Here in the Eastern Sierra mountains of California, we’ve received a historic amount of snowfall, in some areas over 700 inches, around 60ft. Record Snowfall is why most people move here, for an endless winter of skiing and snowboarding. But what comes with that is endless shoveling and just plain surviving.
It has often felt normal to hear that another house exploded or a roof collapsed due to snow loads. Another regular aspect of life has been the closures of roads and highways, sometimes leaving us stuck with no way in or out. This has resulted in our winter fisheries being, at some points, completely inaccessible.
When they were accessible, it required a long walk in deep snow or a snowmobile ride to get there. For myself, it was hard to even think about going fishing mid-winter. Every free minute was dedicated to unburying the car or shoveling the driveway or roof.
It felt like it did not stop snowing for four months straight. When the sun finally came out (mid-April) and things were under control, I remember thinking, “it’s time to fish.â€
Being snowboarders, walking in on our split boards is the most logical thing. The best part about that is when your buddy is fishing a good hole, and you might as well hang out and make some turns. As the snow has started to melt and cars are thawing from snow banks, the window of fishing in our creeks and rivers has been disrupted due to the amount of water running through them.
Even though our regular fishing season has opened, many of those waters are still frozen, leaving us without many options. With a historic snowfall comes a historic melt. There is mutual excitement and fear of the unknown as the snow melts and the waterways begin to fill.
Very cool site !