"Fly Fishing Only" Waters in the Sierras?

[Bainter1212]

I fish with all methods, including fly fishing. The best revenge against an elitist fly fisherman is to sit there on the bank catching fish after fish with worms while he is ruining his shoulder casting over and over in his float tube 50 feet away from you.

"One Fish" Bainter

[hooks]

It's sad that some of the flyfishing guys have become so elitist as to treat other anglers as lesser humans......

My first run in with these types of guys was in the early '60s.....so they've been around for awhile!! Even earlier I'll bet!!

[Captain Compassion]

Hot Creek near Mammoth is barbless flys only.

CC

[iggybabble]

It's sad that some of the flyfishing guys have become so elitist as to treat other anglers as lesser humans......

[Marinpaul]

Thanks for all the great info everyone. Just what I needed!

[snff]

you can always take the treble hook off the lure and put on a single sidewash hook and pinch the barb, you actually loose less fish and get a better hook set when using those hooks on cleo's for steelhead

[RideNfish]

The regs posted on the sign by the parking area said "Barbless artificial only" and min of 18" to keep one but we were all C&R for two days anyway.

Paul and I thought they were wrong about only flies allowed but we just wanted to be sure. Got me a nice brown or two out of there though haha

Cheers,

[Owlman2]

Most restricted waters are barbless artificial lures but there is one section of the Truckee that is barbless flies only (Glenshire bridge to Prosser creek mouth).

I was just reading the regs....you are right. Apparently the Tule River (never fished it or even seen it) is barbless flies only also.

The way I read the regs...the clear float/barbless fly on a spinning rod would still be legal though.

I am sure some fly fishermen might disagree...but I don't see the point in the law distinguishing between a spoon/spinner/jig with a single barbless hook, and a fly with a single barbless hook. It could be argued that a fish might be likely to take the fly deeper than the other lures....

[Lone Angler]

Most restricted waters are barbless artificial lures but there is one section of the Truckee that is barbless flies only (Glenshire bridge to Prosser creek mouth).

[Owlman2]

We fished the East Walker river immediately downstream from the Bridgeport Dam this weekend. We used barbless spoons and spinners. Two different fly fisherman told us the river was "fly fishing only", but the regulations say "Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used." So I am pretty sure they were just misinformed. Out of curiosity, I reviewed the special regulations for the Sierra District and couldn't find any regulations for any waters mandating fly fishing only. Please let me know if you are aware of any info to the contrary. Thanks!

Yeah, I fish occasionally at Prosser Creek. The actual "law" is artificial/barbless lures only...and you are allowed to keep two fish...above 14" only I believe.

HOWEVER...the fly fishermen who fish there consider it fly-fishing only...and catch and release only. Show up completely legal with a spinning rod and you are likely to get some dirty looks at the very least.... God help you if you keep a fish.

I don't think there are any actual "fly fishing only" waters in the Sierras...at least not public water. The fly fishermen sort of concoct that I think. I would be in favor of F&G further restricting it to single barbless hooks with catch and release only....but IMHO truly making it "fly fishing only" would be pointlessly exclusionary and sort of elitist.

Sometimes I "fly fish" with a clear bubble and a fly(barbless) on my spinning rod. The fly fishermen look at me like I am the pure distillation of evil...hahahah.