In a sense, fly fishing is all about expectations. I expect that if I fish hard enough, long enough, I will take some fish. I expect that every spot that I fish will reflect the dramatic beauty and majesty of the eastern Sierra. I expect there to be lots of people that it will take some thought and planning to avoid. Of course, I expect every day to be warm, with just enough cloud cover to bring out the Baetis hatch and that every beverage consumed at the end of the day to be perfect. I expect that at the end of the season, I will wish that I had gotten out more days than I did and had visited more waters.
However, I don’t feel entirely confident that I understand what angling will be like at any time. The last decade has been pretty weird over here on the east side of the Sierra. There was a dry spell, then two strong snow years, followed by a five-year drought of historic proportion, capped off by the biggest water year anyone could remember. Each year brought different conditions and challenges. These are not circumstances that give rise to accurate expectations for the angling year to come. I suspect that I have more uncertainties than answers. This season will be one in which we attempt to understand the effects of some significant events: a major fire, a drought and flood, and continuing pressure on the resource.
The Aftermath of the Pleasant Fire
On the afternoon of February 18, 2018, the view out our front window was filled with a large, fast-moving cloud of smoke. It marked the Pleasant Fire, which started at a site near the Pleasant Valley Campground on the lower Owens River. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but it was fueled by the dry sage landscape and high winds from the north. The wildfire burned south, along the course of the river. By the time it was over, flames had forced the evacuation of areas of north Bishop and had burned 2,070 acres, from the campground nearly to Five Bridges. The riparian vegetation, mostly willows, but also shrubs and trees, was consumed, leaving a blackened landscape where, as one observer stated, at least it would be easy to cast.
Obviously, this event raises questions about the short-term and long-term health of the lower Owens fishery. Previous years, thousands of anglers visited the area now burned in search of brown and rainbow trout, which could be found in decent numbers, often fish of significant size. Fortunately, the fire moved quickly, so water temperatures did not reach a lethal level, and there was minimal loss of fish to the fire itself. There was no significant deposition of fire debris in the river. There is no runoff to speak of into the river below the dam, so there will not be a major problem with postfire sedimentation.
However, there will be changes in the river in the short term. Scientists indicate that the primary lasting effects of wildfire on trout waters come from the loss of canopy vegetation. This results in a loss of cover, increased solar radiation, a rise in water temperatures, and a decrease in the dissolved oxygen supply. In addition to these changes in water conditions, the trout will be more vulnerable to predation during the recovery. They will also be more skittish and will be even more difficult for the angler to approach.
The loss of the canopy will mean that the insect menu for the trout will change in terms of species and numbers. Species that are more tolerant of warmer water and lower oxygen levels will be favored during the canopy recovery. These conditions will bring increases in the populations of Heptagenia mayflies and the like. Insects that thrive in the sunlight will increase in number. A rise in water temperature will bring more vigorous growth of algal plants in the river itself. Insect species that feed on that growth will be more prolific. Insect species that feed on or otherwise utilize the canopy plants will be missing. In addition, there will be fewer terrestrials as a part of the fish’s diet.
The bottom line is that you need to be flexible about the patterns you bring to the river. The flies that you have depended on in the past may not be effective as the riparian vegetation goes through recovery. Do not simply assume that the imitations that have worked in the past are going to produce in the same way. Take along a broader variety of the potential menu and take the time to consult with local websites, guides, and outfitters to find out what is working.
A beneficial effect of the fire will be the release of nutrients into the system, which, combined with the increased sunlight, will support underwater vegetation, the insects that live and feed in that vegetation, and ultimately, the trout. Fortunately, the fire came on the heels of the 2017 high-water years, which scoured out the river, setting the stage for more productive spawning and recruitment, which will be enhanced by the increase in nutrients. A short-term decrease in trout numbers and biomass can be expected to yield increases in both as the recovery runs its course. It should be noted that there was a fire along a part of the lower Owens several years ago, and the river made a good recovery. That experience should help inform restoration planning for the burn area.
There is no current expectation that there will be any major changes in the management of the fishery or the burned landscape. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has no plans to alter the management of the area affected by the burn. As of now, there is also no indication that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will place any restrictions on access to the river or use of the land. Both agencies state that vehicles should remain on the road and not be driven into the meadow areas.
There are a couple of reasons to keep an eye on the lower Owens in the fire zone over the next two or three years. Obviously, this is one of the most productive and heavily fished stretches of water in the eastern Sierra. Because it is open year-round, the river below the campground is a destination for a great many anglers looking for a winter fix. It predictably yields trout in decent numbers and size. If it is impaired to any degree over the long haul, it would be a big blow to the regional fishery. The second is that fire events have become more frequent and severe over the past decade. There is no reason to believe that this trend will reverse itself. More and more watersheds are likely to be affected to some degree by these fires, and we need to learn how the rivers and fish fare in their aftermath.
Water: Too Much, Too Little
What happens to a fishery when there are dramatic swings from year to year in the amount of water in the system? By the end of fall 2016, all of the waters that I visited in the eastern Sierra were definitely showing the negative effects of the extended drought. The fish were fewer and farther between. What fish there were did not seem as healthy, and I was not seeing much in the way of big fish. It was clear that insect populations had diminished. Water quality reflected higher water temperatures, decreasing levels of dissolved oxygen, and the accumulation of substantial loads of silt. These impairments, in turn, were reflected in the quality of the fishing or lack thereof. During the winter of 2017–18, I was seriously wondering about whether the enthusiasm for fishing I had lost during the drought was going to return.
While I was experiencing this angst, the winter of 2017–18 was also bringing a massive amount of water to the high mountains. A historic snowpack fed huge flows of water into our streams and rivers throughout the summer and into the fall. Even as late as October, I continued to be surprised by the amount of water in the streams throughout the region. “Unfishable” became the operable descriptor. Although I did manage to find a few new small creeks that had settled into a fishable state, I learned that fishing in an abundance of water can be as difficult and frustrating as what we experienced during the drought.
Now I am wondering if a single giant snow/water year is enough to offset the effects of five years of drought. I took this question to Nick Buckmaster of the Bishop office of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. He told me that the 2017 water flows were large enough to cause geomorphic level changes in the Owens Valley and other areas of the Sierra. It was the kind of year in which hydrologists got to see effects that they had only read about. The rivers scoured themselves into different configurations. Cut banks were deepened, and many collapsed. Some channels were changed. Holes that were deep ended up deeper still. I will need to see the water with fresh eyes and be observant of what the river actually is doing, as opposed to what I remember it doing in the past. I will also have to be careful wading and exercise caution around those undercut banks.
It is unrealistic to expect that the eastern Sierra streams will bounce back to whatever I think was normal “good fishing” in a single season after the big flows. The peak recruitment period comes in the year after a major flood event. This means a lot of incoming small fish. Think of a major league team with a great farm system. The 2017 flows did a good job of clearing stream bottoms of what was a considerable buildup of silt and sediments. That has brought an improvement in the habitat for insects. Thus, the stage is set for an increase in biomass within the system. The high flows also enhanced spawning habitats for the trout, which will show up in an increase in the numbers of small fish in late 2018 and early 2019. The positive effects of this scouring will be most profound in meadow streams such as the upper Owens River, where the sediment loads had resulted in a substantial decrease in the numbers of insects. The year 2018 will be one in which trout have the opportunity to take advantage of improved habitat and food supply. As Buckmaster puts it, “the stage is set; it is up to the fish to use it.” It is likely that the year 2019 will show an increase in the populations of catchable trout.
However, Buckmaster cautions that the effects of this process are highly system specific. What is going on in one watershed is not necessarily what will be found in another. The effects of the drought/flood were not uniform throughout the eastern Sierra, and the response of the watersheds will vary, as well. While some streams may have experienced significant changes in character, others may look more or less the same. There will be deeper holes, and some structure will have been swept away at some spots and replaced by downed trees and other features at others. Anglers need to put less faith in their past experiences and carefully explore what is here now.
Is the Drought Really Over?
The official word has been that we are out of the drought. Reality in parts of the Sierra may not correspond with this proclamation. We have again experienced a subpar snow year, and at this point, the situation has been designated as being “abnormally dry.” The water content of the snowpack is significantly below what used to be described as normal. California escapes being designated as experiencing a drought in part because the extraordinary runoff of 2017 left plenty of water in the state’s impoundments. There is sufficient water available for downstream uses. It is these uses that dictate water policy, rather than headwaters conditions. We still may experience what could be called an upstream or headwaters drought.
There probably still is a good deal of water in place above the dams. High meadows were saturated last year, as were alpine aquifers. Thus, there is water to be released into the watersheds from sources other than the snowpack. Nevertheless, if you expect to find abundant water at high elevations, you may be disappointed, especially toward fall. The smaller snowpack will mean an earlier runoff, possibly peaking before May. It is likely that the water flows in the fall will drop significantly. It you are planning to fish the high country, you might want to look at late July and early August. On the bright side, access to the backcountry will be considerably easier than last year, and the trails will open much sooner. The abundance of water in the impoundments does suggest that tailwater fisheries will provide quality angling. Of course, this is dependent on how their water is managed by downstream purveyors. There may also be a bounce this season and next at natural lakes, many of which were drastically reduced in size as a consequence of the drought.
Who Are These People?
The positive contributions of the high water flows of last year to the east-side fisheries will be helpful, but they are not a magic cure-all. There continues to be an ever-increasing volume of fishing pressure as the number of anglers in the eastern Sierra grows every year. I have a concern that the benefits the upper Owens River system experiences will not be adequate to overcome impacts from the numbers of people who pound the water. The fishing may improve over the coming two years, but the quality of the fishery may not rise to what I think I remember it being. There are no plans for any significant changes in trout management policy for the eastern Sierra in the upcoming season. Stocking will continue, possibly at a higher level, since there is water available to rear fish. Although there are no formal regulations to this effect, Buckmaster suggests that anglers can help the improved spawning habitat be productive by staying out of those areas (not wading in the redds) or by cutting down on fishing during the spawning season. The latter course will require a bit of self-discipline, but by checking with local pro shops and guides, it is possible to time your fishing to allow the trout to spawn successfully.
This will be an interesting summer. The last two were also interesting, but more in the way a car accident could be seen as interesting. This time around, we will get to see the beginnings of recovery. We will get to try to figure out how our favorite spots have been changed by last year’s water volume. Those who favor the backcountry will enjoy much better access than last year and a more familiar seasonal flow regime. We may well be looking at situations in which our accumulated knowledge may need to be updated. If you are planning to fish the east side, it will be a good idea to check with the locals for up-to-date information on the specific location you have in mind. If the last few years have revealed anything, it is that there is not a lot of value in trying to generalize about the eastern Sierra and how to fish it. I am going to try to cultivate the habit of looking for a new understanding every time I go out, no matter how often I have fished the location in the past. Whatever 2018 brings, it is unlikely to be boring.
