Just back from Crowley this last weekend! The lake is looking fantastic, a little tiny green color in the water but still fantastic visability. Bottom temps are still in the 54 to 56 range, not bad almost perfect for the trout! My brand new Hardy Zephrus Rods 10ft 5wt and Hardy Ultralight 5000 CA DD have been spanking the fish for me and my clients, if you want to try one out, book a trip with me or just shot me an email and if you are in the area, I wll let you try out one of these beautiul setups. The midge hatches have been very, very good. The midges were hatching so thick you could almost breath them in, the other factor is the midges are monsters. I feel a lot of the midges are in the size 12 catagory, this is the way it always works the midges are at there very largest in the beginning of the season and then progressly become smaller and smaller into the season.

I have been finding fish in many different areas of the lake. Sandy seems to be the most consistant area, however these fish at Sandy have been beaten up pretty good for the last two weeks. The bite is consistantly becoming smaller and smaller and the wind has to be blowing in the right direction to properly set up to the underwater point that comes out into the lake. I have been focusing on the 18 to 20 foot level, not only at Sandy, but all over the lake. McGee is very touchy, can be very good for a few hours and then a desert, not be able to even get a take in over an hour at a time. Aligator point and even back into Leighton along the rocks in 16 to 20 feet of water has been fishing well at times also. Six bays has been in my mind fishing very well, especially the last few days and even with the wind howling at times. I again have been concentrating on the 17 to 20 foot level. I have heard that the North Arm, out in the middle off of North Landing has been fishing well, however I have not fished in that area all year! The same goes with Big and Little Hilton, decent report in shallower water 13 to 16 feet but I have not fished the Hiltons since the very 1st day of the season. It just seems you can find fish anywhere on the lake, you must be patient and will get fish in all areas but must make the correct decesions on depth and bugs.

Midges again are the main food source right now at Crowely. I have been very consistant with the Black/Copper, Black/Silver, Black/Red seem to be the best midges in size 14 and and the grey combination of midges as your upper fly. The under-cator sold by Sierra Drifters is and has been my go to sliding indicator for the last few years in deep water. They make it so easy to fish in 20+ feet of water.

Being on the water all of the time and having fished out of float tubes thousand and thousands of hours I see the same problem with float tubers every time I am guiding out on the water. YOU MUST BE ANCHORED when your fishing midges. If you are not anchored, you can not keep your fly at the proper depth. Stop fighting the wind and current, go to any sporting goods store and purchase a 10 pound barbel for $15.00. Wow, only $15.00 will make you twice the fisherman your are right now. In my stillwater clinics on float tube tactics, I give each one of my clients this same barbel and 75 feet of anchor rope. When the winds come up, this doesn’t shut the bite off, on the contrary, some of the largest fish you catch during the day is when the wind starts.

If you would like to know more about my midge fishing tactics, please give me a call and lets set up a guided trip so we can learn and catch fish at the same time.

Hope this helps you out at Crowley

I do love me some Stillwater fly fishing…..Ernie