troutchaser51
01-04-2011, 12:25 AM
I grew up in Bishop fishing literally every day from spring to fall. It was during a time when an 8 year old could jump on his bike with a tackle box in one hand and rod in the other and ride for miles until he came upon one of his many favorite holes. Twenty years of my life was spent stalking wild trout in the lakes, rivers, and streams that surround Bishop. We stayed away from the planters; mushy, whimpy DFG mutants. We left them for the weekenders....or as we called 'em, the flatlanders (no offense to those of you who are truly committed to the pursuit of wild trout).
Now, I grew up with a father who was, I dare say, one of the most notorious poachers in the region. He was commonly seen in the Inyo Register holding 10+ lb. Brown Trout taken from a myriad of locations....Crowley, Upper Twin, East Walker, Upper Owens, but mostly the Pleasant Valley Resevoir.
Now when I say poacher in fishing terms I mean night fishing with live bait. As a kid it was my job to catch the live bait. We would mosey on down to the inlet at PVR where I would fish for Chubs using an egg hook with a small piece of a worm on it. Once I filled the bucket we would hike back out and then drive over to the south rim of the resevoir where we would begin our descent down the rocky crags to find a small sand bar somewhere at the bottom. We would set up camp as the sun was going down and get nestled in for a long night of fishing....and we were rarely disappointed.
Fortunately for me, as I grew older, the appeal of fishing outside the limits of the law just didn't set well with me. I found it a greater challenge to find ways of enticing big fish through legal channels. But, regardless of one's fishing convictions, let me recommed a hike down the south slope....and let me suggest a muddler minnow or wooly bugger on 7 ft light lead using a shot filled clear bubble to get you down just above the rocks on the bottom with a slow, twitching retrieve......oh baby, how I miss hooking into a 5+ brown on a cold fall morning.
I'll have to tell y'all about the biggest trout I ever saw that is still lurking the depths of PVR after breaking off 25 lb. test after a monstrous leap out of the water leaving six very experienced big trout fishermen standing silently with their mouths agape knowing that nobody would ever believe them....and no, it's not just another fish story.
Best,
Troutchaser
Now, I grew up with a father who was, I dare say, one of the most notorious poachers in the region. He was commonly seen in the Inyo Register holding 10+ lb. Brown Trout taken from a myriad of locations....Crowley, Upper Twin, East Walker, Upper Owens, but mostly the Pleasant Valley Resevoir.
Now when I say poacher in fishing terms I mean night fishing with live bait. As a kid it was my job to catch the live bait. We would mosey on down to the inlet at PVR where I would fish for Chubs using an egg hook with a small piece of a worm on it. Once I filled the bucket we would hike back out and then drive over to the south rim of the resevoir where we would begin our descent down the rocky crags to find a small sand bar somewhere at the bottom. We would set up camp as the sun was going down and get nestled in for a long night of fishing....and we were rarely disappointed.
Fortunately for me, as I grew older, the appeal of fishing outside the limits of the law just didn't set well with me. I found it a greater challenge to find ways of enticing big fish through legal channels. But, regardless of one's fishing convictions, let me recommed a hike down the south slope....and let me suggest a muddler minnow or wooly bugger on 7 ft light lead using a shot filled clear bubble to get you down just above the rocks on the bottom with a slow, twitching retrieve......oh baby, how I miss hooking into a 5+ brown on a cold fall morning.
I'll have to tell y'all about the biggest trout I ever saw that is still lurking the depths of PVR after breaking off 25 lb. test after a monstrous leap out of the water leaving six very experienced big trout fishermen standing silently with their mouths agape knowing that nobody would ever believe them....and no, it's not just another fish story.
Best,
Troutchaser