Frozen lakes, closed roads and swift-moving water failed to deter die-hard fishermen out along the Eastern Sierra for the opening day of trout season Saturday. Many were out before sunrise to stake a out a spot of snowy shoreline during the highly anticipated event.
Record snowfall left many areas inaccessible to anglers as roads to popular fishing spots were closed and most lakes were still frozen over. Fishermen braved a walk out on a thawing but still frozen Crowley Lake, augering holes through foot-thick ice to drop a line into the water. Intake 2 near Aspendell saw anglers crowding a snow-covered shoreline to cast.
Down at lower elevations, anglers around the Owens Valley dealt with fast-moving water and unusually crowded spots to cast a line. Bill Sear of Seal Beach and Bishop pulled a trout out of the chilly North Fork of Bishop Creek Canal just after sunrise, proclaiming, “I’m killing it. You have to know where the best spots are, and I know them.”
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