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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Tahoe
    Posts
    949

    TR: East Walker and Hot Creek

    Went down to Hot Creek and the East Walker last weekend. More specifically Sceirine Ranch, which is 2.5 mi of private water on the Nevada side of the E Walker. It was cold, really fuckin cold. Ken's Sporting Goods in Bridgeport charges $90 per rod day and limits it to 4 rods per day, unless you have a group they'll let you go up to 6. They charge like $25 per car to camp on the ranch. I know there's not enough pics of fish in here but here you go...


    Eastern Sierras down by Hot Creek


    Lower Hot Creek - don't go, there's no fish in this section. Seriously, the hot springs fuck it up.


    Hot Creek in the canyon. Amazing how many fish this small river can hold.


    This was the smallest brown caught on the E Walker.




    There were some good fish in this section of the E Walker.









  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Bozeman, MT
    Posts
    2,405
    Sickness! Gorgeous landscape, fish, a bota bag, and a synchro to boot!
    As a snowboarder... i fucking hate snowboarders in general. -advres

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Lander, Wyoming
    Posts
    481
    yupppppp...good fishin' stoke. Good to see some Cali rep...agreed with Derider, bonus points for bota bag and Synchro.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    in front of a range
    Posts
    780


    Fuck ya. I like this one, it says a lot.
    the kids are all wasted on pot listening to heavy metal

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    19,201
    Nice fishing stoke. Doesn't look like a syncro to me though.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Tahoe
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    949
    Quote Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark View Post
    Nice fishing stoke. Doesn't look like a syncro to me though.
    yeah it's my bro's westfalia, not a syncro unfortunately. but pretty fun nonetheless. the botas and gentlemen's jack came in handy when it turned straight arctic in the afternoon. here's a few more pics

    hot creek




    fish on








    hittin the bota




    I don't think the heavy stuff's gonna come down for a while




    dinner





  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    WYO
    Posts
    9,709
    I heart this TR.
    "Have fun, get a flyrod, and give the worm dunkers the finger when you start double hauling." ~Lumpy

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    277
    Quote Originally Posted by sierraskier View Post
    yeah it's my bro's westfalia, not a syncro unfortunately. but pretty fun nonetheless. the botas and gentlemen's jack came in handy when it turned straight arctic in the afternoon. here's a few more pics

    hot creek


    I hope you politely told the jong wading hot creek that you DO NOT WADE HOT CREEK!!!!!!!

    Hot Creek is fucking insane. That little creek has 6000 -8000 trout per mile. Look how small that thing is!!! If you have a chance, take a never ever flyfisherman to hot creek during the evening caddis hatch and it will be better than coke!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Tetons
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    6,384
    Damn that's some good looking water!

  10. #10
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    Nov 2007
    Location
    Tahoe
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pimpin Panda View Post

    If you have a chance, take a never ever flyfisherman to hot creek during the evening caddis hatch and it will be better than coke!
    That was my first time there but that is exactly what I was thinking: what would this place be like when it's not blowing 35 and there's a hatch coming off...I just wonder how much of an elbow-to-elbow shit show it is.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    In the shadow of the moon
    Posts
    2,696
    Nice trip! That is some beautiful country

    Bota bag is killing it!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    200
    That is some gorgeous water...

    This one in particular really gets me:


  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Bay Area
    Posts
    439
    Quote Originally Posted by Pimpin Panda View Post
    I hope you politely told the jong wading hot creek that you DO NOT WADE HOT CREEK!!!!!!!

    Hot Creek is fucking insane. That little creek has 6000 -8000 trout per mile. Look how small that thing is!!! If you have a chance, take a never ever flyfisherman to hot creek during the evening caddis hatch and it will be better than coke!
    Is it illegal to wade in hot creek, or just the unwritten rule?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    2,034
    Sick TR, and bonus points for a Westy. I need to get mine unwinterized and ready to go.
    Be careful about buying snowboard goggles for skiing. Snowboard goggles come in right eye and left eye (for goofy-footers) dominant models. This can make it hard to see correctly when skiing because you are facing straight down the hill, not sideways.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Basalt
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    Quote Originally Posted by pointemstraight View Post
    Is it illegal to wade in hot creek, or just the unwritten rule?
    Found this online with a little searching...basically, stay the fuck out of Hot Creek:

    All the guides and anglers have been working really hard to get the word out this year about NOT wading in Hot Creek. I fished Hot Creek the day after the opener and what I saw when I got down to the river made me sick to my stomach. Almost 90 percent of the people fishing that day were wearing waders. Now I know that most people that come from out of town don't know any better so that is why we are trying to get the word out. Reasons for not wading are these reasons. We are fortunite enough to have one of the best streams in all of the united states located just outside of the town of Mammoth. The stream has 1000 fish per square mile. That being said there is literally a fish every foot of the river. With the low water levels we have right now if you stand back from the stream and just watch for 3 or 4 minutes you won't believe how many fish you can spot. So the second you step into this stream you are spooky hundreds of fish and then wondering why you aren't hooking any fish. Because there are so many anglers fishing this place daily you are not only hurting yourself but you are ruining everybody else fishing day also. If you think you need to fish a certain hole or run because that is the only spot that has fish you are wrong! Take 5 steps up the river and fish another slot and you will hook fish. There is absolutly no reason at all to enter the water to make a drift that is tough for you. Secondly, as many of you know the stream is filled full of grass and moss. Once you walk through this grass your are screwing up the ecosystem. Once you drag your feet through the grass you are screwing up a slot for that day and maybe weeks. So we are asking everybody to please respect what a great creek we have and stay out of the water.

    We have made a page on facebook to help people understand this more and to answer questions. We will also be raising funds to install bridges for people that wish to cross over the stream. Also we will be raising money to install signs to help people understand why not to wade and NOT to wade in the stream. Also we will be taking donations at all the shops and businesses in Mammoth Lakes.
    You can join this page by clicking here http://http://www.facebook.com/?ref=...14368458601977


    Hope everybody is excited about another year of trout fishing in the Eastern Sierra. For more info on reports for the area check out my website http://www.troutwaterreports.com
    "We had nice 3 days in your autonomous mountain realm last weekend." - Tom from Austria (the Rax ski guy)

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    a poop plant
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    3,362
    Nice.

    Did you hit the Miracle Mile?
    Last edited by GiBo; 06-03-2010 at 04:06 PM.

  17. #17
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    Oct 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by gretch6364 View Post
    Found this online with a little searching...basically, stay the fuck out of Hot Creek:

    All the guides and anglers have been working really hard to get the word out this year about NOT wading in Hot Creek. I fished Hot Creek the day after the opener and what I saw when I got down to the river made me sick to my stomach. Almost 90 percent of the people fishing that day were wearing waders. Now I know that most people that come from out of town don't know any better so that is why we are trying to get the word out. Reasons for not wading are these reasons. We are fortunite enough to have one of the best streams in all of the united states located just outside of the town of Mammoth. The stream has 1000 fish per square mile. That being said there is literally a fish every foot of the river. With the low water levels we have right now if you stand back from the stream and just watch for 3 or 4 minutes you won't believe how many fish you can spot. So the second you step into this stream you are spooky hundreds of fish and then wondering why you aren't hooking any fish. Because there are so many anglers fishing this place daily you are not only hurting yourself but you are ruining everybody else fishing day also. If you think you need to fish a certain hole or run because that is the only spot that has fish you are wrong! Take 5 steps up the river and fish another slot and you will hook fish. There is absolutly no reason at all to enter the water to make a drift that is tough for you. Secondly, as many of you know the stream is filled full of grass and moss. Once you walk through this grass your are screwing up the ecosystem. Once you drag your feet through the grass you are screwing up a slot for that day and maybe weeks. So we are asking everybody to please respect what a great creek we have and stay out of the water.

    We have made a page on facebook to help people understand this more and to answer questions. We will also be raising funds to install bridges for people that wish to cross over the stream. Also we will be raising money to install signs to help people understand why not to wade and NOT to wade in the stream. Also we will be taking donations at all the shops and businesses in Mammoth Lakes.
    You can join this page by clicking here http://http://www.facebook.com/?ref=...14368458601977


    Hope everybody is excited about another year of trout fishing in the Eastern Sierra. For more info on reports for the area check out my website http://www.troutwaterreports.com

    wow...so much fail in that post and the guy's website

    Great TR...Hot Creek is now on my short list of places to fish before I die. Hopefully before Mr. "I mastered flyfishing in 6 years" succeeds in putting bridges in every hundred yards...
    The killer awoke before dawn.
    He put his boots on.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    361
    Quote Originally Posted by khakis View Post
    wow...so much fail in that post and the guy's website

    Great TR...Hot Creek is now on my short list of places to fish before I die. Hopefully before Mr. "I mastered flyfishing in 6 years" succeeds in putting bridges in every hundred yards...
    What is wrong with the post or the website? A couple of points that were not mentioned
    1) hot creek has mud snails that can be spread to non infected waters
    2) the creek is VERY small, like 20 feet across, and has A TON of insects that would be squashed by wading.
    3) besides all the damage from 1 and 2, there is no fucking need to wade it, who the fuck cant fish such a small creek from the shore?

    Now as far as there being 1000 fish per mile in that tiny creek, I had always heard it was like 7000. So I googled it and it is more like 8000 - 10,000 fish per mile.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/sp...3outdoors.html
    " The fish were there — a survey by the Fish and Game Department last fall found that there were more than 10,000 trout per mile in some sections of Hot Creek, and the average density was more than 8,000 fish per mile. That is probably the highest density of trout anywhere in California."

    Note, this is a creek that is 2-4 feet deep, and 10 -30 feet wide. It is about 50 cfs (google it, you will see numbers as low as 12, right now fish first puts it at 32 cfs and low). People really need to wade a creek that is 32 cfs? And will spook hundreds of fish? And get NZMS on their boots and waders? And the insect life is VERY abundant as it is a very fertile creek.

  19. #19
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    Oct 2007
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    yeah initially the math, grammar and ecology, but I'm also not big on people moving somewhere and in just a couple of years trying to play themselves off as a the core expert local.

    And mainly, you wanna look at this and see bridges?
    The killer awoke before dawn.
    He put his boots on.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Tahoe
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    949
    Quote Originally Posted by khakis View Post
    yeah initially the math, grammar and ecology, but I'm also not big on people moving somewhere and in just a couple of years trying to play themselves off as a the core expert local.

    And mainly, you wanna look at this and see bridges?
    Exactly - dude sounds like a hero. All hellbent about a creek that probably sees more fishing pressure than anywhere else in California, and has long before he got there. Bridges would complete the shitshow. I would leave it up to the DFG to regulate - they're usually pretty good at that.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    361
    Quote Originally Posted by sierraskier View Post
    Exactly - dude sounds like a hero. All hellbent about a creek that probably sees more fishing pressure than anywhere else in California, and has long before he got there. Bridges would complete the shitshow. I would leave it up to the DFG to regulate - they're usually pretty good at that.
    There is a bridge at hot creek by the hot springs. I saw nothing wrong with it.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Tahoe
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    I know, I saw it. There's also a bunch of metal fencing strewn around the river bank above and below the hot springs and permanent aluminum signage all over the place. I think some more bridges over the river every couple hundred yards and a maybe even a turn stall as you come down the paved pathway would add a nice touch. You know, to complete a nice little amusement park experience on Hot Creek. Troutwaterreports.com can set up a little concession stand and sell hot dogz and sodaz!

  23. #23
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    mlca
    Posts
    1,590
    Hot Creek is great early and late season when there are no tourists around. During the summer it full with gucci, outfitted flyfisher people with guides who seem to teach how to cast but forget about etiquette. I like Fall the best because I can use hoppers which are easy to see. A mouse pattern also works great just off the bank in October.

    I can't wait for all the snow to melt and head into the backcountry. I am on a mission this summer. Two four day trips a month and lots of day hikes in search of the elusive Golden Trout.

    The reason for all the fences on Hot Creek is to keep people out of the water. Swimming used to be allowed until it got over run with tour buses. Those people left glass, diapers, and trash everywhere prompting the USFS to close it as soon as they had an excuse. A few years back there were very small geysers during the spring run off and they decided to close it for " safety reasons" . My buddy works for the USFS and he said they close it because people were pigs and they were tired of hauling trash out of the place. Lame. When I first moved here there were no regulations at all and a bridge that crossed the river at the end of the trail. You could go wherever you want but now it is treated like a national park. I don't really like all the regulations but people are inherently stupid and would probably cook themselves in one of the hotter sections.

    Any way, cool trip report. The weather has completely changed and it ha been sunny and in the 70's for about a week. Fishing has been tough with the swollen streams and creeks but is good in the morning. I'll try and get a few pictures the next time I head out but have been real lazy with the camera lately.

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