Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a central San Joaquin Valley native and local fishing expert.

BEST BETS

New Melones rainbows on the prowl, Melanie Lewis reported. San Luis stripers ramp up bite, Merritt Gilbert said. Eastman Lake bass on improved bite, Ranger Adela Lint reported. Kaweah bass hitting, Sierra Sporting Goods reported. McClure trout action excellent, Bill Holbrook said.

FLYFISHING REPORT

The general stream closure on Nov. 15 and the onset of cold weather in general have most people hanging up their fly rods until spring. Plenty of fly fishing still can be had at this time of the year. The lower Kings river will see flows of at least 250 cubic feet per second over the next couple months. Blue-winged olive (BWO Nos. 18-22) Mayflies will be hatching mid-day to early afternoon. The Merced river also is experiencing the BWO hatch. Cloudy days often offer the best hatches. Don't forget the third annual BBQ/Fundraiser - funds sought for added warden patrols – on Saturday at the Thornburg access park on Highway 180 and Rio Vista Road. Sierraflyfisher Guide Service (559) 683-7664. Yosemite Rivers Fly Shop (559) 641-7788.

ROGER'S REMARKS

I had a Visalia angler send in a story about his first striper trip to San Luis that became an inspection nightmare. Anglers can learn from the following:

Brandon Turner took his boat to the big lake this weekend. He was confident his boat was dry and could pass the Quagga Mussel inspection. Everything looked good until the inspector asked Brandon to remove the bilge drain plug and water gushed out. Brandon noticed the inspector's gasp, saying he looked as if he had just dumped some terrible toxic waste."

Since he always takes the plug out after each trip to remove any incidental water, he was confused. He realized it must have come from a cooler full of ice from the previous trip that had melted after he had replaced the plug, trapping the liquid in his bilge. Asking the ranger what he could do, the ranger flatly told him rules require them to have the boat quarantined for at least 5 days. The ranger told him he couldn't use the boat for the specified period and proceeded to put a red quarantine band on the boat.

Brandon said he finally gave up trying to plead his case, but after calling his buddies fishing the Forebay, he made a huge mistake when he decided he would just cut the red tag off and go through the inspection station at the Forebay after cleaning up any excess water. He said he sailed through the lower lake inspection and took off for several hours of fishing. Catching nothing, he headed back to the dock, where he found five rangers and a boat crew preparing to apprehend him and his quarantined boat.

As a first-time angler to the lake, Brandon said when the rangers closed in he realized "this mussel issue must be more serious than I know!" He was given a citation for not obeying an officer and a misdemeanor citation for breaking a quarantine period. He said his boat is in a 7-day quarantine, and he is going to court on the charges. It may be a pretty hefty fine.

Brandon said he looked up what a Quagga Mussel is when he got home, admitted it's a pretty serious issue and requested his story be published to serve as a cautionary tale to other anglers who might be unaware.

I've heard Millerton is close to getting funding that would enable inspections to be held there as well. It might get interesting in the first year or two of enforcement as recreational traffic gets subjected to these regulations. The lines could be very long and slow, and it might be necessary to get inspected before the weekend so you have a green tag that allows immediate access.