Have you ever fished the area around Hope Valley and Markleeville?  If you have you know how many fishing opportunities there are and if not, you may want to consider venturing that way.  It’s about a four-and-a-half hour drive from Santa Cruz through Stockton then Jackson, the foothills, finally to the Sierra and over ~8,700 Ft. Carson Pass on SR-88 a Scenic Byway.

There are many fly-fishing opportunities on still-water, rivers and streams.  Larger lakes include Silver Lake, Caples Lake, Upper and Lower Blue Lakes and Indian Creek Reservoir.  And then there’s Heenan Lake that is open from Sep. 1 through Nov. 30 where you can catch broodstock Lahonton Cutthroat.  Numerous smaller lakes are also in the region, e.g. Woods Lake, Lake Kirkwood, Burnside Lake and others.  4, 5 or 6 weights are used on the lakes with wooly buggers, various nymphs with the Damsel Fly nymph often being the most productive.  Hit risers with a Damsal Fly dry or parachute Callibartis.

Much of the fishing attention is focused on the West Fork and to a greater degree East Fork of the Carson River.

The West Fork originates above Upper Blue Lake at Lost Lakes and runs through Charity Valley and Hope Valley.  The meadows have good long runs with a few steeper, narrower, faster canyon areas that hold fish in the deeper pools.  The river then flows down a rather steep boulder strewn path along Hwy 88 through the town of Woodfords.  Call it pocket water.  There are many places to pull off the road at fishable locations.  Blue Lakes and the river are regularly visited by Fish and Wildlife trucks full of planters.

The East Fork originates high up between Ebbitts Pass (Hwy 4) and Nevada with fishable Silver Creek and Wolf Creek adding to it along the way.  Most of the more accessible waters are planted.  A few miles south past Markleeville the East Fork passes under Hangman’s Bridge, where from there to Nevada there are special regulations including artificial lures only.  This area is not planted and flyfishers target rainbows and browns for miles down this stretch of the river.  Runs, riffles and pools provide fairly straight forward dry and nymph fishing.  The areas strewn with borders will make wading more challenging and requiring more technical casting and mending.

Fishing 4 to 5 wt. rods is ideal but 3 and 6 are just fine and to some degree the time of year or day and fly will influence your selection.  If the County (Alpine Co.) plants Alper’s trout or you’re throwing streamers go heaver.  If the flows are slow and a small fly delicately presented to smaller natives is the way of the day, go smaller.  Depending on overnight temperatures morning Mayfly hatches get going like crazy and parachute Adams should do the trick.  Stoneflies come out early too.  When you hear the grasshoppers start buzzing, you may want to get on that band wagon.  Dry dropper rigs with a nymph of the top fly work good, except in slow shallow water where the nymph could get snagged and/or the dry is small.  Bigger Mayfly dry’s, Stimulator’s, Chubby’s and of course hoppers work for the dry or indicator.  Imitative droppers (and for bare nymphing too such as hare’s ear, pheasant tail or stone fly) work well but loud Prince Nymphs or Copper Johns usually get more attention.  In the evening, Caddis get their heads up and rising fish are targetable.  Browns are more vulnerable a ways downstream from where Markleeville Creek (water not to be ignored) enters the East Fork.  Go deep with streamers swung around submerged boulders.  And Browns are even up in Wolf Creek meadow (think spring creek tactics, possibly with terrestrials) before it plunges down to the river.  This gorge has rainbows in the pocket water.  It’s bouldering territory where you dap a little dry, maybe get a couple feet of drift and, hopefully, see a little guy come up and grab your gift.  Wolf Creek is about 5 mils (dead end) off Hwy 4 turning off at Centerville Flat Campground on a somewhat paved road (good fishing along there) then a dirt road to the Wolf Creek campground or a left turn before that to the meadow and then down to the river.  If you keep going south on Hwy 4, fishable Silver Creek runs along the route, with good access at Centerville Flat Campground.  Keep going and you’ll find Kinney Reservoir for easy access lake fishing.

So, there are lots and lots of fishing and camping opportunities in the area.  Now back to kind of the center of it all — Markleeville.  This is the county seat of the least populated county in California.  The little town has a couple restaurants a motel and a small/limited general store.  A few miles south of town is the Carson River Resort (“resort” – ya right) with a very little store and campsites across the street on the river.  This stretch of the road is central for recreation in the area.

I’m writing to mention to the SCFF Club members that I think this is a great area (the beauty however has been moderated by recent wildfires) that is relatively close to enjoy and encourage you to check it out.  Below are a couple of maps and photos to help orient you.

Randy Saar

Posted on May 24th, 2023

In February 2012, a fisherman from Oakland drowned in the surf on Rio Del Mar Beach. He had a wife
and two teen aged children. What a tragedy! It appears that he was in a strong rip current area, his
waders filled up, dragged him down and out. His fishing buddy could not save him.
So this issue, we think it is appropriate to discuss safety; surf safety in particular, but much of this
applies to any wading.
Waders are wonderful, but they can be dangerous. Frankly I cannot understand why any reputable
company would make waders without built-in belt loops and a wading belt, but some still do. We have
all gone on a fishing trip and forgotten something. The wading belt may be that item and yet it is
number one for safety with waders. You will not find me buying waders without belt loops so a belt is
always with my waders and never forgotten. And when worn, my wading belt is always TIGHT.

Think you are safe in still water?
At Pyramid Lake one of our members slipped on an area with a clay bottom. His waders did not fill up,
but he went upside down, because the air in the wader legs kept pulling his feet up so his head went
down. Fortunately his fishing buddies were there to assist, but it sure shook him up and he quit for the
day, cold and shaking with the aftermath of fear. If you are “top heavy”, be even more careful, because
your risk is even greater.

Moving water:
Streams and rivers: How many times have I crossed a river with my heart in my mouth wondering what
the heck would I do if my legs were swept out from under me and I went tumbling down the river,
unable to regain my footing? Well I NEVER cross a river without a wading stick of some sort and prefer
to cross with a buddy, holding each other when it is a serious current.
Boots: I totally prefer felt soled boots, but they are being banned in more and more places. In a
discussion with a Montana guide, who has one of the very latest, expensive rubber soled boots that
were supposed to be premium sticky, he said “Now I have to have a wading stick all the time. The
rubber soled boots just don’t hold like felt does.” I do not know what to recommend, other than adding
cleats, and I just wish I did not have to make that purchase decision for my Alaska trip this year, but I
do.
You do not need felt or any sticky soled boots in the surf. I wear boot foot rubber soled waders in the
surf.

SURF:
The surf is moving water, but totally different than a river. If you are even marginally aggressive, it is
not a matter of “if”; it is a matter of “when” you will be knocked down. So do your best to avoid a knock
down, but prepare yourself and you will laugh at yourself when it happens.
I have been knocked down to my knees several times and to my butt once or twice. I have slid off the
edge of a sand berm into a rip current and swam on my back for awhile to finally get to the side of the
channel and get stabilized again. But I never was worried because I had prepared. I have never lost my
hat or my gear. Yes, I am an aggressive surf fisherman, but I have seen more conservative club
members get knocked down too. In every case we have been safe because we had prepared in
advance.
Waders again, in the surf. Start with a belt of course, but also wear a jacket of some type over the
top, NOT tucked inside, so when a wave hits you, the water goes outside, not inside. A windbreaker or
other jacket cannot shed water if it is tucked in, yet I see that on the beach all the time. Many of us
wear kayak style jackets now, tightly fastened around the neck. And many wear a PFD – Personal
Flotation Device: You can buy different styles of these lightweight devices. Pull a lanyard in an
emergency and it inflates. You have to wear some type of lifejacket on the O’Neil Forebay and other
places, so might as well get a good PFD and wear it for surf fishing too.
If you are down and water is coming in, keep your head about you. Don’t panic and remember almost
nobody drowns. In fact the first story in this article represents the only person I have ever heard of who
actually drowned and it is possible he panicked and/or could not swim. You prepared yourself; you
know what to do, so pick yourself up calmly get out of there and go dry off.
Let’s go fishing: The rip currents represent the most likely place to catch any type fish in the surf,
because that current is pulling crabs, worms and lots of other fish food right through it. The fish hang
out there for chow, so I will not tell you to not go near them, but I will advise you not to actually get IN
one. Properly prepared for the surf, you will have a great time and only rarely have to quit early
because you got water inside your waders!
I’ll see you out there, with the other daughters and sons of the beaches.

Posted on May 28th, 2023