Indicator Fishing

As a guide service we tend to prefer the dry fly experience. That said, we offer a fun little stream report entry playing with this question: What kind of indicator do we LIKE? Well, we have decided that an indicator isn't just a small balloon or a puff of yarn. It's not even a grasshopper (fly). We like indicators such as overcast days, shifts in stream levels, grasshoppers all over the bank, PMDs stuck to your clothes etc. Those are the indicators. This year, we are finding these indicators numerous and a delight for they have been helping us fish most effectively.

Depending on where you are, you will find fish targeting these delicate mayflies.
At high altitudes, these fungi have been plentiful after the random afternoon drizzles.


Despite murky post-storm water and deer getting busy streamside, we have found certain areas fishing unusually well. We love this stuff!

The USGS river gauges are a great source of information as we monitor the ups and downs. Note the two very different peaks resultant from high altitude weather events.

And, alas, the payoff!

Mid-September Updates - That Falling Feeling

Fall seems to be kicking in as hot days have abated and upper elevation cooling (along with a few small storms) has set the stage for perfect trout temps. Stream levels remain excellent and the recent mini-storms have spiked a few but not in a significant way. The fish are digging it! All waters in the Merced, Kings and San Joaquin drainages that we are currently working are fishing well. Our Trout Camp begins this weekend and we can't be more excited. We stage this annual event out of Mono Hot Springs (See: http://monohotsprings.com) and encourage all to check in with us for more details. Best bet is to email us at sierraflyfisherhq(at)gmail.com or call 559-683-7664





Labels: Kings Canyon, Kings River, Merced River, mono hot springs, san joaquin river

Merced Updates

The heavier run-off from earlier this year has prevented the water from getting too low. This has prevented the temps in the lower regions from getting too warm. Sure they are warm but the fish remain frisky. It appears, with cooling night temps, that the fish are increasingly frisky. The challenge is locating them. We recommend working hard at not staying put unless the fishing stays hot. Afternoon hopper fishing isn't a bad bet and the dusk spinner activity remains great. You can provoke fish even if you don't see them so practice stealth even on the bigger water. Last but not least, the recent Motor Fire has scarred the hillsides but not the fishing.