EAST WALKER RIVER

The East is running about 55 cfs right now, there has been some fishing traffic down there lately, mostly on the weekends. We have had mostly good reports but of course there have been some slow reports mixed in as well. There has been some killer baetis hatches down there as well as lots of midges coming off too. Nymphing has been the big success story, not much for dry reports or streamer reports yet. It’s still been off and on snowy and we have had some pretty good news from anglers who have fished during the snow flurries. Most of our reports have been about 50/50 browns and rainbows with some really beefy fish being caught, some well over 20 inches and nice and thick. We also heard about some 16+ inch whitefish being caught, it is said that a good indication of a healthy river is a healthy whitefish population. The Nevada side of the EW is also fishing pretty well and similar to the Cali side, stonefly nymphs will be a bit more prominent down there but the midge and smaller nymph patterns will work as well.

Patterns to try: Poxyback stone, rubber legs, micro stone, flashback emerger (BWO and PMD), prince nymph, soft emerger, top secret midge, WD-40, psycho prince, squirmy wormy, rainbow warrior, silver streak, San Juan worm, zebra midge, zuddler, moal leech.

SCEIRINE RANCH

Very good reports from the ranch this week, lots of nice fish up to nearly 20” were caught down there. The patterns that were reported included rainbow warrior, squirmy wormy, rubber legs, pheasant tail, soft hackle and flashback emerger. One angler told us they fished a dry/dropper rig for a while and were able to pull some good fish on the dropper but nothing on the dry. Like the Cali side, keep em deep!

HUNEWILL POND

The pond is frozen for the time being, hopefully in late February or March it will thaw and we’ll get back at it.

BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR

Opening Day is April 25, 2020

KIRMAN LAKE

Opening Day is April 25, 2020

TWIN LAKES

Opening Day is April 25, 2020

WEST WALKER RIVER

We haven’t had any reports from the West this week, if we hear anything we’ll let you know.

VIRGINIA LAKES

Opening Day is April 25, 2020

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RANDOM INFORMATION:

Well, what do ya know? Looks like the “Powers That Be” have deemed firearm stores “essential businesses”. I guess that means Ken’s can stay open, at least for now. Fortunately, in addition to selling firearms/ammo, we also sell fishing supplies, fly fishing supplies, cold weather gear, camping gear, freeze dried food, stove/lantern fuel, electrical/plumbing and hardware supplies and beer! (Among lots of other things), so we may very well be able to help someone out of a tight spot with something they may really need to get through the day.

That being said, the above fishing report is based on customer reports from phone calls, emails and some in person. We’re trying to be safe here, wiping things with disinfectant wipes throughout the day, washing hands all throughout the day and trying to keep reasonable distance between us and our customers. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) sent out a press release on March 24 that stated the following:

Now more than ever, we understand the public’s need to enjoy the benefits of nature. Spending time in the outdoors is beneficial to our overall health and wellness, but it’s everyone’s responsibility to practice social distancing of 6 feet. This means avoiding crowded trails and parking lots. To help reduce crowds, State Parks has closed some parking lots to avoid inadvertent congregation and reduce the density of visitors. More closures are anticipated. Fishing is allowed, as long as anglers can maintain #socialdistancing of 6 feet or more from other people. If you find that your favorite fishing hole is crowded, please do not risk your health and the health of others! Be smart and stay safe – we are all in this together and we must #flattenthecurve.

It’s an interesting paragraph, I think the most important line in it is “Be smart and stay safe” I think this is what it’s all about, be smart. There’s a lot of internet ramblings about don’t come here, don’t go there, stay at home, don’t stay at home, your guess is as good as mine what information is good/true and what information is bad/false. I don’t think it’s our place to tell folks what to do or what not to do, and we’re not advocating either coming to Bridgeport or not coming to Bridgeport, I would however like to tell you that if you do find yourself in the neighborhood, and are in need of something we may be able to provide for you, you are welcome to come in. If you are uncomfortable coming into the shop you can give us a call (760-932-7707) and we would be happy to bring what you need out to the curb for you. These are very interesting times we’re in right now, be smart, safe and oh ya, wash your hands!