Crowley Lake Fly Fishing Report Oct 1, 2009

Fall is here, cool mornings and warm calm afternoons. We had our first fall
storm this past week. It dropped down into the low 50's with very high winds.
The good news is that the cool temps and high winds have cleaned up some of
our algae problems. So, get ready for some great fall fishing this last month
of the season. We still have plenty of water, and plenty of weeds for the perch
fry to hide out. The water in McGee right against the weeds is about 7 to 8
feet deep, the perfect depth for the big browns and cutts to patrol the edges.
We have been starting out early right against the weeds, using a punk perch on
top, and a Red Baron blood midge as our bottom fly. Then around 9:00 am, or
when you see a few midges above your boat we have been switching that bottom
fly over to our Shaft, or Shaft Emerger. When this slows down, don't hesitate
to move out to some deeper water. We have been fishing anywhere from 10 to 13
feet of water. There are not as many fish out deep, but there are some nice 18
to 22 inch fish crusing around out there. Because of the weather, I have not
had time to check out the North Arm, but I did get a good report from the 6-Bays
area. Here the guys are fishing those deep drop offs, or the deep side of the
weed beds. Another place that looked pretty good was over by Sandy Pt. There
was a very nice weed edge which I'm sure is holding fish that are moving up
towards the Owens River.

Crowley Lake Trolling Report --- Oct 3, 2009
GAME ON TROLLERS. Our cold snap has gotten rid of most of the algae problem and the fish
are willing to play. There are several areas that have given up nice fish this week. North
end has been exceptional along with Mcgee Bay outside the midgers and weed line. Even
Crooked Creek has given up nice browns and one that I did not land. Guide trip Friday for
Felix Wilson of Downey was successful with at least 6 browns over 3#. We have been waiting
for this month for a long time, as October on Crowley is lots of fun. Don’t forget about
the deep channel towards the dam also as this area over the years has kicked out some big ones.
Lures to consider are the Tasmanian Devils in Funky Frog, Bloody Ripper, regular frog and
brown trout. I put a swivel and bead about a rod length away from the lure and this helps
keep any algae from getting on the lure. Rapalas are always on the menu for the fall fish.
Try sizes 9,11 and 13 in the floaters and troll them close to the bottom. Colors to try are
rainbow, brown, silver and black and the purpledescent. Arctic Fox trolling flies are another
fun way to fish the shallower areas in Mcgee Bay . Up close to the weed lines are the areas
to target. You can use a Carolina keeper about a rod length away from the Rapalas and trolling
flies if algae gets to be a problem. But the lake is pretty good right now.
Sorry about the gap in reporting from the lake, but this end of summer and early fall have
been tough to fish Crowley with an unusually long algae bloom. I have been fishing but up
in the alpine lakes with the clean water. It is nice to be back on the best fishery in our
area. Get on up here to experience it for yourself. Multiple fish over 3# are the norm this
time of the year. Remember to fish barbless flies and lures, release the browns and cutts,
18” minimum for keeping and bring some warm clothes as the weather can change rapidly.

Don Meier CPR Guideservice 760 784 1524 cprguideservice@hughes.net

Crowley Lake Perch Update --- Sept 24, 2009
The perch are suspended out in the deep water right now. The guys trolling
small Rapalas and small crank baits are getting a few. Most guys seem to be
picking up 10 to 20 each morning. When you are trolling for the perch, try
placing a small Carolina Keeper about 4 or 5 feet in front of your lure.
This will catch most of the algae and keep your lure clean a little bit longer.
When the perch are suspended like this, they move around quite a bit. When you
find a school, keep working the same area over and over. The best areas have
been over by Chalk Cliffs, all the way up to Alligator Pt.

Mickey Baron Crowley Lake Guide Service (760) 935-4301