Fishing little Switzerland
There’s no place better than June Lake, our very own European-style Eastside fishing treasure
Summer. Ah, it’s finally arrived. The aspens are waking up and coming alive with green, swallows are busily constructing their mud dwellings and we’ve all dug out those sandals, which were buried in the back of the closet for months on end. It’s June, and there are few places better to enjoy it than June Lake, Calif.
“Little Switzerland” is a treasure of a place in the Eastside. Whether you are breaking a sweat with the dog while hiking up the trailhead to Parker Lake — one of my favorite short hikes around these parts — or simply killing a pint of Golden Trout at the Tiger Bar, June Lake merits a few hours this weekend.
Angling on the lakes throughout the Loop is turning on. The warming temperatures are waking up the fish all around here, as we see a more active trout going after bait, lure and fly alike. The kids have finished school for the year, and get to sleep in every day, as the trout calculate that it’s that time of year to get up a bit earlier.
Speaking of which, my lucky fishing hat goes off to the fantastic graduating class of 2011 at Mammoth High School. What a great group of young adults … at least a few of them are also a great group of young fisherfolk, too! I will miss them dearly and wish them all the best of luck … and tight lines in future days.
Reports on Gull Lake and June Lake are that bait anglers are whacking them with Powerbait in Chartreuse or Rainbow. Trolling Needlefish, Thomas Bouyants, and Taz Devils with four or five colors are working well. A five-pounder reportedly came out of Gull last week. My guess: it won’t be long until we hear of a double-digit pounder, wall-mountable trophy trout taking the bait at Gull. If you’re the lucky one to catch it, you owe your friends fish tacos with fresh mango at the Whoa Nellie Deli just up U.S. 395. As for fly anglers looking for “The Big One,” strip Green Krystal Flash Woolly Buggers. There are trout all over the place at Gull. At June, try the reeds near the marina or at the swim beach.
Silver Lake is chock full of trout, and a great place to kick a float tube around. Arguably, it’s also equally as good a place to get breakfast. Trust me, you’d do well to consider starting your fishing day with some biscuits and gravy at Silver Lake Resort.
Troll with Rapalas or Thomas Bouyants. The one-and-only Rainbow TB pattern will work wonders. Fly anglers stripping Olive Matukas are likely to get hits. Water temps are still a bit cold, so put your neoprene waders on. Breathable wear will leave you shivering in no time and isn’t recommended. Kick around on the far end and admire the majesty of the surrounding mountains.
Water levels at Grant Lake are back at full levels. It is a beautiful lake to look across, whether you are angling, road biking, or road touring. Those souls wishing to catch dinner should dunk nightcrawlers at either the inlet or outlet. Fly anglers stripping an Egg-sucking Leech where Rush Creek flows into the stillwater fishery will do well.
Rush Creek, in my opinion, is one of the greatest fishing fun spots on the Eastside, right up there with Hot Creek and the East Walker River for fly anglers. It’s a pretty special place to me, and a little sentimental … it’s where I taught myself to fly fish six years ago. I love it.
Fly anglers looking to get away from it all can get into some healthy trout below Grant Lake. Tossing Parachute Adams, Royal Wulffs and Royal Coachmen will get surface hits. Little Elk Hair Caddis Patterns will also work.
The sagebrush hasn’t exploded yet, so manipulating around the creek is still fairly easy. Look for the calmer pocket waters and stalk your prey. Between the lakes, run Worm patterns below a Hare’s Ear or Zug Bug. Stripping streamers in the faster moving currents will also produce large rewards.
If you look to fish a bit closer to Mammoth, Hot Creek is still fishable though the water levels are noticeably rising. A cup of java and chow at Stellar Brew, three hours of tossing Scuds and Zug Bugs at Hot Creek, then lunch at Giovanni’s … makes for a great day.
Perhaps the grandest thing about this part of the world is that you can start your day in Mammoth, end it in June Lake, ask yourself which locale is better, and never really come to an answer to that question.
But who cares? It’s June … school’s out. No more pop quizzes. Enough test questions. Time to just fish … and fish … and fish.
A more detailed report can be found at http://kittredgesports.com/fishing_report.php. Leonard guides for Kittredge Sports. Call 760.934.7566.
