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Coming Soon!!! April 15, 2024
Upper Kern River
Upper Kern River 20 Mile Section: Despite yet another snowstorm dropping water temps from 50° to 43° and making fishing challenging on Saturday, by Sunday conditions were returning to normal and fish were eating nymphs aggressively again. The cooler water definitely slowed the hatch and the fish rising to adults, but that should return with this week's fantastic weather forecast and warming water through Friday. Flows at 300cfs in section 5 gives easy access to almost all water and opens up more opportunities for Euro Nymphing and dry-dropper techniques.
Kern Hatches:
Midges: Midges have been hatching daily around 12-2pm and are often overlooked by fish when larger offerings are available. Not so, last week. Stomach samples showed an abnormally large percentage of midge larvae and pupa present with samples taken during the late afternoon March Brown hatch.
Blue Wing Olive Mayfly: Baetis are hatching between 1pm and 2pm, but trout have not been keying in on the adults. A few fish are rising in this period but most fish continue to eat nymphs subsurface.
March Brown Mayfly: Prior to the snowstorm, hatches were very prolific and it was difficult to get fish to eat anything from 2:30-4pm for a couple days. There were such massive numbers of naturals available that it was almost impossible for a fish to choose our imitations over the real thing. It was even hard to fool them with the nymphs and emergers that were so successful earlier in the week.
Little Yellow Sally Stonefly: Yellow Sallies made a surprisingly early appearance with the great weather prior to the storm. Look for more to hatch this week as temps rise! Prospecting with a Yellow Stimi will get some attention on warmer afternoons.
Black Stonefly/Salmonfly: Several fish per day were smashing our Red Fuzzy Wuzzies on the warm, sunny days, as the fish are getting "conditioned" to seeing the occasional adult Salmonfly!! Dry-dropper season has arrived!
Upper Kern River Flies:
Dry Flies: Salmonfly #6, H & L Variant #12, Snowshoe Yellow Sally #14, Parachute Adams #12-16, March Brown Dun #12, March Brown Cripple #12, Sparkle Adams #12-16, Irresistible #12, Purple Adams #12-18, Cicadacator #10, Fuzzy Wuzzy Red #6, Rubberleg Stimulator Yellow and Orange #10-16
Nymphs: BH Sparkle Prince Black #14, BH Sparkle Prince Yellow #14, Peacock Frenchie #14, BH PT Flashback #16, Brush Hog #12, Olive Zebra Midge 16-20, Black Zebra Midge #16-20, Nymphead Evolution Stonefly Black #6-10, Rubber Leg Game Changer Black #6, Tungsten Yellow Sally Nymph #12-16, Pheasant Tail Nymph #12-16, March Brown Soft Hackle #12, Soft Hackle Tungsten P.T. #12-16
Streamers: Micro Gamechangers White, Black and Tan
Guide Tips: Be Prepared: Bring an extra set of clothes and a towel in the car on all fishing trips. One small slip can send unwanted amounts of cold water inside your waders, potentially ruining your day. Needing to drive to town or worse yet home, in drenched clothing is less than desirable and easily avoidable with a little preparation. Heck, you may even be able dry the inside of the waders and get back after the fish again!!
Upper Kern River - High Flows
Lower Kern River -
Flows outside the canyon @ Rancheria Road: Flows below Lake Isabella: 874cfs
The Lower Kern flows have considerably decreased. The river is fishable from Lake Isabella dam road to Oildale. Water temps are 51-56 degrees here. Typically we like the temps to be above 50 for bass fishing in the Lower Kern. It's time to fish for bass!
Lower Kern Flows outside the Kern Canyon
Lower Owens River
It seems that our days are numbered here as flows bumped up to 175cfs last week. This limits our access and ability to cross the river. Fishing remains very good from late morning through late afternoon with steady bites for clients on the bobber and Euro Nymphing. A light midge hatch around 10am gets some fish eating subsurface, but not much topwater activity. The same goes for the afternoon Blue Wing hatch, good nymphing but minimal rising fish. I expect the caddis to emerge in large numbers with the warm weather later in the week.
Lower Owens Flies:
Nymphs: Nymphs: Peacock Frenchie #14-18, Zebra Midge Olive #16-20, Slim Shiny Perdigons #14-18, Bucky Caddis Olive and Tan #16, Tungsten Jig Quill Body Baetis #14, Tungsten Jig TNT Baetis #14-18, PT Red Tie #16, Hot n Heavy Perdigon #14-1
Dries: Elk Hair Caddis Black and Peacock #14-18, Elk Hair Skaddis #14-18, Rubberleg Stimulator Yellow #12-16, Para Adams#14-18, Last Chance Cripple BWO, Griffiths Gnat #16
Southern Sierra Weather 2023
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Beginner Clinic # 1 - April 20 - Kernville
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Lost & Found:
Guy Jeans Podcast - Please subscribe to our Youtube Channel!
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Episode # 107 - FBurrito Brothers with Chris James # 107
Guy Jeans 4/8/23
The original band was formed in 1968 in Los Angeles as The Flying Burrito Brothers. Its classic lineup featured country rock pioneer, the late Gram Parsons, and former founding Byrds members bassist Chris Hillman and drummer Michael Clarke, along with eventual original Eagles member Bernie Leadon on lead guitar and pedal steel guitar genius Sneaky Pete Kleinow.
The band’s first two albums, The Gilded Palace of Sin (which Rolling Stone listed at number 192 on its list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time) and Burrito Deluxe, remain highly influential, acclaimed works which helped put country-rock on the map.
Because Parsons and Keith Richards were good friends, Burrito Deluxe contains the first issued version of the Mick Jagger/Keith Richards-written song "Wild Horses," released almost a year before the The Rolling Stones own take on it appeared on Sticky Fingers.
These days, the band, who formed the current incarnation of the Burritos in 2009, and are now based in Nashville, features Chris P. James on keys and lead vocals, guitarist Steve Allen, Tony Paoletta on pedal steel and drummer Peter Young…all extremely talented musicians who love being involved with the band’s legacy and creating new music to keep that legacy alive.
Chris, Tony, and Pete have played together since the 1990 starting together in the band Mr. Hyde. They know each other's musical moves every which way possible. This band is tuned in, turned on, upbeat and loaded with great songwriting and musicianship. These guys are truly “brothers.”
Steve Allen has got the guitar thing going strong with benders and 12-strings and telecasters and acoustics He also plays. A mean bass.
“Smiling” Tony Paoletta is a truly gifted pedal steel player. He’s fully versed in the Sneaky Pete oeuvre. And, essentially, every other steel player who came before him. Tony brings unlimited creativity to the table. His admirers are legion.
Peter Young is a consummate drummer. The familiarity these fellows have with each other’s musicianship is near-perfect. Everything’s fine cuz Pete’s holdin’ down the time. Been doing it a long, long while. In various combinations, these guys have recorded more sessions together than you could count. Pete sings a real nice harmony too.
And Chris P. James is their front man. He plays keyboards and guitar and harmonica. Writes songs too. He wound up with the Burrito Brothers in 2009. He was offered a record deal to make a new album in 2010 by the group that would trademark and continue as The Burrito Brothers. Or he could decline. What kind of choice is that? Of course, The Burrito Brothers are alive! And that is definitely a good, good thing.
They continue to carry the torch via the Together release, which features superb musicianship, tight ensemble playing, beautiful harmonies and excellent songwriting.
The album features 10 new, tracks that continue in the Burrito’s longstanding musical tradition while forging ahead in the present and towards the future.
Track Listing:
1.Ms Misery / 2. Mr. Customs Man / 3. Together / 4. I Find Love / 5. Let Go / 6. Blood On His Hands / 7. Boiling Point / 8. Streets Of Santa Rosa /
9. I Live For Loving You / 10. History Suite
Will James from Gram Parsons International says, ““This latest incarnation is the closest to the original FBB sound of all of the previous bands.”
Gram Parsons said it best…The idea'll keep going on. It's not like it's dead or anything. Whether I do it or anybody else does it, it's got to keep going."
Please use the following links below to access all things The Burrito Brothers including photos, bio, and a discography.
The Burrito Brothers website: www.TheBurritoBrothers.net
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Kern River Fishing Report by guides, Rob Buhler , Dan Ocampo, Ryan Buhler and Guy Jeans