Trout Opener Heats Up

Beneath a spectacular blue sky and with towering snow-covered peaks as a backdrop, more than 10,000 fishermen celebrated the beginning of another trout-fishing season Saturday with only one real concern: sunburn.

It was one of the warmest openers in years, with virtually no wind from Bishop to Bridgeport and late-morning temperatures creeping into the high 60s. For many, it was one of the hottest openers in another regard. At Crowley Lake, most of the 7,000 or so bagged their five-fish limits by about noon, if not much earlier, and included in the catch of predominantly 1- to 3-pound rainbow trout were an unusually high number of brown trout.

Craig Hewitt of San Bernardino trolled a Rapala to entice one of the largest browns caught at Crowley on opening day in years: a 7.6-pound specimen that was almost lost at the net.

As of late afternoon it held as the second-largest trout caught throughout the Eastern Sierra. Bragging rights belonged to Todd Olson of Montrose after he reeled in an 8.6-pound brown that attacked a Kastmaster soaked in Crave gravy.

Elsewhere, fishing was fair to good, with June Lake and Convict Lake among the most productive waters.

Fishing was surprisingly slow in a few traditional spots, notably at Upper Twin near Bridgeport and Gull Lake on the June Loop.

The season runs through October in Inyo County and through Nov. 15 in Mono County.