FISH BITING, BUT HOOKS ARE FEW ON LAST DAY END OF SEASON IN EASTERN SIERRA FINDS PLENTY OF OPEN WATER, SPARSE FISHERMEN.

Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News

MAMMOTH LAKES - It started with fireworks and ended with hardly a whimper. Monday, the last day of fishing season in the Eastern Sierra, was quiet. A few locals fished - out-of-towners presumably were on the ski slopes, taking advantage of early season storms that dumped 4 to 6 feet of snow at Mammoth Mountain.

Tackle shops were nearly as deserted as the local waters.

The Trout Fly in Mammoth was devoid of customers. Seven months ago it had opened before dawn to accommodate hordes of anglers buying licenses and gear for opening day, better known locally as ``Fishmas.''

At Rick's Sport Center, guide Pat Moses said business was slow in the shop, although fishing had been good, with larger spawning fish moving up out of the lakes. One customer was stocking up on night crawlers. He wouldn't have too many places to fish because much of the open water was lure or fly fishing only at this time of year. Mammoth Lakes were covered with a thin sheet of ice, but not enough for ice fishing, a chancy affair if you aren't experienced at gauging the thickness of the ice.

The lakes on the June Lake loop were open and clear of ice, as was Crowley Lake, which was also clear of boats and float tubers.

At Hot Creek, a few local anglers were enjoying fishing in the Gorge section. In April, the banks were lined with fisherman, today the creek gurgled and the sun glinted off the snow-capped Glass Mountains as the two enjoyed what amounted to a private stream.

A few tiny baetis mayflies appeared on the water at midday and trout grabbed them as they floated by. A careful presentation and the trout grabbed a tiny imitation, but fortunately they still didn't know the difference between the real thing and fur and feathers. Or, perhaps, the fish were eager to feed before the long winter set in.

John Hidy was fishing at Hot Creek. He works in the summer building trails for the Forest Service, so this was his time to fish.

``This is one of the days you live for,'' Hidy said. He said it was perfect for the ``Sierra Triple Header'' - skiing, fishing and mountain biking all in the same day.

``You don't get bored around here,'' he said.

At Convict Lake Marina, supervisor Barry Hamilton was removing anchors and seats from rental boats and getting ready to pull them out of the water.

Only employees had fished that day, Hamilton said. Fishing had been spotty the last week, but some shore anglers had landed 5-pound Alpers rainbow trout.

With the season close, hard-core trout anglers now have sections of the Lower Owens River and the Nevada stretch of the East Walker River that are open all year for Sierra fishing, otherwise, see you April 28, 2005.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Barry Hamilton is emptying rental boats of anchors and seats at Convict Lake Marina as the Eastern Sierra fishing season ends.

(2) Fly fisherman John Hidy of Mammoth Lakes has a private stream on the last day of the season.

Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News