Little Virginia Lake/Eastern Sierras

My daughter Ally, her dog Hero and I went up to Virginia Lakes to test out a bunch of those soft hackles I have been working on...we were there from noon on Friday and left Sunday morning...It is located above Bridgeport, CA at 9700'... I have included some other patterns that worked:


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Tubers to the left...I like to fish from a boat because it provides a high platform to spot cruisers...

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Workin' the soft hackles...

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The standard PT and Partridge and Peacock and Partridge...these work almost all the time in Little Virginia...#12 for Peacock and #16 for PT were the ticket on this trip...

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I took the largest fish on this cone head bugger (4lbs.) fished off an intermediate line on Friday afternoon...stripped on 6" pulls, fast...

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KG's Spring Creek Scud...Thanks Kelly !!!...

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Purple Peacock and Partridge...

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Quicksilver Soft Hackle #16...

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Leftover Klink...these were a surprise for me. I tied these up several years ago and have used them in a number of rivers where they have provided some success...they absolutely killed on Little Virginia in Brown, Black and Olive #14-#16.

On another note,this is Bridgeport Res. which feeds the East Walker River, one of the finest tailwater fisheries in the Eastern Sierras...

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Not good...My friend, Jim Reid, who runs Ken's Sporting Goods in Bridgeport, informed me on Sat. that the entire East Walker River fishery is in danger of being lost if we do not experience a very snowy Winter this year...

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This is the first pool on the EWR which has provided some of the largest Brown Trout ever caught in this river. It is currently devoid of Trout due to warm water and algae...The fishing on Little Virginia Lake...STUPENDOUS!


PT/TB

Thanks for this fine report. It's been a few years since I've been to Virginia lakes. We used to camp at Trumbull and fish it and both Little and Big Virginia as well as the higher lakes in the Hoover wilderness. My favorite fly there is the green and olive matuka.
My first float tube experience in the sierras was in a belly boat in little Virginia. We have rented boats there and had fun. I've caught Alpers, rainbow, browns and brookies in and around there, then a short hike into the wilderness has brought goldens to hand. Great place. Now I gotta go there again. Jim

PT

Thanks for the report. Always a fun lake to fish. Headed up there for a day next month.

Beaver

Jim,

This is the Trout board the Carolyn and John Webb have up in the cafe.


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The Alpers days are over unless Tim Alpers can get water and start his operation up again...those were some huge fish ! I was hoping to get over to Trumbull and drop some of these into the water, over on the far side, where the scree and talus dump into the lake...

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...but there was just not enough time, this trip...


PT/TB ;)

PT,
Mike and I are going up next week Wednesday and Thursday. I told him about your report and he wants to go there. We've been going as far as Lee Vining creek the last three trips and it's only a few more miles to the Virginias. Our plan is to go to Little Virginia Thursday morning and fish it until we are too tired to strip line.. Thanks for the nudge. Jim