Crowley Lake By Dennis Larson

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Ron Calvert and I spent the weekend of September 9-10 flyfishing Crowley Lake. Actually, Ron accompanied me as I wanted to pre-fish Crowley Lake prior to the "Double Haul in the Fall" Fly Fishing Tournament to be held on Saturday, September 23.

Expectations were not high but it was a go despite reports of soup like algae throughout most of the lake. Prospects, as reported by the local guides and fly shops was to expect cleaning off your flies after every couple of casts. Only clear water was to be found at the mouth of Magee Creek and the Owens River at the north end of the lake. Ron and I both agreed that if fishing was as bad as they described, we would drive back to Bridgeport Reservoir and fish it on Sunday.

I had told Ron that we were going to take the boat and fish it just as the rules of the "Haul" described. No boats in the waters of the fishing area and all contestants must be in float tubes, pontoon boats, or kyaks.

At the break of day we loaded the boat and launched at Fish Camp and headed for McGee Bay. We were the first boat on the lake and beached the boat near the mouth of McGee Creek. Having fish with Dave Milhollin at the same location but out of my boat in late August, Ron and I waded the area and proceeded to pick up a couple of nice rainbows. Intermixed were some "dinks" that had been planted a week earlier. In all Ron had 11 fish, among them a 24", a 20" and an 18".By 10 a.m. we were in our float tubes and heading out into the bay to fish with a couple of boats and a couple of other float tubers. Among them, Greg Sano, of Dinuba, who I met a couple of years ago at Crowley. (Remind me to tell you the story of Greg and the Black Bear at Indian Creek Reservoir.) Anyway, Ron and I spent a good 3 hours stripping Punk Perch, Sheep Creeks, and Stillwater Hairs collecting little of nothing but gooey dark green algae. About 2 p.m. fishing next to Greg Sano, I got into 2 "pig" bows, one over 20" and the other at 17". Both on a Stillwater Hair's Ear. Earlier, in the morning, I had caught all of my fish on the Punk Perch. Meanwhile, Ron had kicked back toward the boat and picked up another 2 nice bows. Between the two of us, the tally was 23 bows, six of which were 18" or bigger. Any thoughts of fishing Bridgeport on Sunday were long gone! We settle for a nice fish dinner in Mammoth Lakes.

The next morning we were out again by sunup and again the first on the lake at McGee Bay. Interesting how few fisherman were on the lake. Maybe it had something to do with a full moon! When Dave and I fished Crowley in August it was a near new moon, as evident by the brilliance of the stars at night. That week end we caught just over 20 fish, with no fish over 20 inches. Duplicating our Saturday routine, we proceeded to get into more "pigs". Before entering the bay, I hooked up and landed a 25" bow and another near 20". Ron went up to the mouth of the creek and fished in the clear water and caught 11 fish, mostly dinks, but did manage 3 fish over 17" inches. Meanwhile I got into my float tube and mushed though the algae into the bay. Going between a boat with 2 "meat fisherman" and a Sierra Drifters Guide boat, I picked up a "Fred Astaire dancing 24" inch, chunky bow. Three times he came out of the water at least a foot above my head. My thoughts each time were, why aren't I lowering my rod tip as you're suppose to? Luckily he didn't come unbuttoned and he came to the net.

Shortly before noon Ron and I looked around and we were the only fisherman on the lake. Having caught my 5 fish I had expected to catch, 3 being over 18" and Ron with his fish count and 3 other hogs, we decided to give it a day. Fortunate it was, as we started back to the launch at FishCamp, the dreaded south wind started across the lake.

All in all, a great day and a half of fly fishing. A count total of 44 fish, with nine being "on the board" if it was the day of the "Haul". The above mentioned flies as well as a red Copper John and a Jay Fair Wiggly Tail caught all the fish. I was disappointed that I didn't get one fish on the Sierra Drifters locally famous Loeberg. Did have a degree of satisfaction as I had tied my own Punck Perches and my own version of the Stillwater Hair's Ear. For the Punk Perch I had to substitute come materials from my fly materials having only a fly shop bought Punk Perch to look at. Both Ron and I used a slim or camelflage intermediate fly line and a full sink line when in the deeper water. Fishing was tough with the algae and hopefully when Larry Shaw, Dan Mittelsteadt and I return to the Double Haul, the goo will be gone. And we will have a new moon!

Pictures to follow.
Dennis Larson

The pictures have been posted to the Photo Gallery.