Lower Kings River

Visit To The Lower Kings River

Lower Kings River Riffle

The Lower Kings River is a tailwater that flows below Pine Flat Reservoir. The river is divided into two sections, a put-and-take fishery that is open during trout season (Last Saturday in April to November 15th) from the Pine Flat Dam to Pine Flat Road Bridge and a catch-and-release fishery from Alta Weir to HWY 180 that is open all year.

Water is an important resource in the Central Valley that is primarily managed for agricultural purposes. In the winter the Lower Kings is lowered to a minimal 100 CFS in efforts to save water. The flows are gradually raised during the spring and summer and can reach over 5,000+ CFS.

The trout that occupy the catch-and-release section are hatchery “brooders” that are planted by the CDFW. With the help of the Lower Kings Fisheries Management Program this planting program continues to provide an opportunity for anglers to catch and release trophy size trout. These fish are hefty Kamloops that often exceed 18”. During my visit with relatives in Fresno, I managed to sneak out and explore the Lower Kings.

Avocado Lake

Avocado Lake Park is one of the few access points to the Lower Kings. After paying an entrance fee of $5 at the kiosk, I drove around the park and settled for a turnoff right along the river. The river looked like it was in good shape. The water was a bit tinted and low but fishy enough to try my luck.

Before putting my line in the water I picked up a few rocks and checked out the bug life. There were a surprising good amount of bugs living in the river with BWOs and green caddis larvae being the most abundant. This river is heavily patrolled by DFG so make sure you pinch down the barbs of your artificial flies and lures.

Inserted Habitat Boulders

The boulders in this section looked like they were put in to help create fish habitat. I thought this was pretty neat and definitely a good step towards rebuilding a wild trout fishery.

There wasn’t a whole lot of good water here but I managed to catch a small and possibly rare wild rainbow. Recent studies show that there are very few wild rainbow trout in the Lower Kings River. This was a good start to the morning.

First Fish of the Day

I hiked around a bit and found a nice riffle and pool where I caught my next few fish. These were the big boys that I had heard so much about. They were stacked in this pool and ridiculously easy to catch. Most of them were pretty beat up and didn’t fight very hard. After catching a few fish in a barrel I hiked further and discovered Alta/Cobble Weir.

First Lower King’s Trophy
Alta Weir

After nymphing most of the day I decided to switch it up and swing a bugger below Alta Weir. The riffles in this section were running low so I covered it quickly. I wasn’t able to generate any interest so I hiked back to the pool.

I caught a few more nice fish and then called it quits.

Kype Male

The Lower Kings is a decent fishery that is a great place to visit if you are looking to get out of Fresno or just learning how to fly fish. The big brooders are not very good fighters despite being Kamloops but they are trophy size and easy to catch. Hopefully with the help of CDFW and the Lower Kings Fisheries Management Program the Lower Kings will one day return to its former glory as a blue ribbon wild trout fishery within Central California.

 
Fly Tying

Fly Tying: Unreal Egg

The Unreal Egg is a fly pattern that is a popular go-to when salmonoids are spawning. This egg pattern does an excellent job at imitating the eggs of different species of salmon and trout. Although the use of egg yarn to hide a bead on a hook is nothing new, this egg pattern simplifies the illusion with very few materials.

Unreal Egg

Materials List:
Tiemco – 2457 – size 14
UNI-Thread – 6/0 – Red
Spirit River Hi-Lite Glass Bead – Red – Small
Cascade Egg Yarn – Baby Pink or McFly Foam –  Pink

Fly Tying Instructions

Step 1 – Begin by threading the glass bead onto the hook.

Step 2 – Start your thread behind the eye of the hook. Secure the bead to the middle of the hook by wrapping the thread behind the bead and back to the front several times.

Step 3 – Cut out a little bit more than enough egg yarn to wrap around the bead. Place the yarn so that it surrounds the hook and then secure it behind the eye of the hook. Try not to secure with too many wraps. You want this a bit loose to shape the egg later.

Step 4 – Pull the yarn inside out and towards the bend of the hook. Shape the yarn and make sure it covers the entire bead without any gaps.

Step 5 – Wrap the yarn twice to form your egg. Push both the front and the end of the fly towards the bead to get the spherical egg shape.

Step 6 – Once you are satisfied with the shape of the egg, you can secure the end with a few more wraps and then whip finish.

Jim Pettis is a California fly fishing guide that originated the Unreal Egg.

The Cascade egg yarn is unavailable in most fly shops therefore you will have to order it online from Cascade Crest Tools. I personally prefer the Cascade egg yarn because it is easier to work with and the veil effect looks better whereas it is more transparent than McFly Foam.

The Unreal Egg pattern is my favorite egg pattern to use during the egg bite. Dead-drifting this egg pattern around spawning salmon is perhaps the most an effective way to fish the Unreal Egg however, it is much more fun to swing this egg pattern below them. By swinging a long ten to twelve feet leader, a BB splitshot, and an Unreal Egg with a nymph dropper, you can get some of the best grabs from steelhead, resident rainbow trout, and other egg eating species.

This egg pattern is simple to tie and outfishes the glo bug. Add it to your arsenal of egg imitations and don’t be afraid to give it a swing.

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