Crowley Still Hot as Season ends





I was going head off to Phoenix last week for a family reunion. The sudden rain



storms and flooding made us hold off for a few days so family could get their



houses in order. Since we had a few days before we would leave I proposed to



my wife we head up to Mammoth on our way to Phoenix. I said “It’s on the



way”, well it really isn’t but it sounded good. I got the nod of approval and we



were off, two days of fishing Crowley. A storm ripped through Mammoth and left



cold temps and snow. We arrived Monday to cold weather but Tuesday and



Wednesday quickly warmed up. The plan was to do midging and pass on the



streamer fishing. To midge fish all you need is a 9’ 5wt rod, 12’-14’ of straight 5x,



and tie on two midges 10 inches apart with a split shot crimped between them



with an indicator to suspend them. Once you find the depth of water you want to



fish, clamp some hemostats to the bottom fly and lower it down into the water till



it hits the bottom, place your finger on the fly line where it touches the surface of



the water and place your indicator 6 inches to a foot below that mark.



The fishing was off a bit on Green Banks Tuesday and Wednesday so you really



had to work hard to find the fish, but your indicator would go under plenty of



times to keep the stripe off your back. Thursday was going to be a half day of



fishing then start the drive to Phoenix. The plan for Thursday was to fish 6 Bays in



the North Arm. The morning started off cold and clear but once the sun crested



over the Nevada mountains, it warmed up quick. The warm still weather was



perfect for the midges to start hatching. With a few casts to different depths the



magic number was 13 feet. Hang your midges in 13 feet of water, 6 inches to a



foot off the bottom and you were in the zone. Every 3-5 minutes your indicator



would disappear under the smooth glassy surface. This went on for…….. Well I



don’t get to say this much, but we left them biting. All the fish caught were fat



chunky rainbow, even the smaller bows were thick footballs with big bellies. My



best fish was a fat 21” rainbow that went 4 pounds.



This has been one of the best seasons in 10 years. The fishing season will be



ending in a few weeks, so you still have a little time to get in on the great fishing.



If you have been in the shop you know I talk a ton about Crowley and that’s



because it’s one of my favorite places to fish in the Eastern Sierra’s. When I bring



up Crowley in the shop I get the same response: “Crowley is a mud hole in the



desert”. Well I’m ok with that, more big fat trout me!



About the Author:



Chuck Loudat works at “The Bird Rock Fly Shop” in La Jolla CA. He is the assistant



manager for the shop. When he’s not fishing the Eastern Sierra’s or tying flies you



will find him casting a fly rod in the San Diego Surf or fly fishing out of his kayak on



San Diego Bay.