Summer has showed up with a vengeance as a heat wave envelopes the Eastern Sierra. This time of the year the best fishing is early in the morning and late in the evening. This is when the insect activity is at its peak. Best time to be on the water is 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M and 6:00 P.M to dark. Mayflies, caddis flies and midges continue to hatch and provide fly fishers with hatching insects to imitate.
Catch and release for trout is effected by high water temperatures. Sixty five degrees and below is good for catch and release trout fishing. From 65 to 68 is the danger zone for trout. They can handle being caught and released, but the fight needs to be short and quick. They need to be released quickly. No time for photos or poor handling. From 68 to 70 your pushing your luck with the catch and release. Over 70 and the mortality rate increases greatly. You should not be fishing
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section:
The flows on the lower Owens River are slowly heading to 150 CFS. As of today the flows are at 225 CFS. This is a perfect level to be wading and fly fishing the river. Day time temperatures are in the low 100’s and is expected to stay here for a while. Middle of the day fishing has been slow. Early and late is the time to be on the water. Nymphing in the morning is productive. Try fishing with bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, and tiger midges. In the evenings caddis have been providing the action from when the sun goes behind the Sierra mountains tell dark.
Best times to be fishing the lower Owens River is early in the morning or late in the evening.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
A lack of mid-day insect activity has slowed fly fishing in the interpretive site. Best fishing is in the morning from 8:00 to 10:00 A.M. when the trico may flies are hatching. Or in the evening when the caddis are active and the trout are feeding on them. Size 22 to 24 trico parachutes, and trico spinners are fooling the wary trout in Hot Creek from the hatchery to Hot Creek Ranch.
The upper section of Hot Creek Canyon gets the most pressure of the three canyon sections.
Hot Creek Canyon Section:
Most fly fishers have been concentrating their efforts in the top section of Hot Creek Canyon from Hot Creek Ranch to the first up and over. This section has both fast and slow water sections. In the slow water sections below the ranch fish trio spinners and parachutes in the morning. Later in the morning fish a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph 20 to 24 inches under a size 16 or 18 Adams parachute in the fast water section where the parking lot trail meets the river. There is an abundance of 12 to 14 inch wild brown trout willing to take a properly presented fly.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The hoppers have not matured into flying adults yet. They should be out and about any day. Early morning nymphing is producing quality brown and cutthroat trout. These trout are taking stoner nymphs, green/gold wire Prince nymphs, perdigon nymphs, butano nymphs, bead head flash back gold ribbed hares ears, and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs. Mid-day is seeing little insect activity. Evenings are good with the caddis activity.
Working the cut banks and riffles in the morning with nymphs is producing quality wild brown trout and cutthroat trout.
Bishop Creek Canal Behind the Ford Dealer:
Mid-day temperatures in the low 100’s makes fishing Bishop Creek Canal during the day intolerable. An early morning Diptera hatch has the fish working the surface. This small fly is of a size smaller than the smallest commercially available hook. Try nymphing with bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, perdigons, Butano nymphs, and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs.
Fly fishers working Bishop Creek Canal from Wye Road to Bishop creek are catching pan sized wild brown trout and hatchery rainbow trout.