Warm weather continues to dominate late Fall in the Eastern Sierra. We’re on a storm track for some weather. We are in need of a snow pack to fill the streams and reservoirs for next summer. Hatches of mayflies and caddis are feeding the trout with both dries and nymphs producing wild trout. Non typical flowing fly fishing waters like Bishop Creek, Pine Creek, and Rock Creek are getting little to no fishing pressure. With the change in the regulations opening up most moving waters to catch and release barbless lures or flies there are lots of waters with trout just waiting to take a fly. As always be sure to consult with California Fish and Wildlife regulations for the water you plan on fly fishing. https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations.
Bishop Creek Canal is one of the waters that is open to year round fishing with catch and release fishing from November 16 to through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April.
Lower Owens River:
Wild Trout Section:
Low flows are allowing fly fishers to access the entire river from Pleasant Valley Dam to Five Bridges Road. Hatches of mayflies and caddis are keeping the trout active from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. each day. After 2:00 P.M. fishing gets tough, but fly fishers wanting to fly fish tell the day light is gone are landing a few fish nymphing in the late afternoon. Exploring the water at the gate your fishing will allow the fly fisher to determine where the trout are nymphing and where they are taking the emerging blue wing olive mayflies and caddis. For dries I’m using size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, sparkle duns, compara duns, elk hair caddis, and X-caddis. Nymphing I’m using size 18 olive quilldigons, size 20 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, and in sizes 18 and 20 tiger midges, and zebra midges.
Mike Neal from Los Gatos Euro nymphing the lower Owens River in the late afternoon fishing for those last few trout before the sun sets.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
The water is slow and clear and the trout are feeding on the few mayflies and midges that are hatching. This is the slow time of the year for the interpretive site on Hot Creek. Your drifts have to be perfect. The fly selection has to be a perfect imitation of the hatching insects. The drift has to float the fly right over the fish as they will not move to take a fly this time of year. Best technique is to fly fish with a dry and dropper. I like using a size 16 Adams parachute for my dry fly. For the nymph I’m using tiger midges, zebra midges, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and perdigons. I’m fishing with size 20 Griffith’s gnats, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, and size 20 olive sparkle duns when I see the fish rising with consistency.
Fly fishing in the Canyon section of Hot Creek has been tough as there are few insects hatching for the fly fisher to imitate.
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
The upper section of Hot Creek Canyon is offering the best fly fishing on the creek, but it’s very tough fishing. Nymphing with an indicator or a dry and dropper is producing a few fish with a bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph. Stripping streamers or wet flies is the most productive way to fish the creek right now. For nymphs fish with perdigons, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, burlap caddis, tiger midges, and zebra midges. For streamers I like the standard pattern of an olive wooly bugger in size 6. Strip this fly through the water with finesse so that the fly moves in and around the pockets holding the larger trout.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
There are trophy trout in the river that are feeding on nymphs and streamers. Successful fly fishers are catching one or two trophy trout per trip to the upper Owens River. Finding pockets of fish is necessary to be successful. This requires covering lots of water to find those few deep holes or runs that have trophy trout feeding in them. For nymphs I like fishing the Euro rig with size 12 gold ribbed hare’s ears, green/gold wire Prince nymphs, and stoner nymphs. Standard and super streamers are producing a few fish for fly fishers willing to cover lots of water. Try fishing with wooly buggers, hornbergs, sex dungeons, or dirty hippies.
Dredging the bottom of deep holes with heavily weighted Euro nymphs is producing a few trophy trout for the persistent fly fisher.
Bishop Creek Canal Behind the Ford Dealer:
Fly fishing pressure or any fishing pressure on Bishop Creek or Bishop Creek Canal has been minimal. Every day I’m out I see no other anglers on the water. A mid-day blue wing olive hatch is keeping the trout actively feeding. A sporadic caddis hatch follows the blue wing olive hatch. I’m fishing nymphs and dry flies with success. For nymphs I’ve been fishing the Euro rig, a dry and dropper rig, and an indicator rig. I’m fishing with size 20 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, quilldigons, perdigons, Frenchies, and tiger midges. For dry flies I’m fishing with X-caddis, blue wing olive parachutes, olive comparaduns, and olive sparkle duns. Six to ten inch wild brown trout are actively feeding middle of the day.
Mike Neal from Los Gatos fishing with a dry and dropper rig to fool the wild brown trout of Bishop Creek Canal in the middle of the day.