Crowley Lake Fish Report- Update by Kent Rianda 7-30-09

Crowley Lake - Mammoth Lakes, CA (Mono County)


by The Trout Fitter Staff
7-30-2009
Website

Water Conditions: Excellent

The algae is gone save a few flecks in clear water.
The weed beds are still growing like crazy and they are about to reach the water level almost over half the lakes surface.

Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Excellent!

Little Hilton is still producing nicely and great place for easy access by the tubers.
It has been going off about 7 am with midges hatching early and comes and goes until about 9-9:30 then it gets pretty damn good including everything from 6\\\" naturals to 21\\\" Rainbows and the occasional Brown for an hour or so, but seems to die about 10:30 - 11:00am unless you show them some different patterns.
Many of the guides and boats have moved out into about 14 feet of water in McGee Bay and there is a good concentration of fish there. Much closer to the \\\"parking lot\\\" for those who want to kick it in a tube, also.
Inside in 5-8 ft of water the weeds are even starting to grow in the channel but the fish are still there, just not as concentrated as outside, but if fishing amongst the fleet is not your cup of tea, this is for you.
I pulled a monster 24\\\" Brown out stripping big black woolly bugger at first light there the other morning right down the middle of the channel.
There is now open water between the weed beds and the shore in the North End along Green Banks and several days have been excellent. Mostly one-year fish.

Recommended Flies:

Nymphs:
With the arrival of clear water its back to maybe red/purple very early, red/black after 8 am, straight black at 9 am, gray/black and olive from 10 on with gray black for body count and the olive for size. All of these with dubbed heads.

Also move from big to little on fly size over the same period. Easy call in very clear water. Streamers: The stripping in McGee or Little Hilton has stepped up and the tubers seem to keep up with the bobber set. Try twitching damsels (Ultimate Damsel is good pattern) or just put the Crowley Twitch on an ol\\\' Woolly Bugger and there are enough fish down there that somebody will grab it going by.

The Crowley Cam is now at the Fish Camp and ready for your viewing.
Click here to see live wind conditions on Crowley Cam

Here is the monster Brown that Trout Fly guide, Alex Cady, stuck stripping giant streamers in his tube at first light. I told you this wasn\\\'t \\\"Gentlemen\\\'s Fishing\\\". It was 28\\\" long and had a girth of 16\\\".

Guides Hint: If you want to catch bigger fish try smaller flies, subtle colors like gray/black and olive, and hang only one fly, not two. How many times have the big smart fish seen two, size 16 red/black hanging 18\\\" apart not wiggling and said . . . \\\"Oh, hell no!\\\"
A six DVD set of last summer\\\'s 8-hour Crowley University is now available for those who could not attend. This is a reference library you need to add to your arsenal if you fish the lake. It is a de facto download of everything I\\\'ve learned in more than 2000 days fishing and guiding the lake. It is being distributed to various shops around the state and available at Trout Fly. Free shipping if you order by phone (800) 637-6912.
This year\\\'s Stillwater Classic will be on Saturday, August 8th this year, so circle your calendar and don\\\'t miss it or a chance to help the lake! See above for link to info, rules and entry form.

Note: the Double Haul has been pretty much shelved at least for another year.