Fall Fishing

Fall is my favorite season in the Eastern Sierra. Post Labor Day, the crowds disappear, the weather is a bit more unpredictable, and aspen tree attire becomes much more flamboyant. Fall is also my favorite fishing season. Creeks that rush in Spring suddenly tame into calmer collections of defined pools (of hungry trout!) The natural food supply is leaner during Autumn months too; so worms, salmon eggs, crickets, and artificial flies at the end of a leader line are quite tempting to browns, brookies, rainbows, and the Eastern Sierra's own Alpers trout.

Yes, Autumn is always too short on my calendar. With two Fall fishing trips under my belt this year, I'm hoping for the 'hat-trick' before Winter arrives.... ;)

California Seagull and Mono Lake

This California Seagull was photographed in Lee Vining, CA. He isn't far from his probable birthplace, Mono Lake. About 85% of California Gulls come from the rookeries located on the islands of Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierra. My first (childhood) glimpse of the lake was in 1964 from Conway Summit to the north. Even as a nine-year-old, I was in awe of the beauty of the area, desolate and lunar-esque. Though still very large in the 1960's, the lake had already begun to shrink due to the diversion of water (via the Los Angeles Aqueduct) from feeder streams. Many years later after the completion of the second LA Aqueduct (adding transport capacity) the lake's water level dropped so low that the islands became peninsulas and coyotes were able to access seagull nests. Through the efforts of the Save Mono Lake movement (in the 1970's), DWP allocates water to the lake so Negit and Paoho are islands again and seagull rookeries are safe from coyotes. The lake also serves a wide variety of migratory birds.

As a side note, the water issues of the Eastern Sierra were dramatized in the 1974 movie, Chinatown, with Jack Nicholson. The movie was based on William Mulholland's attempt to gain control of water rights in the Owens Valley and the resulting construction of the original LA Aqueduct. Cadillac Desert is a documentary fim, portions of which chronicle the fight over water in the Eastern Sierra.

More info:
http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp004409.jsp
http://wsoweb.ladwp.com/Aqueduct/historyoflaa/

Double Nickels

Saturday was my birthday and the Paiute Palace in Bishop paid me to play;) They loaded my player's card with gift money equivalent to my age. (THAT much? Really?) So luckily, after a week of storms, the sky rested and we were able to drive Highway 395 to Bishop. Driving time was 10 hours roundtrip for 4 hours of casino time (yes, we're nuts!), but it was my birthday;) Besides, snow was abundant even at very low elevations, and traffic was minimal, so our mini roadtrip was perfect. Since I forgot my real camera, I used my camera phone at the Division Creek Reststop north of Independence to record a memory. Pretty scene with potty relief....a wonderful, and necessary, combo!

Bishop, CA

Bishop, California at Christmastime. The tree lighting ceremony, festival of lights, and parade were great fun this year! With a population of about 3500, Bishop is the largest town in the Owens Valley. Main street is Highway 395, but Bishop is also the western end of Highway 6. Start driving east and 3205 miles later you'll arrive in Provincetown, MA:)