Summer weather and light snow pack is making for extreme fire conditions in the Eastern Sierra. There are two fires in the Lone Pine area. The Creek fire has shut down the Whitney Portal area west of Lone Pine. Hatches of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddis flies have trout feeding on nymphs and adults. Hoppers will be showing up in July on Eastern Sierra meadow streams like the upper Owens River.
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section:
Day time temperatures have been hovering in the upper 90’s and low 100’s. Makes for a hot day on the water. Have lots of water to drink on these hot days. The lower Owens River is flowing around 300 CFS and there are few fly anglers fly fishing the river. The hearty few that are fly fishing the river with nymphs are being treated to actively feeding fish. Stoner nymphs in size 12, Butano nymphs in size 16, rainbow warriors in size 14, perdigon nymphs in size 16 and 18 have been producing trout.
Wet wading the lower Owens River on a 90 degree day produced a few fish on nymphs.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Hatches of trico mayflies, pale morning duns, and caddis flies have Hot Creek trout rising to the surface. This surface action is keeping the dry fly enthusiast busy in the morning from 8:00 A.M. to noon each day. Productive flies include size 16 pale morning duns, size 20 trico parachutes, and size 20 gray caddis patterns like Hemingway caddis, and parachute caddis.
Fly fishers are finding good hatches of trico mayflies, pale morning duns, and gray caddis to imitate with their flies to fool the trout.
Hot Creek Canyon Section:
Weed beds are dominating the canyon section of the creek. Anglers that can get a drag free drift through the narrow channels between the weed beds will find trout willing to take dries and nymphs. Little yellow stone fly nymphs are getting active and should be hatching soon. Caddis and pale morning duns are providing the bulk of the surface activity in the canyon section. Fishing tapers off mid afternoon when the hatches are over. Activity picks up again in the evening when the caddis are on the water.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Afternoon winds are hampering fly fishers fishing the upper Owens River. Fly fishers getting on the water early have a few hours of windless fishing. Grass hopper nymphs continue to grow in size and are still hopping into the river offering the trout an easy meal. Fishing size 16 or 18 tan parachute hoppers are fooling the wild trout. Nymphing with stoner nymphs, green/gold wire Prince nymphs, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears is producing rainbows, browns and cutthroats to 16 inches.
There are precocial male cutthroats in the upper Owens River system that are taking nymphs.
Owens River Gorge:
Summer temperatures in the low 100’s, rattle snakes, and stinging nettles are a good reason to leave the Owens River Gorge fly fishing alone until late September.
Bishop Creek Canal Behind the Ford Dealer:
Nymphing during the day is a very productive way to fly fish Bishop Creek Canal. The wild brown trout and hatchery rainbow trout are taking bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, stoner nymphs, green/gold wire prince nymphs, Butano nymphs, and rainbow warriors. Fishing from when the sun goes behind the Sierra mountains tell dark skittering a size 16 elk hair caddis is a fun way to end a hot day in the Owens Valley.
Euro nymphing Bishop Creek Canal is a very productive method of fly fishing the canal.