Fishing in the end zone
Mighty Mite Sam “The Mad” Baron in the Upper Owens River. (Photo: Leonard)
Angling and college football … Leonard knows how to mix metaphors
By Leonard
UCLA: 10 – San Diego State: 29. San Jose: 35 – USC: 59. “What?!” I instantly woke up in a cold sweat, trembling with convulsions, seeing these numbers run through my mind. Of all of the possible misfortunes in life, this is the dream that I had last week. Nuclear fallout or a mild case of swine flu — those I might be able to handle, but a loss at home on opening day? Nah. Jay Beede, a former Wilderness guide and Cardinal and Gold fan, sent me a text last week, something along the lines of, “San Diego is going to take down UCLA.” I replied, questioning the intelligence of his claim, reminding him that of the 21 meetings between the Bruins and the Aztecs, SDSU has yet to beat Joe Bruin. But, his text message must have sunk in — it gave me shivers in my sleep. The thought that neither L.A. team beat the spread, let alone a UCLA win … yep, I woke up shaking. Must have been the raw onions I had with dinner. I like ‘em, developed a taste for them in Eastern Europe, but they do mess with me.
So, the honest truth is that I’ve spent most days after school this last week chasing my two young labs around sage-covered fields, only to occasionally play a game of keep away with a downed dove. Bruin, the mellower of the two, hands over the prize without reservation. Bodie on the other hand gives me a look with eyes that say, “No, this is my bird,” and ends up sprinting away like a wide receiver running to the end zone. I hurled every single choice word imaginable until I finally caught him. Only then does he drop my dinner.
Oh, you want some fishing in your fishing report? No problem …
The place to be still for fly anglers, to no surprise, is Hot Creek. Lots of big healthy trout are coming out of the upper section of the canyon. You can hook them on the usual goods: Elk Hairs, Tent Wings, Callibaetis Cripples, Headlight Caddis and Low Profile Caddis. 6X tippet is a must, and your drift needs to be as perfect as the Trojan defense to beat the 35-point spread. You’ll land some large trout though, if you have your game on. Sneak attack.
The lakes in the basin are producing. Mary keeps getting stocked with 2nd, 3rd and 4th string players. The trout in that lake are 10 teams deep. You’ll pull out a few the size of a Bruin defensive linemen … well, at least with the same amount of fight. Don’t get broken off! Get at ‘em with Sherbet or Chunky Cheese Gulp! Trolling with ‘SC Trojan red and gold Thomas Bouyants would not only make Pete Carroll proud, but may also land you a trout. You’ll do just as well in Mamie and George with the same goods. Pitch some nightcrawlers into Twin.
This weekend is it, folks — Labor Day Weekend. The unofficial start of autumn in Mammoth Lakes, the official opener of Division 1 college football. And, I’ll be in the Rose Bowl the day this report goes to print. What’s my call for the two games? UCLA: 27, SDSU: 10. Across town, the Trojans will finish 35 – 17 against the Spartans. They’ll win, but they are not going to beat the spread. It’s Matt Barkley’s first game playing in the league with the big boys, and the Trojan D is going to carry the weight for this one.
Finally, there will be a meeting of all fly fishing guides who work anywhere between Bishop and Bridgeport on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. in the Breakfast Club in Mammoth Lakes. Michael Schweit, Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) Southwest Council President, will be here to discuss the FFF’s role and its relationship with the local guiding community, in essence, what the FFF can do for us and vice versa. One of the major thrusts of the FFF of late is acting as an information interface and liaison between local guides throughout the state and the myriad of fly fishing clubs who visit our area. Meetings such as this don’t come along often. Figured many of you will want to attend.
A more detailed report can be found at http://kittredgesports.com/fishing_report.php. Leonard guides for Kittredge Sports. Call 934.7566.
