Tuolumne River - mostly non-yak

Sharky,
 
Thanks for the info.  I'm not real thrilled at the prospect of mama bear and baby bear though... 
 
What's a mozzie?
 

Skeeters

Skeeters

Yech...I think I like the mama bear and baby bear better...   

Great report Thwack! We just got back today from fishing the same area. Arrived there on the 6th and was camped off 120 just past Buck Meadows. We only fished the south fork of the Tuolumne River. Caught quite a few 10"-12". Not real big in size but fun to catch. Went into Yosemite and to Tuolumne Meadows yesterday. Decided to leave when the rain and thunder kicked in high gear . We had a great time as well

Ben

Ben,
 
Thanks for the info. How well was the South Fork flowing when you were there?  I might get a chance next weekend to head up that way and was wondering if the heat we've been having has dried it up or if it's still flowing well.  Sounds like it's still very fishable.
 
Did you get any fishing time in Tuolumne meadows?  I've seen pics of that area but haven't had a chance to try it yet.
 
We may have company all weekend though so my chances of hitting the streams is low...best bet is probably a little time on Pine Mountain Lake late in the day....if so, I'll bring my 3 wt rod and give the bluegill a fighting chance. 

How well was the South Fork flowing when you were there?  I might get a chance next weekend to head up that way and was wondering if the heat we've been having has dried it up or if it's still flowing well.  Sounds like it's still very fishable.
 
Did you get any fishing time in Tuolumne meadows? 

The South Fork was flowing well with plenty of water. Temps were in the high 90s to low 100s just about the whole time we were there. All the rivers that I saw were flowing well. I didn't get a chance to fish Tuolumne Meadows. When we arrived we were checking things out when we heard a distant long rolling thunder. The thunder was getting closer and heavy rain began to fall, all within about 15 minutes of our arrival. Decided to pass on the fishing . I heard from another person fishing the South Fork that the DFG planted the streams last Wednesday. Good luck if you get a chance to head back.

Ben

Thanks for the info.  Looks like I have a decent shot at being out that way this weekend.  A buddy is renting a place at Pine Mountain Lake so if I can get out there, I'll show him around the lake a bit (if he hasn't already figured out more than the tiny bit I know...he's been there several days now).

I don't know if I can sneak away to the South Fork but I'd love more time around Carlon Day Use area to see if I can connect with a species I haven't yet caught on the fly (pretty much any trout that's not a rainbow). 

hey, Thwack-
very much enjoyed your report.    I have fly fished the Tuolomne while backpacking in from the meadow section and also the Dana Fork.  Lots of bears there, and even lost all my food supply there due to poorly hung bag.   Good thing the bears didnt have a taste for single malt scotch.  Great fishing, beautiful area.   

 Is the area you are talking about closer to the bay area, and accessible for a one day trip?   If you ever need a partner for a weekend, 1 day fly fishing trip, give me a shout.

Lawrence

Great report and replys here.  I just returned from bear lake this last weekend where I landed my first fly rod trout using a wooly bugger on a 5 weight beginner setup.  The hike in and out weren't so bad but all the weight I had to carry put a hurtin on an old knee injury i've had. 

The replys here are very informational and for this I'm thankful as I was thinking about guiding some friends up to the lakes in the emigrant wilderness near cherry lake.  Bears are a real pain sometimes. 

Has anyone fly fished cherry lake here?  From a kayak? 

JTF..

hey, Thwack-
very much enjoyed your report.    I have fly fished the Tuolomne while backpacking in from the meadow section and also the Dana Fork.  Lots of bears there, and even lost all my food supply there due to poorly hung bag.   Good thing the bears didnt have a taste for single malt scotch.  Great fishing, beautiful area.   

 Is the area you are talking about closer to the bay area, and accessible for a one day trip?   If you ever need a partner for a weekend, 1 day fly fishing trip, give me a shout.

The area I hit is right off Hwy 120 a little outside of Yosemite. If you hike up the trail towards the falls, you end up inside Yosemite (but nobody's there collecting an entry fee).
 
Yah, it can be done as a day trip.  Some of the folks that joined us that day did it as a day trip.  Maybe 3 hours of driving each way though depending on where in the Bay Area you start.  I don't mind getting back late, but I'm not a morning person so getting up while it's still dark so I can drive three hours and try to get on the water at daybreak doesn't work well for me....that's prime sleeping time. 
 
Glad the bears only got your food and not the important stuff. 
 
If I can ever get a weekend trip planned ahead of time, I'll holler.  I tend to end up with time at the last minute or (like this weekend) have to slip away during family time so it's iffy when I can get away.  Makes planning a pain (which may be why I don't have a regular fishing partner).

Great report and replys here.  I just returned from bear lake this last weekend where I landed my first fly rod trout using a wooly bugger on a 5 weight beginner setup.  The hike in and out weren't so bad but all the weight I had to carry put a hurtin on an old knee injury i've had. 

The replys here are very informational and for this I'm thankful as I was thinking about guiding some friends up to the lakes in the emigrant wilderness near cherry lake.  Bears are a real pain sometimes. 

Has anyone fly fished cherry lake here?  From a kayak? 

Gratz on the first fish on a fly!  Took me a while to get a fish to take a woolly bugger. I had much better luck on pretty much anything else back then. 
 
They're supposed to be great flies but they weren't cutting it for me until the last year or so (after a guide showed me a couple tricks).
 
I haven't fished Cherry yet and it looked like a lot of area to cover (without any obvious spots like weedlines to help figure out where to start).

There's a stream above it that would probably be good around spawning time but I think it's about three miles from the launch ramp to the stream...
 
Where's your next fly trip?

yup - tough getting up at 0'dark thirty to drive 3 hours and arrive at sun up.    But a 3 hour drive allows you to get up at a reasonable time, put in an honest day's fishing, and get back that night.     

Given family schedules, its much easier for me to pull off a 1 day trip than a full weekend.   

Give a shout some time, and if our schedules are both open, we can make a trip.

I'm not really sure, i'm still trying to figure out spots close to home to use the fly rod at.  Maybe chabot.  You ever tried lake chabot before?? 

JTF - I haven't tried Chabot yet.  Mostly Stevens Creek, Calero, sometimes lucky enough to get out to Loch Lomond.
 
When I can, I get out on Pine Mountain Lake (along Hwy 120 outside of Yosemite) and stuff around that area.
 
I also get out on Fall River a couple times a year usually.  I managed to fish Kistler Ranch once (so far)...nice private water for chasing bass.

Out your way, I think is where the Diablo Valley Fly Fisherman meets.  More info can be found on their site:
 
http://www.diablovalleyflyfish.org/
 
They have some great trips lined up (and often have the same speakers you'll find at the fly fishing club in San Jose).
 
 Quarry Lakes and some stuff around there is probably about mid-way between us.  Maybe we can collect the fly flinging yak'rs from around here out that way and see what kind of mess we can make. 

yup - tough getting up at 0'dark thirty to drive 3 hours and arrive at sun up.    But a 3 hour drive allows you to get up at a reasonable time, put in an honest day's fishing, and get back that night.     

Given family schedules, its much easier for me to pull off a 1 day trip than a full weekend.   

Give a shout some time, and if our schedules are both open, we can make a trip.

I usually cheat and don't drive 3 hours to that area in the wee hours of the morning.  Instead, I hang out near Groveland and only have to drive a tiny bit in the morning.
 
We should be able to make something work.  Weekends are usually best for me though if work gets much more irritating, I could easily be talked into a mid-week trip...