Got back from 4 epic days in the Sierras this past week. Started out fishing fishing Rush creek on my way way up to Bridgeport. Fished the section just believe Grant Lake and if you know anything about this particular stretch you know how technical and spooky the fish are in here. We stop by every trip mostly just to look at the trophy brown trout but never can even get close to them. Well this time things were different and as I pulled up to the creek fish were rising all over. I geared up with a long 15’ leader with a Hopper and a Perdigon dropper 3’ below that. After spooking a few fish from downstream I realized that an upstream presentation was going to be the only way to get my fly down to the fish without my line or hopper spooking them. Finally I was able to make the proper presentation without spooking and was reward with a nice 18” Brown. I spent a few more hours mostly getting rejected but was able to land another 19” rainbow and pull the hook on a few others. Left Rush Creek around 3 and jammed up to the East Walker to set up camp and get in position for the evening Caddis hatch.
The evening bite at the Miracle Mile did not disappoint with fish rising on caddis all up and down the river. I ended up landed about 10 and missing easily as many bites. Called it a day when I could no longer see my fly properly.
Got up early the next morning and was at the Kirman Lake trailhead pumping up my tube and setting up my E-bike by 8:30, on the lake fishing by 9:00. Bite was a little slow with the sunny/calm weather but I managed two Giant 17-19” Brook trout before calling it a morning around noon. Made my way back to the Miracle mile for a repeat of the previous nights dry fly action before retreating to my campsite.
Next morning I headed over to the Nevada side of the East Walker for a full day of fishing. Tight line nymphing with a Rainbow Warrior and Stonefly my morning started out great with a 24” Rainbow on one of the first cast. Bite was pretty much wide open all day with close to 30 fish landed and many more long distance released. My best day ever fishing the East Walker I had over a half dozen Browns and Rainbows over 18” with nothing under 12”.
Final travel day home I stopped back by Rush Creek and used what I learned from the first day to catch 8 nice size Browns and Rainbows with one Brown pushing 20”. Nothing like some New Zealand style fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra’s! Already itching to get back. The video below is from my full day on the East Walker. Stay tuned for Part 2 from Rush Creek in a week or so! Tight lines
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