Sierra moments fishing adventures
SIERRA MOMENTS
Come on up and enjoy your own “sierra moments."
You can’t get in on that if you’re not here!
WHITNEY'S WHOPPER
My daughter Whitney, while here for her wedding to Drew, caught her biggest fish ever......an eight pounder!
Quite a contrast to the teensie Chub she skewered on the Upper Owens a year ago August......the smallest fish I've ever seen caught!
records have been broken!
Frank, Lynn, Mara, and Ralph from Santa Clarita hauled in 64 Rainbows including three 5 to 5-1/2 pounders on Gull Lake this fine Summer's day keeping 13.
That smashes this year's previous best of 45 and the most during any trip I've been on at 48.
That Rascal Ralph on the right got all three big ones.
SARA'S SIERRA MOMENT
Fished Gull Lake the other day with my next door neighbors Sara and Blair. Sara hadn’t fished since she was a kid in Indiana with a cane pole and a worm. Just like on the old TV show “The Waltons”. Anyways, she got this four pound plus and was quite happy about it.
But wait, there’s more…..Sara came up with a fun game that we dubbed Sara's name game.
As each of us caught a fish we named it in alphabetical order. Her big’n was the 5th one and she named it Ernie. I got the next one which was a five pounder and named it Fiona. You know, the Ogre in “Shrek” because the fish was a monster. That one we released by cutting the line and leaving it in the water.
So, you get the idea. We made it to Xander that day almost completing the alphabet. Sara kept track on her phone so we knew how many total and who caught how many and had a blast playing the game.
A MEETING BY CHANCE
Well, I was up Mine Creek way fishing Shell Lake when some guy on the other side starts yelling my name. Who the heck could that be and how does he know my name? Turns out it’s Ryan with his dad Carl from our old neighborhood in Northridge, Ca. Had not seen them for close to six years.
“Dynamo duo” part 2
Here’s a sequel to the “Dynamo Duo” that I had forgotten a key part of so I didn’t include and my son Nick reminded me of.
After the hijinks at the pond we drove on up Green Creek Road and came upon a stalled state hatchery truck. The driver said the exhaust brake was stuck shut so he hopped in and we took him to a spot where he could call his supervisor who instructed him to wire it up and dump all the fish in the creek off the bridge up aways. You should have seen all the fish! Big ones, little ones and in between! Most were in shock from being sent through a tube off the back of that truck and dropped fifteen feet into colder water. Well, we got our rods out and started tossing lures at ‘em.
Now here’s the part I forgot……according to Nick I hooked and caught one of the big’ns. How could I forget that? Anyways, what a perfect way to end a remarkable series of “Sierra Moments” that day.
“Billy from bakersfield”
I was fishing Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section last week and this older fella (didn’t know he was “Billy from Bakersfield at the time) walks by with just waders and a wading stick so I asked “Are you fishing?” He responded that he was until stumbling and dropping is fly rod in the river and asked if I could retrieve it so we went and checked it out. Luckily his nymphs got caught up on some reeds on the other side and the current took the rod downstream peeling out the fly line and backing and it was kind of just bobbing around down there. I was able to wade out, grab his line, and pull the rod and reel back upstream to us with everything intact to his tippet ring.
So it all worked out great and Billy was a happy camper. That night I thought to myself well, I did my good deed for the day…or Month?
“Gull Lake Proposal”
This could be the topper……… in August 2020 our family celebrated the annual gathering here known as “Champstock.” That’s “Champ” for our last name Champion, and “stock” for Woodstock which took place about this time of year.
On the Sunday, as is our tradition, we were all out boat fishing on Gull Lake near each other. To our surprise niece Jeni and her boyfriend Kris in their boat got engaged as we watched. Well of course we all whooped and hollered as did other people in their boats and on the shoreline creating quite a ruckus. It was great!
What a memory for us all and the lucky couple. Might they get married on the lake and have a boat parade after? We’ll see.
“Happy valentines day”
So I'm fishing the Upper Owens on Valentine's Day 2020 and as I sit down for a break I see something strange upstream floating towards me.
As it drifts closer it looks like a mylar balloon. Almost to me I can now see that it’s heart-shaped and says “I love you.” What the heck! Where did that come from? There’s nothing around for a mile or two. I was about to hook it with my fly rod then thought nah, let someone downstream enjoy a Sierra Moment too.
Still don’t know who sent it.
"Dynamo Duo"
Quite a few years ago my son Nick and I were lure fishing Dynamo Pond. He casted out and there’s no splash, no nut’n. Where did it go?
I look at him and the line had caught on the button atop his baseball cap with the lure spinning around it. When I sit down to untangle the mess a blackbird lands on my shoulder for about 30 seconds. Felt like we were in a Disney animated classic.
You can’t make this stuff up!
"Best Cast ever"
Even more years ago, my daughter Whitney and I are boat fishing Gull Lake. A gust of wind blows my straw hat off. Grabbing my fly rod (not sure why it was on board since we were bait fishing) as that hat drifts sixty feet away I prepare to cast.
Boom! First cast hooked it and brought it in. Maybe my best cast ever! Sure glad Whit was there to witness it.
"Double Hookup"
That’s my buddy “Hipper”and I at Gull Lake Marina after a great day of fishing. Got 22 releasing most.
The biggest one there was caught just before we were wrapping it up. One of us hooked it but not sure who since our lines were crossed. After getting it in the boat there’s my hook in it’s mouth and Hipper’s with our lines intact. That dude grabbed both baits pretty much at the same time…….crazy!
Final tally…….Hipper 11-1/2, Knot 10-1/2!
"A BIRD IN THE HAND?"
Jimmy “Rockfish” is fishing the Upper Owens one fall morning when he hears a couple duck hunter shots ring out quite a ways upstream. A bit later one of their prey comes floating by which Rockfish grabs and lays on the bank thinking duck for dinner tonight.
As he turns his back to continue fishing an eagle swoops down, grabs that duck and off it goes.
Sorry Jimmy, no duck tonight! Chili and beans maybe?
“Wetzel-mania”
My old friend Dave Wetzel and myself are out pontoon boat fishing June Lake recently and as you can see from the photos that rascal got the biggest, the smallest, and the only tin can. And the most too! He must’ve had a great guide!