Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. I hope all is going well for you in the New Year and you are making plans for numerous fish'n excursions to the Eastern Sierra and other locations. Please remember to get your 2010 licenses and the warden stamp! The DFG is in dire need of the revenue. Also: As of March 1, 2010 you will no longer need to DISPLAY your valid license. What few wardens we currently have must now approach and ask you to show your fishing license, check out all your gear, barbs, etc... This will make you lose valuable fishing time and disturb your location. I hope the belly acher's that changed this law get checked during a great bite! I am suggesting to our clients that you keep displaying it in an obvious location and you may not be interrupted as the original law was intended.

We are well above normal snowpack after a series of substantial dumps in January with more forecast to be on the way. The landscape has changed significantly in all areas since the big storms and we have updated the fish'n conditions in all areas.

The roads leading to all the rivers are pretty much thrashed and many are impassable except by snow shoes or snow mobile. The dirt roads that are not fenced along the Lower Owens River are also a mess and have some nasty "tank traps" in some spots. Please remember to check it out before you drive in. The roads are typically frozen in the mornings and driving is not as much an issue at this time. When they thaw in the afternoon you will have deep, thick mud or slush to contend with and it ain't no fun dig'n out or handing over a few bills to a local towing company. Don't let this happen to you!

Road trips: Tom Loe will be visiting his pal legendary Kern River master guide Guy Jeans and the friendly folks of the Southern Sierra Fly Fishers in Kernville

on March 13th 2010. http://ssffc.com/ Fly Shop 760 376 2040. T. Loe will then do a show for his best buddy Bill Stroud of Stroud's Tackle and the wonderful group of fly casters - the San Diego Fly Fishers on April 5th 2010. www.sandiegoflyfishers.com

The Power Point assisted presentations are done in an "off the water guide trip" framework and have a vest full of great information for fishing the waters of the Sierra and other locations that hold trout. The general public is welcome to attend.

Eagle Lake Spring Trips

The conditions will be excellent this spring for sure. Eagle is getting a good snowpack and the lake will be in top shape for the 2010 season. I will be booking trips from 6-3-2010 through 6-30-2010. Depending on conditions we may be doing some trips in July as well. I will post those dates at a later time.

Eagle is hands down, without a doubt the best rainbow trout still water in the State. If you like big numbers of 19 inch average EagleLake Trout that weigh 2-3 lbs on the fly, this is your huckleberry! Big fish here go 27 inches and weigh 6-7 lbs. It is a gorgeous alpine lake bordered by huge pines and is California's second largest natural inland body of water. We will be guiding it on our 24 foot fish magnets and can take groups of three per boat easily.

I will have additional boats here this season as demand for this trip has grown over the years. Dates will go quickly, so please do not delay. You may call or email us for bookings. Click on this link for additional info. http://www.sierradrifters.com/EagleLakeCalifornia.htm

SPECIAL DEALS

"Be the Fly" Rewards Program

We greatly appreciate you special people who have generously referred business to us for over a decade, and recognize that without you our business could not have grown. To show our gratitude we will reward you by discounting your future trips if we book from a direct reference from you. In addition, a trip that results from a referral from you shall also receive a 5% reduction per trip on our standard guide trips and posted prices.

Here's how it works for new clients. Tell a friend or family member to e-mail or give us a call by 6 pm, September 1st 2010. If they want to "Be the Fly" and book a trip we will automatically reduce their cost 5%, and you will also get a 5% reduction off your next trips booking. Give us four new clients by September 1st, and get 10% off a trip that you book. Make sure we get your full name and contact information from them so you get credited for the referrals.

There is no limit as to how many future trip discounts you may receive. The more you refer, the more you save!

The Sierra Drifter that gives us the most referrals by the deadline will be rewarded with back to back guided trips for two people, lodging, and dinners in MammothLakes for the 2010 fall trophy trout season!!!

Runner up will get a free guided trip next fall.

So get the word out to those that have not been guided by us before and start accumulating "Be the Fly" rewards points.

Back by popular demand for the 2010 season "The Square Deal Guide Package" Pre-pay for 4, two person full day trips during the 2010 calendar year and you save $180.00 off our regular rates. $350.00 bones for a full day guided trip and we supply all your gear! There are some restrictions for special trips so call or write us for details please.

Fly Fishing Clinics for beginners and intermediates

If you or someone you know wants to learn the basics of fly casting, knot tying, and the fundamentals of wet and dry fly fishing from full time fly fishing professionals, here is a great opportunity!

We will be conducting casting and knot tying clinics located at Sierra Drifters beautiful private trophy pond overlooking CrowleyLake at McGee Creek for next season. You may enroll for an on the water instructional seminar in addition to the pond session for the second day.

These clinics were a big hit last year and we had high marks from those who attended the classes. We are adding additional dates for next season and have greatly reduced the cost thanks to last years demand. The four hour clinics cost $100.00 per person/day. You may choose a single day if you wish, and we will limit the classes to five students per guide to insure you get excellent personal instruction. These classes are a great way to learn the basics of fly fishing by pros at a very affordable cost. 2010 dates available are: May 21&22, June 4&5, 18&19, July 2&3, 16&17, 30&31, August 13&14, 27&28, September 3&4. Please contact us by phone or email for more details and enrollment; we can customize family or group clinics to suit your needs.

Online fly sales...New Lower Prices for 2010. And new for 2010...the broken back "Black and Blue Midge" #18 and the broken back Dark Zebra Midge #18. These smaller sized versions of our time tested and deadly broken back #16 patterns are a must for still waters as well as moving waters that hold trophy trout. The new colors give you additional options for the ever changing water and light conditions. http://www.sierradrifters.com/Fly%20Sales.htm

SD "Two Bug Doug's" Under-Cator (patents pending) is currently available online and to wholesalers.

Two Bug's vision has led us to come up with the ultimate strike indicator/bobber. It is now available online, and in stores February of 2010. This versatile strike indicator comes in two popular sizes and can be used by fly fishers or spin casters. It is high riding and easy to see - never needs floatant or drying, adjusts quickly and easily without slipping, and casts beautiful. Unlike others it needs NO tools or torque wrenches to install on leaders or lines from 25lb.-7X. It won't slip, kink, or damage your line like others. A user friendly custom thumb screw (patents pending) locks the Under-Cator onto your leader or line securely and easily!

This strike indicator/bobber has gone through extensive guide testing and trials on both still waters and rivers for over a year. It is the most innovative and versatile of its kind available. Check out pictures or place an order for Two Bug Doug's Under-Cator by visiting our website at www.sierradrifters.com/fish.htm. You can also view all the great photos for this report at the same link.

Click here to submit your Trip Request Formhttp://www.sierradrifters.com/trip.htm

Upper Owens River

The "catching" here remains excellent for gorgeous trophy sized rainbows. 90% of the fish are holding in less than 1% of the water and this is no exaggeration. The numbers are bleak considering what has been wintering over here the last few seasons. The UO will continue to improve as the sun remains longer with each passing day. Many anglers struggle here this time of year because there are specific pools that these winter time behemoths hold in exclusively. We dun knows ware day R a hiding and will be happy to take you to these spots!

Nymphing with PT's #16-20; absolutely have some broken back midges as a lower on a tandem fly rig. You will also see a good emergence of baetis adults (bwo) may flies #16-18 on the warmer cloudy days around 1:30-2:00pm.

It is tough going to get in here and is not for everybody. The roads suck and you will need to hoof it through some deep snow to get near the river. I dig it this time of year and hope the snow stays deep into March.

Lower Owens River I have had some epic (I almost forgot how to spell that word it has been so long) periods of time in the upper sections closer to the PV dam recently. The wild browns are ravenous and if you concentrate on the slower-deeper pools you will find these 8-14 inch rascals consistently. The prime bite occurs mid-day and the fish are focusing on the BWO emergence. There is ample time to fish the adults each day, but the nymphing has been so good that you may not want to waste time changing over.

Midges in the am and Pt's as the sun gets higher will do the trick. #16-20 is fine. I suggest 5 X tippets, and 6X will get even more attention as the water is clear. The flows have been doing the yo-yo but seem to be averaging about 100cfs. They will be going higher this year; I can assure you of this. When is anyone's guess, I suggest you get a whack at wading this area soon. The weather has been cool in the am's, however quite pleasant by late morning recently.

The sections of river that are planted have been very slow. The cold weather has chilled the water down in the thirties some days making the holdover and wild fish lethargic. Several seasons of small allotments are taking a toll in the planted sections and fishing has been very poor relative to what is going on in the wild trout section. Budget shortfalls, winter stocking programs scrapped, hatchery closures/quarantines, invasive species issues, and the trout are making life miserable for the willow fly catchers and hard headed minnow??? Blah, blah, blah. Get accustomed to the new stocking landscape; it is going to be different in all areas of the golden state.

PV Reservoir

The Rez level remains too high for good access near the inlet. The small creek section is fishing pretty well with a dry dropper combo on the warmer days but you can cover the water here in a few hours. Some bwo's coming off here also. The freeze tubers are feeling the pinch of no stocking here as well. The DFG put in some brood fish a couple weeks ago (the river got a sprinkling of brooders also) so there may be a trophy fish hanging around the inlet or launch ramp areas. Best bet is to fish a full sink on the far shoreline trolling or casting streamer patterns #8-12. Spruce-a-Bu's, Loebergs, leeches will get grabs.

Hot Creek

Still very consistent as long as we do not have a sub-zero morning in LongValley. Stick to the usual midges and bwo patterns. HC fish are scholars and as a rule go a size or two down from what you may normally fish. Add a couple feet to your leaders, and go down a notch for your tippets as well. The hike down is tricky, as well as the hike in. Small crowds as you might expect, but worth the effort.

East Walker

Ice Station Zebra. Needs to get warm for a week before it picks up.

The Gorge

There is a good deal of snow and ice especially on the west side of the canyon. The fish are on the chew for sure and you can have a good time with dry/dry or dry/dropper bead head combos here. #14-18 patterns are fine. Make sure you have large studs on your boots for all areas that have snow and ice. Felt soles suck in the winter, get rubber wading boots they are far superior. This applies to all winter time fisheries.

We are selling flies online this season for your convenience.

http://www.sierradrifters.com/Fly%20Sales.htm. The 2010 Sierra Drifters Flies are available at the following great fly shops and stores this winter: Bob Marriott's Flyfishing Store in Fullerton, Malibu Fish'n Tackle in Thousand Oaks, The Fishermen's Spot in Van Nuys, Stroud's Tackle and the So Cal Fly Shop in San Diego. There are links to these locations at www.sierradrifters.com/resources.htm

Thank you for taking the time to read my report.

Be the fly friends...

Tom Loe
Sierra Drifters Guide Service