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Hey Guys,
Just hit the deck after three days at Crowley. Whew!, boy I hate that drive!
Anyways,....
Day one, Friday,
Left the house at 4:00, trying to make a 9:00 call at the North End. The lake is near it's historic low. Meet up with Robb and Rick at the Tank Trap, and we head to Green Banks Bay. Weather, calm, warm, and clear. Perfect! (not the best fishing conditions,.. but..) Get to GBB, and holy Float Tube Batman!!
There are at least a hundred toobers and tooners in the water!!! (Little wonder, the word got out about a week ago that Crowley is going off!). Put in and get started. Everyone is pulling (kick trolling) streamers. Sac Perch patterns in light colors. Very few nymphers! (except the guide boats). The fish are pilled up on the steep banks literally within a few feet of shore. (there were a fair amount of guys casting from shore and catching!) The guide boats are banked up and casting within a few feet of shore. EVERYONE IS CATCHING!!! Robb and Rick fall in with the crowd and start pulling Punk Perch and Matukas. I put on a two fly rig with a couple of BIG custom perch patterns. We start catching, but the crowd and the Algae bloom throws me off my game and I missread the bite. We manage a couple dozen fish to 18", play till 6:00 and call it. I am disappointed and a bit disgusted with the crowd and my performance. Head to Rick's family condo in Mammoth, Have a great Italian meal at Campo's and decide to go South of GBB on a tip from a guy we met on the bank at the end of the day.
Day two, Saturday,
Get up around 7:30, got to breakfast at the Base Camp Cafe. fart around a bit at Rick's Sporting Goods,...
NOTE: I have been going to Mammoth for a gazillion years, and as far as sporting goods stores are concerned Rick's is one of the BEST! Not because he has the biggest and latest, greatest inventories, but because he and his employees are not the snot nosed, condescending, know it all A-holes at all the other shops. No Names... (Troutfitter)
Head to Sandy Point / Six Bays,... NOBODY THERE!! Perfect!!
Get in the water.. Same game, Spend the day for pretty much the same return, a dozen or two fish to 18". Disappointing. BUT!!,... we had a great time laughing and giggling all by ourselves. Again like an idiot, I think I have learned nothing. (I wasn't paying attention!!!)
NOTE: Keep hearing from everyone that there is a wad of fish in Hilton Bay but that they are all small.
Go to dinner at the Chart House and blow a wad for a terrific steak dinner.
Robb decides he must go home in the morning and Rick and I decide to see what Hilton is all about.
Day three, Sunday,
Get up late.. (too much Vino at the Chart House!) bid farewell to Robb and walk out to find it has been SNOWING for a couple of hours. Windy, Cold and Snowing!! PERFECT!!! Have breakfast at the Breakfast Club, walk over to the Troutfitter and Listen to their crap trying to glean some info. Useless..
Rick and I head to Hilton and find NOBODY there! PERFECT!! Still windy, and cold but the sun is cruising in and out. I LIKE!!
Get in the water. As is my habit on the last day, I put on the biggest fly in my box and resolve to fish it exclusively all day. Tie on a 3" #2 Double Bunny Leach Pattern (one of my favorites!) As I am kicking out I put a haymaker cast out and then decide I want it a bit shorter, start winding in and get crushed! All of a sudden I realize whats up. Fish the rest of the day Speed Stripping (essentially you cast out and then strip as fast as you can) the biggest leach patterns I own. Bag 30+ fish, ALL OVER 16"!!! But can't break 20"!!! Damn!!
Another Epic trip!!
bodfish
Just hit the deck after three days at Crowley. Whew!, boy I hate that drive!
Anyways,....
Day one, Friday,
Left the house at 4:00, trying to make a 9:00 call at the North End. The lake is near it's historic low. Meet up with Robb and Rick at the Tank Trap, and we head to Green Banks Bay. Weather, calm, warm, and clear. Perfect! (not the best fishing conditions,.. but..) Get to GBB, and holy Float Tube Batman!!
There are at least a hundred toobers and tooners in the water!!! (Little wonder, the word got out about a week ago that Crowley is going off!). Put in and get started. Everyone is pulling (kick trolling) streamers. Sac Perch patterns in light colors. Very few nymphers! (except the guide boats). The fish are pilled up on the steep banks literally within a few feet of shore. (there were a fair amount of guys casting from shore and catching!) The guide boats are banked up and casting within a few feet of shore. EVERYONE IS CATCHING!!! Robb and Rick fall in with the crowd and start pulling Punk Perch and Matukas. I put on a two fly rig with a couple of BIG custom perch patterns. We start catching, but the crowd and the Algae bloom throws me off my game and I missread the bite. We manage a couple dozen fish to 18", play till 6:00 and call it. I am disappointed and a bit disgusted with the crowd and my performance. Head to Rick's family condo in Mammoth, Have a great Italian meal at Campo's and decide to go South of GBB on a tip from a guy we met on the bank at the end of the day.
Day two, Saturday,
Get up around 7:30, got to breakfast at the Base Camp Cafe. fart around a bit at Rick's Sporting Goods,...
NOTE: I have been going to Mammoth for a gazillion years, and as far as sporting goods stores are concerned Rick's is one of the BEST! Not because he has the biggest and latest, greatest inventories, but because he and his employees are not the snot nosed, condescending, know it all A-holes at all the other shops. No Names... (Troutfitter)
Head to Sandy Point / Six Bays,... NOBODY THERE!! Perfect!!
Get in the water.. Same game, Spend the day for pretty much the same return, a dozen or two fish to 18". Disappointing. BUT!!,... we had a great time laughing and giggling all by ourselves. Again like an idiot, I think I have learned nothing. (I wasn't paying attention!!!)
NOTE: Keep hearing from everyone that there is a wad of fish in Hilton Bay but that they are all small.
Go to dinner at the Chart House and blow a wad for a terrific steak dinner.
Robb decides he must go home in the morning and Rick and I decide to see what Hilton is all about.
Day three, Sunday,
Get up late.. (too much Vino at the Chart House!) bid farewell to Robb and walk out to find it has been SNOWING for a couple of hours. Windy, Cold and Snowing!! PERFECT!!! Have breakfast at the Breakfast Club, walk over to the Troutfitter and Listen to their crap trying to glean some info. Useless..
Rick and I head to Hilton and find NOBODY there! PERFECT!! Still windy, and cold but the sun is cruising in and out. I LIKE!!
Get in the water. As is my habit on the last day, I put on the biggest fly in my box and resolve to fish it exclusively all day. Tie on a 3" #2 Double Bunny Leach Pattern (one of my favorites!) As I am kicking out I put a haymaker cast out and then decide I want it a bit shorter, start winding in and get crushed! All of a sudden I realize whats up. Fish the rest of the day Speed Stripping (essentially you cast out and then strip as fast as you can) the biggest leach patterns I own. Bag 30+ fish, ALL OVER 16"!!! But can't break 20"!!! Damn!!
Another Epic trip!!
bodfish
