Looks like it will be quite a different fishing season in the Eastern Sierra this summer and fall. According to California Department of Water Resources “the Sierra snowpack this spring is just 42 percent of normal, its lowest since 1990,” as reported on MammothLocal.com. Plowing for Tioga Pass will begin April 16 — a bit earlier than usual — and the pass could open two or more weeks earlier than “normal” (often around Memorial Day). While this will mean I should be able to get across Sonora Pass earlier this year, it may also mean that many of the smaller streams I like to fish will be only puddles by the end of August. Guess we can’t have it both ways…
Category Archives: Vacation & Travel
frustrating
Had I known that that the Presidents’ Day weekend would only offer an extra day for things to go haywire, I would made no plans at all. It began Friday. The plan was to head to the cabin for some respite and fishing, as well as skiing for my nephew.
First, my son, who had requested time off, was scheduled to work Sunday. But we could work around that and come home Sunday. Then, my sister calls to tell me that her younger son is too sick to join us. But that’s okay because her husband and older son can still make it. Friday morning, in no rush, Christopher and I hit the road about 11:00 a.m. We stopped for lunch, a visit to the Mother Lode Fly Fishing Shop and a supply of edibles.
About five minutes after five o’clock, we sauntered up to the cabin door to find a note from the friendly water department. Though faded from exposure to the elements, I quickly discerned that due to a leak at the “water source at the house” that the water had been turned off at the meter in January. Without the proper tool, we couldn’t turn the water on to determine how bad the leak was. Phone calls were made. Frustration mounted. Of course, municipal offices are closed by this time. Being a holiday weekend, it’s unlikely that any plumber will answer the phone this late in the day. In the end, we began the drive home about 40 minutes after we arrived in Twain Harte.
Saturday I awoke determined to follow through with one plan for the weekend — fishing. I threw the gear into the car, picked up Christopher and headed towards our one real trout creek, Putah Creek. We hit the creek and tried to make sense of this unfamiliar water. I don’t mind riffles and white water that prevents one from seeing below the surface — and call me spoiled — but I like my trout water to be clear. Crystal clear. Putah Creek is not. Sure, it was a great day, weather-wise, to be out, but four hours on the creek and nary a fish. And none sighted on the lines of the other dozen anglers milling about.
The score so far this year: Trout 1 – Pat 0. Frustrating.
last “boys’ trip” for a while…?
With Sean graduating this year and Christopher closing in on his 18th birthday, I have a sneaking suspicion that our trip last December might be our last trip together, probably for a long while at least. College, jobs, friends and girlfriends loom on the horizon, and as we all know, they slowly begin to take priority — however slight — over the ol’ parents. It was a fast trip, with Sean and me sharing the driving, so we drove each way in a single day. It was great to see mom and dad as well as Mark and Kenna, and for the first time, nephews/cousins Kaden and Levi. It took a while for Kaden to warm up to these strangers who had invaded grandpa and oma’s house, but before we left he was having a blast knocking his dad and uncle Pat to the floor and seemed to really latch onto Sean, despite the fact that Sean is 10 times bigger than Kaden. We spent a lot of time visiting, along with the typical tourist jaunt to Seattle. (Thanks to Christopher for sharing pictures from his new camera!)
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- The parents house in Duvall.
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- The Issaquah Fish Hatchery I used to walk through to the library.
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- Mom at the Issaquah hatchery.
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- Sean at the Issaquah Fish Hatchery.
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- Chris’ self portrait.
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- Sean. Grandpa & Oma at the hatchery.
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- Sean and Chris doing a FB portrait, before FB existed.
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- Lake Samammish dock ripped apart by winds an rain.
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- A Lake Samammish dock walkway underwater for the winter.
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- Monkey See Do with Sean and Kaden.
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- Chris & Levi
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- Kaden visiting at the grandparents.
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- Valley Fog outside Duvall.
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- Sunset in Duvall #1
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- Sunset in Duvall #2
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- Plant-Rock-Snow
…15½ hours later…
Sean, Chris and I are in Duvall, Washington, for the next few days. What a trip getting here! Chris and I departed home about 5:15 a.m., picking up Sean along the way. It was smooth sailing through most of California, but in Dunsmuir hit the weather I had worried about: snow. The rain had begun to show evidence of some mushy-ness a few miles earlier, but there was no evidence on outside of the impending storm. Slowly, it became obvious that snow had been falling for a while as drifts were piled on the side of the highway. Eventually I slowed to about 40 mph. With thoughts of putting on chains drifting through my head, we finally emerged from the fluffy stuff near Weed. We charge ahead, only to be slowed down near the Siskiyou pass, where angry clouds were spitting snow in our path into Oregon. With concentration and the awareness that at least three cars had slid off the road, I drove carefully and in constant fear of other drivers, including that of a tractor trailer rig, who flew past us in the slush. But we made it into Oregon without incident, and were rewarded with blue skies through much of the Beaver State. The remainder of our drive was relatively uneventful, save for the darkness that quickly descended at this higher latitude as we began to negotiate the sometimes narrow and often winding roads towards Duvall. But we made it, tired and a bit hungry, but happy to have made it.
P.S. We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland…perhaps 2½ to 3 inches of light snow.
wine country wandering
Karen and I had a chance — or more accurately created a chance — to have an aimless day of sorts. Adam had to be in San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall at 9:00 a.m. Sunday for a concert, and after leaving him with the group, wandered off in search of breakfast. Which we promptly found one block down and to the left at The Crepe House. It’s a nice little place, offering crepes, eggs, omelets and your basic breakfast foods. I opted for a cheese, ham and mushroom omelet, which came with pan fried potatoes and thick sourdough toast. Karen splurged on eggs Benedict, accompanied by two “plain” crepes (with lemon, butter and powdered sugar). It was nice to enjoy a hearty breakfast without rushing off.
After a quick stop at the office so I could set up the artificial Christmas tree, we leisurely found our way to Sears Point with the thought of stopping at wineries we typically pass by on our way to others in the more northern Napa or Sonoma valleys. And we were pleasantly surprised at each of the three wineries we visited. (I believe that all three only sell on premises or to restaurants.)
At Roche Carneros, our first stop, we sampled the standard range of wines from the area. The 2005 Carneros Estate Chardonnay is a very good, balanced white. We found the other wines to also be generally good, but I was very impressed with two dessert wines: the 2005 Taramix and the 2005 Late Harvest Merlot. Both are more subtle than most dessert wines, but the late harvest merlot was unlike any wine I have ever tasted. As a blush, a slight presence of tannins works a bit against the sweetness to leave a fresh taste on the tongue. Definitely a great wine for a hot summer day!
Just down the road we entered the long, sweeping driveway to Viansa Winery & Italian Marketplace, which focuses on Italian and was established by Sam and Vicki Sebastiani, with Sam part of the well-known family behind the Sebastiani Vineyard & Winery. It’s quite a view from this winery’s hilltop location. The last half of Viansa’s name truly reflects what we found inside, with Italian foodstuffs and merchandise, as well as a small deli. Generally, the wines were good, but I think we were both very impressed with the 2004 Prindelo, which is a blend of Primitivo, Teroldego and Zinfandel. We also both enjoyed the crsip and clean 2005 Arneis. (Arneis is a reputedly difficult to grow Italian grape, while Primitivo is considered by some to be the ancestor of California’s Zinfandel. Teroldego is a rich red similar to Zinfandel.)
We continued northeast on Hwy 112, intent on heading up Hwy 12 to Sonoma, but before the turnoff spotted a smallish sign touting the funny little Larson Family Winery. I say funny because the first sign along the semi-private and rather rundown road states something like “Winery: .4173485 miles.” Further down the road another old wooden signs warns one to “Beware of Kamikaze squirrels.” This is another small, family-owned place with some surprising wines and hosted by a golden retriever named Buddy. Here you can find the 2004 Wingo White Carneros jug wine sitting alongside to a very nice 2005 Carneros Cuvée Rosé and what I would call an incredible 2003 Meritage. Speaking of rosés — it must have been inevitable that they make a return. But don’t turn your nose up at a rosé without first tasting it…I have very surprised at how good varietal rosés can be. (It’s not your father’s Lancers anymore!)
The rest of our day was fairly relaxed, dropping by Sonoma Jack’s for some cheese and food, visiting a few stores such as Pier 1 Imports for some Christmas goodies, before winding our way home.
P.S. I’m figuring that since we didn’t buy some of the wines that we enjoyed, a return trip will be in order soon!
another fishing tale
Guess I’m getting to know the fishing grounds of the Eastern Sierra. I’m no expert, but any means, but I passed what I know to a co-worker and he ended up enjoying a fishing trip to the “Eastside.” This tale is excerpted below:
…we released everything we caught. The Walker is very low at this point. There were a couple of sizeable pools right by the campground, but those two were the only ones we really found, at least at the West Walker. I caught four 10-12 inch rainbows at those pools with a small, black Panther Martin.
We tried a couple of other spots with no luck, but finally had some solid bites on powerbait at the lower Twin Lake. I caught three decent-size rainbows at the lake.
The most exciting, however, was the East Walker in Bridgeport. The East was very low as well, but I found a pool about four feet deep downtown. I saw a few small fish hovering at the surface, and on the first cast (a small gold spinner) I saw a ferocious 12-incher chasing the lure. It bit and, voila, I had my first Brown. I ended up catching five more fish, mostly browns and one bow.”
I’d said they had a good first experience in the Eastern Sierra…
at the other end of the state
It has been a fast two days down here in San Diego. Most of the time has been filled by the airport wait, the flight, the shuttle ride and the conference. It’s been a learning experience, that’s for sure. I do have to say it’s nice to take my walks along the edge of the San Diego Bay (I’m on Shelter Island.) during sunrise or sunset. And I did have a great dinner last night at the Bali Hai. I had meant to visit this restaurant during my last visit, but never got there. Last night, Dan, a co-worker, and I took the 30-minute (leisurely) walk to the other end of the “island,” and the Bali Hai. The restaurant is centered around a Hawaiian island theme, with windows overlooking the bay. My teriyaki scallops were cooked to perfection and Dan’s salmon Wellington looked great. Well worth the walk.
Two more meetings this morning and it’s back to the airport for me…
quick fishing trip
Perhaps for the last time this trout season, Chris and I made a quick trip to the cabin, got some shuteye for about five hours, then headed over Sonora Pass to wind up to the Tioga Pass area about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23.
It’s amazing the difference three weeks can make. We first stopped at Saddlebag Lake, where the chill in the air and the cold breeze that would follow us all day bit into our fingers. Our visit earlier in the month wasn’t this cold! I don’t think the temperature rose much about 68°F. Generally, the water level seemed to be almost perfect. New pools to target, but still enough water to allow the fish to move up and down the streams.
We ignored the possibility of frostbite as we settled into the rhythm of fishing. At Saddlebag — which we have never fished before — we were teased by some bruisers cruising the shoreline near the dam but they paid little heed to our flies or spinners. A few rose to my son’s flies and a few chased my spinners, but none would commit to a strike. (Next time maybe we’ll head across the lake to the inlets or even hike up to some lakes behind Saddlebag.) Regardless of the lack of catching, it was beautiful…
After an hour and a half, we headed over to Lee Vining Creek (South), where we just knew we could find some trout. Sure ‘nuf, skittish brookies were skittering up and down the shallower reaches, where Chris was able to pull in five of the fish with flies (small, as to be expected in the high elevations), but fun nonetheless. I also convinced a brookie to grab a small Panther Martin. We wandered up and down the creek for about four fun hours. I eventually pulled in two wild rainbows and two stockers, as well as being surprised by another brookie in the bend of the creek just before it heads under the road. Just as important, it was great to be in one of my favorite places. Even my modest lunch seemed to taste better under the clear blue skies.
During our descent we stopped at the lower Lee Vining Creek, near Poole Power Plant, but didn’t stick to the more usually fished areas and instead headed upstream a bit. After fighting our way through some bushes, I was rewarded with a heck of a strike in a small pool and Chris got a fish on, but it didn’t want to be landed, and wasn’t.
There was just enough time at the end of our day to stop by Pickle Meadows. It was amazing the number of boulders and rocks that have appeared since June. We fished up and down a few spots with the only action being a smallish rainbow that snagged my lure in one of those pools I tend to think holds only water. Always a surprise to get a fish in one of those! In the end, Chris pulled in nine fish; I landed seven. Not bad for a beautiful day in the Sierras!
Here’s to hoping we’ll get in one more trip before mid November. After that, we’ll have to settle for planning for next year…
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- Saddlebag Lake
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- There be fish among those trees on the lower Lee Vining Creek.
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- Another Lee Vining Creek Rainbow.
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- Lee Vining Rainbow
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- Looking upstream on the West Walker River.
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- Fall on the West Walker River.
apples and spinach
Autumn officially began for me Saturday…a week earlier than specified on the calendar. I mark the start of autumn with a visit to Apple Hill. It came a bit early this year as we plan to make two trips. I guess purchasing 10 gallons of apple cider gets a bit ridiculous considering my favorite apple farm is only a couple hours away. We picked up only two gallons this time, and I — and anyone else who wants to join me — will head back up “the hill” again during the next few months to lay in my year’s supply of cider.
It was a beautiful day to visit Apple Hill and we definitely missed the crowds. In fact, it was so quiet that not all of the crafts people had opened shop. Even the ol’ Mexican guy who creates “paintings” using only spray paint was missing. But it was a good visit. Even tasted an apple variety I haven’t seen before, called “Elstar.” Tastes like a combination between Fuji and Pippin. Pretty darn tasty. Of course, we visited Bolster’s Hilltop for the cider and Mill View Farm for turnovers, a dumpling and cider doughnuts (and delivering half a dozen doughntus to Sean on the way home). Before we knew it, it was time to head home.
Now, “Where’s the spinach?” you might ask. During the drive home we stopped at CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) for some great hummus and dinner. I initially ordered the “White Pizza,” which the menu described as being made with mozzarella, fontina, ricotta, parmesan and pecorino romano cheeses with garlic and — oops! — fresh sautéed spinach. Alas, no spinach! …sigh… I chose something else (Goat Cheese with Roasted Peppers) and was quite happy with it!
…it was a wild rainbow!
For those of you keeping up with my antics via this blog, you know that last weekend was an incredible fishing experience. Much of the discussion between Chris and I over the weekend was about catch some wild trout. But while we had targeted a specific stretch of the Little Walker River where wild trout were reputed to reside, and hoped that maybe we’d pull on out of other waters, I wasn’t certain that I could tell the difference between a wild and hatchery rainbow. Sure, I knew the brookies were wild because while they aren’t native, they are no longer stocked.
WILD rainbow from Molybdite Creek.
But with the help of a friend fellow fisherman who has some knowledge of the trout of the eastern Sierras, and a fortuitous photo, I can confirm that I caught at least one wild rainbow trout last Labor Day weekend. I had pointed out to Chris that some of the rainbow we were pulling in — roughly 5 of the 30 I caught — looked a tad different and noted a marked difference in the fish I caught in a small pool on the Little Walker. According to my source, wild trout normally have thin white tips or edges on their fins with extra par markings, with all fins intact, especially tails. Stocked rainbows usually have one of the back fins cut off and tails that are not be full. Sure enough, this rainbow had the extra parr marking, the thin white edge on the pelvic fins and the full tail (and all the requisite fins). Pretty neat!
fishing for words 