     Early in 2016 I attempted Opaleye fishing a few times but didn't make it to the water becuase my opaleye algae bait farm at Colorado Lagoon didn't produce any green by March.  Now that I don't live near the coast, it's not really worth the effort to drive there unless the conditions are perfect; tide, swell and bait availability.

    Also since most of the shoreline rocks south of Palos Verdes' Point Vicente, where the swell is calm and fishable, are closed to fishing now, thanks to MLPA, the only other option are the open areas north of Vicente.  The drawback is that zone is exposed to the prevailing northern swell.  A calm wave day is hard to find.  When I did see a two-foot swell with high tide day on the swell chart this past December, I found Colorado Lagoon fenced off with no access.  Turns out The City of Long Beach is renovating the park, ripping out the grass and trees and planting California natives and installing a walkway along the shore of the wetland in attempt to return the area to a more prehistoric state.  It will be nice once completed.  I will return in the fall to sneak in at 5am to harvest a bucket of green bait.

    There might be other areas in the zone between Huntington and San Pedro where strands of ulva intestinalis could be harvested.  I would have to waste a Sunday driving around  searching for another accessible backwater that will have piles of the opaleye bait lying in the mud so that when I show up the next  morning at dark:15, I can easly fill a pale.

    Also I fished Diamond Valley two times but didn't catch anything.  I wanted to try there more but they closed it to fishing Mondays and Tuesdays now, which happens to be the two full days I have off each week.  Still I can go on Wednesday mornings but the coastal overcast that creates perfect bass fishing conditions doesn't extend that far inland every day and having only one day per week to choose from doesn't make for a good option. 

    This coming spring looks hopeful, as the lake is rising and all the mule fat that grew along the exposed shore will be flooded, creating more cover for bass to hide and nest.   Come on overcast Wednesdays!  I need you in May.

    I wanted to fish Baja for a couple weeks this past October, like I did in 2015, but I hurt my back real bad -- while swimming of all things -- and could barely get out of bed for two weeks.  Also a mixup in vacation schduling at work gave me only one week, which I was forced to use to convalesce the pain.  Here comes the old-guy stuff.

    Starting May I will fish The Eastern Sierra high country omce per month through August, with another week-long backpack to Secret Brown Trout Lake in July.  My back feels pretty good now that I have been training vigorously since December 1.

*****

     Drought over?  I have been following the state-wide doppler maps the past two months.  All low and high desert and mountain areas have been receiving multiple inches of rain.  Wildflowers everywhere will be spectacular!  Here is a list of dream trips this spring:

• Enduro ride southern third of Anza Borrego out of Dos Cabesas two-day overnight campout.
• Enduro ride middle third of Anza Borrego out of Pinyon Mountain two-day over night campout.
• Enduro ride northern third Anza Borrego out of Coyote Canyon and Rockouse canyon two-day overnight campout.
• Hike Mt. Estelle reserve a few times since it is two miles from my house.
• 4x4 Cuddeback Valley, camp, then summit Fremont Peak, three-day two-night campout.
• 4x4 Sierra foothills south-west of Ridgecrest two nights with detour through El Paso mountans on the way home.
• Enduro ride Carrizo Plain 3-day 2-night campout.
• 4x4 and hike New York Mountains.
• Hike Red Box to West Fork trail to look at native trout migrating upstream now that the creek will be full.  Maybe overnight backpack.
• Summit Mt. Baldy Fourth of July.

*****

This Year's Fishing license fees:

2017 - Sport Fishing License (Res) $47.01
2017 - Sport Ocean Enhancement Validation $5.14
2017 - Second-Rod Sport Fishing Validation $14.61
Total: $66.76

Top